A BIT OF ANNA HISTORY

Highland Community

Compiled for AAHPS by Janet Smith, April, 2018.

Corner Post of Uncle Charlie Wysong's Blacksmith Shop All that remains of the Highland community is this corner post from Uncle Charlie Wysong's blacksmith shop and Highland Cemetery. From 1851-1884, the Wysong blacksmith shop was located on the Wysong's "Old Highland Farm" a "Texas Century Farm". Tornados hit the area twice but the shop was rebuilt, Marian Gibson Wysong, the last Wysong family member to live on the farm selfom missed an opportunity to educate anyone about the significance of the post: The corner post stood as a reminder of what happened there. The blacksmith shop was the first post office north of McKinney and in operation from 1853-1872 and put an end to freighting from Jefferson. In January 2010, with development coming and the expected construction of the Outer Loop, permission was obtained from Collin County and the corner post was moved to Highland Cemetery for preservation. When the post was moved, care was taken to orient it as it was originally and to keep the depth as accurate as possible. During removal of the post, artifacts from the blacksmith shop were discovered that instigated an archaeological dig. Approval for the dig was obtained from Collin County officials and numerous additional artifacts from the blacksmith shop were excavated under the guidance of Page Thomas, Collin County blacksmith. (2013) Marker Property of te Collin County Historical Commission A bout two miles north of Melissa there was an old stagecoach stop called Highland. The stage line ran from McKinney to Bonham. Charles H. Wysong was the first settler in the vicinity of Highland. Wysong came to Collin County in 1850 and served as a blacksmith, wagon maker, farmer, and postmaster in Highland. Wysong was the father of Dr. Walter Wysong, the noted surgeon of McKinney, (Manuscript is from the archives of Captain Roy F. Hall, McKinney, Texas.)

Charles Hopkins Wysong, was born in Franklin County, Virginia, the son of Jacob and Mary Hopkins Wysong. Four children were born to this union. Charles H., the third child, was reared on his father’s farm and early learned the art of a tanner’s trade. He was also a blacksmith and a wheelwright who became famous for his Bois d’Arc wagons that were much in demand among the freighters. In 1846 he moved to Missouri and 1849 came to Texas to settle. He was first married in Missouri to Sarah M. Foster, daughter of James Foster of Virginia, and to this union were born four children, two dying in infancy. Theresa and James H. survived. Sarah died soon after coming to Texas April 29, 1850. On September 27, 1866 he married Elizabeth R. Slaughter daughter of James Slaughter, a native of Kentucky and a descendant of Captain James Slaughhter, a Revolutionary War veteran. To them were born the following children: Anna M., Charles L., Louis W., Mary L., Hampton S., Alice M. and Walter Scott.

At the beginning of the Civil War, Charles H. Wysong was a member of the State Militia and was appointed by the confederacy to be chairman of a group of prosperous farmers whose purpose was to keep the troops fed and the war widows and their children fed also. His assignment was to design and make machinery that could be used in Collin County farms to replace the manpower that the war effort had taken away. When the Conscript Act was amended to take in men 45 and over, he joined the Confederate Army and was a part of Burnett’s Battalion for the duration of the war and was serving in the Houston area when the war ended.

He came home from the war and he and his brothers-in-law, I.N. and James H. Foster, reopened the blacksmith shop and continued to supply the freighters with wagons until the coming of the railroad in 1872 put an end to the freighting from Jefferson, Texas.

When Highland became the first post office north of McKinney, he was appointed postmaster. He also served Collin County as a County Commissioner, a Justice of the Peace, and as the County Tax Assessor-Collector. In politics he was an old-line Whig, and was an active supporter of such men as Horace Greeley, William Henry Harrison, and Henry Clay. He was a Baptist by faith, and was high in Masonic circles. He organized more Masonic Lodges than any other individual in the state of Texas, and held many offices.

Dr. Walter Scott Wysong, the youngest son of Charles H. and Elizabeth became one of the most prominent surgeons in the Southwest. In 1930 Dr. Wysong built and equipped one of the finest clinics in the Southwest and in 1961, a sixty-five-bed hospital was added to the medical center. Dr. Walter Scott, always the chief, and his three sons, Scott, Dudley and Charles, operated the clinic and hospital alone until the patient load necessitated the addition of other physicians to the staff.

A Historical Marker was granted in 1985 for the Highland Community

“The Highland community was established in the mid-1800s as a stop on the stage route between Buckner (approximate three miles west of the present site of McKinney) and Bonham. An early settler Charles H, Wysong, donated three acres of land for a community church, school and cemetery in 1858. The first marked grave, that of Robert Strother, is dated 1861. Many north central Collin County pioneers and their descendants are buried here. The graveyard is cared for by the Highland Cemetery Association, organized more than one hundred years ago. (1985)”

The following is reproduced exactly as written by MRS. T.A. PARIS (Nee Laura E. Strother)

“1871, I went to school here in an old frame house about 20 by 30 feet, dirt floor with straw on it, located about half way between the present towns of Anna and Melissa, and about one-half mile west of Highway 75 and near the old home of Uncle Charley Wysong, Father of Dr. W.S. Wysong of McKinney, and Hamp Wysong of Melissa. Got water from spring, plank benches, no backs, no desks, Miss Nannie Lewellen taught two terms; J.R. Roger three or four terms. 1866, or near that time, there was a Post Office at the home of Thaddeus Parris father of my husband, T.A. Parris, deceased. Miss Elizabeth Parris was Post Mistress. Stage from Bonham to Dallas carried the mail (with) two horses. I would ride on the stage from my home to my grandmother, Mrs. Buster, who lived between Kentuckytown and Pilot Grove in Grayson County, We then lived a mile south of the present town of Anna. The stage stopped at Crit Riffe’s about four miles east of Anna, about where Rosemond Chapel now is The whole neighborhood around where we lived was called HIGHLAND because the lands are elevated so much. I would get on the stage at our house. Mr. Matt Slaughter, father of Mrs. (?) M. Shirley, drove the stage, and he would stop and let me on. I was a very small child, Thaddeus Parris also built an ox tread, incline wheel corn and wheat mill, and a wool carding mill at old Highland.”

Laura E. Strother Parris was born in 1860 and died in 1941, age 81. Laura married Theodore Augustus Parris (1856-1930) in 1880 at the age of 20. Parents were W.G. Strother and Elizabeth Brister. Both are buried in Westland Memorial Park, Dallas (Find A Grave Memorial).

Another interesting writing from MRS MATHEW SLAUGHTER (Nee Miss Mary Graves). Reproduced with minor changes.

“1862 till the close of Civil War, my husband drove the stage from Bonham to McKinney. There was a stop at Crit Riffe’s residence, near where Rosemond Chapel now is, and people got on and off the stage here, and took dinner here. There was another stop where the Jesse Orenduff old home stand on west side of Highway between McKinney and Melissa, about half way. People also took meals here, think the stage going south ate here, am not sure, and at Crit Riffe’s going north. The one my husband drove was pulled by four black horses”

“Jesse Slaughter (Matthew’s brother) who lives about one and one-half miles south of the present Anna had a fine black mare stolen about 1862 or 1863 and about 1865 he found her. It was located about one and one half (mile) north of Melissa, and east of the Highway and west of the H & T C RR, and a short distance north of the present home of S.H. Parris which was originally the home of Dr. Alvin Lacy who was a practicing physician as was Dr. W.D. Lair, and they were the first doctors in that community. Miss Jennie taught three or four terms. She was a sister-in-law to Uncle Charly Wysong. Cary Gates also taught three or four terms. George Portman taught there later.”

“1858, or near that time, the Methodists, Baptists, Christians, and Presbyterians built a church together which all used. Land was donated by Uncle Charly Wysong, who also gave land for a grave yard at the same place. It was a frame building, and the war broke out before it was completed. As I now remember it, each denomination had a certain Sunday in each month to hold services, but everybody went to all the services. After preaching, one family would go home with another for dinner, and return to the church at early candle lighting which was the way to make the hour known when services would begin, served as a time piece which few people had. Small children would sometimes go to sleep during the services, and then would be taken out to the wagon and laid in the wagon bed and left there till all got ready to go home; then, sometimes, a pallet would be made on the floor of the church, in the aisles, and the child put on that. Many great spiritual sermons were preached there by such men as George S. Gatewood, Methodist; T.E. McCombs, Baptist; S.H. Wilkins, Presbyterian; Ben J. Hall and Brice Wilmeth, Christians. It seems to me now that I can hear them singing

‘Oh, happy day that fixed my choice

On Thee, my Savior and my God’

1865, after the close of the Civil War, this church was made into two rooms by means of a partition, and converted into a school house. The Baptists built a church about one mile south of Anna, but the railroad came Anna was established and this was abandoned. 1866, this old Union church which had been made into a school house, had school, Mrs. Nannie Lewellen assisted by Miss Alice Spears taught. Next was Mrs. Lizzie Spears (nee Slaughter) assisted by her daughter Miss Alice. Next was J.R. Rogers and I assisted him, having graduated from Mantua Seminary taught by Capt. J.L. Greer 1870. We taught two terms, and I married in 1870 and quit teaching. In those days we had cedar water buckets with ………”

Mary Elizabeth Graves Slaughter was born July 12, 1852 and died December 26, 1932 age 80. She married (James) Matthew Slaughter (1846-1877, age 31) on February 2, 1871 in Collin County. They had two children; Iva M. And James Matthew. (Find A Grave Memorial).

REFERENCE: 1Capt. Roy R. Hall and Helen Gibbard Hall; “Pioneering in North Texas”

RESOURCES Collin County Historical Commission Cruise III Parris, Mrs. T.A. Her memories Slaughter, Mrs. Mathew, Her memories

This story is reprinted here with permission from the Anna Area Historical Preservation Society. “The Spark that Ignited the Town of Anna” is a wonderful effort on behalf of the historical society that includes the stories of Anna’s leading families and efforts through the years. Anyone who may have had a curiosity about how things have happened in Anna, will likely find answers in this book. Families and descendants have shared their stories and pictures of early Anna and the result is spellbinding. The book may be found online at www.amazon.com or by contacting the historical society whose website is http://aahps.org.