Dallas County, Texas - The whole text, 1892 (part 4 of 32)

Sec. 11. - That the premium lands must be selected from the vacant lands within the territorial limits defined in the contract; and further, all fees incidental to the issue of patents for lands acquired under the provisions of this law shall be paid to the commissioner of the general land office, for the use and benefit of the public treasury.

Sec. 12. - That a failure on the part of the contractors and a forfeiture of their contract, shall not be prejudicial to the rights of such families iind single persons as they may introduce, who shall be entitled to their respective quotas of land agreeable to the provision of this law.

which they contract, within the limits of the Republic before the expiration of one year from the date of the contract, under the penalty of a forfeiture of the saine; and it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State, forthwitii, after the expiration of such term and failure on the part of tlie contractors to comply with tbe provision, to publish and declare said forfeiture, unless the President, for good, sufficient reasons, shall extend the term six months, which he can do; and all sul)stitution3 of families livinj; within the limits of the Republic by the contractors shall not entitle them to any premiums for such families, nor shall it operate in favor of them for the number of families which they are bound to introduce; and this act shall take effect from and after its passage."

Advertisement of this act was extensively made in all the other States, and thereby much attention was attracted to Texas. But few, however, had the courage to come and remain as settlers.

Under this act a contract was made between Sam Houston, then President of Texas, and Samuel Browning, attorney for a company composed of Joseph Carroll, Henry Peters, et al , on the 30th day of August, 18.41, in which it was agreed that a colony, to be called Peters' Colony, should locate in the northern portion of the State. It covered a large section of territory, reaching from the southern border of the Red river to a line so far south as to include a large portion of what is now Ellis county. The east border of this colony survey took its beginning at the mouth of

Big Mineral creek on Red river, and coming south it cut mto the territory now occupied by Dallas county, about ten miles east of the city of Dallas. Accordingly the section of territory now known as Dallas county was included entirely in this colony, with the exception of a small strip on the east about three miles in width.

There were many disputes, resulting almost in serious difficulties, between some of the the settlers and the colonists as to the rights of the settlers in this colony, and especially the amount of land each family should have allotted to it; also the amount each single man should be allowed. Finally, the laws of the State stepped in and put a quietus to this wrangle by setting aside for each family what was then and is now called a section, comprising 640 acres, and to a single man a half section, being of course 320 acres.

The headquarters of the originators of this colony were located at Louisville, Kentucky, and the advertisement of the many advantages of this colony in the way of rich lands, delightful climate, etc., caught the attention of many, especially in Kentucky; and that brave, noble and true-hearted Kentiickian, John Neely Bryan, made up his mind to brave the dangers and endure the hardships of this wild country. So he came and located near Dallas, in 1841, and is known as the first settler of Dallas county. Others came from his State and from Illinois, Missouri and Tennessee, and most of them settled in this section, comprising Dallas county, - at least it received a liberal proportion of the immigrants. Up to 1846, all of Dallas county east of the Trinity river, belonged to Nacogdoches county, and all of Dallas west of the Trinity river belonged to what was then known as Robertson county. So for four years these earlier settlers were compelled in attending their courts to go the distance of about two hundred miles to Nacogdoches, then the county seat, and the settlers across the Trinity, almost in halloing distance, yet the citizens residing in that section of country now occupied by the beautiful suburban little city. Oak Cliff, had then to go to the rather important and proud village of the frontier, old Franklin, about one hundred and fifty miles from Houston. Frequently these pioneers had to go to their courts to serve as jurors by processes of court or to transact legal business. What more striking example of fortitude, sacrifice and devotion could be found showing a determination to build up and acquire homes for themselves than was exhibited by these faithful and patient pioneers! Thus the real settlement of Dallas county began with these pioneers about 1842.

The following is taken from John Henry Brown's history of Dallas county, with the venerable old gentleman's consent. As he is one of the very few pioneers still living who knew Dallas county when but a wilderness, and has seen her growth to her present wonderful status, and remembers the names of all the earlier settlers, whence they were and

" The actual eettleineiit of Dallas county began in the spring of 1842, when the first cabin was erected and the families of John Beeman and Captain Gilbert were the first to arrive (Mrs. Martha Gilbert being the first American lady) and relieve the loneliness of the adventurous and true-liearted avant coureur, John Neely Eoyan, who had for five or six months been ' monarch of all he surveyed,' provided, he neither surveyed red men of the forest nor the raging Trinity on cue of its periodic ' spreads.' He entertained tliem with the best he had - chiefly bear meat and honey - perhaps without recalling the adage about ' entertaining angels unawares,' yet, it was verified in this case, for, ere a great while, the lonely son of Tennessee gave his heart and hand to a comely and pure-hearted daughter of Illinois, in the person of Margaret, a daughter of Mr. John Beeman.

In 1842, besides James J. Beeman and family, the families of Thomas Kecnan, Preston Witt, Alexander W. Webb, John H. Cox, Perry Overton and others, arrived. The family of William M. Cochran came in March, 1843. In May came the family of Dr. John Cole, with his grown sons, Calvin G., John H. and James M., and other children ; and in December, George W. Glover and family, Elder Amon McCommas and grown sons, John, Elisha, Stephen B., and his brothers Stephen B. and John C, George L. Leonard and family and others.

In 1845 came William H. Ilord and faiuily, William B. Elam and family, W. Hamp Witt and family, Thomas M. Ellis and family, John H. Daniel, D. W. Reedy, the Hanght brothers, Adam C, Peter and Samuel A., with their families, John W. Smith and James M. Patterson (afterward the wellknown first merchants of Dallas) both from Green county, Kentucky; John Thomas, wife, grown sons and daughters, from Missouri; James A. Coats, Marion A., and Tliomas D. Coats, John C. McCoy, and others.

Among those arriving in 1846, were the families of Samuel Beeman, Mrs. Mary Ann Freeman, Obadiah W. Knight, William Traughber, I. N. Webb, John R. Fondren, Thomas Collins, James Collins (brothers), Albert G. Collins, Rev. James A. Smith, R. E. Rawlins and other members of the Rawlins family, Wormley Carter, Asher W. Carter, John Anderson, Marquis de Lafayette Gracy (single) and many others.

From the history of this venerable historian, also, we take by permission the following list of names of all the settlers of Dallas county, reaching from the earliest settlement in 1841 to 1850, arranged alphabetically:

Armstrong, James and family, came in 1846; his daughter, Frances E., came, the wife of John Bursey, and is now a widow; Martha married Robert Cook, and is a widow; Nancy J. married lirst William A. Knight, second W. Marion Moon; Mary J. married Alexander A. Thomas; Anderson, the only son, died in 1848.

Bryan, James B. (brother of John N)., came in 1846; married (second wife) Mrs. Elizabeth Harter, nee Beeman; children, William, James and Lenore.

Bledsoe, " A" and family, from Missouri, 1846; children, Willis A., married Jane Boyle; Moses O. to Sadie George; Isaac C, to Miss Steele; Virginia, to Captain

R. A. Rawlins; Bettie, to Thomas Spruance; Fleming G., to Juliet Samuels. Bledsoe, Anthony, married Martha Huitt. Bledsoe, Dr. Samuel T. and family, 1845. Bernard, Charles H., came from Illinois in single. Beard, Allen, and i'amily. Beverly, William, 1846, married Rebecca Conover; died in Collin county, in 1887. Bennett, Hiram, came in 1845; children,

Madison, Hardy and C. L. Bennett, William H., and family, 1845. Bennett, William, and family, 1845. Bennett, James M., and family, 1845. Bennett, Elisha and Elijah D, came single. Burris, Thomas and family. Browder, Mrs. Lucy, came in 1845. Browder, Isham, son of Lucy and family,

Bowles, Rev. William, a Baptist preacher, who had married Mrs. Rebecca Self, came in 1844. Of the Self children, there were Ann, who married Robert Walker; Sarah E., who married Judge James M. Patterson; Harvin H. and Chonac Self. The children of Mr. Bowles, by this marriage, are Harrison U., living in Kaufman, and Hannah F., who married George W. Davis.

Burford, Nathaniel M., came from Tennessee in 1848, married Mary Knight in 1854; their children, Mattie, married William Morris Freeman in 1886; Nathaniel is dead ; Robert Lee, Jeff Mallard and May.

Beeman, John, and family, from Illinois to Bowie county, 1840; to iioyd's Fort, November, 1841 ; to Dallas county, April 1842. His wife was Emily Ilunnicut, yet living. Their children: Elizabeth married tirst Henry Harter in 1844, going eighty miles to Bonham for that purpose; second, B. Bryam, and third

William Cumby; Margaret married John Neely Bryan; William H. married Martha Dye; Samuel H. married ifary Ann Weatherford; Isaac H. died in California; James H. married Mary Hammond; Clarissa married - Walker; Nancy married William W. Ilobbs; Ann married John Fugate; Caroline married Isaac Fisher; - ten children, nine married.

Beeman, James J., in St. Charles county, Missouri, in 1836, married Sarah Crawford; ill Dallas, November 29, 1851, he married Elizabeth Baker, from Ohio. By the first marriage he had children; Mary J. (died in 1884), married first Henry Price; second, Wyatt Barnett; Emily T. married William T. Baker; Francis M. married Amanda McCormick; Melissa died in youth. By bis second wife J. J. had Charles A., who married Martha McCormick, and Sarah E., who married L. A. Sweet.

Beeman, Samuel, married in St. Charles county, Missouri, Mary Smelser (both now dead), and came November, 1846, from Calhoun county, Illinois. Of their children John S. married Isabel Bryan in Illinois, came with his father; Ruth married Adam C. Haught, whose tirst wife, Margaret, was a sister of her father; Nancy (in Illinois), married William Uunnicut; Isaac married Hannah Bethurum; Temperance married - Moore; Peter married Matilda Riggs; William and Jacob were killed in the Confederate army; Kate married Newton Husted. The three brothers brought twenty-four children to Dallas county, including those born here.

Corley, Adalbert, son of the Rev. Samuel Corley, the Mexican war soldier, came in 1848; for thirty years has been Clerk of Red River county.

Cochran, William M., and wife, nee Nancy J. Hughes, Tennesseans, came from Missouri in 1843. He died April 24, 1853. She died October 15, 1877; of their children, John H. married Martha Johnson; Archelaus M., tirst married Laura, one of the Knights of '46. Second, Mrs. Mary QoWhx^, nee Jenkins; William P. married Amanda M. Lawrence; James M., (born in Dallas county June 1, 1846) married tirst Maggie B. Lively, second Nannie Clark, third Hattie Bourland; George W., died single in 1872; Martha A., married William Harris.

Crutchfield, Thomas F., and family, from Kentucky, 1845; children: James O. M.; Fannie Floyd; Albertus went to California ; Th. Ella married G. S. C. Leonard; Ophelia married John J. Eakins, who died in 1886; Minerva, married John W. Swindells; Betty married John W. Lane.

Rebecca F. Bedford; Isaac N. married Uerrilla K. Myers; Margaret A. married Thomas A. Campbell and died in Missouri, in 1869; Mary M. married Levi M. J'limfas; Rebecca F. married AVilliam L. Holt, and is dead. Children by a second wife, Samuel H.; John AV., and three daughters.

Combs, Joseph, and family, (Cedar Hill) came before July 1848; of his children Zur married Sarab Evans; William S. married Elizabeth J. Evans; Robert.

Chowning. J. W., married Nancy Myers in Illinois - in Grand Prairie fight in 1846; found the niurdered i'helps party in 1848; lives in Denton.

Couch, Henderson, as foreman of the jury at the first court ever iield in Dallas county, December, 1846; he and his eleven colleagues divorced Mrs. Charlotte M. Dalton from her hnaband, Joseph Dalton, and before the sun of that day glided to the "heathen Chinee" side of the globe; the said Henderson Conch and Charlotte M. Dalton, legally and constitutionally, were husband and wife. It was the first civil suit - Dalton vs. Dalton - ever tried in Dallas county; yet some people of this day imagine that the '-early times'' of Dallas were of the backwoods, "Arkansaw Traveler," non- progressive class, such as are found stuck away in certain spots in New York, New Jersey, I'euusylvania, and possibly a few in Nortii Carolina and Virginia, but never in the prairies of the great West or Southwest. Let all such realize the electric dispatch business in early Dallas days, and be convinced of their former erroneous impression, then tip their beavers to the

Cole, Dr. John, wife and mostly grown children came from Arkansas 184B; their children; Calvin G., married in Arkansas, Elvira Reeder; James M. married Sarah Bennett; John H. married Elizabeth Preston ; Martin V. married Maggie Preston ; Joseph married Jennie Overton; Malinda became second wife of James N. Smith; Eliza married Jefferson Tilley, and is a widow in Arkansas; Louisa married A. G. Walker, and is dead; Win. A., lives in Medina county, married Mary Bennett.

Collins, Albert G., and wife, Patnelia, came from Kentucky 1846; their children: Orzelia married John Shipley, now a a widow; James, William, Joel and Henry are dead; Foster in Louisana; Joseph and Albert G., living; Martha

Carter, Woomley, born in Loudoun, Virginia, June 19, 1816; removed from Kentucky to Missouri 1843; to Dallas in May, 1846; married Lucy Anderson; since 1880 has lived near Lewisville, Denton county.

Cockrell, Alexander, came from Missouri in 1845; was a frontier soldier and partly in Mexico; married Sarah H. Ilorton; was killed in Dallas April 3, 1858. His widovir still resides in the old homestead, the abode of hospitality. Their children: Aurelia married Mitchell Gray, and is dead; Robert married Gillie Jones and died in 1866; Frank M. is Alderman Cockrell of the Todd mills; Alexander married Ettie Fulkerson and is a "rauchero" on Mountain creek.

Carder, Wm. P., and family came in 1845; his sons, Elijaii and Christopher, were soldiers in Mexico, and died in the city about Christmas, 1847. His wife, nee Brumfield, was a sister of Mrs. Amon McCommas.

Daniel, John H., came from Missouri in 1845; a soldier in the Mexican war; married Rebecca Ray in Dallas county. Their children: William R. married Josephine McCommas; Mary Frances married George H. Alexander, now of Hardeman county; "John Henry" died March 5, 1885; Benj. F.; Sterling Price; Edmund W. married first Emma McCommas;

Durgin, Charles H., merchant, came from Massachusetts 1845; married Elizabeth B. Thomas, and is long deceased. His widow is vice-president of the Dallas County Pioneer Association.

Dye, Benjamin, Sr., and family came from Kentucky in 1847. His children: Enoch, now dead, married a daughter of Rev. Abner Keen; Benj., Jr., and Wm. H. died single; Joseph F. went to California in 1853; George lives in Dallas County; Martha E. is the wife of Wm. H. Beeman; Sarah first married Mr. Vassella and is now the wife of Dr. Mitchell; Miranda married Madison Bennett; Addie is the wife of Wm. A. McDermett.

Illinois, 1845. Elam, Isaac, wife Margaret and family, 1847. Elam, W. M.. and family. Elam, Jesse, and family. Elam, Andrew, Benton and several others cloud. Edwards, Isaac, and family. Ferris, Morris, and family came before 1840. Floyd, Morris, and family came before 1846. Fyke, Elisha, and family. Fyke, Archer, came single. Fyke, Archer, came single. Fortner, Milford F., and family. Frost, Benj., and family. Frost, Tliomas, came single. Ferris, Warren A., surveyor, and family came

Gilbert, Mabel, and wife Martha, came from Bird's Fort, in March, 1842, Mrs. Gilbert being the first wiiite lady to reach Dallas, though followed on the 4th of April by Mrs. John Beeman, yet living, and her daughter. Mr. Gilbert had formerly 1)ecn a steamboat commander.

Griffin, Elder Tiiacker Vivian, a preacher of the " Christian " church, born 1800, came to Dallas in 1S46; organized the first church of his denomination in Dallas county, at Hord's ridge, and died in 1852 or '53. His only son died in the Confederate army. His only daughter Elizabeth A., is the esteemed wife of Dr. Albert A. Johnston.

Howell, John, and wife Parthena, came in 1845; their children: Virginiiis, James, Hartwell (lost in the Confederate Army), Lizzie (Mrs. John Wright), Salome (Mrs. John M. Hervay), Charles, married Miss Thomas.

Horton, Enoch, Sr., and family, from Eussell county, Virginia, arrived November 29, 1844. His children (excepting a married daughter who came ten years later) were Mary, who married Marlin M. Thompson; John married Margaret Hopkins; James married first Jane Phillip, second Mrs. Mollie King, nee Morton; Sarah H. married Alexander Cockrell; Enoch, Jr., married first Nancy C. Reed, second Lucy Lanier (now Mrs. Sam P. Cross); Robert died single, in California; Martha married her cousin, Wra. Horton, and died soon after reaching Dallas; Rachel died single; Lucy married A. B. Lanier; Emarine married the late Joseph C. Reed. Of all this large family Mrs. Cockrell alone survives as one of the honored landmarks of early, or rather ante-Dallas, days. Mrs. Cockrell died in 1892.

Hord, Wm. H. and wife Mary J. (wee Crockett) came from North Carolina 1845: their children: Thomas A., Ferdinand P., Mattie J. (Mrs. J. A. Crawford).

Harwood, Alex. M., and family. Tennesseans, but last from Missouri in 1844. The parents died at Harwood Springs, as did their son N. B., and his wife, the parents of Wm. A. Harwood, formerly district Clerk, now of Dimmitt county. Their daughter, Melissa T., first married Mr. Jacobs, and in 1846 Josiali S. Phelps and died about January 1, 1848, Mr. Phelps being killed by Lidians April 9, 1848. Their only child, then a few months old, is Mrs. Dickey (wife of Hejiry C.) Miller, of Tarrant county. A married daughter yet lives in Missouri. Susan O. married Wm. A. Stewart.

Harwood, Alexander (so long county Clerk), who married Sarah Peak. He died July 31, 1855. Their son Rifley B., married Lucy Keller, and has a son named Alexander. Their daughter, Juliet, is the wife of James J. Collins.

Hickman, Henry, married Elizabeth Newton. Han by, J., inarrieJ Susan Smith. Hutton, V. J., and wife came in 18-i5 or '46. Huster, Harrison and family came in 1845. Huster, James G., N. J., S. F. and others

July, 1848. Hobbs, James, and family before July, 1848. Hobbs, Wm. W., married Nancy Eeeman. Hart, Jacob, and family before July 1848. Hart, Abraham, married Elizabeth Ray. Hanna, Amariah, and family, before July,

1848. Halford, Jeremiah, and family, before 1848. Halford, J. W., came single. Henderson, Noah, and family. Hunnicut, Wm. C, and family, 1844. Hall. Jacob C, and family before 1848. Hall, John, and family before 1848. Halloway, Joseph II., before 1848. Hall, Henry H., came single; married -

Anderson. Harris, John, and family, before 1848. Harris, William, came before 1848. Harris, Daniel, and family, before 1848. Haught, Adam C, from Illinois in 1845;

E. married Gabriel A. (Dood) Knight; America S. married Coany; Miron E. married Celeste Brown; Sarah married Chas. Fladger; Itufus Henry and Willis L.

Jackson, John, wife and children came from Missouri in 1846; their children were Andrew Sloan Jackson, a soldier in Mexico; married Elizaheth Dye; William was a soldier in Mexico, came home sick and died September 12, 1848; James E. maried Diana Davis; Good married Miss Thomas; George married Molly Nash; Ruth Ann married Wm. Chenanlt.

Kuhn, Anton, came in 1845 or '40, - the llrst blacksmith in the town of Dallas, though Allen, slave of John Uuitt, and yet living, was the first, it is said, in the whole county. Mr. Kuhn afterward emigrated to Oregon.

Keenan, Thomas, and family came in 1842; of his children there were Marion; Betsey married Hiram Vail; Mary married James Newby; Hannah married Thos. Chenoweth.

H18T0Et Of Dallas County

Knight, Obadiah W., first married in Tennessee Mary Ann Knight, but not a relative. She died, and he married in the same State Serena C. Hughes, yet living in North Dallas. They came here in 1846. By the first marriage there were first Wm. A., who first married Mary Stillwell, and second Mary Jane Armstrong (now Mrs. W. M. Moon); second, John W., married Sally Stewart (who lives in Decatur) and died in 1870; third, Mary, married Nat. M. Burford in 1854; fourth, Elizabeth B., married Jefferson Mallard, of Jacksonville, in 1857; fifth, Gabriel A., married Hannah T. Jenkins. By the second marriage came sixth, Henry, who died a youth; seventh, Laura, who married A. M. Cochran and is dead; eighth, Monroe D., killed by a horse in youth; ninth, Sophronia, died young; tenth, Mattie A., married Wm. H. Lemmon, and is dead; eleventh, Kate, married John Field; twelfth, William H. (second Wm.) married Bessie Turner, and lives in Hill county; thirteenth, Eppes G., married Fannie L. Patton in 1887; fourteentii, Robert E. Lee, an attorney, member of Dallas bar; fifteenth, Archelau8 J., still a youth; and sixteenth, Josie, died a little girl.

Leonard, George L., and family came from Tennessee in 1843. His children were George S. C, married Thomas Ella Crutchfield, and both dead; Wm. M.; John E..; Jackson L., married Mattie Hearne and both dead; Samuel F., married Mattie Miller, and is dead; Washington C; Elizabeth, married John W. Wright; Mattie; and Joseph A., married Annie Jeffries.

Latimer, James W., founder of the Dallas Herald in 1849, came from Red river county in that year and died in 1859. He was a good writer, - left a widow and several children, all or nearly all of whom are now dead. His parents came from Tennessee to Red river in 1834. His deatii was deplored as a loss to Dallas.

Marsh, Harrison C, wife of Polly and family came in 1843. Their cliildren: Thomas C. married Hannah Ilnsted; Ellen married Henry Doggett; John D. married Kebecca Perry; Mary married Mr. McAlister; Lizzie married Ephraim M. Doggett, Jr.; Martha Ann married Mark Elliston; Pollie married Wm. Neill.

McCommas, Elder Amon, with his wife, nee Mary Brumtield,and children, came from Missouri in 1844. He hailed from Virginia, stopping for repairs successively in Kentucky, Ohio, lllinuis, and Missouri. Of his children James B. married Miss Shields before coming; John (a soldier in the Mexican war) married in Dallas county, Missouri; Tucker; Elisha married Rhoda Ann Tucker; William M. married Julia Tucker; Amon, Jr., married Nancy Seals; Stephens B. died a soldier in the city of Mexico, December 24, 1847; Rosa married Jesse Cox; Armilda married Benj F. Fleaman; Mary E. married John W. Herndon.

McCommas, Stephen B., Sr., brother of Amon, came with his family. His son, Burke, died a soldier in the city of Mexico, about Christmas, 1847. Of his other children, Serena married Rufus Bennett, and of John wc have no data.

McDermett, J. B., came from Arkansas in 1847, his sister Lucy lieing of his family. Of his children, Mary M. married Joseph Parker; William A. married Addie Dye; Henrietta married John Tenison, Cora M. married John C. McCoy; Dr. David Porter married Talitha Smith and lives in Pilot Grove; Sam died in New Mexico; Josephine A. married Ulysses Matthews; Edward J. was killed in the naval battle of Mobile.

Moon, Jesse, and wife Mary J., came from Missouri in 1845; of their children, E. G. died at fifteen; Jesse in 1872; Julia married Ellis C. Thomas; Martha married Matt J. Moore; Nancy E. married Jo-

Miller, Madison M., long a merchant at Pleasant Run, near Lancaster, came in 1846; he married first Mary Rawlins, second Enima A. Dewey (now Mrs. William B. Miller.)

Miller, William B., wife and children came from Kentucky in 1847. By his first wife he had children: Charilaus (Chill), who married Miss Walker; Alonzo; Mattie married S. Frank Leonard; Molly married George AV. Guess; Jennie married Charles D. Kanady; Susan married Frank Robberson (who died in 1867), and is now the wife of Dr. Jacob B. Ewing, of Dallas. By his present wife, Emma A. (formerly widow of Madison M. Miller, of Lancaster, and nee Emma

Myers, Elder David, a Baptist preacher and patriarch of a large family, came frma Illinois in 1845 - left a fine record as o Christian pioneer. Born in Kentucky, he came from Jersey county, Illinois. Elder Myers organized the first and still the well known "Union" Baptist church in Dallas county, May 10, 1846, the original members being J. B. Lee and wife, P. A., Franklin Bowles, Letitia Myers and John M. Myers, of whom the latter is the only survivor. Thomas Keenan ai\d wife, and Mrs. Keziah Myers were the three first additions to the church. His children is married in the following paragraph :

Nancy, married J. W. Chowning, in 1834, came in 1845; John M. (the second elder) married in 1842; Keziah Wiley, came in 1845; Emeline married J. H.. Whitlock, came in 1845, died early; Elizabeth, married Wra. Barnes, and died soon; Sarah, married A. J. Clark, an old Texan (Harvey C. Clark, of Dallas, is their son); B. C, married Penina Fyke; Jemima, married Archer

Fyke; Mary, married D. H. Wise; Geo. W., married Lucy Peak, in Illinois; Harriet, married A. G. Brant. Elder David Myers has a hundred descendants, mostly in Te.xas. The children of Elder John M. Myers are:

Elizabeth, married J. S. Bailey; Mary, married William Mosely; Martha, married J. J. Stnbbs; J. S., married M. V. Cooper; Douglas, married Eugenia Hoffman; G. F., married Ella Kennedy; Letty, married James l^fcWhorter; Nancy married W.T. McKaray; Lewis, remains open to negotiation.

Merrill, Elder Eli, and wife, Mary, came in 1844; of their children: Julia married John W. Wright; Cornelius married Margaret Dickinson; John M. married Sue Whitman; Thomas was murdered at Van Horn's Wells, near Rio Grande; and Geo. C. Merrill.

Nye, John, came in 1846; his children: Margaret, married Mr. Malone; D. H., to Mary Myers; Francis M., to Caroline Drake; Louisa, to Lewis Cook; Sarah, to W. J. Anderson; Daniel, to Mary Fyke.

1848. Overton, Aaron, and family, came in 1844. Overton, Caswell, and family, came in 1844. Overton, John M., and family, came in 1844. Overton, Wm. P. and John C, came single,

Patrick, Callaway H., and wife, came to the county in 1846. He had been in it in 1841, with an Indian scout. He married Khoda I., daughter of Abraham T. Smith, killed by Indians in Young county, in 1841.

Phelps, Josiah Smith, came in 1845, and was a surveyor; in March, 1846, at Ilarwood Springs (Kleburg), this still being Nacogdoches county; he married Mrs. Melissa T. Jacobs, daughter of Alex. M. Harwood, Sr. She died about January, 1848, leaving an only infant child " Dickey," now Mrs. Henry C. Miller, Azle P.O., Tarrant county. Mr. Phelps was killed by Indians, April, 1848.

Pancoast, Josiali, a soldier in the Grand Prairie fight, and in Mexico, married Mary Ann Young; moved to San Antonio, reared seven daughters, and died there. He was a brother of the celebrated medical author, Dr. Pancoast, of Philadelphia.

Parker, Joseph, came from Shelby county, Texas, 1848, married Mary McDermett and died 1878. Their children are: Theodore, Clementine, wife of Robert

Perry, Alexander W. and wife, nee Sarah Hoffman, came from Illinois in 1844. Their children: Margaret, married J. M. Smith; Harriet, married} Thomas Warner; J. H. married Susan Poor; W. F. married Amanda Cox; Carrie, married Clinton Hoffman; Lillie Dale, married W. D. Fyke; Rosey Ann, married N. N. Puller.

Perry, Weston and family, came in 1846. His children: Nancy was married to Page Plackwell; F. S. to Miss McCants; W. M. to Miss Blackwell; Rebecca to William Rowe; Eliza to James Cox; Ellen to A. F. Fonts; Ann to William Kennedy; Eveline to Preston Buchanan; Theodore, Commodore and John are dead: thirteen children and ten married.

Patterson, Jaines M., from Warren county, Kentucky, in January, 1846; married Sarah E. Self, merchant from 1846 to '54; Chief Justice of the county 1854 '66; his children: Florence Belle is the wife of John Spellman; Kitty is the wife of Joseph Shuford; Charles L. is dead; James M. and Edward are single; Rowena is the wife of Thomas H. Patterson; Emma is single.

Pryor, Dr. Samuel B., and young wife from Virginia and last from Arkansas, came 1846. His first child, Ashton R. (late police officer] was born in Dallas, October 29, 1847. Dr. P. was district clerk from December, 1846, to August, 1850; was the first mayor of Dallas, in 1856-'57

Rawlins, Elder Roderick and wife, came in 1844. Of their children, Louisa, married Lewis Hull; Nancy, married Pleasant Taylor (both living in Dallas); Pleasant King married Mrs. Lydia Spruance: he died June 6, 1887; Lucinda married Samuel Keller; Tabitha married Carlos Wise; Mary married M. M. Miller; Roderick A. (Captain Aleck) married Virginia Bledsoe; Elder William married in Illinois.

Rawlins, Pleasant K., as above; his stepson, Thomas Spruance, married Bettie Bledsoe; his son A. IL Rawlins married first Maggie Swindells, second George Rogers; R. D. (Dod) married Henrietta Jacobs; John S., married Mary Peacock; Lncy A., married Robert Brotherton, who died in 1866 or '67, and she is now the wife of Irvine Lavender; Mary E.,

Rawlins, Elder William, son of Elder Roderick, and family, came in 1846. His children are Hubbard M., George, Allen, Frank, Malinda, Lucinda, and Mrs. Richard T. Bandy.

Ray, Robert, and family came from, Illinois in 1845. Of his children, all coming with him, Susan married Andrew T. Nanny, and Mary married Benjamin F. Andrews, both in Illinois; William married Lucinda Hart; Elizabeth married Abe Hart; Rebecca married John H. Daniel, a soldier in the Mexican war; Nancy married Timothy Caldwell; Jane married Joseph Lockett; of twin boys, Robert married Emeline Mc Comas, and Samuel married Miss White; Martha married James Kinchelow, who died a prisoner in Camp Douglas, Chicago: ten and all married.

Ray, George M., came in 1846, from Tennessee. His wife Subrina is now the widow of James Sheppard, residing in Dallas, with her stepdaughter Mrs. E. A. (Dr. A. A.) Johnston.

Rattan, Thomas, and family, came from Illinois in 1841; settled in Collin. Of his children, Hamp, then of Bird's Fort, was killed by Indians, one and one-half miles southwest of Carrollton, Dallas county, Christmas day, 1841; Littleton; John died in Collin; Mary married William Fitzhugh; Harriet married Andrew J. Witt, and died in Dallas; Ann married James W. Throckmorton; Hugh married a daughter of David Turner; Jennie married Mr. Moore, and died in Collin; Tollie married Robert Dowell, and lives in Collin; Edward married Miss Stiff, and lives in Collin; Louisa married Ilogan Witt (cousin in Preston), of Collin; Temperance married John Kincaid; Thomas lives near Van Alstyne.

wife of George M. Ray, in 1846; her second husband was Elder Thacker V. GrifBn, and she is now the widow of James Sheppard, residing with her stepdaughter, Mrs. E. A. (Dr. A. A.) Johnston.

Sloan, Robert (a gallant and early Indian fighter), and family, came from Red River county in 1844. He commanded a scouting party through Dallas county in 1840; died in Stephen ville, in 1886.

Sloan, Samuel (brother of Robert), came from Red River county in 1844; was a soldier in the Texan army of 1836. He now lives in Stephens county.

Smith, ilev. James A., and family, came from Mississippi in 184f5. He, his twin brother Wesley, now of Eastland county, and his brother William A., superintendent of the State Blind Asylum during the war, were all Methodist preachers, and each one in the locality of his residence; from his ruddy complexion and bristly hair, was known by the sobriquet of "Cedar Top," - by the way, three excellent and sincere men. James A. Smith's children were: John Wesley, married Miss Wilburn; Joshua La Fayette, married Miss Daniels; was a captain in Stone's Sixth Texas Cavalry; murdered in Dallas, in 1867, by Wilson, an attache of the Freedmen's Bureau, who fled the country; Robert married Sophronia Winn; Fanny Killen married John M. Laws, and is dead.

Pleasant King, who married Annie Collins, and Sophronia, wife of R. P. Aunpaugh. Alfred married Lizzie Green, now the wife of Frank M. Ervay.

Trees, Crawford, came in 1845; in 1846 married Annie M. Kiminel, being the first couple married in the new county, in July or August, 1846, the record being destroyed, ller name is erroneously printed Henderson on a former page.

Thomas, John (the first chief justice in Dallas county); wife Hannah and children came from Missouri in 1844. Their children: John died a soldier in Mexico; Alex. A., also a soldier in Mexico, married Mary E. Armstrong; Ellis C. married Julia Moon; Elizabeth B. married Charles II. Durgin; Eliza married Reese Jones; Sarah A. married P. A. Sayre.

Wilson, George, and family, from Missouri in 1840; from Lamar county in 1848. Among his children areTliomas,Charle8, James K. P. and Nancy E., wife of James N. Wittenburg. He yet lives, over eighty, near Cedar Hill; was Lieutenant Colonel in Young's regiment at the close of the Mexican war.

Winn, Francis A., and family came in 1845; among his children were Berry; W. M. married Ann R. West; Emma, married John R. West; Viola H., married Edward W. Hunt; Helena, married T. J. Winn.

The above were all brothers, from Illinois. Wise, Carlos, came single before 1848; married Tabitha Rawlins. Young, John and family, came before 1848. Zachary, Mrs. Sarah, and two cliildren came

Jiuige Mat. M. Burtbrd was among the first officials to serve Dallas county in a judicial capacity after it was organized. He possesses a ready memory and is an interesting conversationalist. Judge Burford came from Smith county, Tennesse, to Jeifersoii, Texas, in February, 1846. He lived in Jefferson until October, 1848, when he came to Dallas, where he has since continuously resided. His official career began wlien he was elected district attorney of the fourteenth judicial district in 1850. He was re-elected in 1852, and in February, 1856, he was elected Judge for the new Sixteenth Judicial District, which had just been created of the counties of Dallas, Collin, Grayson, Cooke, "Wise, Denton Parker, Montague, Jack, Young, Johnson and Ellis.

While he was serving as district judge in 1862 he entered the Confederate army, a member of Good's battery, and in the fall of that year he was discharged by the secretary of war and authorized to raise a regiment of infantry or cavalry as to him seemed best. He came home and soon had formed the Nineteenth Texas Cavalry. He was elected Colonel and he reported in person to the secretary of war at Richmond, Virginia. He commanded the regiment in Arkansas, Louisiana and Missouri, but owing to failing health he resigned and returned home in 1864. In 1862, at the outbreak of the war, it is said that the Congressional Democratic convention which met in Dallas, would have nominated

In 1866 he was Speaker of the House of Itepresentatives of the Eleventh Texas Legislature. In 1872 or 1874 he was elected County Judge of Dallas county; in 1878 he was elected Judge for the new district composed of the counties of Dallas and Ellis. He served two years and resigned on account of failing health, terminating his long career as a public officer. " I have no more aspirations to get office," he said in a short speech at the reunion. "There is not an office in the world that I would have. All that I desire is to have the love and respect of my neighbors and friends and to be permitted to spend my remaining days in peace. I have nearly reached three-score and ten and I want to be ready to answer my Maker's call."

" When I was elected District Judge in 1856," said, Judge Burford, " the district was composed of twelve counties, and now with the county of Dallas divided into two districts there are, 1 believe, five times as many cases tried in either court at one term as I tried in my district in a whole year. I believe this is true of civil suits tiled. Even taking into consideration the increase of population, 1 think the increase of crime has exceeded the growth in number of the people. Crime has increased in its enormity, but I don't know that there has been any increase in misdemeanors. When I was District Attorney my income arose largely from gaming cases prosecuted in the older counties of the district. During my first term as District

Judge I tried only three murder cases; the other felony cases tried were for horse-stealing. The high crime of murder increased with the advent of railroads. They brought a floating population, adventurers and people of unsettled habits, and robbery and murder began to increase. The people who came before the railroads came with the intention of facing the dangers of a new country and settling homes for their children. They were plain, honest people who were not roving about over tlie country, and the old pioneers knew each other, they shared with each other, they welcomed the honest toiling stranger and in social ties they became cemented with a bond of brotherhood. In the trial of cases these days there are more continuances and postponements than we had.

"I remember a remarkable case which I had to prosecute when I was District Attorney," Judge Burford continued as lie drew together the threads of the past. "Tliere was a promising young man by the name of Steelman, a grandson of Judge Underwood of Georgia. He came to this country at the age of nineteen early in the '50s and he soon got to drinking and dissipating. One day at Palestine he entered a saloon drunk, and another young man was in there playing a fiddle. Steelman passed close to the fiddler, whose elbow struck him, whereupon Steelman turned upon him and tired in his face with a small pistol loaded with bird shot, putting his eyes out. The young man testified that the flash of the pistol was the last light he ever saw. Steelman as soon as he had fired turned and ran out of the saloon and jumped on a horse.

which was standing at the rack near the saloon. The horse ran with him about two miles and drew up at a house, where Steelman dismounted and going into the house got on the bed. It turned out that he had mounted the horse of the young man whose eyes he had shot out, and the horse carried him to the home of the widowed mother of the young man, where he was found by the oflBcers! The shooting aroused considerable prejudice against him, and General Thomas J. Rusk, the United States Senator, who had known Sleelman's father back in Georgia, caitie from Nacogdoches to defend him when the case came up for trial. He succeeded in getting a change of venue to Athens, in Henderson county. The case was called for trial there, and when court met Steelman received a letter from Rusk to the effect that his wife was sick and could not come. He told Steelman to try and get the case continued, and if he could not get a continuance tj get Judge John H. Reagan, now chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, to defend him. As soon as Steelman read the letter he said he knew that the reason why General Rusk did not come was because he could not bear to see a grandson of Judge Underwood sent to the penitentiary. Steelman never denied the shooting. He said that he might have done it, but if he did he had no recollection of it. He was forced to go to trial and Judge Reagan defended him.

" The jury returned a verdict of guilty and assessed his punishment at seven years' confinement in the penitentiary. Judge Bennet H. Martin was on the bench, and I never shall forget the scene when he sentenced Steelman. He said to him: "Now, you are hardly grown and you liave a sliort sentence. It should be a lesson to you, and you will be discharged in time to yet make a sober, upright citizen.' Steelman, in receiving the sentence, replied: 'Judge, you know there is no respectable society that will receive an ex-convict. I can never dismiss the thought from my mind, no matter where I go, that I am an e.\-convict. I have disgraced my family and I am not worthy of the position of an honest and upright citizen. I have severed all the sacred family ties that bound me to ray mother and my kindred, and by my own act I will be disgraced with the stripes of a convict. If I should get out and try to lead a sober life and be a respectable citizen some man would some day say 'That man has been in the penitentiary,' and then. Judge, I would try to kill him. There is a society along the Rio Grande that receives ex-convicts, but I cannot go there. No, sir; I will remain in the penitentiary.' Steelman cried while he talked to the judge, and his candor, earnestness and his despair at the thought of his 1)eing a convict caused a number in the courtroom to weep. This trial and sentence occurred in 1853. In November, 1855, General Rusk, who was supporting the Texas and Pacific railway bill in congress, came to Te.xas to look over the line for the proposed road from Marshall to the Colorado river. He camped near Dallas and he came in to see me. He told me that he wanted to go to Austin to secure a pardon for Mr. Steelman. He said that he had been laboring industriously for six months past to get Steelman to accept a pardon. He says, 'He is the most remarkable man I ever seen. The superintendent of the penitentiary writes to me that he has not locked Steelman up the last year. He says he works hard, carries the key to his own cell, has nothing to do with anybody, and declares that he would not leave the penitentiary, and they have agreed to keep him employed there his life-time. But at last,' said General Rusk, 'I got him to consent to accept a pardon upon the condition that I would take him direct from the penitentiary to New York and secure him a place in the United States navy. He would not agree to serve unless he was sent to foreign shores. I have secured a commission for him and he is to ship from New York to Africa.' About that time Governor Rell was elected to congress and " Smoky Jim " Henderson, a personal friend of General Rusk, became governor upon the resignation of Governor Bell. Henderson granted the pardon and General Rusk and took Steelman to New York. He refused to even pass through his native State, and he said that he did not want his mother and his old Georgia acquaintances to know what had become of him. I was told that he remained two days in New York and then shipped to Africa, as General Rusk said he would do. I have never since heard of Steelman. In all my dealing with men charged with crime he was the most remarkable man that I ever met."

The Pioneer Association

original members. Those marked (*) are dead. Those marked (-j-) have moved. Anderson, John, and wife, Emily J. *Browder, Edward C. *Beeinan, Samuel, and wife, *Mary A. Beeman, Wm. H., and wife, Martha. *Baird, George W., and wife, Mary E. Burford, Nathaniel M., and wife, *Mary J.,

Nine years passed without another meeting, but, beginning at Shady View Park in 1884, there have been annual reunions ever since, - in 1885 at the same place, in 1886 and 1887 in the City Park; and in 1888 at the Park Pavilion in Oak Cliff. John C. McCoy was president till his death in April, 1887; and since the reunion in July, 1887, John Henry Brown has been president.

The membership has largely increased, notwithstanding the deaths and removals from the county, and some not so marked are doubtless dead and others have removed. Among the members as old Te.xans from other counties, but now resident in Dallas, are Mrs. Angeline Keiper, Mrs. Julia Hensley, Mrs. Gabriella Snodgrass, Richard D. Martin and his wife Jane, fifty year.s in Te.xas, Mrs. Clara Brown Mitcliell, born on Matagorda bay, Mrs. Rebecca Murdock, Mrs. Emeline Flinn, Mrs. Martha Hoyt, Mrs. Lizzie Roberts, Mrs. Robert M. Forbes, Mrs. Virginia Randall, Mrs. Augusta E. Randall, Dr. Frederick E. Hughes and wife Mary E., C. Bryant, *Mr6. Welthea Bryant Leach man.

The following is the report of the last meeting of the association at Garland as printed in the Dallas JVews; also incidents that occurred in pioneer days of the county, as related by different members.

Dallas county pioneer association, organized July 13, 1875, in reunion here. The officers are John Henry Brown, president; Win. H. Hord, Elisha McCommas and Mrs. C. B. Durgin, vice presidents; Rev. John M. Myers, chaplain; Gabriel A. Knight, treasurer; Win. C. McKamy, secretary.

The president announced the deaths, since the last meeting, as follows: Captain Middleton Perry and his wife, Mrs. Ellen Perry, one of the vice presidents; Mrs. Nancy P., widow of Pleasant Taylor; Mrs. Sarah H. Cockrell, Mrs. Emily Beeman (the oldest female resident of the county, having settled in it in April, 1842);Ethiel S. Miller, Hamilton McDowell, Colonel Charilaus (Grill) Miller, Thomas M. Williams, Mrs- Adaline Newton, J. H. Holloway, I. C. Atterberry, Mrs. Mary A. Martin, J. H. Moss, Mrs. Virgie Rawlins, Mrs. Rosa Anderson and Mrs. W. P. Armstrong.

At 4 o'clock this afternoon the eighteenth annual reunion of Dallas county pioneers closed its session, and the pioneers are leaving for their homes singing the praises of Garland and community for the unbounded hospitality and good cheer that has been bestowed upon the visitors. Yesterday there were fully 2,500 people in attendance, and to-day's attendance was estimated at 2,000. Dinner wag spread under the beautiful shade trees in Garland park both days. Everybody was fed, and there were taken up several basketfuls of fragments. A vote of thanks was passed by the association to the Garland people for their hospitality.

Dr. Arch Cochran's memorial of the dead was pronounced a touching and eloquent address, and it brought tears to the eyes of many of the old pioneers. He spoke nearly an hour and a half. The remainder of the day was spent in short talks by various members of the association, including President John Henry Brown, C. H. Patrick. Jack Cole, T. F. Nash

Major John Henry Brown, the pioneer historian and tlie president of the association, delivered a short address just before the adjournment. Touching claims of Baptist history recalled in a short address by Chaplain Myers, Major Brown said that his mother's father, a Baptist preacher in 171)9, preached where St. Louis now stands the first Protestant sermon ever delivered west of the Mississippi river. He (the speaker) came to Texas, he said, in 1834, " and," he proceeded, " iny old mother would have thought it as bad as a grave robbery to charge a man for a night's lodging. I never charged a man and 1 never will. You old pioneers never charged. Things have changed. People are grasping. They are in a hurry to get rich. We were contented with what we had and we enjoyed it with our neighbors and our fellow man. When a boy went to see his girl he rode a pony, and if he didn't have a pony he walked. He went on Sunday; people were busy every other day. They were hard-working and honest."

Major Brown advised the young men to be industrious, to observe and adopt the simple habits and bterlinc; iiitet£ritv of their ancestors, for in those qualities, he said, lie the true principles of noble manhood and royal citizenship.

The election of officers resulted in the reelection of the old board, as follows: John Ilenry Brown, president; William II. Hord, Elisha McComas, Mrs. C. B. Uurgin, vicepresidents; Elder John M. Myers, chaplain;

Farmers' Branch was selected as the next place of meeting and the eighteenth annual session of the Dallas County Pioneers' Association then adjourned with the benediction of the chaplain, liev. John M. Myers.

Soon after adjournment the old pioneers and their descendants and guests began to scatter in every direction to their homes. Some drove as far as ten miles in two-horse wagons to attend the reunion.

At the Missouri, Kansas & Texas depot, people for Dallas were congregated in numbers sufficient to till three coaches. Wlien the train rolled in it had only two cars and they were already partially tilled. The scramble of the crowd on the platform for seats and standing room in the cars exceeded anything of tlie kind ever seen in Dallas, not exceptingthe Confederate re-union. Onelady carrying a little three-year-old girl in her arms was knocked down and knocked off the platform in the mad rush. A gentleman picked her up. She was not seriously hurt. The crowd gave no heed the placard " For Negroes," which greeted the view in each coach; and a gentleman remarked that if the governor prosecuted under this infringement of the separate-coach law about fifty ladies would appear as defendants. The excursion

Mr. W. P. Overton, although seventy-one years old, has a light step, lithe form and clear blue eyes, while his tlowing white beard gives him a patriarchal appearance. He came to the county in 1844, and a few years afterward opened a farm live miles south of the city of Dallas, which is his home to this day.

"When 1 first came to Dallas," he began, his mind stretching back nearly half a century, "there was a little pole hut on the bank of the Trinity, occupied by John Neely Bryan, and a rough courthouse made out of postoak logs, and that's all there was of Dallas. John Neely Bryan was living under bond to marry his wife. It was to far to go to get a marriage license then. I think license for the first marriage in Dallas county was issued from Nacogdoches, in 1845. There were very few preachers in the country in those days. Among the number was Amy McComas of Missouri, long since dead.

"My father put up tiie first gristmill ever built in the county. It was a horse-mill and the first bushel of wheat ground was for old uncle John Cole, Jack Cole's father. Before the mill was put up the people ground their corn and wheat in mortars or hand mills. Coffee mills were frequently used to grind the meal. When we put up our mill people brought grist to it from 100 miles away, and I have seen as many as twenty-seven wagons there at the same time waiting for their turn. We grouud out about 100 bushels a day, which was considered a good day's work. 1 have lived in Dallas county ever since I came here except two years that I was in California along in 1849-'50. Texas is the best country in my opinion under the sun. California is a good country, but it has only two seasons, wet and dry. I don't think that God ever made a better country than Texas. Take a belt through Grayson, Collin, Dallas, Ellis and Navarro counties and you have, in my opinion, the best country in Texas. In its early settlement it was dry, but we always made enough to do ns and sometimes something to spare. We have as fine crops this year as 1 have ever seen in the county. We had better times before the railroads came, we could sell everything we raised, money was more plentiful and everybody had it then. A ten-year-old boy had more money then than the average farmer has to-day. It has gone into the hands of the few and we can't get it as we used to. The winter that I returned from California I bought pork, but I never have bought any meat since, though I have sold thousands of pounds. When I first came to this country it was no more like it is now than chalk is like cheese. Men were not trying to swindle each other. I could go to Dallas and lie down with $100,000, and it would be there next morning. There was no stealing those days, and if you wanted to borrow $500 or such au amount you didn't have to give a mortgage to get it. I knew men to borrow $500 and never give a note. "I was a member of the first jury impa- eled in Dallas county: Mrc. Dalton, a daughter of John Hewitt, asked for a divorce from her husband. We gave it to her. and before sun down that day Henderson Couch, foreman of the jury, married her! 13ill Ochiltree was the judge. The first legal lianging was in 1853 or 1854. A iiegress was executed for knockins a man in the head with an ax at Cedar Springs. He had her hired and she murdered him while he was asleep. I can't recall their names.

"The town of Dallas burned July 8, 1860. A lot of men had been smoking that Sunday around Sam Prior's drug-store, and I think the fire started from that. Crill Miller's house (the burning of which was mentioned in last Sunday's News) was not burned, but his wheat stacks and cribs were burned. A chunk of fire had been placed on a bed beneath the mattress, but when the mattress was turned back it smothered the tire out and the house did not burn. Crill's negro boy, Brnce, told about another negro, Spence, giving him a dollar to fire the house. I think the hanging of the three negroes for burning the town was unjust, because I don't believe they were guilty. At the courthouse, when the committee was investigating the fire, there came near being a squally time between Judge Nat M. Burford and Colonel John C. McCoy.

Calaway H. Patrick settled in Uobertson, now Leon, county, April, 1841. November, 1846, he removed to Dallas county and settled tive miles southeast of Wilmer, where he has since resided. He is an old Mexican war veteran and an Indian fighter. " One evening in the year 1843," he said, "I was engaged with others building a fiatboat at the fall of the Brazos. I went out of camp a short distance and 1 thought I heard an owl hooting. I listened, and 1 soon decided that the owls which I thought I heard were Indians, because when a man mimics an owl there is an echo, but there is no echo to a genuine owlhoot. I got lost from camp, and not long after I heard the Indians I saw some deer running from me. I wouldn't have fired at them for any money, but it was a good opportunity for me to run and I took after them. I swam a bayou and found my way into the town of Bucksnort. The next morning we made up a party there and went out to look for the Indians. AVe found that they had followed me the evening before up to the bank of the bayou, but they had left the locality and we could not find them. In 1843 a treaty was held with the Indians at Grapevine prairie. I was there, and after the treaty a party of us went to Cedar Springs, and we came on down the trail now known as McKinney avenue to John Neely Bryan's log cabin, which was located at the foot of what is now Main street in Dallas. I bought eight quarts of whisky from him, at 25 cents a quart, and it was whisky, too. He had about a barrel and a half of whisky, a keg of tobacco and some lead, powder and caps, which he had hauled from Shreveport. That was his stock. When you went to a man's house in those days, if he was fortunate enough to have a iiouse, you slept in the same room with the family. There no house of several rooms and a stairs; it was all one room. Of course the men folks would leave the room while the women went to bed. You would go up to a man's house and he would ask you to have your horse hobbled or staked. There were no stables to put them in. I have struck many a place where they didn't have a bite to eat, but after people had been here a year or two you generally found them with plenty to eat. The early settlers lived on game, which was plentiful, and they got bread the best they could. We had no use for money much, because what the country couldn't get and didn't have money wouldn't buy, no matter how much a fellow had of it. In those days we had for money the 'Texas red-back.' It was money of the Republic, and it was something like the old Continental money. Then after that we had the Republic exchequer bill. Now many people will tell you that Texas was annexed to the Union in 1845, but it was not annexed until 1846 , the 19th day of February, when J. Rinkney Henderson was swoim in as governor and Anson Jones retired as president of the Republic. The convention met in July, 1841, and framed a constitution which was submitted to a vote of the people, who ratified it the first Tuesday in November, 1845. After the meeting of the House of Representatives the constitution adopted by the people of Texas was sent to the Congress of the United States, and it did not get back to Texas until February, 1846, when the change of government was made. I voted against annexation at a voting box where

Oak Cliff now stands. I was a member of Colonel Tom I. Smith's company of rangers; six of our company voted against it and five for it. I opposed it because I wanted the Republic to continue."

Mr. W. H. Beeman, while a quiet and retired old gentleman, was one of the most interesting of the old pioneers attending the reunion at Grarland. He came to Texas from Illinois with his father in 1840, and settled in what is now Dallas county in 1842. Mr. Beeman was the first to break the sod for agricultural pursuits in the county, in the spring of 1842. It was a plat of seven or eight acres about four miles east of the city of Dallas. At the same time he erected the second house built in Dallas county, the first being a log structure put up by John Neely Bryan, the founder of Dallas, a few weeks before, whose cabin stood, Mr. Beeman says, at the foot of Main street. Speaking of early life in Dallas county, Mr. Beeman said to a News reporter: "We lived very hard at first. We had wild meats and bread. I dressed the buckskins and made my moccasins and clothes, except shirts, for three years. We finger-picked cotton which the women used in weaving clothes and shirts for the men. For two years we beat our meal for bread on a mortar or ground it in a hand mill. We had to buy corn in Fannin county. I rode in the first wagon and cut the road as we went into Dallas. We came in after cedar timber, which we cut to build a fence around Ham Rattan's grave. Rattan, who was a brother-in-law of Governor Throckmorton, was killed by the Indians on Elm Fork while

Althoutrh Mr. Bcemau was one of the most active participants in the organization of the connty and has been a constant resident of the county, he has never held and never sought office. "When the county was organized in 1846," he said, " I went and got the order from the county court of Robertson county at Franklin. I rode a mustang and went alone. It was an Indian country then, and the trip was attended with considerable risk. I camped out each night. AVhen I was returning home one night on the other side of liichland creek, I saw a herd of bufl'aloes. A storm approached that night and the buffaloes gathered in a great herd, which became wild with fright, and I could not tell the roar of the storm from the sound of the moving buffaloes. I sought protection in a skirt of timber close by.

"I assisted in building the first ferryboat that was ever put in the Trinity at Dallas. We took two large cottonwood logs, and after digging them out like canoes, we fastened them together with puncheon. This was the floor. We had no rope; buffalo rawhide stretched so that we could not use it, so we took buffalo hair and twisted it into a rope with which we towed the boat. Tiie l)oat was located at what is now the foot of Commerce street ])ridge, and we carried across the river in it all the early settlers of the county.

we left our teams of horses at Honey Grove, fearing the Indians would get them if we brougiit them farther. We drove o.xen from Honey Grove to Dallas. Once the Indians made a raid just across the river from Dallas and stole about eighteen head of horses. A party of nineteen of us followed them to Wise county, and there we lost track of them among the friendly Indians. When we started home we ran out of provisions and bought some meat from the Indians. It was said to be horse meat, but it tasted good to a half starved man. We traveled the next day without anything to eat, and that night I shot a wild turkey on Denton creek. Nineteen men fed on it and we got up hungry. When we struck Elm fork I killed a deer, which we roasted and ate without salt or bread; but, fortunately for us, we reached home the next night.

" We lived peaceably and enjoyed ourselves those days. We had no trouble. Everybody was honest. 1 remember the first case of stealing that I ever heard of in the county. A young man was driving sheep down Elm fork to Dallas. On the way down he entered a place and stole a butcher knife and comb and some other little articles. He was overtaken and the parties gave him his choice between a certain number of lashes and prosecution in the courts at Dallas. He said that he would take the lashes, but he wished a thou.sand rails that he had not committed the theft. That was a common expression of regret those days. To split a thousand rails was a big task. I believe if more of that

History Op Dallas Oounty

" I remember the l)nrninw of Dallas in 1860. I was not in town that day. The fire started on the west side of the square at Wallace Peak's drug store. While the people were at work trying to check it at that point it broke out on the east side, and then they told nie it broke out here and there so fast that they could not keep up with it. There is no doubt but the negroes tired the town. They said they did, and the two white preachers, whom they said had put them up to it, were whipped and Bent out of the country. Just before tlie tire Alex. Cockrell had built a three-story brick tavern. The building was 50 x 100 feet, and it was the largest and finest building in all North Texas. It burned. A brick wareroom on the north side of Commerce Street covers the spot where this tavern was bnilt. I kept the first tavern in Dallas in a small house on the north side of the square. Old man Tom Crntchfield rented it, and finally he built the old Crutchfield house on the northwest corner of the square, which was burned several times. But speaking of the hanging of the three negroes for setting fire to Dallas, in 1860, when excavations were being made for the Texas & Pacific railway bridge across the Trinity at Dallas, their bones were unearthed. They were buried there after they were hanged. 1 remember the first legal hanging in the county. It was the first trial for murder, and the negro woman, who had split a man's head open with an ax, while he was asleep, was hanged.

" I remember when steamboats were on the Trinity. I made the trip on the Sallie Ilaynes from Magnolia to the mouth of East Fork. I am a firm believer in the navigation of the Trinity to Dallas. I think it can be done with the expenditure of a little money in cleaning out drifts and cutting overhanging timber, and I believe that boats can be run here six to nine months each year.

''We were subjected to many privations and many hardsiiips in the early days. When we left home we did not know but that on our return we would find our families butchered by the Indians or that we ourselves would be shot and killed. A part of the time we were in constant dread and fear and we invited immigration. We welcomed the newcomer and divided what we had with him. We wanted him to increase our numbers and help keep l)ack the foe."

Mr. Beeman married Miss Martha E. Dye near now what is now the town of Garland in 1851. They have eight children and a number of grandchildren. His sister Margaret, who is yet living, was the wife of John iSIeely Bryan.

Mr. M. D. L. Gracy, who now lives at Mineral wells, was one of the forty-fivers that settled in Dallas county near the present town of Lisbon. He was at the reunion of the old pioneers, renewing old acquaintances and reviving past memories. " When I came here," he said, " I ran away from my home in Illinois at the age of fifteen years, and I began freighting. The first trip I made was from Shreveport to Dallas, and then I commenced hauling from Houston to Dallas.

The tirst two or three years I worked for wages and drove an ox team. After that I got a team of ray own. We charged from $1.50 to $5 per 100 pounds for hauling from Houston, and we hauled about 6,000 pounds at a load. We used bois d'arc wagons with iron a.xles, drawn by five and six yokes of steers; aud in the spring and summer, when the roads were good, we made the trip in about four weeks, though I liave been as long as six weeks on the road. After hauling awhile I bought a certificate from the State and located 320 acres of land which 1 have held ever since. Corn, wheat, watermelons and pumpkins were about the only crops we tried to raise at first. There was little market for anything and we only raised enough for ourselves and to 8upj)ly tlie settlers as they came in. We used to spend Sunday grinding our week's supjtly of meal before dinner, and after dinner we would go hunting and kill game enough to last us through the week.

" When the first railroad came to Dallas I know some men in the county who took stock in it and who never saw it. I am seemg the fourth courthouse put up in ihe county. The first was a pole building, witli only one room, about sixteen feet square. It was burned by some boys who were on a spree one night.

" Times have changed since then. I believe the grand juries in Dallas return more bills of indictment in one day now than were returned in a whole year then. We scarcely ever heard of anything being stolen then. Sometimes the Indians would steal horses, but our people were a quiet, industrious.

Organization Of Dallas County

The first lesislature of the State of Texas passed an act March 30 th, 1846, creating Dallas county, consisting of a territory embracing 900 square miles, or 576,000 acres.

Section 1. - Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, that all that territory included within the following limits, in Robertson and Nacogdoches counties, to wit: Beginning on the southern boundary line of Fannin county, three miles east of the eastern boundary of Peters' colony grant; thence, south thirty miles; thence, west thirty miles; thence, nortii thirty miles to Fannin county line; thence east with said line to the beginning, - be and the same is hereby created a new county to be known and called by the name of Dallas.

Sec. 2. - Be it further enacted, that the inabitants residing within said limits, shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges enjoyed by the inhabitants of the several counties in the State, except as to the right of separate representation until entitled by numbers to separate representation and the rights of having a separate land district.

April 18, 1846, another act was passed by the legislature, and provided that the town of Dallas should be the county-seat of Dallas county, and all the courts should of course be held there until otherwise provided by said legislature. The following is the act

An Act To Establish The Seat Of Justice Of

Section 1: - Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, that until otlierwise provided by law the town of Dallas shall be the seat of justice for Dallas county, and all courts for said county shall be held thereat.

As the previous acts did not provide for election of officers or for any one to manage the elections and make returns of the same, the following act was passed in May, 1846:

Section 1. - Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, that John N. Bryan be and he is hereby authorized to appoint managers to hold and give notice of an election to be held in Dallas county, for a chief justice, sheriif, coroner, clerk of the county court for said county, and that said election be conducted in all respects according to the existing laws governing elections; and the said Bryan shall, in the order directing the holding of said election, require that the returns thereof be made to him within the time provided by law; and the said Bryan shall give to each person elected a certificate of his election and make returns of said election to tlie Secretary of State.

Sec. 2. - Be it further enacted, that the officers elected at said election shall enter on the discharge of their respective duties immediately after giving bond and taking tlie oath of office prescribed by law; and that this act shall be in force from and after its passage.

Section 1. - Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, that the second Saturday of May, one thousand eight hundred and forty-eight, be fixed as the day of holding an election in the county of Dallas for the selection of a suitable place for the permanent location of the county seat of justice of said county; and it shall be the duty of the chief justice of said county to give public notice of the same in writing, to be posted up at the different precincts, immediately after the passage of this act, and to issue writs of election to the different precincts, at least ten days prior to said election.

Sec. 2. - Be it further enacted, that it shall be the duty of said chief justice to receive and make public in writing posted up at the different precincts such propositions as may be offered by the citizens of the county, as inducements in favor of the selection of places recommended as suitable locations, for the county seat of said county.

Sec. 3. - Be it further enacted, that the propositions submitted to the chief justice in compliance with the second section of this act shall be in the shape of penal bonds, and shall be collected at the suit of said chief justice or his successor in office, in the District Court, for the use of the county, and the proceeds applied to the erection of county buildings.

regulating elections at the time thereof, and the returns made to the chief justice, in ten (lays after the election, who shall declare the place receiving the highest number of votes to be the legal seat of justice of said county, provided, any one place shall have received a majority of all the votes polled at said election; but in the event that no one place shall receive a majority as aforesaid, then and in that case it shall be the duty of the chief justice to proceed to order another election after giving notice as in the first instance, putting in nomination the two places that have received the greatest number of votes, which shall be conducted and returns made as heretofore provided, and the place then receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared the county seat of justice, provided it shall not be more than five miles from the center of said county.

Sec. 5. - Be it further enacted, that William Jenkins, James J. Beeman, William Hoarde, Micajah Goodwin and R. J. West, of whom three may constitute a quorum to do business, shall be and they are hereby appointed commissioners to lay out and sell lots if necessary, and to superintend the carrying out of such propositions as may have been made in behalf of the location selected, and report to the chief justice, whether or not the bonds containing propositions in favor of said selected place have been strictly complied with by the makers and obligors of the same.

Sec. G. - Be it further enacted, that as soon as the county buildings are received by the commissioners and reported to the chief justice, the clerks of the District and County Courts, sherifl' and district surveyor, shall remove their offices and papers to the place selected as the county seat, and all courts thereafter shall l)e held at the same county seat.

Sec. 7. - Be it further enacted, that all laws and parts of laws, conflicting with this act are hereby repealed ; and that this act take eifect and be in force from and after its passage.

It is probable that the above failed to meet requirements in settling this election; so the following act was passed concerning a general election.

Section 1. - Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, that the day of general election for county officers in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty be and is hereby fixed as the day for holding an election in the county of Dallas, for the selection of a suitable place for the permanent location of the seat of justice of said county; provided the north boundary of said county shall be established by that time; and if not, directly after it is established.

Sec. 2. - That the chief justice of said county shall give public notice of the same in writing, posted up at the different precincts at least ten days before the election.

Sec. 3. - That he shall receive and make public, in writing as aforesaid, such propositions as may be ofi'ered as inducements in favor of the selection of places recommended as suitable locations for the seat of justice of said county.

Sec. 4. - That the propositions submitted, as aforesaid, shall l)e in the shape of penal bonds, and may be collected at the suit of said chief justice or his successors in office, in the District Court, for the use of tlie county, and the proceeds applied to the erection of county buildings for said county.

Sec. 5. - That the election for said couuty seat shall be conducted in conformity with the existing laws regulating elections at the time thereof, and the returns made in ten days to the chief justice of said county; who shall declare the place receiving the highest or greatest number of votes to be the legal seat of justice of said couuty; provided any one place shall have received a majority of all the votes polled at said election; but in case no one place shall have received a majority as aforesaid, then the chief justice shall immediately order another election, giving ten days' notice thereof, posted up as before stated, putting in nomination the two places that receive the greatest number of votes; which said election shall be conducted and returns made as heretofore provided; and the place then receiving the greatest number of votes shall be declared to be the county seat of justice of said county; provided it does not exceed tive miles from the center of said county.

Sec. 6. - That Rev. James Smith. Amon McComas, R. J. West, W. J. Walker and Micajah Goodwin, of whom three may consitute a quorum to do business, shall be and they are hereby appointed commissioners to lay out, sell and transfer lots, if necessary, and to superintend thecari-yingout of such propositi .'S as may have been made in favor of the iocat.i me :c c , and report to the chief justice whether or no tue ocnds containing propositions in favor of said place have been strictly complied with by the makers and obligors of the same.

Sec. 7. - That as soon as the county buildings are received by said commissioners, and reported to the chief justice, the clerks of the districts and couuty courts, sheriffs and county surveyors shall remove their offices and papers to the place selected for said

Sec. 8. - That all laws and parts of laws conflicting with this act be, and the same are hereby repealed; and that this act take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

The following certificate as to the correctness of the above acts was made and certified to by the chief clerk of the secretary of said State.

I. J. R. Curl, Chief Clerk and acting Secretary of State of the State of Texas, do hereby certify that the within and foregoing is a true and correct copy of the acts of the Legislature of the State of Texas entitled as follows with date of approval: "An Act creating the county of Dallas," approved March 30, 1846; "An Act to establish the seat of justice of Dallas county", approved April 18, 1846; "An Act providing for the election of officers for Dallas county", approved May 12, 1846; "An Act to provide for fixing the seat of justice of the county of Dallas," approved March 20, 1848; "An Act to locate the seat of Justice of Dallas countj", approved January 11, 1850; the original enrolled bills of said act being now on file in this departement.

County Officers

By order of Commissioner John Neely Bryan, on the 13th day of July, 1846, an election was held to choose the first county officers for Dallas county, who were to hold their olBce for the term of two years, and below are given not only the names of the officers elected at this election, but also all who have held the offices of Dallas county from 1846 to 1892, tlie present year, either by election or appointment, as shown on the records of the county: also Dr. Samuel B. Pryor, who was appointed to finish the term which was declared vacant because of the resignation of McCoy before his term of four years, the length of the term at that time, had expired;

Who resigning, George V. Cole was appointed to serve out the term. County Commissioners - Isaac B. Webb, J. P. Stratton, George W. Barton and J. R. Clements.

Undek Kadical Rule

In 1867 all Democrats who were holding offices in the State from Governor down, including those of each county, were removed by military order as impediments to reconstruction. Afterward the following were appointed:

Mishel Therenet. .appointed District Clerk in the fall of 1868. County Commissioners - Isaac B. Webb, John M. Rollins, Samuel C. Phelps and Lewis B. Long.

Election, December, 1873 History Of Dallas Goonty

Justices of Precinct No. 1 . . . . E. C. McLure and W. W. Peak. County Commissioner - Fleming G. Bledsoe, N. O. McAdams, Wade H. Witt and T. J. Nash.

Sara Hnnnicutt was declared elected tax assessor by the commissioners' court and was installed in office. Mr. Wittcontested the election, brought suit for the position, and as the office is a good one pecuniarily, one of the best in the county, the suit ended only when it reached the court of last resort, the Supreme Court of Texas, which declared in favor of Mr. Witt, and the office was turned over to him by Mr. Ilunnicutt during the summer of 1889.

Eepbesentation In Constitutional

To the secession convention, January 28 to March 25, 1861, the delegates representing Dallas county were Pleasant Taylor, Thomas J. Nash, E. P. Nicholson, W. S. J. Adams.

John Henry Brown, now of Dallas, represented Bell and Lampasas counties in the same convention, and was author of tho declaration of the causes which impelled the State of of Texas to secede from the Federal Union.

To the constitutional convention of 1875: John Henry Brown, of Dallas; Nicholas H. Darnell, of Tarrant, and John W. Ferris, of Ellis (one district).

Wra. B. Wright, for some years since of Dallas, represented Lamar county in that convention. William L. Crawford, now of Dallas, represented Marion county.

Under the general head of Dallas county as organized, it is proper to place the names of all those who have been officially connected with it as a county, including the representation at constitutional conventions and legislative bodies.

Owing to the close of the war and provisional goverinent by the appointment of President Johnson, there was no election in 1865, The president appointed A. J. Hamilton provisional governor, who served from July 25, 1865, to August 1866.

Under the constitution of 1866 and the session in that year J. K. P. Kecoi-d, of Dallas, was senator. The constitution and government were overthrown by the reconstruction act of Congress of March 2, 1867, and various supplementary acts, and from July 30, 1867, to April 16, 1870, the State was under military government.

The reconstruction convention of 1868, in its dual sessions, was largely, but by no means entirely, composed of irresponsible adventurers, lately enfranchised slaves and political mendicants, with a sprinkling of men who can be described as ignoramuses. The following delectable morceau, introduced by a delegate claiming to be a native Kentuckian, is illustrative of the latter species of the genus homo. By this convention a new (commonly called the "recoustrnction") constitution was framed by a convention assembled in Austin in June and December, 1868, when many thousands of the people were disfranchised, while the negro, for the first time, was allowed to vote.

Following a four days' election, commencing on the first Monday in December, 1869, this constitution, by the military commander, was declared ratified by a majority of those permitted to vote. At the same time and by the same authority a full set of State, district and county officers were declared elected. Eut this new constitution and the officers so elected, including that rara avis in American government, the twelfth legislature assumed legal effect only on the 30th day of March, 1870. Under this regime Dallas, Collin and Tarrant constituted a senatorial district and were entitled to three representatives. Samuel Evans, of Tarrant, was the senator till 1873, when Amzi Bradshaw, of Ellis county, was elected, the district, under the census of 1870, having been changed to Dallas, Tarrant and Ellis.

In February, 1876, under the new (present) constitution, Robert S. Guy, of Lancaster, a clear-headed lawyer and an ex-captain of the Confederate anny, was elected senator from Dallas, Tarrant and Ellis counties, and served for four years with marked fidelity. He was succeeded in 1880 by Anson Rainey, of Ellis county, in 1882, under a new apportionment, by Barnett Gibbs, of Dallas, and in 1884 by Joseph O. Terrell, of Kaufman, who was succeeded by R. S. Kimbrough, of Mesquite, Dallas county, the present incumbent.

Senatoes Fkom 1846 To 1866

In 1849, in a new district, Albert G. Walker, of Dallas, was elected over John H. Reagan (present United States senator), of Anderson, the senatorial term being four years. In 1851 Walker resigned and Samuel Bogart, of Collin county, was elected to fill the unexpired term.

From 1858 to 1857 Jefferson Weatherford, of Dallas county, was senator. From 1857 to 1861 Albert G. "Walker, of Tarrant, was senator. From 1861 to 1865 Jefferson Weatherford again served.

1847-9, Win. M. Cochran; 1849-'51, Jefferson Weatherford; 1851-53, John M. Crockett; 1853-'59. three terms, Andrew Jackson Witt; 1859-'61, Nicholas H.Darnell; 1861-63, James P. Thomas, resigned in 1862 and James P. Goodnight elected ; in 1863-'65, George Wilson, resigned and John C. McCoy elected; in 1865, no election; 1866, under new constitution, Nathaniel Burford and Archelaus M. Cochran; 1869-'72, under reconstruction constitution, John W. Lane; in 1872-'73, John Henry Brown, of Collin digtrict, Tarrant and Dallas; 1873-'75, John H. Cochran, in district: 1876, under new constitution, John H. Cochran and J. T. Downs; 1878, John H. Cochran, speaker of the house, and John W. Daniel; 1880, John W. Daniel and Thomas F. Nash; 1882, John H. Cochran and Thomas F. Xash; 1884, R. S. Kimbrough and Z. Ellis Coombes; 1886, Jesse M. Strong and

In regard to State and other officers, citizens of Dallas liave filled the following positions: From 1861 to 1863, during the war, John M. Crockett was Lieutenant Governor; from 1884 to 1886, Barnett Gibbs was Lieutenant Governor.

Sawnie Robertson was appointed in 1884 to till a vacancy in the Supreme Court, and served till the next election, but refused to serve further.

From 1878 to 1886 Olin Welborn represented this district in Congress, his last term expiring March 3, 1887, soon afier which he removed to and settled in San Diego, California.

Reuben A. Reeves, for a number of years a judge of the Supreme Court, at one time resided in Dallas, but not at the time of his election. In 1887, he was appointed by President Cleveland a judge of the Supreme Coqrt of New Mexico, and now resides there. Being absent it is admissible to say that all Te.xas indorsed the appointment of Judge Reeves as eminently judicious. He is thoroughly qualified, and a more modest and honest gentleman does not exist.

First Fkecinct Boundaries

The first division of Dallas county into precincts was made by John Neely Bryan, the county being divided into seven precincts, with boundaries as follows:

Precinct No. 1. - Commencing at the mouth of Five-Mile creek, thence up said creek to the source of North prong; thence north to west fork of Trinity, thence down said stream to mouth; thence up the Elm fork to mouth of Thompson's creek; thence up said creek to the source of South fork; thence east to the divide road east of White Rock; thence with said road to the mouth of White Rock; thence down Trinity river to beginning.

Precinct No. ^. - -Commencing on the West fork at the western boundary of Precinct No. 1; thence south with said boundary to the Mountain road; thence with said road to the bouthern boundary of the county; thence west with said boundary to corner; thence north with western boundary of the county to the West fork; thence down said stream to the beginning.

Precinct No. 3. - Commencing at the mouth of the West fork; thence up said stream to the western boundary of the county; thence north with said boundary to corner; thence east with the northern boundary of the county to the Elm fork; thence down said stream to beginning.

Precinct No. 4-. - Commencing at the mouth of Thompson's creek; thence up said creek to the source of South fork; thence east to the divide road east of White Rock; thence up said road to the northern boundary of the county; thence west with said northern boundary to the Elm fork; thence down the Elm fork to the beginning.

Precinct No. 5. - Commencing at the northeast corner of the county; thence west with the northern boundary of the county to the divide road east of White Rock; thence south with said road to where it crosses the national road; thence east with said national road to the eastern boundary of the county;

Precinct No. 6. - Commencing at the southeast corner of the county; thence north with the eastern boundary of the county to the national road; thence west with said road to where it crosses the Divide road; thence with said road to the mouth of White Rock; thence down the Trinity to the southern boundary of the county; thence east with said southern boundary to beginning.

Precinct No. 7. - Commencing at the mouth of Five-Mile creek; thence up said creek to the source of the North fork; thence west to the Mountain road; thence south with said road to the southern boundary of the county; thence east with said southern boundary to the Trinity river; tiienee up said river to beginning.

The above precincts were laid off in the early part of July, 1846, the description of which, as above given, being recorded on the 20th day of July, 1846. The above boundary lines of these precincts have many times beeu changed since they were thus located, and the couiity is now divided into eight precincts (justices'), the boundaries of which will not here be given, as they can be discerned by reference to a map of Dallas county. The towns included in the different precincts, however, are as follows: Precinct No. 1, the city of Dallas and suburbs and Calhoun ; Precinct No. 2, Farmers' Branch, Carrollon, Trinity Mills and Richardson; Pi-ecinct No. 3, Rose Hill, Pleasant Valley, Garland, New Hope and Reinhardt; Precinct No. 4, Scyene, Mesquite, Haught's Store, Seagoville and Kieburg; Precinct No. 5, De Soto, Hutchins, Wilmer, and Lancaster; Precinct No. 6, Duncan ville and Cedar Hill; Precinct No. 7, Lisbon, Eagle Ford, Grand Prairie aud Oak Cliff; Precinct No. 8, Sowers.

There are fifty-seven voting precincts in the county, each of the above named towns and surrounding territory constituting a voting prejiiiL't, except the city of Dallas, in which each ward is a voting precinct, there being twelve wards in the city. Besides these there are otiiers which are not hsre named, as they are places of minor importance.

First Records

The first deeid, dated October 7, 1846, authenticated before William B. Ochiltree, district judge, November 12, and recorded November 20, was from John Neely Bryan and his wife, Margaret, to Henry Harter, to lots 5 and 0, block 3, in the town of Dallas.

A l)ill of sale from the sheriff was recorded June 19, 1847, to a " runaway " slave named Henry, who, being duly advertised according to law and unclaimed, was sold to S. G. Newton and William J. Walker, for $350.

Early Records Of The Courts

State of Texas, ) To any regularly ordained Dallas county. [ minister of the gospel, district judge or any justice of the peace for the county:

You are hereby authorized to solemnize the rites of matrimony between Crawford Treece and Anna Minerva Kimmel and due return make to me according to law, this 20th of July, A. D. 1846.

1 hereby certify that I solemniz ed the rite of matrimony between Crawford Treece and Anna Minerva Kimmel on Wednesday, 23d '^~ day of July, A. D. 1846.

The above license was issued on Sunday; and on same day it was executed, - the 23d day of July, 1846, - a license was issued to J. T. Miller and Sarali Hanght, and also to Jo.seph Graham and Catherine Kimmel, the mother of the lady who was one of the parties to the first marriage.

In the same old record appears the record of the marriatje of William P. Overton and Martha Ann Newton. William P. Overton was one of the Dallas county pioneers, and is still living in the county, a few miles southwest of the city of Dallas.

about twenty years, which said negro I warrant to be sound both in body and mind, and a slave for life. The paid John Young, in consideration of said property, has this day paid to me the sum $400. I bind myself to warrant and defend the title of said negro unto said Young, his heirs and assigns forever.

Appeared before me, Charles H. Durgan, deputy clerk for Dallas county, Mary Ann Young, and after being duly sworn sayeth she saw Edward Welborn sign the within bill of sale and acknowledge the same to be his act and deed and done for the purposes therein named.

The first land patent was recorded September 1, 1846: "Anson Jones, President of the Republic of Texas, to Samuel Monroe Hyde, 640 acres of land on White Rock creek in Dallas county, near the military road from Austin to Red river;" and on the same day was recorded a power of attorney from Samuel M. Hyde to his father, John H. Hyde, to sell the above section of land patented to him by the Republic of Texas, which power of attorney reads as follows:

"Know all men by these presents: That I, Samuel Monroe Hyde, do hereby nominate and appoint my father, John H. Hyde, my true and lawful agent and attorney for me, and in my name to sell and in a lawful and complete manner convey my headright of land, containing 640 acres, located, surveyed and patented in my name, lying in the the said John H. may seem meet, hereby ratifying and confirming all the acts of my said attorney in the premises. Given under my hand and scroll, by way of seal, on this 25th day of May, A. D. 1846.

" Personally appeared before the undersigned authority, S. Monroe Hyde, and acknowledged that he executed the above power of attorney for the use and purposes therein expressed. Given under my hand and seal of ofiice at Nacogdoches this 25th day of May, A. D. 1846.