History of the Cornette Community
Trammel’s Trace, a famous historic travel route established in 1813, went through the wilderness of what is now the Cornett Community. This trail passed by a large Indian Village near present Hughes Springs. This was a southern connecting route with several other famous travel routes of early Texas traveling. It extended into Oklahoma on the North.
A legend, passed down from early settlers, is told of a wagon train carrying gold being attacked by renegade Indians and Mexicans. All the people were killed, but the killers did not find the gold. The travelers are supposed to have buried the gold beside the trail in this community before they were killed. For years, would-be millionaires annoyed land owners by digging for the lost gold that apparently has never been found.
Indians abound throughout the area before the coming of the white man. They had “Squatters Rights” to the land but were never able to obtain legal possession. Some of the Indians inter-married with early settlers, and others migrated to the North.
Court records indicate that Felix G. Betts bought 152 acres of land for $151 in 1832; however, the deed was not recorded until 1854. Since Betts was only ten (10) years old when the land was bought, this leads one to believe that his parents bought the land for him in the new territory, but he did not take possession of it until after his marriage. This was a common practice in the early 1800’s. It is known that Betts married in 1845 and brought his wife to Texas.
A group of settlers from Troupe County, Georgia settled in the community in the early 1850’s. It was at this time that the community was given the name Troupe. The community included a portion of what is now Cross Roads and Center Point communities.
One of the settlers, Henry Dennis, joined the confederacy in 1861. In a battle at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Dennis lost his shoes on the day after Christmas. The next day while walking around in the cold barefoot, he found a dead Yankee. He drugged the body to a cedar tree, pulled off the shoes and put them on his feet. After the war, Dennis walked home from Mobile, Alabama, making the trip in double-quick time.
Some early settlers were Robert Dunlap, S. Rountree, Wm. R. Casey, David Burton, P.J. Trammell, Gus Blankenship, George Thomas Cornett, Ephraim Hicks, Green Lee Holstun, George Galoway, F.C. Gibson, W. E. Newby, William Star Heard, Sidney Lee Davenport, Benjamin Franklin Hall, R. Maulden, John Allen Williamson, Lon Robinson, Jet Vaughn, and Fred Hall.
Grandma Hampton, with her small son, Bob, and several slaves, settled during the Civil War. The other sons, William and Joe, joined them after the war.
Henry Perkins Traylor settled around 1900 and built the home in which his son, Roy Traylor, and wife now live. S. C. McCord and family came by train from Mississippi in 1903 and bought the Galoway farm.
Dr. Petterson and Dr. Hanes were early community medical doctors. Dr. J. McMichael, another colorful figure, settled in 1858, coming from Macon, Georgia with his wife and several slaves. They made the journey in three months, stopping along the way to wait four creeks to do down and cutting their way through the wilderness.
McMichael started construction on his home in 1860 and completed the stately structure in 1862. Material for the home was hauled by wagon from Jefferson. McMichael sent slaves with wagons to Jefferson every two or three months for farm and medical supplies. The doctor operated a large farm with slave labor, along with his thriving medical practice. Dr. McMichael kept a record of all the babies he delivered in a little book. This record has proven invaluable to several people in the past in their efforts to obtain birth certificates.
The doctor also had unusual experience of treating the notorious outlaw, Jessie James. Some of James’ coharts were said to have carried Dr. McMichael to a hiding place near Jefferson to treat the outlaw for lead poison. The outlaws then brought the doctor home and warned him not to mention the incident....and he didn’t until some years later.
Many of the older slaves in the community went into a panic when Lincoln abolished slavery. They were not capable of taking care of themselves, so they turned to their former masters for help. Most of the former slave owners gave the Negroes land to live on and farm. Some descendants of slaves still live in the area and bear the name of the master of their ancestors.
In 1860 the Troupe Church and School was built on the present cemetery site. This was a non-denominational church and was used as a school during the week. A large curtain hung across the center of the building, making it a two-room school. Planks were nailed to the backs of church benches and this formed a long desk for students who sat side by side on benches.
In 1902 a new church was built on the present site and the name changed to Hammels Chapel Methodist Episcopal South Church. At this time, another room was added to the former church-school so that it became a three-room school.
Upon completion of construction of the new church, the members learned that they could not dedicate it as a Methodist Church until it was debt free. Mr. Phil Hampton paid off the debt, and it officially became a Methodist Church.
The present Sunday school rooms were added in 1948 with lumber donated by the Baptist congregation when their church was torn down. In 1961 the sanctuary was torn down and replaced by the lovely brick church of today.
Most of the labor was donated by members of the church. The sanctuary was built and furnished with attractive, modern furniture. The Sunday school rooms were remodeled, rest rooms and kitchen added, all debt free. In fact, a modest sum was left over in the building fund. Carpeting, air conditioners, public address system, folding chairs, and visual aid equipment have since added to the improvements of the church.
About 1900 our people designated Wednesday before the fourth of July as cemetery working day. People came from miles around on horseback, wagon, buggy, and on foot to join their friends in cleaning the grounds. Wagons were not allowed in the cemetery, so slides pulled by miles were used to haul the grass and brush. At noon, the ladies spread a bountiful lunch on tables under the giant trees. In the afternoon, the people sang gospel songs or visited. On election years, the politicians had a field day at these gatherings. Cemetery- working day was the event of the year, not to be missed by anyone if possible. The cemetery working was discarded some years ago in favor of a full time employed attendant. Homecoming was continued each Wednesday before the fourth until 1966, when it was changed to Sunday before the fourth. Cornett was one of the last communities in Cass County to discontinue the practice of digging graves for the dead as a courtesy to the family.
Ringing of the school bell was the signal for grave digging. On a clear day the bell could be heard a mile or two away. Men and boys quit whatever they were doing, collected their picks and shovels and headed for the cemetery. It was quite common for twenty to fifty people to gather at the graveyard. In winter, a wagon sheet would be hung up for protection from the wind, and a large fire was built. Younger men took turns digging the grave while the older men gossiped.
A little girl is believed to be the first person buried in the cemetery. Tradition has it that a family named Williams or Williamson came through with a wagon train. Their child was sick, so the family pulled out of the train and camped in the community. The child died, and the parents piled the grave with rocks so that the body would be safe from predatory animals. The family then continued their journey. The rocks remain on the grave to this day.
Until twenty-five of thirty years ago, Cornett people had their own version of the modern-day steel vault. The grave was dug three feet deep. A four-inch offset was made when the grave was dug twenty-eight to third inches deeper. After the casket was lowered into the grave, two-inch heart pine planks were placed over it. The four-inch offset help support the weight of the timber. This supported the weight of the dirt since most of the caskets were of flimsy materials.
Some of the less affluent pioneers had a rather unique way of marking the graves of relatives. They simply “borrowed” an engraved marker from another grave and placed it on their relative’s grave. Evidently, the engraving was inconsequential. It seems that was not considered stealing but rather a gesture of love and respect for the deceased.