Hunt Co., TX - News: R.W. Williams First Visits to Celeste ********************************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb by: Sarah Swindell USGenWeb Archives. Copyright. All rights reserved http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ********************************************************** R. W. Williams Writes About One of His First Visits to Celeste; His Regard for W. C. Jackson and Harrison Baker One of my first trips to Celeste was in 1904 when William Swindell (now living near Hogeye) and I went to a Mr. Tatum’s just north of the Celeste pool to buy a striped-legged mule for Mr. Swindell. I had picked my first cotton crop and had my first checkbook. William didn’t have enough money to pay for the mule and since I was trying to make a hit with his sister, I gladly loaned him forty dollars. A neighbor boy beat my time with this girl, but later I talked another neighbor girl into running away with me. We got married in the courthouse in Greenville by our old-time County Superintendent, Professor Thomas, who was also a minister. We spent the night at the Warren Hotel (which is still operating). The next morning, we took a Katy train to Celeste and waked out to the home of an old friend, Zare Warren, in the east part of Celeste, where we remained until our buggy from Kiser arrived. There have been quite a few changes around Celeste since those days. Only one train each way on the Katy stops now and Uncle Zare Warren has been gone a long time and I notice his children are getting gray. A lot of things have happened that we were not suspecting, since the day I stepped off the Katy at Celeste. One incident recently happened that binds us closer to Celeste than all others. This came about by the fact that a Celeste boy, W. C. Jackson, is the president of a company for which our son now works. My wife and I are most deeply grateful for the unusual kindness and help shown this son by Mr. Jackson during a serious illness for about six months in 1951. Weeks in a hospital would ordinarily be an almost unbearable burden for a young man without a strong financial backing, but Mr. Jackson’s generosity made the burden light and now I never pass through Celeste without being overcome with a spirit of appreciation for a fine man who was once a Celeste boy. I have never met Mr. Jackson and never knew his family, but certainly a man like this must have had a very fine background or inheritance and if any of my friends in Celeste ever have a chance to speak a kind word for these people, it will be very deeply appreciated by the writer. Among my first friends in Celeste were Steve Green, Dave Henslee, and a few other old timers whose absence makes Celeste a little strange. Another incident that ties us to Celeste is due to the fact that Harrison Baker, once our circuit rider preacher, spent many nights in our home in the Sulphur bottom. It is very vivid to me that Harrison and I were taking a walk over the field and talking confidentially about life and its many institutions when he slowed down and said that he was thinking of getting married and asked what I thought of a boy preacher taking this important step. I asked who was the girl and he said, "Eula McGuire of Celeste." I knew of the McGuires and knew they were the type of people that would be suitable for a fine young preacher to tie into; so, I stopped and told him that I considered his failure to take this step a distinct mistake. Harrison and Eula have been close friends all these years and often when we visit our son in Dallas, we find Harrison’s son visiting in his home; so, we are again thankful for the friendship of a fine Celeste girl like Eula and her unexcelled family. I was recently visiting in the new Wolfe City Baptist Church annex and as I left, I told their preacher that when the Methodist turned me out I might want to join their church. I also think when the people of Wolfe City run me out, I should like to move to the fine little city of Celeste where I might find a lot of pleasant reminders to brighten my declining years of a happy life spent largely between Wolfe City and Celeste. By R. W. Williams, Wolfe City (May 16, 1952, The Celeste Courier)