The History of Cass County, Part 5

KIMBLE BECOMES ONE OF FIRST SETTLERS Continuing Cass County’s history: Hickory Hill was first settled around 1840. Edward H. Kimble was one of the first settlers. A post office was established in 1848 with T. M. Kimble as postmaster. Lewis A. Pattillo. who was married to Lucinda Kimble, was the second postmaster.

A Baptist church and school were built near the Pattillo place. Other early families were Hendricks, Avinger, and Young. Hickory Hill also had a Presbyterian church which was located near the site of the Hickory Hill Cemetery.

The town of Avinger was founded in 1876 and named after Dr. H. J. Avinger who gave the depot to the East Line and Red River Railroad Company when it came to his farm that year. He became the first agent. He also built a general store. It and the depot were the first two buildings in Avinger.

People from the villages of Hickory Hill and Young’s Chapel began moving to Avinger because it was on the railroad. The Methodist church, established at Young’s Chapel in 1843. was moved to Avinger in 1877. M. D, Avinger moved his general store from Hickory Hill in 1877. The first hotel in Avinger was built by Dr. Avinger. The Hickory Hill post office was moved to Avinger on October 25. 1877.

Other early businessmen in Avinger were A. M. Shelton, D. R. Coulter, E. C. Henderson, R. C. Cloninger, John Avinger, Fred Hall, A. M. Rhyne, A. V. Simpson, Jim Weatherall. Dr. Jessie Peebles. Charles Shelton, W. D. Lassater, R. C. Connor, and Harmon Connor.

Kildare was named in 1870. By that time there were several big sawmills in the area. There had also been large plantations owned by the Moores, Galloways, Covys, Farrells, McReynolds, and Brownans.

The fact that these people bought their supplies in Jefferson indicates that Kildare was not settled before the end of the Civil War.

Although the area had been populated for many years prior to 1876, Queen City was organized in 1876. Queen City was organized by a stock company composed of John C. Hutchison, A. C. Smith, W. H. D. Hunt, C. H. Hutchison. Mrs. T. M. Ray, Major J. J. Williams, Captain Ross Powell, Dr. C. H. Salmon, Colonel Bill Dunklin, Captain F. M. Henry. George T. Vaughn, and Bart Perry, and named by J. C. Hutchison.

The first house was started in June 1876, and the first stores were also built that year. Alex Pace and H. C. Roberts opened the first store in 1876. J. C. Hutchison moved his drug store from Lanark, located approximately two miles north of Queen City, that same month.

William E. Boyd moved in from Louisiana and opened the first wagon and blacksmith shop, later a foundry and machine shop.

Major Anthony and his daughter, Mrs. Randle, taught the first schools in Queen City, using the Blue Back Speller and McGuffey Reader.

Mail service for the Queen City area was established November 13, 1871 with George H. Salmon as postmaster. The name was changed to Lanark December 15, 1873, then to Queen City January 2, 1877. J. C. Hutchison served as postmaster 16 years. Twenty years before Queen City was organized, there had been a post office at Courtland, established August 19, 1856 with Charles W. Connally as postmaster. The first church built in Queen City was Presbyterian, built in 1878 with a Masonic Hall and Eastern Star Hall above. The Reverend Allen Goldberg and Eugene Keasler were the first pastors. The Methodists erected their first building in 1880 with J. Clark Smith as pastor. The Baptists built their first church in 1894 with the Reverend Nelse Porterfield as pastor.

J. C. Bowles operated a livery stable and maintained the streets of Queen City, using a crude scrape drawn by two mules. Ephriam and Ab Foster operated the first cotton gin and grist mill.

Other small towns with post offices located in the area included Courtland, Alamo Mills (now Domino), and Anti.

Mr. John D. Hanes wrote that the first day of the new year (1877) following the organization of Queen City, its citizens awakened to find the ground covered with twenty- four inches of snow. Such an occurrence has not been know from that day to this.

Back in the days when there were open saloons in Queen City, there was a Temperance Hall in the upper story of J. C. Hutchison’s drug store where the United Friends of Temperance met every Saturday night The Worthy Primate was J. C. Hutchison, the treasurer was Mrs. Ella Knowles. and J. L. Griffin was secretary.

On August 11, 1881. fire destroyed two blocks of business in Queen City. The alarm was given by William Mc-Donald who was killed by a falling wall blown out by an explosion. These buildings were soon replaced by larger ones, only to become the victims of a second fire about three years later. These were replaced by brick blocks in 1884.

The fast-growing sawmill interest around Queen City contributed a great deal to the town’s growth. Allen Brothers. Brown and Wadley moved their large sawmill from Texarkana in 1885, plus others.

In 1881 there was a “Normal High School” in Queen City with J. S. Crawford principal; F. Marion Etheridge, languages; Professor G. A, Radinsky, music. Tuition was from $2 to $5 per month.

Queen City Crescent, a newspaper in the 1870s, was published by Crockett Boone. Mr. Polk operated a combination barber shop and watch repair shop in the early days.

A hotel once stood north of the old depot. Queen City’s cemetery was begun in the spring of 1877 when Miss Simms died. The old grave markers and tombstones tell many stories of Queen City’s past.

They reflect the effects of tragedy, epidemics, and war; also, the courage and bravery of pioneer people settling a new land.

The first cotton gin in Queen City was owned by a Mr. Wickham in 1880. Around 1885, W. E, Boyd had a one stand gin.

-to be continued-