Jack County, TX - Biography - AN OLD-TIMER OF JACK COUNTY MRS. PHEONIX OF TAHOKA TALKS INTERESTINGLY TO J.M. HUGHES ************************************************************************************* This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Dorman Holub Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************************************************* Jacksboro Gazette August 8, 1907 AN OLD-TIMER OF JACK COUNTY MRS. PHEONIX OF TAHOKA TALKS INTERESTINGLY TO J.M. HUGHES Tahoka, Tex., July 30, 1907. While Jacksboro is celebrating the semi-centennial of its organized life, I think those who took part in that organization should be kindly remembered and given the honor due. To this end I want to place a few laurels at the feet of one whom I feel deserves a good share of them. Since I came to Tahoka it has been my happy lot to form the acquaintance of Mrs. Pheonix who is now 88 years, and at that advanced age is still hale and hearty, excepting a lameness. She is able to attend church when the weather is fine. She is a lifelong Baptist and has had the pleasure this week of attending a meeting of her people conducted by the Rev. Smith of Sherman. Mrs. Pheonix speaks tenderly of her early acquaintance with Hensley back in the old states; also of W.C. Kutch, William Hensley, Bud Ham, Newton Atkinson and others of her old friends in Jack. She says her father was the first person buried in the cemetery at Jacksboro. They located the pre-emption on which Mrs. Sewell now lives. Her father built the old concrete house which stood on the southeast corner of the square. Mrs. Pheonix fed every man at the organization of Jack county except a Mr. Reasoner, who went home. Her husband was one of the first commissioners of Jack county and the first justice of the peace there and that he first suggested the name for the county. She tells me that he went from his home on East Keechi over to Newt AtkinsonŐs, eight miles to borrow an old fashioned spinning wheel and carried it in his lap on a horse all the way. That the Methodist and Baptist people having no place of worship all came to her home to worship. She can so minutely describe the killing of the Masons and Camerons by the Indians that I can almost locate the spot. She talks feelingly and lovingly of each man as Billy Kutch, bud Ham, and Newt Atkinson as if they were her own children and called herself the mother of Jack county. She is almost idolized by the people here for her lovely Christian life. This is only a sketch of her talk to me. I believe that Jack county should make some public demonstration or record of Mrs. Mary A. Pheonix. J.M. Hughes