Hopkins Co. TX - When State was a Republic - Howard Hargrave From: June E. Tuck ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** From the historical files of June E. Tuck, who does not validate or dispute any historical facts in the article PIONEER TEXAN RECALLS DAYS WHEN STATE WAS A REPUBLIC By Howard Hargrave (Not dated - edited) Special to The Star-Telegram Howard Hargrave of Sulphur Bluff, is one of six survivors of the colony of fifty that came from Indiana to the Republic of Texas in 1842, settling in what is now Hopkins county. Its interestingly of the conditions and events of the early days when Texas was a separate government among the nations of the world. He was brought to Texas when a boy of two, having been born at Boonville, Indiana, July 13, 1840. Hargrave^Òs parents, with a number of members of the Hargrave family, settled near Sulphur Bluff. At that time the country was a wilderness in which bear, wolves, deer, panthers, wild horses and Indians frequently were encountered. In 1843 the Hargrave brothers built a water mill at Sulphur Bluff, attaching to it both a grist mill and a saw mill. They brought all their tools with them on the trip to Texas and also much material in the way of nails, steel, iron, and were able to provide for most of the needs of the settlers in carpentry. Members of the colony possessed but little money. "It would not have done them any good if they had possessed money, there was nothing to exchange it for.," says Hargrave. "Our greatest need was for salt, ammunition, and breadstuff. Our nearest trading points were Jefferson and Shreveport, and occasionally when the Red river was not navigable, we would be forced to go to Gaines^Ò Landing on the Mississippi to get our supplies. Such trips would consume six weeks. Our needed revenue came from the hides of wild animals and meat from deer, turkeys and bears, and honey which we took to the trading points in wagon loads and traded for necessaries. "At times the colony would be without bread for weeks or months. They lived on bear, deer and turkey. Our people of that day were neighborly, kind, generous, liberal and free hearted and bore the hardships of a pioneer life equally among them. Gallantry among the pioneers was a leading characteristic and hospitality was another. A hearty welcome was found in every home." Hargrave says it was at Sulphur Bluff that the first hammer and saw were heard in the county and that the first school also was built there, a log school. The teacher was Miss Alice Carter, a Virginia girl whose parents joined the colony in 1844. By that time a settlement of twelve families, the men, of which were employed at the Hargrave mills, had grown up, and the school, one of the pioneers of the great Texas school system of today, was opened for their benefit. There were about twenty pupils. At that time the Republic had no school funds, though it later set aside a sixth of the land for such a purpose. At that time the section of the state was known as the "Red River District," comprising what are now Red River, Titus, Franklin, Morris, Hopkins, Lamar, and Delta counties. Sulphur Bluff was headquarters for people of the district, and a big barbecue was given there July 4, 1844, wild meat being cooked. Anson Jones and Ned Burleson, candidates for the presidency of the Republic of Texas, were special guests at the barbecue, both riding up on ponies which were hobbled while they remained at the gathering. Annexation was then the topic of discussion. Burleson opposing it. The first election was held that year and of fifteen votes cast, all but one, that of Capt. John D. Bloodworth, were for Jones. When the question of annexation which became more widely discussed as the days went by, was put to the people for popular vote, there were twenty-five votes cast at the colony. Two were against annexation, Absolom Ledbetter against it as did Capt. Bloodworth. In 1845 the county was surveyed by Robert Hargrave and the legislature appointed a committee consisting of him, Capt. Eli Hopkins and William Barker to locate the center of the county for a county seat site. The county was named Hopkins and the county seat named Tarrant, in honor General Tarrant. Another important gathering of the early days which Hargrave recalls was the barbecue in 1847 when Sam Houston was a candidate for governor and debated there with Lewis T. Wigfall, who spoke in the interest of Dick Reynolds. Having seen the development of Texas from its days as a republic, Hargrave is an enthusiast about the future. "Let us sidetrack the agitator," he says, "the politician who is a menace to the up building of our great state. Let us elect common business men to our legislature and extend an inviting hand to capital that railroads may be built, that factories may spring up and that wealth may pile up and taxes (paper torn.)"