Douglassville 1850 - 1967

Douglassville, a small town of about 200 citizens, is located on the top of a hill where Highways 77 and 8 intersect in Cass county. The town was named for Colonel John C. Douglas who moved here from Georgia in 1850. He erected a home from hewn logs on the present town site. Tho home is still standing and is known as the Dr. Heldt home. At present, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Morriss of Atlanta own it.

Williamson Petty came in 1850 and built a home near his ferry on Sulphur river, four miles north of Douglassville. His ferry was widely known throughout the states, and has been mentioned in historical writings of Texas early development as the only place in Northeast Texas where a suitable crossing of Sulphur river could be made.

In 1850 a tract of land (320 acres) was given to Williamson Petty, by virtue of an act passed at a session of the Congress of the Republic of Texas for the benefit of actual settlers. This land, located on Shoal creek, was vacant at that time.

On December 17, 1855 Mr. Petty sold to Colonel John C. Douglas the 320 acres with the exception of 159 varas in length including the school house which Petty donated for school and church purposes.

During the year of 1851, the families of Collier, Jackson, McCoy, and Douglas came. Soon thereafter from Alabama came the. families of Brooks , Crawford, Heath, Heldt, Hunt, and Stone.

In 1868 from Georgia came the families of Alsup, L.D. Green, Hardin, and McWhorter, later the families of Carlow, Snipes, King, Webster, Wilson, and Prof. Cranberry.

The early citizens of this community were a fine, cultured people, mostly from Alabama and Georgia. By 1851 their children were attending a private school taught here at Douglassville.

Miss Sarah Bell a Canadian, came in 1856 and taught school in a log house built of Blackjack Oak. Two buildings were erected later, one for girls and one for boys. ‘Phis school was supported by private subscription, but there is no record of the salary paid.

Settlers arriving in 1868 found a flourishing school being conducted by Josh Crawford who had erected a building and was teaching on the site adjoining the present cemetery just off Highway 8.

Later Prof. Cranberry erected a three-story building on the site of the present public-school lot where he conducted a large school system with the enrollment including pupils from other states as well as a wide area in Texas. This school was known as Douglas Academy. Some of the pupils who attended were Mrs. Bottoms of Texarkana, Mrs. John Henderson, and the Honorable Judge Tolbert of Dallas who boarded with families living here.

A public free school system started in 1876. On October 17, 1876, a petition was presented to the county judge asking his sanction to organize a school community in Precinct 3, and that the pro rata share of the public free school fund be apportioned for this said community, and that three trustees be appointed for this community. The trustees appointed were James H. Snipes, W. N. Hunt, and William W. Stone.

James C. G. R. Patton owned and operated the first store in Douglassville. On June 25, 1859, Col. Douglas sold four and one-fifteenth acres of land to Patton. It was understood and agreed as a special reservation in the deed that no spirituous liquors of any description ever be sold, bartered, trafficked, or conveyed in any manner by Patton, his heirs, or assigns, or successors except prescribed by a physician.

Major Williams established a store at a later date. Dr. Heldt was the first practicing physician at Douglassville. His home was the home built by Colonel Douglas. The second practicing physician was Dr. Cook; followed by Drs. Oliver, Howe, Clopton, Terhune, and Dallas who was the last practicing physician here.

Among the old settlers who spent their lives here were Dr. and Mrs. Moody, great grandparents of Mrs. Eunice Rutland and Mrs. Mabel Morriss. After the Moodys died, Mr. and Mrs. Edins lived in the house that Dr. Moody had built. The Edins were grandparents of Senator Morris Sheppard (deceased). Mr. Mount Murphy and his family lived there several years. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Oliver owned the home for some time; Mr. Oliver lived there until his death in 1964. It has been demolished recently for a modern home.

Other families who contributed to the social and educational development of this community were Dunklin, Powell, Stone, Ellington, Morriss and Grogard.

Two of our landmarks are still standing: the home of Dr. Heldt and the home of J.E. Swint. Mr. Jim Swint bought this home in 1900 from Prof. Cranberry. Mr. Swint moved to Douglassville in 1901 and was in the mercantile business several years. This home is new owned by Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Swint who recently built a modern home nearby and live in it.

The Douglassville post office was established on July 8, 1854, with James A. Chappell as postmaster. The second postmaster, James C.G.R. Patton, was appointed September 23, 1854. Third one, Joseph A. Williams, was appointed April 1, 1855. This post office was discontinued November 5, 1866, then reestablished April 28, 1867. Caleb A. Earp was post master April 29, 1867 - May 11, 1870, when Alfred Young was appointed. Next came Waiter Reed, appointed Sept. 23, 1670. This post office again was discontinued February 1, 1871; re-established Aug.

14 1871 with Parnell A. Skeers, postmaster.

Other postmasters and dates appointed included: W.D. Dennis, June 11, 1873; John E. Jones, Dec. 14 1873; John E. Morriss, May 21, 1877; L. Mims, Sept. 7, 1880; Frances M. Green, May 15, 1883; James W. Petty, on Dec. 17, 1883; Mattie E. Howe, July 8. 1891; John E. McCall , March 15, 1895; Joseph M. Snipes, Apr. 17, 1896; Tom Heath, Nov. 1917; Mrs. Willie Hunt, Oct.1, 1922; Mrs. Mary Brook Swint, Apr. 3, 1924; Eugene McWilliams, Dec. 1947: Roy D. Frost, July 1, 1954; Homer Cranberry. February 27, 1961.

A Mr. McFarlane was appointed the first mail carrier, transporting the mail to and from Jefferson where it came in and went out by steamboats which docked there. A Star Route was established in early 1860 from the vicinity of Queen City ** Andrew and Sam Carlow brought the mail horseback for some time. Mr. Reeves, Mr. Moseley. Meredith Haynos, and Will (Buck) Heath transported mail from Atlanta by horseback, buggy, and mule team. In 1905 Buck Heath bought a Ford car and used it until the mail was brought in by bus. A private bus now transports the mail to and from Texarkana and Tyler every day.

Douglassville had one rural route established on Aug. 16, 1906, as every other day delivery, later it became a fulltime route. M.B. Swint delivered the mail on that route until his retirement in 1946.

Route 2 was established in 1907 as every other day delivery, later a full-time route. W.E. Swint carried the mail on this route until it consolidated with Route No. 1 on Jan. 1. 1937 He was transferred to a route in Omaha until his retirement.

Telephones were installed at Douglassville in 1910, The first was a switchboard in Snipes Bros. Store. One circuit to Atlanta served for some time. In 1916, Mrs. R. P Rutland, and Mrs. J. C. Morriss built a private line to Bryans Mill where there was also a switch board. Other lines from Douglassville had already joined lines from Linden to Naples about 1913. J. A. Stevens installed a system in 1958 at Naples and the private lines joined this system A private line for REA was built in 1950. A complete dial system Installed in 1961 now gives us free service to Linden, Atlanta, and Marietta.

Bowie - Cass Electric Co-op had its beginning here October, 1935 and headquarters were established here early Jn 1937. Senator Morris Sheppard and Representative Wright Patman in Washington assisted in bringing this plant to Douglassville. Later that year the first board of directors were elected: Harry H. Simms of Bowie county, president; T.C. Lyster of Morris county, vice president; Mrs. J, C. Morriss of Cass county, secretary.

The board of directors let the first contract for construction of lines on Feb.1,1938-Glassell Construction Co. of Shreveport, La. received the contract to build 150 miles of lines to serve 600 customers in Cass and Bowie counties. By 1967 Bowie-Cass Electric Co-op is serving about 13,000 families in Bowie, Cass, Morris, Franklin, Titus, and Red River counties. Names are being added daily as new customers.

Butane gas service came to Douglassville about 1938 when a company from Tyler installed this kind of gas in the homes of A. D. Morriss and H. P. McCoy. Later a Mr. Davis of Maud served other homes. Then a firm from Bogata served several families. On August 8, 1955, W. A. McCoy installed a private butane system with four drivers serving his customers. Walter Smith and Gilbert Dupree serve the Douglassville area: Elsa Yates and Jim McDuff serve the Atlanta area Douglassville’s first water system was installed In 1952 by a Mr. Walker of McLeod, Texas. A new water system was installed July 1, 1964, with Charles Blrod of Linden as contractor.

Natural gas, installed February 1, 1967, by Ark La Gas Company, is the latest convenience for Douglassville, Douglassville was incorporated in 1952, with the following officials elected: Mayor. Joe Williams; Aldermen, Ben Cox, Dillard Campbell, D.W. Swint and Cameron Nolan.