Pilot Point, Texas - History

History

Pilot Point is in the northeastern part of Denton County, three miles from the Cooke County line and six miles from the Collin County line. At an early day there was a large grove of post oak timber extending out into the prairie on this high ridge, which could be seen for many miles and especially from the Collin County ridge.

There being no roads in the early days, people, of course, traveled by visible objects as guides and this grove was used as a pilot to the traveler, and from this fact received its name of Pilot Point.

Its first settlement was made in 1846 or 1847. At that time there was a spring just northwest of the grove, which furnished water for camping purposes and was a favorite camping place for Indians, rangers and cowboys. The first settlers were the Edlemans and Elmores, and the first child born here was L. Z. Edleman in 1856. A Missionary Baptist church was organized here in 1857, but no records of about fifteen years of its early history could be found. Since 1870 the following pastors have served the church in the order named : J. R. Masters, E. B. Hardin, R. T. Gardner, S. A. Beauchamp, G. B. Eli, J. A. Moore, J. B. Cole, A. H. Norris, B. S. Gay, H. B. Ingram, E. S. Haynes, J. D. Ballard, C. A. Worley, J. 0. Hearn, A. P. Schoolfield, J. F. Segraves, S. H. Slaughter, Joseph Thedford, and Luther Moores.

The Methodist church was organized in 1856 by Rev. William E. Bates, a minister who was then riding the Gainesville Mission under an appointment from the East Texas Conference. He preached as far west as just south of Decatur. Pilot Point had the following preachers: William E. Bates, J. W. Chalk, J. S. Nobles, M. C. Blackburn, E. W. Alderson, T. E. Sherwood, J. R. Wages, M. W. Letherwood, A. T. Crawford, W. H. Hughes, W. W. Graham, J. M. Burkley, and others.

built in 1883-84. It was dedicated on the second Sunday in November, 1886 by Bishop C. B. Galloway, assisted by Rev. J. W. Chalk, of Bonham, Rev. W. M. Shelton. presiding eldei'. and J. R. Wages, preacher in charge.

The choir was made up of the best singers in the city ; Prof. C. E. Obenchain at the organ, assisted by Miss M, M. Hubbard, Miss Fannie Davis and Mrs. A. G. Dowdell ; Messrs. A. M. Rag- Jand, J. A. L. McFarlane, J. C. Newberry, Robert Wilson, M. H. Ellis, Henry Williams and George Noble. After the dedication the audience sang "Jesus, Lover of My Soul." The Bishop preached at night on "God's Providence." This was a day long remembered by the Methodists.

The present splendid brick building, w^hich is modern and beautiful, was erected in 1910, and was dedicated in 1914 by Bishop E. E. Hoss. It was erected under the pastorate of Rev. W. F. Bryant.

The Pilot Point Presbyterian church was organized on August 18, 1875. R. E. Sherrill as evangelist of the East Texas Presbytery, with John C. Newberry and T. H. N. Wylie as elders and George W. Davidson as deacon. Newberry and Wylie are now living (1916) and are elders. The church house is a wooden structure and conveniently located. The following preachers nave served this church: W. E. Sherrill, W. W. Hill, G. W. Boggs, H. B. Bonde, W. S. Johnson, R. S. Burrell, Y. W. McClure, J. G. Henderson, Ernest Thompson, C. M. Hutton. They are now a member of the Dallas Presbytery.

The settlement began by settlers first and then in about 1857 Major Walcot built a store and Doctor Edleman began the practice of medicine and the village began to grow and take shape.

In 1860 the town was plotted and laid off. The public square was three hundred feet square and the adjoining territory for 460 feet each way was laid off, making the plotted town four hundred and six yards square. This has since been added to as required for the development of the city. The war of 1861 stopped all development for a period of ten years.

porating the town of Pilot Point, providing for a mayor and five aldermen, a constable, who acted as assessor and collector. The act contains seven sections providing for a full-fledged city and was approved by the Reconstruction governor.

On November 12, 1866, thirty-five days later, the same Legislature passed an act to extend the provisions of the earlier act, [providing for the incorporation of towns and cities approved on January 27, 1858. This act included the towns of Denton and Pilot Point in Denton County.

The Thirteenth Legislature, on June 2, 1873, passed a bill amending the Pilot Point charter of October 8, 1866, and reenacting the same in full with some amendments. The city was organized under this law and conducted a government for several .years, then dissolving the organization, but not the charter. The city reorganized later and is nov/ controlled by a city government.

On February 8, 1875 the Fourteenth Legislature passed an act prohibiting persons with or without license to sell, barter, or give away, or in any manner dispose of any spirituous, vinous, or other intoxicating liqnors within a radius of five m'les of Pilot Point, in Denton County, Texas, and fixing the penalty for violation of the same. This law was called statutory prohibition. This was the Republican idea of that time and it was very unpopular. It was not well enforced and was openly evaded by "blind tigers." The constitution of 1876 followed it the next year and it provided for local option and repealed the constitution of 1869 and rendered this statutory prohibition act null and void.

In 1856 or 1857 the people began to provide for schools in first one form and then another, using the best way possible. It was crude, but it was the best they could do at that time. The first school taught was by a Professor Knight, nick-named "Yankee Knight." It was a subscription school, taught in the summer, and called a summer school.

When the war of 1861 came, everything in the way of improvements was brought to an end. The sound of the bugle was heard and Capt. S. W. Merchant raised a company of cavalry at Pilot Point on February 15, 1862, consisting of one hundred men, with James W. Bates first lieutenant and C. W. Merchant second lieutenant. (The muster roll appears under the title ol The War), This company joined Col. M. P. Johnson's regiment in the C. S. A. Pilot Point sent her best men to the front, and those who were permitted to return saw the little city staggering under a crime wave that had spread over the country, had almost blighted the hopes of the law-abiding people, and was retardinj; the growth of the town. But the lawless element was finally subdued.

The Texas & Pacific railroad in 1874 built its road by this place and stimulated its commerce and inspired the people with new hopes and energy.

The people had foi'med a joint stock company and built a seminary or high school, employing Prof. J. C. Newberry. He and Professor Brooks taught it for a period of years, and Prof. M. B. Franklin, a noted educator, took charge of it in 1877 and established a splendid school. He conducted it until his health failed. In about 1885 he sold the property to Mr. Dowdell. Mr. Dowdell then sold it to Miss Buster and Miss O'Neal and they conducted the school for a period of years, afterwards selling it to Prof. T. E, Peters, who taught it for a period of five years. Professor Peters then transferred the school to Rev. W. L. Rodgers for a Nazarene school, church and orphanage. This school had a good reputation and drew patronage from the surrounding country and was a great factor in the upbuilding of the town, intellectually and morally.

Private schools gave way to public free schools here as elsewhere. Credit for the free school fund had been given to pupils, but it was not satisfactory. Prof. S. L. Strong established and taught a free school in the south side of the town, and by operation of law he was entitled to and received all of the free school students. This so weakened the seminary as to cause its discontinuance.

I will say that if I understand your statement, each child within the scholastic age, resident in the school district according to the terms of the contract is entitled to free tuition for three months any time during the term of ten months. This being the case the school must be absolutely free to the child for three months out of the ten. The teachers or trustees have no right to exact an incidental fee from pupils within the scholastic age.

If the teachers maintain that they are teaching a private school, and not teaching a public school in accordance with the laws governing public schools, their contracts should be cancelled and the public school fund withheld. Furthermore, all schools receiving any part of the public school fund must be regarded as public schools subject to the control of public school trustees and the law governing the same. OtherAvise they are not entitled to any of the public school fund.

The people of Pilot Point, frustrated in their undertaking by the State, graciously yielded and united their efforts with the State to build up a first-class free school in the city, and step by step made improvements. The house was rebuilt into a modern brick structure, the school standardized and graded, an independent school district formed and a special tax of fifty cents levied to supplement the fund. It is conducted under the management of trustees G. E. Light, president ; H. M. Russell, vice-president ; W. B. McShan, secretary ; F. S. Wilson ; J. R. Jones ; Henry Selz ; W. B. Montgomery.