Local historical reminiscences

(Published in the Citizens Journal, 1916)

Having been requested to write what I know about Atlanta and its immediate surroundings, I yield reluctantly, first because of my incompetency, and second, because of the magnitude of the task. However, I expect my introduction to this immediate section dates further back than the memory of most people now living in Atlanta.

I shall do my best to narrate facts, as I know them from personal knowledge, as well as from information from those of unquestioned integrity. That I may not consume too much space at any one time, I shall begin fifty-two years ago and divide the time, devoting each chapter to a given period, condensing as much as possible to make it readable. I shall ask the readers’ indulgence if I should bring in self right often, because it is necessary when relating events in which I am personally acquainted.

To begin - about the first of February, 1864,1 received a ten day furlough that I might visit my mother, who lived five miles east of Marshall, Texas for the purpose of getting clothes preparatory to the spring campaign, which all old Confederate soldiers who were in the trans Mississippi department will remember. My mother had refugeed from Arkansas in 1863. My father and I were both in the service of our country.

I had never been in Texas prior to that time. My first night spent in the state with one Fute Brown, who was claiming his exemption from military service on account of being a tanner. From what I could gather, he must have had two or three vats. Anyhow was a man of strong prejudice, as evidenced by the fact that he and two of his brothers were shot from ambush and killed after the war ended on the Linden and Bright Star road, six miles east of where Atlanta is now situated.

My horse having no rough food all winter, got choked on the fodder during the night, which consumed so much time the next morning in trying to relieve him. My half day’s journey found me at Richard Law’s (who owned and lived where “Bawley” Smith now lives) for dinner, only about six or seven miles from where I had spent the night. Mr. Law’s home was a typical frontier hewed log house and not framed, like the present residence.

Capt. P. R. Scott lived on the hill just west of where Atlanta now stands, in the same building that stands there now, only it was a hewn log house not weatherboarded. In recent years, it has been weatherboarded and painted. Just across on the south side of the present Linden road and a little west of a south line from the house was a row of houses used for Negro slaves. In passing down the slope to the rivulet can be seen a row of China tree spouts erupting from the stumps of the old antebellum trees planted by slaves. I failed to explain that at that time the main public road from Jefferson, Texas to Fulton, Washington, Rockport and Little Rock, Arkansas ran north and south and one hundred yards east of Capt. Scott’s residence, crossing the Sulphur River at Line ferry.

On the east side of this the Jefferson and Line Ferry road, and south of the present Atlanta and Linden road, stood an old antebellum horse gin, with an old style lever press - levers 50 to 60 feet long, there being two joined at the larger end, supported by a cap sill some 20 inches square and 18 to 24 feet long forming the letter A, only flared more at the bottom. This structure was balanced on a wood screw about 18 inches in diameter and twenty feet long, which passed through a wood tap made of four squarely hewn pieces, each some 16 inches in diameter. This king screw had what was known as a follow-block on the bottom end, the face of which was just the size of the edge of a bale of cotton -just a duplicate of the follow-block as used on the modern press. This entire structure was supported by four upright posts from 12 to 16 inches in diameter and some 24 feet long. These presses were operated by hooking a horse to each lever and making a circle of 200 to 250 feet, either backward to raise the follow-block above the top of the lint box to give room to tramp the lint cotton in, or forward to run follow-block down, thereby pressing the cotton into the bale. The ties used for cotton at that time were three quarter-inch hemp rope. This little description of an old time cotton press I give for the benefit of our own young people. Just here I will state that these old cotton presses could be heard from three to five miles on a clear, cold morning when in operation.

Now back to Scott’s gin. There was about 100 bales of cotton in the seed stored in the gin house and pens when I passed there in 1864 - 52 years ago last February -which had been grown and gathered by Capt. Scott’s slaves in 1861, the year the last cotton was grown by slaves in the South. At that time all the territory from where the city prison now stands on the east, the south line of the cemetery and an east west line south of Frank Bivins’ present home about 600 yards, and bordered on the west by the Jefferson and Line Ferry road, was a freshly opened field, a fine one, with a great deal of dead timber, mostly very heavy. It is now February, 1869 - I have just moved with my father on the old home place, known recently as the O’Neal

It is now February, 1869 - I have just moved with my father on the old home place, known recently as the O’Neal farm. I am here permanently. However, I have passed through the county several times in the interim since 1864. In July or August, 1868,1 traveled through the county going to and returning from Washington, Arkansas. I crossed the Sulphur River at Line Ferry. I mention this because I was ferried across the river by Cullen Baker and his lieutenant, Kirby. From what I learned afterwards, Baker and his crowd had hung Tom Orr the day before. I did not know Baker was a ferryman, nor did I know then the man pulling me across was Baker; if I had I think I would have had cold chills chasing up and down my spinal column. I knew of him and that he was a desperate character. He was then an outlaw and outlawed. My father and I lived in Jefferson and the morning we left there to come look at the O’Neal farm (it belonged to F. A. Schluter at the time) Cullen Baker and Kirby were brought to Jefferson in a wagon -corpses. They had been killed two days before by Jo Davis and some of his friends about 12 or 15 miles northeast of where Atlanta now stands. There was a reward of $5,000.00, dead or alive, hence he was taken to Jefferson to the United States authorities to be identified. Jo Davis refused to participate in the reward; I heard as a reason he wanted to remain where he was. Tom Orr collected the reward and moved to Texarkana. He afterwards became the County Judge of Miller County, Arkansas. (**above states that Tom Orr was hung by Cullen Baker, not sure of accuracy of names here - did Tom Orr not die from the hanging??)

Since I am in Cass County to stay, of course, the history of the county was of interest to me. As I promised, I will give you a brief history of its formation, organization, and naming. Red River County, an original county, was founded in 1836 and organized in 1837. It’s territory included the present counties of Bowie, Cass, Marion and others I will not mention because they have no part in this narrative.

In 1840 Bowie County was formed from Red River and organized in 1841. (Old) Boston was made the county seat. When Bowie County was formed it included the territory of Cass and Marion counties. Bowie County was named for James Bowie, of Alamo fame. Cass County was created from Bowie and organized in 1846. It’s territory was bounded on the north by the Sulphur River, on the east by the Arkansas and Louisiana lines, on the south by the lakes, Cypress River at Jefferson and went south line of the now Marion county and present west lines of both Cass and Marion. It’s area was 1229 square miles. The county was named for General Lewis Cass of Ohio.

Just here I will give a brief biographical sketch of Gen. Cass and show what the passions of war will lead men to do. He was born in New Hampshire in 1782. He, with his parents, moved to Ohio in 1800. In 1802, at the age of 20 years, he was admitted to the bar and began to practice law at Zanesville. In the war of 1812, he was Colonel of the Third Ohio Volunteers under Gen. Hull. After Hull’s surrender, he was appointed Colonel of the 27th infantry; was shortly afterwards promoted to be Brigadier General. At the close of the war, he was appointed governor of the territory bordering Lake Michigan. In 1820, he explored the upper lakes and head waters of the Mississippi. In 1831, he was sent as minister to France, which place he filled with distinction. In 1845, he was elected to the United States Senate from Michigan. In 1848, he ran for President against Gen. Zachary Taylor. Through a division in New York, he was defeated. In 1849, he was again elected to the Senate, and was again a candidate for President in 1852, resulting in another defeat. In 1856, he was an ardent supported of Mr. Buchanan -was Secretary of State in President Buchanan’s cabinet. In 1860, he resigned because the President refused to reinforce Maj. Anderson at Fort Sumpter and espoused the cause of the Union. Because he cast his lot with the Union, the legislature of Texas changed the name of Cass County to Davis, in honor of Jeff Davis, President of the Confederate States. At the close of the civil war, the name was changed back from Davis to Cass, not by the will of the southern people but by a carpet bag and scalawag legislature - the only reasonable thing I ever knew them to do.

For the benefit of young people, I will describe a carpet-bagger and a scalawag -of course the old ones ought to know. A carpet-bagger was a Yankee, as we defined northern men at that time, who was disbanded down south or came down south and fastened themselves on the body politic like leaches, for the purpose of sucking what little blood there was left in the prostrate form and humiliated body of the southern people. A scalawag was one who was born and raised in the south, who joined the carpet-bagger in robbing and humiliating his own ties - a man in comparison with whom Benedict Arnold was a saint.

In closing this part of the history, Marion County was created in 1860, the year before the Civil War began and was named for Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox of the Revolution. Its area was 384 square miles, leaving Cass with 945 square miles, its present area.

Capt. Scott’s confidence in the promises of the railroad people, not to establish a depot under ten miles of Atlanta, brought people to buy up property and move to Atlanta in good faith with no other reference to any other location. As each one came, he offered a harty welcome to others; all with one purpose in view, v.e., to build a good town and establish a good market for the adjacent country. Of course, the topography of the Atlanta town site, to those who did not know, did not presage a very healthful outlook; so some people who wanted to move to the railroad, halted as to Atlanta or Lanark. Atlanta was geographically situated, but Lanark had the apparent advantage as to the heathfulness. After two or three years of trial, Lanark people decided they were too near to one side of the territory, too near the Sulphur River and that they could not in the end sustain themselves.

At the same time a number of prominent businessmen in and around Douglassville, wanted to come to the railroad, also some at Bright Star and Linden. So a joint Stock Townsite company was started for the purpose of buying the tract of land where Queen City now stands, from a widow Robbins; who could have secured the townsite at the beginning, had she done what Capt. Scott did, donate 100 acres of land to the railroad company. They wanted to locate the town there in place of Atlanta, but she would do nothing; being advised by certain interested parties that it was the only feasible site for a town; that in the end, if she would stand firm she would get a handsome price for the property. This new townsite company took advantage of the fact that Lanark, two and one half miles north and Atlanta, two and one half miles south, put a quietus on her selling the property for a townsite and they bought the whole tract of 320 acres. This new company was organized in the winter of 1875 and 1876. The property was bought in the spring or early summer of 1876. At once they began to plat the entire tract for a town, and on the 4th of July, 1876, they gave a big barbecue, and advertised they would sell lots at the highest bidder, they secured J. A. H. Hassack, of Jefferson, the finest auctioneer ever in Texas, to do the selling. Well, they had a big crowd and sold lots like hot cakes. At once the saw and hammer was in evidence, and houses were built as

At once the saw and hammer was in evidence, and houses were built as by magic. Mr. A. Pace, who had moved from Bright Star to Lanark was the first one to build and open a business moving from Lanark. A. C. Smith was next following as old Capt. Powell, Ed Story of Linden; Mathews and Hood from Jefferson; B. F. Ellington and brother; Jim Hutchison; John Hutchison, who had moved from Linden to Lanark and thence to Queen City; Henry Stuckey moved his business from Bright Star; Boney from Jefferson, opened a drug store; and so on, too numerous to mention here. October following there were six or eight stores in Queen City, with new large stocks of goods; the largest of these was A. C. Smith’s. The trouble was they had no side track, depot, or agent, and the railroad refused to build either for them.

The company had gone to work in a cold blooded way. Their actions showed they cared but little about the financial losses of either Atlanta or Lanark; Atlanta especially was the prospective victim. To show you; a petition was gotten up to the railroad company, to abolish the Atlanta station, and make Queen City the town; for this section; setting forth in the petition, that Atlanta was low and swampy, and inaccessable on account of hills. Failing in this, the railroad company agreed, if they would grade a side track, furnish the ties and build a depot, they would lay the steel and give them an agent, all of which they did.

Atlanta merchants, (all of them small), had been selling goods on credit -just like it is done now, to make crops, with the difference; all accounts were honor accounts, no mortages or security. To their sorrow, they had sold largely north, east, and northeast of Queen City. Atlanta merchants did not have out of their business eye teeth then. Their customers took their cotton to Queen City, no doubt many of them fully intending to sell and pay their Atlanta friends who had helped them. But alas, when they got through with the bargains offered by my friend A. C. Smith and others (who had no accounts out to loose on). They came to Atlanta, with a calamity howl, short crops, shortage of wild hogs in Sulphur bottom, etc., and they just had to have shoes and clothes for their families; therefore, their Atlanta friends would have to wait on them another year, indeed some of them are waiting yet.

Understand I am not branding all who lived in the section mentioned with failing or refusing to meet their obligations, many did meet them, but enough did not to cripple the small merchants who had helped them.

I said in the beginning of this paragraph that no doubt many of them fully intended to come to Atlanta and pay their friends. I will say in addition, that there is no shadow of a doubt that some of them went to Queen City and sold their stuff, fully intending to beat their debts in Atlanta. The result was that in 1877 and 1878, every dealer in Atlanta failed, who had anything to fail on, with one or two exceptions, and they barely weathered it through by having sold but little on credit.

As I said the Atlanta merchants had not cut their business eyeteeth, sure they hadn’t, but by the spring time of 1877 some of them, had lost a whole mouthful of teeth. Of course all of this looked glorious to Atlanta’s erst wild friends. Queen City was soon shipping more cotton and the outlook for Atlanta was dark. However, there was still marrow in the bone. The citizens began to come together as one chain, and so after looking after the roads and bridges coming into Atlanta; they set to work to get a good school, and in 1878-79, they managed to buy and beg enough material to build the largest school building in Cass County (60 by 90 ft.). It was located on the lot back of where the Baptist parsonage now stands. They hired three or four carpenters, and with the help of the citizens soon had quite a well arranged school building up and ready for use. When I tell you that the doctors, merchants, clerks, lawyers and loafers (not so may loafers as now however) put in good time on the building “free, only to secure a good school as a drawing card. On the completion of the school building they secured the services of M.V. Looney and his wife, (as we all know her) Miss Acheah (The writer was a pupil of here in 1867.) They were the best known educators in East Texas at that time, and were indeed a drawing card. As evidence, students came to them from around Rusk County, Texas and other points, some from Georgia. Rev. John E. Jones who opened a business in Atlanta the fall of 1875, was a good man, everyone had utmost confidence in him. He consoled the Atlanta people by a prophecy, though it was made to a degree passionately, still in a measure it has proven correct. Someone of Queen City’s boosters approached him with a propositon to move his business to Queen City. He told them he would not, that the Queen City project was conceived in sin, and bom in iniquity, and no good would ever come of it. Without any reference to any of Queen City’s present citizenship, for none of them had any part or parcel in founding the town; but have moved there later on, I ask, how far was John E. Jones wrong? Anyhow Queen City flourished quite a number of years like a green bay tree, while Atlanta struggled hard to keep in the trace, Queen City merchants, at least some of them, would put out reports for the injury of Atlanta, viz. That smallpox was raging in Atlanta, when the facts were there was only one suspicious case. They would put out the report, that horses were dying in Atlanta with pink eye, and would magnify and herald these reports all over the country. Of course the fanners did not want to expose themselves or their stock, so they would go around Atlanta to Queen City.

About this time one Crocket Boon came to Atlanta and established the first newspaper; He was wild and wooly, God bless his ashes, he was true to his town. He could write scratchingly and sarcastically. From some cause Mr. Henry Stuckey of Queen City became offended at some of his competitors. (The town had one public cotton weigher.) To get even he (Stuckey) bought a pair of cotton scales and began to weigh all of his customers’ cotton giving out the impression he was doing it as a protection to the farmer. It was a lick below the belt, and caused Queen City to loose hundreds of bales of cotton which came to Atlanta. As Atlanta was at least giving good rising weight. That was the starting point of Queen City’s undoing.

At this juncture, our friend Crocket Boon got his cue, and what he said through his paper was a plenty. He advised the farmers of the short weight they were getting at Queen City and cited them as evidence, one of their leading merchants had to buy cotton scales and do his own weighing as a protection to his own customers. This as per baseball parlance was a homerun for Atlanta.

Stuckey made enemies of all his home merchants; but oh how Atlanta squirmed as it were, to keep down a broad grin. Things began to come Atlanta’s way. Queen City succeeding in getting the Lone Star Lumber Company to move their mill from Lanark to their town, and other milling interests also opened up there in Queen City and their milling interests began to build a narrow gage railroad east, to get into the fine pine timber in Arkansas and Louisiana. It was a promising stroke, though poorly guarded, as the sequel will prove. They rested on their oars, feeling secure. But Atlanta was busy. A few of her leading men, quietly organized, a stock company with considerable capital and bought up and took options on vast amounts of timber all over that county. The Queen City road had been run out some five or six miles. When they cut out the timber that far, and fixed to move, they found to their consternation, they had been checkmated, and were forced to allow the Atlanta people to tap their readjust east of their town. When this was done, two large sawmills, with separate plainers established themselves in the northeast part of Atlanta about where the T.A. & L. Railway, “Y” is and about where the Jug factory in now located. Of course, Queen City mills could buy none of Atlanta timber. It was not long before they had to pull up and leave. This amounted to another home run for Atlanta.