Chapter I: Front Matter

A History of
JEFFERSON

Marion County, Texas

FIFTEENTH PRINTING

One-Time Gateway of Texas
Retains Its Glory in Rush and Hurry
Of Modern Times

1836-1936

A HISTORY OF JEFFERSON

This pamphlet contains items of interest that we should
know about our home town, and was compiled

by
Mrs. Arch McKay
Mrs. H. A. Spellings

Proceeds of sale to be used by Women’s Auxiliary, Christ Episcopal Church.

_FIFTEENTH PRINTING_

These items have been taken from articles written by various writers
for the
Shreveport Times
Jefferson Journal
Jefferson Jimplecute
Houston Post-Dispatch
Prescott Daily News
Texarkana Twentieth Century
Capt. George Todd
Nat Sharp
Will Hill Thomas

And as told by individuals who once lived in Jefferson and by many who are now living and those who lived in Jefferson during her palmy days.

JEFFERSON

“From the region of the Upper Trinity and the headwaters of the Sabine, each traveler tells us, as he passes, some new tale of how the wilderness is falling under the axe of the builders of habitations and opening up of the earth.”

“The town of Jefferson, in the Southern division of our country, was but yesterday a mere name upon paper and now we are told, quite a number of buildings are going up—several persons will have goods there directly. It is a town destined to concentrate a large inland commercial business.”

“Immigration from Europe is filling up the beautiful country in the far west.”—Northern Standard, January 16th, 1854.

The above article was given through the courtesy of Lola M. Bell, assistant to Advisory Board of Texas Historians.

While Texas, this year of 1936 celebrates the Centennial of its independence from Mexican rule, two cities of Texas will attain the anniversary of their birth.

In 1836 the townsites of Houston, Texas, and Jefferson, Texas, were established, similarly on the banks of bayous. Houston, the largest of Southern ports today, was founded on Buffalo Bayou and Jefferson, Texas equally important as a center of trade and commerce during its brief reign in the days before and following the Civil War, was located on Cypress Bayou.

Jefferson is known as the “Old Time Metropolis of East Texas,” and there is something pathetic about Jefferson’s history.

In the days following the Civil War Jefferson had a population of 25,000. It was the trading point of East Texas, and all roads led to Jefferson.

A natural barrier in Red River backed water into Cypress Bayou to an extent that navigation was possible as far as Jefferson. Steamboats landed in Jefferson from New Orleans, La. and points on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. River traffic in Jefferson goes back as early as 1845. The city of Shreveport, La., was long considered the head of navigation on Red River and was for many years the depot of trade for the large scope of country tributary to Jefferson.

About the year 1850 it became known that steamboats could ascend farther into the interior and finally the extreme terminus of navigation was fixed at Jefferson and a large portion of the shipping was diverted from Shreveport. No other inland town of the State ever attained the importance in river shipping that came to Jefferson in the late 60’s and early 70’s. As the extreme terminus of navigation on the waters of Cypress Bayou, Jefferson ranked among the established cities of the State, being second only to Galveston.

Some of the most palatial steamboats on the western rivers, and there were palatial steamers in those days, plied between Jefferson and New Orleans. Among them were: The Danube, Bessie Warren, Red Cloud, Iron Cities, Koontz, John T. Moore and Lizzie Hopkins. The cabins were elegantly furnished and the furnishings surpassed those of the best hotels of the country. Each steamer carried an Italian band which played at the landings, during meals, for balls in the evening, or whenever wanted for the waltz or schottische. People dressed most elaborately in those days, both men and women. They carried immense trunks, with two or three compartments for hats alone. Suit cases were unknown. In the early days, large oil lamps with reflectors were used as headlights on the boats and pine knots supplied the illumination for the negro deckhands to see how to work. All boats carried signal lights in the smoke stacks, which could be seen from all directions. A red light on the left, a green light on the right, they were known as “Larboard” and “Starboard.”

The deckhands could not read and in order to distribute freight a playing card was placed over the name of the towns, for instance, Marshall, Texas, was known as “King of Diamonds,” Longview, Texas, as “Ace of Hearts” and Jefferson as “King of Spades.” The deckhands were told the freight went to “King of Spades,” etc., and a piece of freight was never known to get into the wrong place. The most troublesome of all freight to handle was mules.

The deckhands often worked 18 to 20 hours without rest. Their songs were known as “Coonjines.” They had a haunting and somewhat barbaric quality and the harder the negroes worked the more they sang, keeping perfect time with their feet.

The captain’s responsibility was great. He was responsible for the protection of life and property and the captains were often most heroic. Many captains on Red River never refused passage to anyone unable to pay, and their deeds have been recorded in history.

The largest steamers had a capacity of 6,000 bales of cotton.

While Jefferson was crowded with traffic, there were landings at practically all the big plantations on the Bayou and Lake. Some of the wharves at Jefferson were built by Thomas Hinkle, grandfather of Tom Hinkle of Paris, Texas, for whom is named Hinkle’s Camp on Cypress Bayou, founded by Mr. Hinkle during the days of the Texas and Pacific railroad construction.

A few months before the Civil War the Legislature, under Governor Pease, passed a bill for an appropriation of some $200,000 to be used for the widening and deepening of the waterways of Texas. To Jefferson was allotted about $21,000 for a new turning basin and the general betterment of Big Cypress. The work was only partially completed when the war broke out and operations ceased.

As the war passed into its second year Red River became vitally important to the Federal Government because the Northern armies had not yet gained a foothold in that part of the country. After the capture of the forts below New Orleans, many of the Confederate ships fled to the safety and security of Red River and its tributaries.

During the Civil War the Confederate Government established a slaughter house, or packing plant, at Jefferson, through which to draw on Texas for a meat supply for the army. Cattle and sheep were slaughtered by the thousand and the dressed meat carried down to New Orleans, where it was reshipped to various branches of the army. The Federals sought to capture the meat supply of Texas but were defeated and the packing house continued to be operated until the end of the war.

In those days, before the railroads became a great factor in the country’s development, the growth of a town with water transportation was deemed certain, and many of these supposedly fortunate towns scorned the railroads when they began to span the continent. Such was the attitude of Jefferson when the Texas and Pacific put through its main line from Texarkana westward.

At this time, about 1873, appeared Jay Gould upon the scene—the building genius of the Texas and Pacific railroad, seeking a right-of-way for his road. Meeting with a cool reception and failing in his attempt to get the right-of-way through Jefferson, he left the town in disgust and chagrin, making the somewhat prophetic statement that “Jefferson would see the day when bats would roost in its church belfries and grass grow in its streets.” The Texas and Pacific, instead of going through the town, made a half circle to avoid it and today the station is small, unkempt, and a considerable distance from the town. Freight rates went high and some time after this the United States Government removed the natural dam that backed water up and made Big Cypress Bayou and the lakes navigable.

Jefferson in its early days had no money and did not need any. The women spun the wool, wove the cloth and made the clothes for the family. Shoes were paid for in hides.

As Jefferson grew, towns sprang up to the west, and there was a continual stream of wagons going and coming. Mrs. Spearman owned the toll bridge and Mr. G. E. Dalby then a mere lad, was employed by her at fifty cents a day to keep the bridge. He is said to have often taken in $60 and $70 a day in toll.

All the cotton raised in Louisiana, Southwestern Arkansas and North Texas was “wagoned” to Jefferson, and was often stacked up for six or seven miles out waiting to be weighed. The annual receipts exceeded 100,000 bales. Farmers would take nothing but silver and gold for their cotton. They had no faith in bank notes and greenbacks, except when they went to pay their taxes. Then they exchanged silver and gold for paper money which was worth only seventy-five cents on the dollar but was accepted at face value by the government.

The late Capt. W. R. White of Nevada is said to have been Jefferson’s first merchant, while Bateman Bros. (King, Andy and Quincy) were the leading merchants and cotton buyers. When a farmer got his money for his cotton he received a gallon of whiskey free.

Jefferson in her palmiest days, is said to have had a population of 30,000. There was plenty of money and people seemed quite as anxious to pass it around as they were to get more, which spirit kept things moving.

EXCLUSIVE SOCIAL SET

Jefferson even boasted an exclusive social set, left over from the Southern Aristocracy of Ante Bellum days, and keeping up the customs in the steamboats and parlors of the city hotels, both of which were palatial in their appointments.

An example of a steamboat advertisement follows:

REGULAR JEFFERSON AND NEW ORLEANS PACKET
For Shreveport

Grand Bayou
Grand Ecore

St. Maurice, Cotile, Alexander, Norman’s Berrin’s and Way Landings.
Stand A No. 1 in all Insurance Companies

The Light Draught Passenger Steamer

LIZZIE HOPKINS

J. T. ROOT, Master
SAM LAWSON, Clerk

Will run between Jefferson, (Texas) and New Orleans, during the season.

For Freight or passengers, apply on board, Feb. 17, 1868.

STOCKADE

Just after the war between the States the town of Jefferson was thrown into panic by the murder one night of a “carpet bagger”—carpet bagger being the name given to those men who came into the Southern towns immediately following the war to stir up the people, and especially the negroes, against the authorities,—it was necessary for the government to send troops to Jefferson to restore order. A stockade was built on the hill called “Sand Town,” this stockade was made of immense timbers, and was about 70×100 feet, with walls fifteen feet high and broad enough on top for the soldiers to walk constantly. Many prominent men of Jefferson were placed in this prison, where life was most cruel and unbearable. Many died from exposure and pneumonia. Mr. Lev. Gray told us that he made just one visit to the stockade, going with his mother and Mrs. Slaughter. Just after leaving to go home Mr. Slaughter escaped. Mr. Slaughter had only one arm but he proved himself a fast runner. He made his way to the river and cast a stone across. The soldiers, hearing the noise and seeing the water disturbed, began searching for Mr. Slaughter on the other side, while he followed the bank of the river into the City and to Allen and Ligon Wholesale and Retail Grocery Store on Dallas Street. Major Allen hid him in the basement of the store. When the soldiers came to look for Mr. Slaughter and started down in the basement Major Allen said: “All right, but what if there is a bull dog down there?” The soldiers left immediately.

This is just one instance of many narrow escapes from the Stockade.

THE CORRAL

The Corral, now used as a swimming pool, and known to the young boys for years as the “swimming hole” was the barracks for the Federal Army and Infantry, which was later moved to San Antonio. The headquarters for Gen. Buell was situated on the corner, just across the Broadway railroad crossing, east of the Cypress Bottling Works.

CHIEF JUSTICE HAUGHN

Chief Justice Haughn came to Jefferson in the early days of Jefferson’s history, with the backing of the U. S. Government to create discord between the white and colored population. He entered politics, after serving as Chief Justice a number of years, and became judge. He later had as his opponent for the office Judge S. W. Moseley who, regardless of the fact that every election box was compelled to have one negro to help in the election, was elected Nov. 22, 1882.

A political meeting was held in Kellyville, Texas, five miles west of Jefferson, which many from Jefferson attended, and among those was Chief Justice Haughn. After the meeting the men from Jefferson stayed for a short time to chat with friends but Chief Justice Haughn was not interested and left. When he reached what is now known as the old Freeman house, he was killed and his body was found in a deep ditch. Every manager of the election boxes was arrested, but to no avail, as it is not known today, in 1944, how or by whose hand he met death.

TEXAS’ FIRST FEDERAL COURT

The first Federal Court to sit in the State of Texas met in Jefferson in 1879 with Judge Amos Morill on the bench. In a short time the court was made a circuit, which included San Antonio and Galveston.

Three generations of Jefferson men served succeeding terms as clerks of the court—W. E. Singleton, W. E. Singleton, Jr., and J. M. Singleton. These men served for a total of sixty years.

The first court met in the Post Office which had been established in 1842 and was located in the Northeast corner of Polk and Austin Streets, and was the only Federal building in Jefferson. All records were kept in this building and when word came that Federal troops would possibly come through Jefferson and that all valuable papers and documents should be moved to a spot further interior for safe keeping, local authorities hastily gathered the court records and sent them to Dallas from which place they had not been returned after 65 years—though efforts have been made to have them returned.

THE CITY OF JEFFERSON, TEXAS
as a
MANUFACTURING DISTRICT IN 1871

The undersigned would respectfully invite the attention of capitalists, at home and abroad, to the manufacturing facilities of the City of Jefferson and its surroundings, with a view of securing such co-operation as our railroad prospects and natural advantages seem to warrant. We say railroad prospects, because our city will shortly become the Great Railroad Center of Northeastern Texas. Here the International Trans-Continental and East Line and Red River Railroad will all intersect ere many more months elapse, thus opening up direct communications with all the leading business centers in the Union. So far as railroads are concerned, Jefferson will become the Atlanta of all that portion of the State known as “Northeastern Texas.” Associated with this fact is another equally significant in a manufacturing point of view. We have here within striking distance inexhaustible supplies of material for the manufacture on an extensive scale of an endless variety of articles; and for steam purposes we have living waters and fuel in abundance. Indeed Nature has here strewn upon the earth’s surface and planted beneath it forests and mines immeasureable in extent and of inestimable value.

Before proceeding, however, to detail the manner in which these should be utilized, we should invite attention to a few particulars respecting the

CITY OF JEFFERSON

The City of Jefferson is yet in its infancy. But a few short years have passed since the ground on which it stands was a wilderness, but its growth has been rapid and substantial. It now numbers not less than 12,000 inhabitants, and the business houses being constructed of brick, it wears an air of solidity, such as is seldom seen in this State. Its Churches and many of its private residences are unsurpassed in the State, in points of taste and elegance and its business men are quite as enterprising as those of any other city within the confines of the Empire State of Texas.

Jefferson has already a National Bank, a Citizens Savings Bank and three private Banks, but such is the extent of her trade even this number has not been found sufficient, and a charter has been secured for another National Bank, which will soon go into operation. She also has a Chamber of Commerce, an iron foundry and Machine Shop, several planing mills, sash door and blind Factories, the National Cotton Compress Company etc. and here, too, is located the East Texas State Agricultural, Mechanical and Stock Raising Association.

The exports from the City of Jefferson, for the year ending September 1st, 1886 were not less than 25,000 bales of cotton; for the year ending September 1st, 1872, the exports were: Cotton (bales) 76,328; Dry Hides 84,762; Green Hides 18,471; Wool (Lbs.) 87,623; Peltries 48,210; Bois d’arc Seeds, (bushels) 9,721; Cattle 5,381; Sheep 821; Lumber (feet) 121,000.

The Steamboat arrivals for the same period were 226, with a carrying capacity of from 225 to 700 tons each.

Being situated at the head of navigation, on Big Cypress Bayou, a port necessitated by reason of the immovable raft, which long since formed in Red River, above this point: heretofore Jefferson has been compelled to rely on water transportation; it is, therefore, with a great degree of satisfaction that she witnesses the movements on foot to make her a great railroad center. When her facilities for transportation are thus increased, no town in Northern or Eastern Texas will have a brighter future, or greater commercial advantages. For a long time past this city has transacted more business annually than any city in Texas, with the single exception of Galveston. What then will be her capacity when the above named railroads all come to her aid?

JEFFERSON AS A MANUFACTURING DISTRICT

But great as our city is as a commercial center she will yet develop other and more important interests, and that too within a limited period of time for it has been demonstrated to the entire satisfaction of all capitalists, who have given their attention to the matter that there is not in the whole south a district which combines so many advantages for manufacturing on an intensive scale, such an endless variety of articles as the city under consideration & the country immediately surrounds it. In support of this statement let us descend to particulars:

There is, for instance, within the immediate neighborhood of our city more iron ore than can be consumed in centuries, and this ore is richer than any other yet known in the United States. Six miles from the center of Jefferson are iron hills towering above the surrounding country which alone will yield an inexhaustible supply of ore and, this ore is richer and more easily worked than that found in Missouri’s famous “Iron Mountain.” But the whole country contains more or less ore of this character, and here, where the raw material is so abundant, and water and fuel for steam purposes so readily procured, and transportation by railroads and by water so accessible, there can be erected furnaces, forges and foundries that would successfully compete with any now in existence in this country. Already the largest iron foundry in this state is in operation four miles from the city, and two miles this side of the iron hills of which we have spoken; and this foundry—G.A. Kelly’s at Kellyville is manufacturing on an extensive scale cooking stoves and heating stoves that are unsurpassed by any imported to this market, either in beauty and finish or in quality, and the plow manufactured by this establishment is pronounced by all those who are using it—and a large number are now in use—to be equal in all respects to the Hall and Speer or Avery plow, and much more durable by reason of the superior quality of our iron. Such is the demand for the products of this foundry the owner is now seeking to increase his manufacturing facilities by organizing a joint Stock Company, with a capital of $200,000, as nothing short of this amount will enable him to fill his orders in the future.

Again 20 miles from this city, and adjacent to the route of the East Line and Red River Railway, we come to a vein of copper ore, impregnated with both gold and silver. This ore in the hands of the assayer has been found to be very pure, quite as much as any in the South, not excepting that from the Wichita country. The supply is by no means limited. In fact its limits have not as yet been ascertained. In that vicinity, also, as well as in many other sections within striking distance of this city by rail as soon as the projected roads are completed, there is a great abundance of cannel coal of a fine quality. Manufacturers will comprehend at a glance the significance of this fact, and know how to appreciate it. That there is coal enough of this character for all local manufacturing purposes there is no doubt.

No section of country that can be named offers a better quality or a greater variety of timber for building and manufacturing purposes than that in the immediate vicinity of the City of Jefferson. For building we have, in the greatest abundance, the very best of pine, black-walnut, gum, white-oak and cypress; for manufacturing, we have not only the above named but also hickory, cedar, Bois d’arc, etc. The quality of our pine and oak is unsurpassed North or South and at the Mills as good a quality of black-walnut as one could desire can be had in any quantity for $2.00 per hundred feet; contrast that with the prices paid in the North, and West and the advantage we possess will be appreciated, For the manufacture of wagons we have an unlimited supply of hickory. Bois d’arc and white oak within striking distance and for wooden ware we have all the oak, cedar and cypress we need.

Going west, along the line of the Texas and Pacific Railway, we soon come to those immense prairies, whose settlers must rely, during our day at least, on other sections for their building materials, wagon materials, furniture and wooden ware, and everything else which requires timber in its construction. Right here, then at this end of that great thoroughfare, we should and must manufacture ready-fitted timbers for building, including shingles, sash doors, and blinds and every other article needed in the construction of houses as well as furniture and wooden ware for the same. We say ready-fitted timbers because these can be prepared by machinery, like sash doors and blinds, in a better manner and at much less expense than on prairies, and the purchaser will then only pay the freight on what he actually uses. That is he will not be taxed for freight on waste materials.

This brings us to the natural conclusion that here, where, the materials are in their native state, should be the manufactories. That is here should be the saw mills, the planing mills, the shingle machines, machinery for the manufacture of ready made houses, furniture, wagon and wooden ware manufactories, etc. Besides, here too, where we have the iron and the white oak and the hickory we should manufacture every kind of agricultural implement our State requires. There is no earthly reason why we should import these—why others in their manufacture should falter at our expense. We have all the requisites, all the essentials right here at home; let us avail ourselves of them.

Then again, why are our hides sent abroad to be tanned and then returned to us at our expense while our forests in this vicinity at least, abound, in red oak bark? Can any one assign one good and valid reason why this is done? Have we not room for tanyards? If so, let us construct them and exhibit our good sense in tanning our hides at home, and then instead of paying Massachusetts and other States for manufacturing our boots and shoes let us do this ourselves. When we learn to act instead of employing others to act for us, then, and not till then will we become independent.

Here, too, we should without delay erect Cotton and Woolen Mills, Cotton Seed oil mills, Cotton gin and Cotton press manufactories, where nothing is required but capital, labor and enterprise.

There is no reason why a broom, or a harness, or saddle, or a horse-collar, or a carriage of any description, or a pump or a chair, or a barrel, or a single article of furniture should be imported into Texas. We, therefore, invite capitalists at home and abroad to unite their means with ours and assist us in manufacturing what we have enumerated and other necessities of life. We have the locality for doing this in a preeminent degree, & hence the invitation is here extended.

In this connection we should invite the special attention of boat-builders to the fact that at Potter’s Point on Fairy Lake—or “Ferry Lake,” as it is sometimes called—15 miles from this city is one of the most desirable places in the South for a Dock-yard. In that vicinity there is an abundance of white oak and other suitable timber for the construction of Steamboats, and right here all the necessary machinery could be manufactured, and forwarded by water navigation to that point. In the construction of boats on the shore of that lake there would be no loss of time by reason of the severity of the weather not even during the winter time, as in yards further North. Our climate would greatly favor such an enterprise in that locality.

The above suggestions are offered for the consideration of capitalists everywhere; and we would add that there is a disposition among our people to extend a hearty welcome to all who assist us in developing our natural resources. Lands for manufacturing purposes can here be had in healthy localities for a reasonable consideration, and the privilege of mining can here be had for nothing by way of encouragement to capitalists. Our section is as healthy as any in the wide world,—no epidemic ever prevailed here—and those who desire to make their home in our midst will find this section as pleasant as any in the State, and the society one in which strangers would soon feel at home.

Before closing we would remark that the Legislature of this State during the winter of 1871, passed an act exempting from taxation of all kinds, for a period of five years, all machinery introduced into the State for the manufacture of cotton and wool, and that act is still in force; also that during the same session—see General Laws of Texas, of 12th Legislature, 2nd Session, Chapter lxxx,—a general incorporation act was passed. During this session a special act was also passed and approved Dec. 2nd, 1871, incorporating the “Texas Manufacturing Company.” Four of the incorporators were and three still are inhabitants of this city. Here also is the headquarters of this company.

Any further information Capitalists or Manufacturers may desire respecting this locality will be cheerfully furnished by the undersigned.

Respectfully Yours,