Interesting Stories from Freestone County History

1919 pandemic

The Teague Chronicle - Jan. 31, 1919 edition

Mrs. Joel Lane

Mrs. Joel Lane of the Dew community died Tuesday of influenza-pneumonia leaving

a husband and four children.

Ms. Lillian Lane, second wife of Mr. Joel Lane, was proprietor of the Rest Haven Cottage in Dew, Texas.  The land this was situated on had been left to a “charity”.  See brochure.   WCG was one of the trustees according to BDG, and also Vernon Levels.  Ms. Lillian in her earlier days would help people all over the country who were sick, having a baby, or having troubles.  She would walk as the crow flies, stepping over fences, to get to the sick people as far as Freestone and Dew and surrounding areas.

BDG:

Daddy came home and told mother that the creek at the Scott Place was dried up to one large hole near the north end of the property.  He said there were fish jumping and to go down and catch some fish if she wanted to.  Ms. Lillian, Charlotte M. Carter, and Mother went down with a seine and poles.  Ms. Lillian tucked her skirt up in her waist band and waded off into the water and caught the fish with her hands.  Mother she saw a snake swimming in the little water hole, and Ms. Lillian hurried right out of that pool, big and long-legged as she was.

Mr. Joel’s first wife was a Richards.  His grandsons still live on his property in Dew.

1925

DEW'S NEW SCHOOL BUILDING TO BE FORMERLY OPEN DECEMBER 21ST

The new school building at Dew will be formerly open with a suitable program on

the evening of December 21st. We are to have an address from our County

Superintendent and cordially invite our friends and the public in general to

come and hear him. We want to give our friends an opportunity to share with us

our pleasure and pride in this new structure that we hope will become the

meeting place for furthering all better community interest.

Reporter

Fairfield Recorder - Friday, December 18, 1925 edition

1930

Excerpt from “The Texas Sheriff”

At Freestone County in 1930, law-and-order voters from the agricultural western half of the county narrowly elected J.R. Sessions as reform sheriff to clean up the wooded, hilly, and moonshine-ridden eastern half of the county where Sessions had few supporters. According to Sessions’ son, moonshining had been the “most prevalent occupation in the county” since the Mexia oil boom of the early 19s0. By 1930, the local oil booms had busted, and the Great Depression had arrived to blight the cotton-raising western part of the county, but whiskey production did not slacken. Big money from Houston and Dallas backed the local whiskey business, in which small-scale moonshiners combined their products under the direction of local middlemen, and a few large-scale operations reached the size of small sawmills. ..

Some policies that voters might not understand derived from the sheriff’s need to maintain his information resources.  After saving Freestone County from its plague of moonshiners and bootleggers, reform sheriff J.R. Sessions nonetheless allowed the continued operation of a few discrete black “beer joints” in his dry county. The owners of these joints commonly picked up information from the county’s black community and passed it on to the sheriff…

During the 1930s, Sheriff J.R. Sessions of Freestone County often chased moonshine-laden trucks leaving the county on Highway 75. Truck drivers straddled the center of the narrow road, blocking officers from getting around them, so officers’ only options was to shoot.  The sheriff’s son recalled, “I’ve seen ‘em bringing in cars that was literally shot all to pieces.”

SESSIONS IN Freestone County 

Freestone Past/Present

J.R. “Sonny” Sessions

Sheriff l965-2001

  More Sessions Homestead-Jim Sessions

  Been told about my Grandfather Carter Sessions and a cattle buyer sitting 

on a large board fence haggling over the price of steers Carter trying to sell 

and both drinking so much corn whisky they fell off the fence into the 

muddy working pen having to be helped to get up and out, unknown if  a 

trade made. Feel sure his drinking added to his many problems. When cattle 

being worked there always spectators usually on Sunday which upset my 

Mother.

  Carter Sessions moved his family to Mexia for better schools, still having 

business in Kirven he commuted; he had a tent to stay in here, these type 

tents better than some homes with a wood floor and other. Jim 

Sessions attended school in Mexia, helped his Daddy in his ventures. 

Working at one of his Daddy’s saw mills he somehow cut his leg bad with 

an axe and had to ride home in a wagon to recover. Jim attended Texas 

A&M one year traveling by train.

   Married to Thelma Batchelor they made their home in Kirven until elected 

Sheriff on his second attempt being defeated in his first attempt. Jim had 

been working for a Waco insurance company Amicable Life, I was told by 

my mother that if he had not been elected Sheriff they planned to move to 

Waco and pursue the insurance business. My Daddy’s first experience in law 

enforcement was as Deputy Sheriff in the Wortham Oil Boom. Still living in 

Kirven my mother told of him calling on the phone the weather too bad to 

try and come home and their Model T needing water drained out, telling her 

how she and their little dog went into the freezing weather and did it by the 

light of a kerosene lantern. 

  Carter Sessions due to many things had lost all his property including this 

land where I live today except their home in Kirven. In his later years he had 

Model T type pickup and peddled something like Watkins products, 

sometimes trading for farm produce and wildlife skins, he never drove a 

motor vehicle and local youths usually drove for him. My Daddy had to bury 

him and then buy out the interest of his siblings in the house so his 

unmarried sister and aged aunt would have somewhere to live.

  During WW II my Daddy was able to buy this land back from his brother 

who had owned it a few years. When I returned home from the Navy he 

deeded it to me.  I moved an old log house from the Hines Place here and 

later Peggy and I built a home on the location of the old house. The land 

here had been used and abused with cotton farming; I worked on improving 

the land and pastures for more than 60 years with good success.                      

   Jim Sessions was ahead of the times in law enforcement and very 

successful as Sheriff, elected 10 consecutive times, this more than other 

elected official in Freestone Co. history. I served more years than he as my 

terms were for four years and his two. When Jim Sessions was Sheriff you 

never quit electioneering due to the short terms.  He was also ahead of the 

times in the cattle business, using the Brahma crosses and improved 

pastures; he predicted that the farming would move to the west and cattle 

business to the east all of which came true. I well remember the first calf he 

ever sold for $100 to O.B. Utley for his store market, I also remember when 

he bought small Jersey type cows for $15 and bred to Brahma bulls with 

good success. 

Clipping from a Dallas newspaper 

December 11 edition 1921

File murder charge against Carter Sessions of Freestone county for killing F. F.

Miller of Dallas.

1949

·                                 Home

Dew School 1949, contributed by Kevin Lancaster

(back row, left to right) Teacher Dane (White) Dull, Sonny Atchley, Dale Lancaster, Glenda English, Compton Wilbanks, Mick Atchley
(middle row, left to right) Jimmy Dale Clary, Sally Swinburn (Vaughn), Darry Ayers, Virginia Atchley, Selma Hagan (Gober), Unknown Boy, June Long
(front row, left to right) Richard "Wick" Hartley, Ronnie McAdams, Billy Roy Dawson, Don McCeig, Eddie Lee Atchley, Jimmy Lambert, George Whiteside, Bo McAdams
The "Unknown Boy" in the middle row may be Clinton Long, but it is still being checked out.

Names contributed by Jackye Penney

1958

White versus Freestone County

FAIRFIELD – An out-out-court settlement made Monday in 87^th District Court case of Freestone County versus the states and bonding companies of the late Compton White. District Judge Clarence Ferguson approved the $25,000 settlement after the Freestone County Commissioners’ Court met earlier Monday to make their approval.

White, who served as county auditor of Freestone County from about 1932 to 1958 died March of 1958. Death came while he  held that office.

The case against White stemmed from the discovery of a $55,576.89 shortage in county funds following  his death. Freestone County brought suit to recover this money.

The settlement reached Monday, negotiated between attorneys for both sides and bonding companies for White provides that Freestone County will recover $25,000. Prior to the settlement, 100 ***men had been summoned in case a jury trial was conducted. No jury was empanelled, Mrs. June Glazener, Freestone County District Clerk said today. “The settlement was offered by defense attorneys,” Mrs. Glazener told the Mexia Daily News.

Bonding companies were represented by a firm of attorneys from Dallas by the name of Malone, Lipscomb, Seay and Gwinn. The bonding companies were the American Casualty of Reading, Patient., and the Lawyers Surety Corporation, Mrs. Glazener said.

Testimony was heard by representatives of the A.C. Upleger auditing firm of Waco, which was in charge of the audit of the Freestone County Auditor’s Office. Mrs. Glazener gave the following breakdown of the $25,000 recovery in the Settlement:

American Casualty Company paid $12,000;  Mrs. Audrey Lambert White, Compton White widow, $5000;  William Compton Glazener, White nephew, $5,000;  Lawyers Surety Corp, $2,500.

Hugh Reed Jr. Freestone County attorney and Bob Reeves of Palestine were attorneys for the county.

Bowlen Bond of Teague represented Mrs. White while B.L. Bradley and L.L. Geren represented Glazener.

MINYARD HARRISS SAGA

Freestone Past and Present

By J. R. (Sonny) Sessions

Davis and Mary Carter

FREESTONE COUNTY, September 21, 2006 - Grandma and I recently visited friends 

Mary and Davis Carter in Aberdeen, Mississippi. Our relationship started more

than 20 years ago when I received an inquiry from a stranger in Maine about 

ancestors of his living in my area. Though I was born many years after their 

deaths I felt familiar with them due to my mother’s and other locals 

recollections over the years.

The person calling was Davis Carter a native Texan living in Maine who was a 

grand nephew of Minyard Harriss who lived in the Woodland community. Mr. 

Harriss a merchant with a small store here until moved it into Kirven with the 

coming of the railroad. His family home was still in existence in my childhood

along with the largest horse/mule barn in this area. There were stories of his 

racetrack and racing horses raced locally and at the State Fair in Dallas. This 

racing was with gaited carriage horses not thoroughbreds. Mr. Harriss a 

Confederate Veteran very involved also in the yearly Confederate Reunions.

Mr. Carter visited here several times and we began what I later described as a

“Quest For The Holy Grail”. Mr. Carter did very intense and extensive research 

with the intent of a historical novel on his uncle (Minyard Harriss) and family

for several years. Peg and I visited in their home in Maine and he and Mary 

visited here with us, a very strong friendship developed. They’re too many 

things to try and tell it all as quite lengthy. Davis and Mary Carter led such

an interesting life it really should be recorded.

During all this Texas Historical Markers were dedicated at Shiloh Primitive 

Baptist Church with unveiling by Deacon Aaron Butcher and Deacon H.P. Foster,

and Sessions Cemetery on Saturday Oct. 1, 1994 with unveiling by Arthur Foreman

Carter and Hobart Carter, both in their 90’s. A Texas State Marker was also 

approved for Woodland and Minyard Harriss but refused by us locally when their

wording was “politically correct” not historically. A historical Marker through

the Sons of Confederate Veterans was dedicated with all the trimmings on Sunday

afternoon Oct. 2, 1994 with good attendance and participation. Started with 

church services, a noon meal served at the Kirven Fire Dept. The Confederate 

Band from Hill Co. College preformed along with Confederate re-enactors and 

cannon firing. The Commander of the SCV who had local roots the speaker. This 

was a very big event along with Sessions Cemetery (local black cemetery where

many former slaves were buried) and Shiloh Church, which was founded in 1853 

with a white pastor.

The historical novel done by the Carters “ The Story Uncle Minyard Told” was 

made available for the first time. Copies of this publication are hard to come 

by today as in much demand. Anyone knowing of available copies please advise.

The Carter’s move from Maine to Aberdeen, Miss. where they researched and 

published “Stars in the Southern Sky”. A biography of the life of Confederate 

General John Gregg, who left Fairfield, was killed in action in Virginia with 

his body recovered and returned to Aberdeen by his wife Molly. It is Mr. 

Carter’s opinion that if John Gregg had lived and returned to Texas he would 

have been Governor at some point. The Carter permanently retired there in 

Aberdeen. Knowing and being involved with this couple renewed my interest in 

local history and opened many new doors for us. Thank you Mary and Davis 

Carter.

From the Fairfield Recorder, Fairfield, Texas
27 November 1914

DEATH OF WELL KNOWN CITIZEN

Our people were shocked last Saturday morning to hear of the death of Mr. Minyard Harriss, of Kirven, which occurred about 2 o’clock in the morning. Mr. Harriss had been suffering a great deal from Asthma, and had arisen and was walking in the yard when he fell and expired in a few minutes, death being due to heart trouble.

Maj. Harriss, as he was known to his friends, was a native of Alabama, enlisting in the Confederate Army in that State. At the close of the war, he came to Freestone, settling in Old Woodland, where he resided until death. He was owner of a great deal of real estate, and at one time raised a great deal of fine stock in connection with his farming interests, and also was engaged in the mercantile business, moving his business from Woodland to Kirven after the railroad was constructed. He was a member of W. L. Moody Camp, and had been Commander of the Camp for four years, and his efforts to promote the welfare of the Camp, and his courteous and old time manners endeared him to the old soldiers and the people of Fairfield.

He was a true gentleman of the old school and we sorrow at his passing. He leaves his aged companion, and a son and daughter to mourn his death. Maj. Harriss was 68 years of age.

His funeral was largely attended. The business houses at Kirven all closed and there was a large attendance from Wortham and Mexia, and other points. The following old comrades from Fairfield attended the burial: Dr. W. N. Sneed, A. G. And J. G. Anderson, and J. G. Salter, of Streetman, who went from this place.

end of obituary

_______________________________

From the Fairfield Recorder, Fairfield, Texas
2 April 1915


TO THE MEMORY OF MR. M. H. HARRISS

He was one of the most prominent citizens of Freestone Co., Texas and in most respects one of the best men I ever knew, and I had known him intimately for forty years. I knew him long and well, as well or better, perhaps than anyone outside of his immediate family. His many noble traits of character could not be appreciated without a close and intimate association with his private life. One of his strongest attributes was to adhere to the truth – he scorned falsehood – and he frequently incurred the displeasure, even anger, of some by his blunt candor. But his life was one of principle, not policy; while it was his wish and purpose to be agreeable (and he was always affable, at times, most entertaining) yet, he never indulged his sunny disposition to the verge of deceit and falsehood. He was richly endowed by nature with great mental and physical vigor and power, which he cultivated and developed by his own energy and ambition.

Minyard Hickerson Harris [sic] was born in Coosa county, Ala., October 18th, 1846; was married to Kate E. Lennard, at Nixburg, Coosa county, Alabama, August 11th, 1872; moved to Woodland, in Freestone county, Texas in October, 1873; died at his home at Woodland, near Kirven, Texas, November 21st, 1914. When a mere boy, he enlisted as a soldier in the Confederate Army from his native State; at the time of his death he was Commander of the local Camp of Confederate Veterans at Fairfield, Texas. At the end of the war he found himself without property and without an education; yet with a remarkable brilliance of intellect, combined with a high sence [sic] of pride and ambition and strength of purpose, he managed to become a scholar without a school education, for he read and understood books and kept apace with current news and general literature as but few could. Added to all this, he had a prodigious memory, and could at all times intelligently discuss all the live questions of the day as well as the history and incidents of the past.

In all his makeup, he was a most extraordinary man. He had no political ambition for himself, but was patriot, that he was, he always worked for his friends and his party with loyalty, zeal and fidelity, as he thought would best subserve [sic] his country and his county. He was open faced and he fought open handed. There was never any question as to how he stood for men and measures, and he was nearly always right. Having both courage an wisdom, he seldom failed in his estimate of men and his analysis and solution of issues, but when convinced that he was wrong, he never hesitated to confess his error, for there was nothing treacherous or duplicitous in his nature or his conduct. His life was an open book which contained his few vices as well as his many virtues.

In all my observations and experience in life, and there are many, I have never known his duplicate. Through all these years, he was my friend and I enjoyed his friendship; it was as close and intimate as could be. His home was always open to me, and so many hundreds of times have I enjoyed the hospitality of that dear old home where he lived with his interesting and cheerful family for so many happy years. He loved his good wife and children, and they worshipped [sic] him. They were never denied any of the comforts or luxuries of life.

Only his wife and son, Lennard and daughter, Mrs. Katie Mae Harriss Gibson of Mexia survive him. His noble wife Miss Kate, as well called her was his loyal and loving companion for forty-two years. No better woman lives; loved by all who know her; may the good Lord, who she have loved and served nearly all her life, sustain and comfort her in this, her darkest hour of the many afflictions she has suffered.

Besides the loss of other children who died in infancy, was the eldest, Jewell, who died many years ago, a beautiful and charming young woman of rare accomplishments [sic]; and Clifton, the youngest, a noble and most popular young man who died two years ago.

My good friend was about 68 years of age at the time of his death. He was laid to rest in the old cemetery at Woodland, where so many of those whom we have loved and lost lie buried.

After all, life is a mystery and death a tragedy.

O. C. Kirven, Austin, Tex.

end of eulogy

[Note: Oliver Carter Kirven, former Judge of Freestone county, Texas ]

Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church and School

Kirvin, Freestone Co. Tx

At the intersection of FM 1449 and CR 1070, 1 mi. NW of Kirvin

Historica Marker:

Area slaves used a brush arbor for informal church services held by white minister Jeremiah Seely in the early 1850s. The congregation formally organized as Freedmen in 1866; Boney Moffett was elected first elder. Shiloh School, which was inspired by the church, began about 1867. Shiloh Church served as the "mother church" of the Zion Rest Primitive Baptist District Association. Prominent benefactor Minyard Harriss deeded two acres here to the church in 1891. The fourth sanctuary was built here in the 1920s. Shiloh School closed in 1949 but the church continues to serve the local community. -1994-

From the Fairfield Recorder, Fairfield, Texas
Friday, August 6, 1886

Residence Burned.

Mr. M. H. Harriss, a well known young merchant of Woodland had the misfortune of getting his neat residence destroyed by fire recently. It was burned some weeks ago, but its loss was one of those items that escaped our notice until last week. The fire occurred aboutr 12 o’clock at night and did not awaken the occupants until the roof of the kitchen and dining room had fallen and the dwelling proper in flames. Mr. Harriss just had time to get his children out of the house, and save only a few articles from one room. The loss of the residence and contents was almost a total one, and falls heavily on the loser. We heard that there were circumstances connected with the burning that point strongly to incendiaryism [sic], but we have learned nothing since in regard to it. There was no insurance on the property lost.

From the Fairfield Recorder
27 January 1888

A Store Burned

Mr. George May of Woodland called on us last Monday, and informed us that the store building and contents of Mr. M. H. Harriss of that place, were totally destroyed by fire, about 4 o’clock on the morning of the 22nd inst. The fire was undoubtedly of incendiary origin and started in the rear of the building, which was in a big blaze when the fire was discovered. Nothing at all was saved, it not being safe to enter the store when parties got to the scene. It is not known who set the building on fire, and no clue had been found Monday we Mr. May left. A negro man was lodge in jail here about two weeks ago for burglarizing said store, and one theory of the fire is, it was caused by some friend or accomplice of the prisoner.

Mr. Harriss was insured on his building and contents for $1,500 dollars $1,000 in the East Texas Insurance Company and $500 [newspaper illegible] New Orleans.


From the Fairfield Reporter
31 July 1896

From Mr. James Payne, of Bonner, we learn that M. H. Harriss had the misfortune to lose his barn by fire last Friday night. It was evidently set on fire by some mean, malicious person, as it was burned about 2 o’clock in the morning. Mr. Payne informed us that in the early part of the night all the family were gone except Mr. Harriss. He heard some one prowling around the rear part of the premises, and in order to frighten them away he fired off his gun. The ptrty [sic] returned the fire, sending a ball not very far about Mr. Hariss’ [sic] head. That night the barn was burned.

From the Fairfield Reporter
10 January 1908

Minyard Harris [sic] store, at Woodland, an old landmark of the county, was destroyed by fire several days ago.

[Note: Fire also reported in the Dallas Morning News]

Freestone County, Texas

Obituaries

Transcribed by MaryFrances Flournoy 15 August 2007

Submitted to Rootsweb by MaryFrances Flournoy

(by permission of the Fairfield Recorder)

From the Fairfield Recorder, Fairfield, Texas

26 March 1897

UNDER THE DAISIES

Died at her home at Woodland, Texas, March 12, 1897, Miss Jewel Harriss, aged 

22 years. A sweet young life has gone out; a bright beautiful life so full of 

joy, a present to those around her. The brightest Jewel in our dear, dear 

Woodland home has been filled in its casket and laid away while our longing 

loving eyes shall behold it not more until this mortal shall have put on in

mortality

[rest of newspaper illegible]