J. M. RUSH, W. H. COUSINS and GEO. YARBROUGH, Smith County, TX ********************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Submitted by Peggy Brannon - peggybrannon@hotmail.com 8 June 2001 ********************************************************************** J. M. Rush, W. H. Cousins and Geo. Yarbrough "Some Biographies of Old Settlers." Historical, Personal and Reminiscent. Volume I By Sid S. Johnson, 1900: Sid S. Johnson, Publisher, Tyler, Texas Chapter XVIII - Pages 101 - 105 In 1847, Major J. M. Rush moved from Tennessee to Texas and settled in Tyler. The town site had only been laid off the year before. The family occupied a tent until he could build a home. He built a log house on the spot of land now occupied by the Durst building, on the southeast corner of the square, just north of the Grand opera house. He lived there for some time and finally settled and opened a farm one mile north of the court house where he died a few years after the war. It is now known as the Owens place. Major J. M. Rush was a man of great energy and became prominent as a citizen and a member of the Methodist church. He was indeed and in truth an up-to-date citizen and helped to build Tyler and advance her educational and religious interests. He came to Tyler from Mississippi soon became favorably and well known. He was a successful planter and managed his farm affairs with method and in a business way. He was the step father of Rev. James M. and William Seaton, who are now dead, but were prominent men in this county and city in church and business circles, and Mrs. Geo. M. Johnson, who is still a resident of Tyler. The Seaton brothers were prominent merchants in this county and city and sustained an excellent reputation for honest integrity. James was a Methodist preacher, forcible and scholarly in the pulpit. Major Rush was the father of Dr. C. A. Rush, now a prominent citizen of Kaufman, who has a good standing as a citizen and ranks high in his profession; also, the father of Mrs. Vannie Cockrell of Kaufman county, whose husband is a prominent and successful farmer. There were others of the Rush and Seaton families, but for the lack of intelligent data, I am unable to give more fully in this chapter. James Seaton, a prominent young business man of this city, is a son of Rev. James M. Seaton. William H. Cousins moved with his father's family to Smith county in 1848, and settled near Omen (Old Canton), in this county. Young Cousins spent his boyhood on his father's farm, when he went to Old Canton and entered a dry goods store as a clerk. Here he adapted himself to the new order of things and soon became a fine salesman and a rustler in business circles. It was here he laid the foundation of a mercantile education that led to a successful merchant. It was the close application of the boy that made the successful business man. when the civil war broke out he promptly enlisted in the Confederate army, making a good soldier to the surrender of the Confederate forces. In 1857 he removed to Tyler, clerked awhile, and soon entered business of his own, advancing to the front. Mr. Cousins commanded respect for his honest integrity and business sagacity. He married Miss Sue Evans, the daughter of Col. Larkin Evans, a prominent planter of Smith county. Miss Evans was a beautiful girl and admired for her many graceful accomplishments. Mrs. Cousins is still living and gracefully presides over her household duties, retaining that grace and ease that made her so popular when younger. She is still a fine looking woman of her age, and with pleasant surroundings, a handsome home, with the comforts of life. I know of no reason why the Cousin's home should not be an ideal one. Mr. Cousins voluntarily retired from merchantile pursuits to look after his large outside business that needed attention. Much of his time has been devoted to stock raising--in fact, he was one of the earliest settlers in raising fine horses and mules. He has considerable farming interests that required his attention which he is giving with the usual methods of his business life. Mr. Cousins still moves along in business circles--a pleasant gentleman, enjoying the confidence of his fellows, fifty-two years in our midst, the same unchangable man and good citizen. Another man of prominence as a merchant and citizen was Col. George Yarbrough, who settled in Tyler in 1854, becoming prominent as business man, doing an immense trade as a merchant. Col Yarbrough's death occurred in Tyler in 1898, leaving a widow, the result of a second marriage, who is a charming lady, and two pretty daughters, the fruits of the first marriage. Col. Yarbrough came from Alabama to Texas. However, he spent several profitable years on the Pacific coast during the great gold excitement in California. He was not only prominent as a business man, but took a deep interest in church work, being a deacon in the Baptist church. He was a man of intelligence and fruitful in powers of conversation. His first marriage was with Miss Margarett A. Herrin, an accomplished young lady of Tuskagee, Ala., who was a charming christian woman, dying several years ago, leaving a good influence on all who knew her many intelligent Christian virtues. Col. Yarbrough grasped a business proposition intelligently, and ranked well as a business man of strict and honest motives. The house, on the corner, built by Major Rush, afterwards became famous in the early history of Tyler as a boarding house, tavern and hotel; sheltering many eminent and great men on the inside of its historic walls. An original log house, it was weather-boarded, a second story added to it, growing by degrees until it reached an imposing structure in this new country. It was kept by different persons, and was a noted tavern and a pleasure resort in the long ago, until its walls were torn away for the present sightly brick buildings. The old landmarks have disappeared at the demand of civilization and advanced business methods, along with the old settler. No one to say, "Woodman, Spare That Tree," or stay the tide of vandalism, blotting out forever the last resemblance of how and what our fathers built. Sage men discussed great state problems in it. Gay young people met and whiled away the pleasant hours--gay children with its peals of childhood laughter--its history of births and deaths--gladness and sadness belong to its cherished memories. If the old walls were here and could only talk--but, I must stop.