Wednesday, November 12, 2008
THE SILSBEE BEE • www.silsbeebee.com • Sesquicentennial 2008
Section 3, Page 9
History of Caney Head
HARDIN COUNTY: Celebrating 150 Years
Early settlers found life difficult in the thickets of Hardin County By BRUCE McGALLION Special to The Bee Most of the early Caney Head settlers came from other southern states. Every once in a while a Yankee or two was thrown into the mix, and some of them stayed and became good Texans. Others left the Lone Star State and went back up north to what they probably considered a more hospitable land for human habitation. In fact, one of them compared Texas to hell, and if memory serves me right, it was General Sherman of Union Army fame. After a stint in Texas during the Mexican-American War of the 1840s, Sherman was said to have remarked, “If I owned both hell and Texas, I’d live in hell and rent Texas out.” Apparently the good general was well qualified to make such a comparison. Of course, those early southerners found harsh conditions too when they came into the area that would later be called Caney Head. But they may have been a little better pre-conditioned to the Southeast Texas climate and wildlife than their northern neighbors. I would imagine that in Georgia, the Carolinas or the other Gulf Coast states, an alligator or timber rattler had the same “touch me and you die” disposition as they do herem and that bears and panthers raided the hog pens and preyed on the cattle and an occasional human with about as much enthusiasm as the ones in Texas. And the humidity? Well, we know what that’s like, don’t we? Some days it seems like we breathe in about as much water as we do air. Given their previous experience and exposure to natural conditions and elements of an East Texas-like environment may have given the southerners a bit of an edge in establishing Texas frontier communities like Caney Head. As a community in northeastern Hardin County, Caney Head has been so known and named since at least 1860. It was noted on census returns for that year and entered as having a post office. The 1860 date makes the community just two years later than Hardin County as a named place. And since we don’t know when the name was first applied, it is possible that Caney Head as a named community is older than the county. The county was formed in 1858 from parts of Jefferson and Liberty Counties. According to legend, Caney Head got its name from a species of bamboo locally called switch cane, which grows along the western edge of what is now named the Jack Gore Baygall to the rim of the low country and into high ground. The cane break “headed up” at the wagon road or trace that is now Farm Road 2937. Hence the name Caney Head.
ICE HOUSE
In the 1970s, the U.S. Geological Survey through its Board on Geographic Names noted Caney Head’s place in Texas history by entering the name and location of it in the nation’s repository of U.S. place names. The USGS placed its location along Farm Road 2937 near the Caney Head Assembly of God Church, which is consistent with local belief. The church has long been considered the core of the community. The agency is charged by law with the responsibility of accurately naming and locating the nations’ place names. From the start, the environment and abundance of natural resources dictated the economy and culture of this frontier community. Virgin forests were rich with building materials for homes, fences and tools. Wildlife was abundant. Open range for livestock was virtually limitless. The land was fertile and produced crops that helped sustain both humans and livestock. Water was everywhere. The Neches River flowed nearby. Creeks and small lakes were numerous. Land was readily available. The spirit and determination of the early settlers added to such natural wealth and formed an economic and social culture that helped to establish the foundation of today’s society. Upon arrival in that place that would later be called Caney Head, families would often live in makeshift shelters until land was cleared for crops. To accomplish this, community residents would hold a “log rolling” for the new neighbors. A log rolling was sim-
ply the clearing of land for cultivation. The felled trees were cut into logs and subsequently skidded or dragged out of the cleared land by ox team or rolled by hand to the edge of the clearing. This newly cleared land was called “new ground.” Once the land clearing was completed, the felled timber was used to build homes and fences. Settlers with a house and newly cleared land were well on their way to establishing themselves permanently. Livestock played a big role in this frontier land. Settlers built cattle herds and kept large numbers of hogs. The open range supported both, especially the hogs. The herdsman supplemented the winter food of his stock with corn grown in his fields. Thus, the land the new pioneers found in that area gave them all they needed to start a new life. Food and shelter for people and livestock, all for the price of nothing more than a few tools and a lot of hard work. By the latter half of the 19th Century, the cattle culture in East Texas had evolved and become central to the lives of its founders, a culture which seemed to have much in common with the cattle culture of ancient Ireland. Author Thad Sitton, in his book Backwoodsmen and Stockmen Along a Big Thicket River Valley, describes the culture and sociology of the cattle and agrarian lifestyle that had developed in East Texas communities like Caney Head. By about the 1880s, the virgin
Caney Head School, circa 1910: Many surnames are familiar in the list that follows: Back row from left is Guy Cunningham, Doc Eason, Sam Hare, Hance Cunningham, Walter Gore, George Eddings, Lela Cunningham, Otelia "Tee" Cunningham, Jim Gore - teacher, Hardy Gore, Pleze Hare, Stanley Gore and Dixie Eddings. Middle row from left is Bertie Eason, Maggie Cunningham, Angeline Gore, Gertie Gore, Roderick T. "Dirk" Gore, ? Eason, Isom Ard, ?, Escar Eddings, Ashley Gore, Tom Eason, Della Cunningham, Lela Hare, Bertie Moss, ?, Edna Eddings and Ruth Cunningham. Bottom row from left is ?, ?, Wilburn Eddings, Elbert Eddings, Stanley Gore, Olan Gore, Herman Eddings, Setsman Eddings, John Eason, Callie Gore, Bessie Gore, Lula Hare, Bell Cunningham, baby Eddings and baby Cunningham. In the window from left is Rebecca "Becky" Gore and Clerie "Chick" Eason.
forests of the Caney Head community offered yet another means of survival to local residents. Sawmills had been built in Beaumont. There was a high demand for logs to feed the mills. With typical initiative, industriousness and hard physical work, many Southeast Texas settlers, including the ones in Caney Head, began to take advantage of this new opportunity. Again logs were cut for personal gain. This time though, for a different purpose, to sell for cash. The local waterways were used to get the logs to the mills in
Judge Britt Plunk
Congratulations Hardin County! District Judge 356th Judicial District & Staff
See CANEY on Page 10, Section 3
- Donalson Motor Company was opened by George Embry Donalson at location just South of railroad track on Hwy 96S Several years later, Donalson Motor Company moved to a larger facility. Due to continued growth they moved in 1996 to a new building where Silsbee Muffler and Tire is now located. In the mid 70’s Donalson’s purchased 3 1/2 acres and moved to a new location at 1355 Hwy 96. In 1992 Drew Donalson purchased the family business which carried Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep-Egle and GMC. In 1997, Drew purchased the local Ford / Toyota dealership which have been expanded at their present location.
From Section 3, Page 8 One of the museum’s aims is the involvement of the area’s youth in its activities. In cooperation with the Hardin County Extension Agent, the work of the county’s young artists, inventors and scientists is featured each May. The museum celebrates Black History Month with an annual show each February. During the school year, hundreds of students visit the exhibits to learn more about area fine artists and their works. For a number of years the Ice House Museum has been organized and run by volunteers and local artists. Artist Kim Allen was the curator of the museum for several years. Silsbee artist Jenny Miller took over as curator last year. Joyce Stokes is currently in charge of exhibits. Along with works of art, the Ice House Museum is also the home of the Hardin County Genealogical Society. The group meets monthly and welcomes newcomers and visitors to come and find out more about the people and places of Hardin County. The Ice House Museum is located at 818 Ernest Ave. in Silsbee. For more information call 385-2444.
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