Grimes County Historical Commission
Issue 7 Volume 3 July 2017 Meetings of the Grimes County Historical Commission are held on the Second Monday of the Month at 6:30 pm in the Courthouse Annex in Anderson, Texas Contact Information Joe King Fultz joe@tpfinc.com Visit us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ GrimesCountyHistoricalCo mmission
Photo of the Month
Grimes County Historical Commission Executive Board Chairman Joe King Fultz Vice Chairman Susan Boudreaux Secretary Vanessa Burzynski Treasurer Bob Goldstein
COMMITTEES Historical Markers Denise Upchurch Historic Preservation Sarah Nash
This postcard is actually a mural on the wall outside of the Miller’s Movie Theater in downtown Navasota. Navasota has a lot of beautiful murals in town. Check them out.
Newsletter & Publicity Vanessa Burzynski Volunteer Committee Susan Boudreaux
GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER JULY 2017
News from the Past The Murder of Dick Spell The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) June 16, 1900 Cole and Henry Spell were called to Pankey Grimes county to attend the funeral of their brother Dick Spell who died Tuesday and was buried Wednesday. He leaves a wife and one child. The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) June 23, 1900 Sensational Charges In Connection with the Death of Mr. R. M. Spell at Pankey On Tuesday night of last week, June 12, Mr. R. M. Spell died at his home in Grimes County. Mr. Spell was a brother of Cole, Henry and Tom Spell of Bryan. After his death, upon information received, Mr. Cole Spell had reason to suspect foul play in the matter, and went to Grimes County to investigate. As a result, Guy Maxwell and Mrs. Alice Spell, widow of R. M. Spell, were arrested, charged with poisoning the deceased. Mr. Cole Spell returned from Bedias yesterday where he has attended the hearing of the defendants on preliminary examination, Thursday. The party waived examination and were sent to jail at Anderson. At the instance of Mr. Cole Spell the body of the deceased R. M. Spell was exhumed and the stomach has been sent away either to Houston or Austin, Mr. Spell did not know which point, for analysis of its contents. Being sent away only a day or so since, no report has yet been made. The sensational developments in the case create a great deal of interest and comment throughout the section where the scenes transpired, as well as among Mr. Spell’s friends and acquaintances in Bryan. The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) July 15, 1900 Dr. P. P. Ploots of Pankey was in Navasota yesterday. He is the physician who had charge of the work of re-exhuming the body of Dick Spell and says that the parts were secured and placed in alcohol to await work of the Galveston chemist, upon ending of his vacation in September – when he agrees to do extra work without additional pay. – Navasota Examiner
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The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) July 22, 1900 The grand jury at Anderson finished its labors Thursday afternoon. All parties held there awaiting investigation and against whom no bills have been returned the court order released. In accordance, there with Mrs. Alice Spell and Guy Maxwell, charged with the murder of Dick Spell, were released. The grand jury returned forty bills of indictment, thirtytwo being felonies and eight misdemeanors. The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) September 9, 1900 A Navasota special says: “Deputy Henry Scott returned from Galveston Friday where he had gone to deliver the stomach of Dick Spell to a chemist for examination to determine whether it contained poison.” The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) October 4, 1900 The stomach of Dick Spell, which was in the hands of a Galveston chemist for analysis of the contents was swept away by the flood, the work of analysis having commenced the day prior to the hurricane. The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) July 3, 1901 A Woman’s Complaint Anderson, Grimes Co., July 1 – Deputy Sheriff G. P. Black returned from the Bedias community a few days ago where trouble was anticipated. Everything was quiet when he left. Mrs. Alice Spell, who is under indictment for murder of her husband, Dick Spell, over a year ago, claims that a few nights ago she was taken from her house, gagged, chloroformed and robbed by some parties she claims to know, and has made complaint in justice court here, but as yet no arrests have been made and the names of parties cannot be given. Mrs. Spell is now at the jail with Jailer Black under his protection. The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) December 7, 1902 City Secretary C. M. Spell returned yesterday from Anderson where he attended the trial of Guy Maxwell and Mrs. Alice Spell, charged with the murder of Mr. Spell’s brother, Dick Spell, a resident of North Grimes County, in 1900. Both parties were acquitted.
GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER JULY 2017
The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) August 28, 1903 Gone to the Penitentiary The following is taken from the Houston Post, Mrs. Alice Tiemann, one of the women referred to, having, it is alleged, formerly been Mrs. Alice Spell, who was acquitted in Grimes County of a charge of murdering her first husband. Penitentiary Contractor Luther arrived in the city yesterday with a batch of five prisoners for the Huntsville penitentiary. Among the number were two white women, Lula Palmer, convicted in Jones county and given seven years on the charge of killing her husband and Alice Tiemann, convicted in Coryell County and given three years on the charge of robbery. Alice Tiemann is apparently about 28 years of age. She appears to be in the best of health, and looks upon her trip to the penitentiary as one would look upon a trip to the seashore on a hot summer’s day. She states that she is the victim of circumstances and unravels a good story that would furnish a good foundation for a bad novel of the 5-cent kind. She was knocked in the head, she says, while lying in bed asleep and was unconscious for thirty-six hours. After recovery, she was arrested on the charge of robbery, the house having been robbed of $160 on the night that the attack was made on her. She and her husband were living in the house with the man who was robbed. She claims to know the party who committed the robbery but would not give any name. Some days after she had recovered, she says she got in a buggy with her 11-year old boy to drive several miles to the home of a relative. Before she left, she avers, the man who committed the robbery came to her and through threats forced her to take the $160. She was arrested after having proceeded on her journey a few miles and the money was found in her possession. She states that her husband, who was a relative of the man who was robbed, deserted her and would not get a lawyer to fight the case. She has been married twice, marrying her last husband in May of this year. Before going to Coryell county, she lived in Dallas, but says she was reared in Grimes County. She would not tell the name of her parents.
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The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) July 15, 1900 Human Lightning Rod Navasota, July 14 – During an electrical storm lightning entered the house of Charles Bagwell, near here and struck him on the head. It went downward, severely blistering his stomach as it crossed there to his right side. Thence it went to his right leg and tore the shoe from that foot as it passed out of his body. His wounds are painful, but not serious. The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) September 9, 1900 Gold Quartz in Grimes County Navasota, Tex., Sept. 8 – The specimen of gold quartz that was brought in here a few days ago by William Stewart will assay nearly $30,000 per ton instead of $1000 as previously stated. As soon as the land on which the mine is situated can be secured the work of developing it will begin. The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) September 20, 1900 A German couple who got off the noon train here in route to Plantersville was greatly disturbed to learn that they had alighted and allowed the train to proceed, taking with it their five-year-old child. They were nearly heart broken and entertained the gravest apprehensions of never seeing the child again. As soon as the railroad officials learned of the oversight they wired the conductor at Bryan to send the youngster back by the next train, and in due time they replied that he was in charge of the lost treasure. – Navasota Examiner.
GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER JULY 2017
The Houston Post (Houston, Texas) August 5, 1900 NAVASOTA COLORED NORMAL No Protest at the Appointment of an Examiner Navasota, Texas, August 4 – Prof. E. L. Blackshear of the Prairie View colored normal school is in Navasota for the purpose of conducting final examinations in colored normal drawling to a closed here, and which task he will finish this evening. He was sent here by Superintendent of Public Instruction Kendall and lost no time calling attention of pupils that these examinations must be absolutely fair and deplored instances where crooked work had been done and where innocent ones are very likely to suffer with the guilty by all papers being thrown out. The attendance here is large and earnest, sixty-seven applicants having entered, and two dropping out while there was yet time. The school has been quite a success, the attendants sincere in their work and the examination has been smooth, orderly and on the whole satisfactory. The questions came in a sealed package from the State superintendent Thursday morning, and were deposited with J. M. Shaw at the Citizens’ National Bank, the seal unbroken. Mr. Shaw opened them, and questions for each half day’s session were given out just before the session. Finished papers were taken promptly to the bank, sealed there and deposited in the vault. The whole bulk of papers will be shipped to the department by Mr. Shaw. Mr. Shaw was helped considerably in insuring honest examinations, and his services seem to be appreciated by all the colored teachers.
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The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) April 5, 1900 C.W. & B. V. Extension The Navasota Daily Examiner quotes from the Houston Post regarding a conference between Dr. Fred B. Johnston of Anderson, and General Manager Leroy Trice of the I. & G. N., on board Mr. Trice’s private car at Houston a few days since, and in commenting upon the matter the Examiner says: “It is stated today that Mr. Trice has offered to build this new road through Anderson in consideration of the gift of a rightof-way through Grimes County and a $20,000 bonus.” “Judge J. H. Teague was the bearer this (Saturday) morning of a letter from the Anderson railroad people, which was mailed here to the I. & G. N. officials, containing a written and specific acceptance of Mr. Trice’s offer. “By this scheme, it is supposed an entrance will be made to Grimes County near Fuqua Prairie and an exit near Bobbin, touching Anderson, this will make almost an airline. It is a distance of about 28 miles, and what the cost of it would be, in addition to the cash bonus, is hard to estimate.” The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) December 10, 1900 The Census Reports and Cotton Receipts The Navasota Examiner is crowing over the census reports of population of Navasota and says: “The census of the incorporated cities and towns in Texas was given out in Washington yesterday and allows Navasota a population of 4857; against 2997 ten years ago, a gain of 1860. The same table shows Bryan to have a population of 3589, a gain of 610; Brenham 5968, gain of 759, Hearne 2129, gained 597, Huntsville 2485, gain of 976.” The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) October 17, 1900 Cotton Pickers Going North Navasota, Tex., Oct. 16 – Between 400 and 500 negroes living in this vicinity left for north Texas Monday to pick cotton. They have all caught the fever, although some of them were offered better wages than they could get there to remain. No inducement would stop them.
GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER JULY 2017
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The Galveston Daily News (Galveston, Texas) February 29, 1892
The Galveston Daily News, (Galveston, Texas) October 20, 1892
A Negro Killed
Navasota, Tex., Oct. 19 – The gin, together with two bales of cotton, belonging to A. Flowellen, living in Washington county, six miles from this city were totally destroyed by fire yesterday evening. Loss $500. No insurance.
Navasota, Tex., (Feb. 28) About 12 o’clock last night in front of a saloon on Railroad street, a negro named Henry Kimble shot and killed another negro named Frank Shaw. The weapon used was a 41 caliber Colt’s revolver. Five shots were fired and four took effect. After the killing Kimble gave himself up and was lodged in the calaboose. There are many conflicting reports as to how the trouble originated. The examining trial will probably be held tomorrow. Kimble claims he did the shooting in self-defense, and acknowledges that he was afraid of his victim; otherwise he says he would not have hurt him. Considerable elation is felt here over the fact that the sale to the state of the Rogers convict farm, located a few miles west of this place, on the Santa Fe, has been declared off. So long as it remains the property of an individual Navasota will probably secure the bulk of its trade. In consequence of the unprecedented prosperity of Navasota and the advertising fever which has attacked the live business men, the Navasota Tablet has announced that it will appear next week with two more pages and continue as long as the patronage justifies the enlargement.
The Galveston Daily News (Galveston, Texas) November 17, 1893 Ephraim Sledge, the negro who drank the quart of straight whisky Tuesday, died from the effects of it at 10’oclock this morning.
The Weekly Shreveport Times (Shreveport, Louisiana) December 15, 1892 Navasota, Tex. – December 8 – A duel on horseback occurred near McIntyre’s gin in this county between two negroes, Robert Warfield and Lige Allen. They fought with knives and both are badly carved and will probably die.
The large barns of Hon. H. H. Boone situated about a mile and a quarter from the city, were burned yesterday evening. Loss $1,000. No insurance. The fire is thought to have been of incendiary origin.
The Galveston Daily News (Galveston, Texas) January 15, 1892 Navasota, Tex, Jan. 14 – Dr. Rigdon Quinney died suddenly at his home in this city on Tuesday, at 1:48 pm. From the effects of la grippe. His remains were taken to Houston and interred at Glenwood cemetery yesterday evening. Dr. Quinney was well known in Grimes county, having practiced medicine here and at Anderson for fifteen years. He was ex-alderman and postmaster at Navasota. He leaves a wife and one daughter. The latter is Mrs. T. D. Cobbs, wife of T. D. Cobbs, a leading attorney at Houston. Funeral of Dr. Quinney Houston, Tex., Jan. 14 – Dr. R. Quinney, father of Mrs. Captain T. D. Cobbs, died at Navasota yesterday. He remains were brought to Houston today, and will be buried at 8 o’clock tomorrow from the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Cobbs. The ball bearers are: James A. Baker, Jr. A. S. Richardson, A. W. Little, Henry Currie, G. C. Street and F. A. Reichardt. Captain Cobbs and wife have the warm sympathy of a large circle of friends in this city.
GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER JULY 2017
The Galveston Daily News (Galveston, Texas) January 28, 1892 Grimes County Finances Navasota, Tex., Jan. 27 – To the News: The statement of county finances now being published in the local papers for this county makes a considerable showing for the past year. There was received on the general fund for the year $10,224.72; disbursed on same, $14,039.78; on the road and bridge fund $11,306.69; disbursed $8,578.71; courthouse fund, $35,257.22; disbursed $31,022.95; jury fund $1,101.12; disbursed $704. The figures show that there was a deficit of $1,162.19 in the general fund, but the tax collector has since January 1 paid in enough money to cancel all scrip registered against the said fund. So the only actual indebtedness on January 1, 1892 is the bonded indebtedness of the courthouse and the road and bridge fund. The past year, although cotton has been extremely low, has been a profitable one for Grimes County, and Navasota along with the rest has felt the impulse of the cash turned loose by those who sold cotton and bought goods. The merchants all look prosperous and generally carry good stocks and are well prepared to meet the demands of another season. This is predominantly a cotton county and while there are many farmers who feel that they ought not to plant as much cotton as formerly, yet their circumstances will tend to force them to keep up about the same old practice of planting cotton to buy corn and bacon from other sections of the country. Not until the farmers raise their own meat and bread and plant cotton as a surplus crop will they over succeed. Farms ought to be run for the money in them and ought to be made profitable. If one kind of crop will not prove profitable try some other crop or plan. During the year 1890 about 1129 chattel mortgages were filed for record in the county clerk’s office against 1087 filed in 1891. The decrease is gratifying and the hope is entertained that in course of time this system of
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farming will pass away. It certainly should for no man can over succeed who follows it and no county can ever be prosperous under its baleful influence. The schools of Navasota are in a prosperous condition under the management of Prf. S. W. Flake a young man full of energy and endurance. There are now about 352 white and 200 colored pupils enrolled. The white school is under the control of Prof. Flake with eight assistants and the colored school is also under his management with four assistants. The city has in course of erection a magnificent school building that will cost when finished about $20,000. It is built of brick and is faced with stone. The immense quantity of cotton shipped from this place and compressed elsewhere seems to suggest that Navasota’s enterprising citizens would find a compress a paying investment and this in turn suggests a oil mill. These institutions would pay and would be of great benefit to both the town and the county. Navasota is not standing still, as the number of new buildings in process of erection will testify. Several handsome and costly residences are being erected and others are in contemplation.
GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER JULY 2017
The Galveston Daily News (February 18, 1892) A Grimes County Neighborhood Enjoys a Ghost Sensation The scene is close to a Graveyard which is a Phantom Paradise – Thief Caught. Navasota, Tex., Feb. 17 – Two negro women had quite a scrap on Washington Avenue late yesterday afternoon. After they had pulled hair and scratched each other up considerably they were arrested and taken before the mayor’s court. One of them was fined $16.85 and the other cleared. The affair caused considerable amusement to bystanders. Cotton sold on the streets yesterday as low as 22.5 cents a pound. Judging by is assiduous practice the local band evidently intends to master the science of music. It is now quite proficient. The protracted meeting of the First Baptist church still continues with unabated interest. The night school for the benefit of young men who are employed in the daytime will be opened here in a few days. Captain W. E. Barry yesterday shipped a carload of hides at 7 cents per pound to Finnigan & Co., New York. B. Goodman a prominent merchant of this place is in New York this week. Some of the citizens of Yarborough, Grimes County, believe they have discovered a bona fide ghost. It is said to be a natural looking man when observed from the distance, but when curious people advance upon him and endeavor to cultivate his acquaintance he has the peculiar faculty of vanishing instantly. There is a negro graveyard in that vicinity, which is said to be a regular phantom paradise.
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Wise County Messenger (April 18, 1885) A Horrible Tragedy Committed Near Huntsville From D. S. Carr, who is just in from the Bedias country, the Item learns of a terrible murder committed in that portion of our county day before yesterday. It seems that late in the afternoon four pistol shots were heard by some parties in the neighborhood, but no attention was paid thereto at the time. Soon after a stranger rode up to a farm house and told the parties present there was a dead man no far off, and after describing the spot where he was as near as possible, rode hurriedly off, replying in answer to interrogatories “ask me no questions.” Search was at once instituted for the dead man, but night coming on, was abandoned until yesterday. (Prior to this, however, a horse was found with saddle and bridle on roaming around and also a fine pistol lay near, supposed to have been lost or thrown away by whoever committed the murder.) At the latter time the body was found in a dense thicket sitting up against a tree, about a quarter of a mile from the Woodison crossing on the Bedias. A pistol was found lying by his side with two barrels empty, and on the body a letter, but the writing was almost illegible making it impossible to find any trace of who the dead man was, though it is known he was a stranger. The party who did the killing is supposed to be the man who rode up to the house and gave information of the shooting. No reasonable theory as to the cause of the tragedy can yet be advanced though some think the man killed had been guilty of home crime and was hunted down and slain therefor. This is merely supposition, however.
GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER JULY 2017
THOMAS JEFFERSON TUCKER SR. "Thomas Jefferson Tucker was born December 17, 1812 in Georgia. Thomas Jefferson Tucker served in the war of Texas Independence under Sam Houston in 1836. He settled on a 160-acre parcel of land in Grimes County south of Plantersville in 1859. He married Mary Ann Brown, daughter of Thomas H. and Asynath Brown, whose property adjoined the Tucker place in 1845. While hunting with his son, Hyman, Thomas Jefferson tripped over a log and was killed by his own gun. He and Mary Ann are buried on "the old Tucker place.'" Submitted by Thomas H. Tucker, now of California, to Heritage and Progress, History of Grimes County, Texas, 1982. Compiled and edited by Grimes County Historical Commission and reproduced in Grimes County, Cemeteries, Book Three, Which Covers the Southernmost Part of the County, compiled by John Maxwell for the Grimes County Historical Commission, 1998.
Thomas Jefferson Tucker 1812-1859 Thomas and Mary Ann Tucker’s graves were moved from the old Tucker Cemetery which was located near the present-day Renaissance Festival off of FM 1774 to the Plantersville Cemetery and reinterred near their son T. J. Tucker and his wife Emma Tucker. T. J. Tucker died in 1932 of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 72. His wife Emma Lacy Tucker died in 1954 from pneumonia after a fall which caused her to fracture her left hip. She was 87. She was born in Retreat, Texas in 1867 and was the daughter
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of Thomas Harrison Lacy of Alabama and Eliza Jane Edwards of South Carolina.
Mary Ann Tucker 1828-1883
GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER JULY 2017
Thomas Jefferson Tucker served under Captain Pyron’s Company, 1st Regiment, Permanent Volunteers for the Texas Army enlisted December 24, 1836. He was transferred from Levityre’s Company. He received a land grant of 160 acres in April 1859 shortly before his untimely death in October of that year. His property is now the current location of the Texas Renaissance Festival. Family of Thomas J. Tucker Thomas J. Tucker b. 12/17/1812 d. 10/6/1859 Mary Ann Brown b. 11/24/1828 d. 12/4/1883 Children: 1. Mary H. Tucker b. 1851 2. Susan Tucker b. 1854 3. Sarah Elizabeth Tucker b. 1856 4. Catherine A. Tucker b.8/21/1857 d.7/21/1918 5. Hyman Jefferson Tucker b. 1858 6. T. J. Tucker b.11/25/1859 d. 1/20/1932
The Houston Post (Houston, Texas) May 8, 1917 Navasota, Texas, May 7 – Mr. Keller Pearson, a prominent farmer of the Erwin community is dead at his home this morning with two gunshot wounds in his head, and his son Fred, aged about 18, is in the Anderson jail. About 10 o’clock last night Fred telegraphed to Sheriff Lysle to come to Erwin and get him. When the sheriff arrived at the Pearson home he found Keller Pearson in bed in a pool of blood. Fred, who had been living at Iola, said that his mother phoned Sunday morning for him to come home and protect her. Examinations to be held Tuesday.
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The Lost Cemetery Think of the most unlikely place that you would expect to find a group of gravestones and that is where you will find this group of tombstones. On Victoria Street, in the town of Navasota, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. D. R. Parsons the following tombstones may be found. The markers were found under the house when the Parsons purchased the property. They were placed on the front lawn and an iron picket fence erected to enclose them. The story is told that the home now owned by the Parsons family was occupied by Charles Rowland. In the year 1902, Charles Rowland worked as a section foreman for the International Great Northern Railroad. He was in charge of building a branch line from Navasota to Madisonville, which required him to pass through the corner of an old cemetery. Afraid he would be put in jail, Rowland took the headstones which were removed and hid them under his house where they were later discovered by the Parsons. The markers are as follows: Mrs. Jennie McArdle died April 7, 1870 Kattie H. Pratt died September 12, 1896 August Lange died November 24, 1878 Victory A. Lewis died August 1887 age 8 Nancy Ann Lewis died August 1887 age 10
The Bryan Weekly Eagle (Bryan, Texas) May 17, 1917
August Lange is listed in the church records of Zion Lutheran Church in Anderson as the son of Henry Lange and wife Johannah Mann Lange. The Lange family came to America from Prussia and lived in Anderson for the rest of their lives. They are buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Anderson.
Anderson, Texas, May 11 – Fred Pearson, who is charged with killing his father, Keller Pearson, Sunday night had his examining trial in Anderson on Wednesday. He was refused bond by Judge King. Keller Pearson was a farmer and lived on Fuqua Prairie. He was the father of several small children.
There is a marriage record for a Katie Fountain to Elmore Pratt in Book 5, Page 207 of Grimes County, Texas. The date is May 30, 1884. There is also a Catie Fountain age 15 in the 1880 census of Grimes County in the household of Dick and Hagar Fountain. She would be the right age to be the Katie Pratt who died in 1896.
GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER JULY 2017
The following census of the Fountain family is the one referred to in regards to Katie Fountain Pratt. 1880 Census Grimes County, Texas Dick Fountain age 36 Head Negro Male Hagar Fountain age 32 Wife Negro Female Catie Fountain age 15 daughter Negro Female Sally Fountain age 13 daughter Negro Female Nanny Fountain age 9 daughter Negro Female Dick Fountain age 7 son Negro Male Ida Fountain age 3 daughter Negro Female Ollie Fountain age 1 daughter Negro Female The following census in 1900 will connect the Katie Fountain and Elmore Pratt. 1900 Census Grimes County, Texas Navasota Pct. 3 Elmore Pratt age 25 b. Mar 1875 Lucy Pratt daughter age 13 b. March 1886 Nannie Pratt daughter age 12 b. April 1888 Roxie Pratt daughter age 10 b. Jan. 1890 Elmore Pratt son age 4 b. Mar 1896 Nannie Fountain sisterinlaw age 29 b. Oct. 1870 Dick Fountain brotherinlaw age 24 b. Oct. 1875 Jack Fountain brotherinlaw age 15 b. Oct 1884 Onil Fountain sisterinlaw age 13 b. Dec 1886 Ida Fountain niece age 9 b. Sep 1890 No data has surfaced in regards to Mrs. Jennie McArdle who died in 1870. Note that she was born in Virginia and that Dick and Hagar Fountain were also born in Virginia. Could there be a connection? Also in the 1870 Census of Washington County, Town of Independence there is this family. Harry W. McArdle age 40 white male born Josephine McArdle age 30 wife white female Also, four white children all born in Texas.
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UNMARKED GRAVES There is a grave of a white man that wandered into the Keith community and worked for the family that lived at what is now the Sanford Blount place. The employer wanted to avoid paying the man his wages so he accused him of stealing a horse. A group of men came to get him and as he was leaving with them he told the lady of the house that he would see her later. The lady, after he left, told another person “That poor boy doesn’t know he’ll never see me again.” Just a little piece down the road (FM 244) they stopped and hung him from a tree. A local man was later paid by the county to bury the unfortunate youth. He simply dug a grave, cut the rope, and let the body fall to its final resting place. The grave was then covered. The killers were never brought to trial. Years later the man’s brother came through the community looking for his brother’s burial site. No one to whom he talked to at the local store could assist him in his search. Had he gone to the home of Jim Jarvis he would have found the grave, as it was a Jarvis relation that had conducted the burial. The man left and never returned. The gravesite is north of County Road 172 on the left side of the road. Two graves in the Keith community located at the northwest corner of land owned by L. V. Jarvis. They are over the north fence by a tree. One was shot as a result of a horse race. Grave of a Mexican north of Adrian Allen home in Piedmont community. Died about the year 1925. Mrs. Viola Jarvis of Carlos remembers this burial. Grave of a man that worked on the railroad that died in 1906 in the Carlos community. Buried near the Ross Jarvis home. In the Dry Creek Community are the graves of two women and a child. One of these was killed when a team of horses ran away with them. Dry Creek Community is near the Mabry Cemetery.
GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER JULY 2017
Nelms Family Cemetery
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Edwina Moss Nelms Reagan
Turn off Highway 90 in Anderson onto Highway 149 west. Go about 1 mile to Boehm Lane and turn right. When the road divides, stay right and follow the road to the home of Cecil and Elise Cummings. The cemetery is in the pasture behind their home. The graves of the Nelms family are enclosed within a chain link fenced. Outside the fence are buried several slaves that belonged to the Nelms family. They were bought on the auction block in New Orleans and brought to Anderson and Grimes County. To the right rear of the Cummings house, on a hill, is the site of the Nelms family home. The slave quarters were down the hill. The following are buried in the family cemetery. There is one large tombstone with names and dates on all four sides. Bavard Nelms died Dec. 11 1854 age 23 yrs., 11 months and 7 days (son of Edwin & Diana M. Nelms) Lucian Nelms died Oct. 6, 1857 age 28 years (son of Edwin & Diana M. Nelms) Elizabeth Downing Nelms born March 18, 1836 died July 18 1867 Everard Presley. Nelms born Oct 3, 1839 died Jan 12, 1863 Col. Edwin Nelms born Feb 6, 1807 died Dec 25, 1862 Diana Moss Nelms born Jan 18, 1810 died 1880 Mollie C. Thompson born April 24, 1806 died July 22, 1867 Alfred Minor born 1879 died Dec 16, 1950 The following is on a cement slab on the ground: Erected in 1958 by Descendants: Reagan Ferguson, May Reagan Mathes, Longmire Donley, Richard H. Donley, Rees Fowler by Wife, Jeff D. Reagan, Ernest P. Reagan.
Edwin Nelms was born in Northumberland, Virginia, on 8 Feb 1807. Edwin married Diana Moss Omohondro. He passed away on 25 December 1862 in Edgewood Plantation, Grimes County, Texas. Their daughter Edwina Moss Nelms was born in Virginia on December 12, 1832 to Edwin Nelms and Diana Moss Omohundro. Edwina Moss married John Henninger Reagan and had 6 children. She passed away on July 21, 1863 in Richmond, Virginia and is buried in Palestine, Texas. Petite, dark-haired, blue-eyed belle Edwina Nelms Reagan moved to Texas in the 1830s. She was educated by governesses as was the custom at the time. She was the unofficial librarian of her father's library in Texas (the largest in Texas at the time.) It was in this capacity that John H. Reagan met her and fell in love. According to Reagan's Memoirs, in Edwina he found the love and affection he had long done without.
GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER JULY 2017
From her he acquired social grace and poise he had never known, and, together with her, he provided a Christian home for their four children. She died in Richmond, VA while her husband, John H. Reagan was serving as Postmaster General of the Confederacy. She was buried in Palestine, Texas. Her death was the result of being impaled by a chair on which she was standing to hang drapes.
John Henninger Reagan John Henninger Reagan was born in White Oak Flats on 8 Oct 1818 to Timothy Richard Reagan and Elizabeth Lusk. John Henninger married Edwina Moss Nelms and had 5 children. John Henninger later married Molly Ford Taylor and had 5 children. He passed away on 5 Mar 1905 and is buried in Palestine, Texas. He was born in Sevier County, Tennessee, on a small farm. In 1837, he studied at Southwestern Seminary in Maryville, Tennessee, and two years later went to Texas and fought in the Cherokee War. Reagan was soon elected as a justice of the peace in Nacogdoches. In 1844 he married Martha Music, but she died the next
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year. He then studied law and opened a practice in 1846 in Buffalo. The following year he was elected to the state legislature. He wed Edwina Moss Nelms in 1852 and they would have six children before her death in 1863. Reagan was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1857. He resigned in 1861 and took part in the Texas Secession Convention in Austin and the Confederate convention in Montgomery, Alabama, being appointed postmaster general on March 6. The Confederate Constitution required that the department keep a balanced budget. When the war began, the cost of sending a half-ounce letter was 5 cents, with newspapers costing 1 cent. Regan doubled the prices, eliminated costly routes, and cut railway transportation charges in half. His post office made a profit, despite Union forces disrupting deliveries and destroying post offices. Reagan also spoke out about military plans, being the only cabinet member to oppose General Lee’s invasion of Pennsylvania, saying the soldiers were needed to break the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, which soon cut the Confederacy in half. On April 2, 1861, he joined Jefferson Davis and other cabinet members on a retreat from Richmond, Virginia. On April 27 Davis appointed him secretary of the treasury when George A. Trenholm resigned. Union forces captured Reagan, Davis, and Texas Governor Francis R. Lubbock on May 10 near Irwinville, Georgia. Reagan was imprisoned with Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens at Fort Warren in Boston Harbor.
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Father John B. Ballaclas was a young seminarian set to Hidalgo Bluff in Washington County to learn English before he was ordained there. Bishop Claude Dubuis ordained Ballaclas on New Year's Day in 1865. From his post in Hidalgo, he visited the surrounding Catholic communities including Anderson. He remained in the area until 1867. He was succeeded by Father Jean Louis Bussant who served in the area for a couple of years. After Father Bussant left, there was not a resident priest in the area (1869). Historical Account of the Parish Community of St. Stanislaus Kostka in Anderson, Texas Established in 1866 The catholic experience in Grimes County centered around the arrival of the early Polish settlers who made their homes on farms near the area of Anderson. The early Catholic community of Anderson was formed by these first immigrants who arrived in Grimes County. They came at the request of large land owners. Later, many came to join loved ones who had already made the journey, arriving from Poznan and Galicia. The story of the immigration of Poles to Grimes County begins in the 1860's. After the Civil War came to the largest wave of Polish immigration to the state of Texas. These immigrants settled primarily in East Central Texas in the late 1860's and this is where our interest and story begins. As the Polish communities in Texas continued to form and grow, the need for additional priests compelled the Bishop to turn to Europe in search for vocations and young priests willing to leave their native land and come to Texas. As a result of the efforts of the Bishop of Galveston during a visit to Paris in 1866, the Resurrectionists sent members of their order to Texas and the Bishop gave the Order the exclusive rights to all the Polish Parishes already in existence, as well as to any that might be created in the future.
Father Felix Orzechowski came to the United States in 1866 with the original group of Ressurectionists and was ordained the following year by Bishop Dubuis. In 1867, he was sent to what was then the wilderness of Walker County, serving the Catholic families he discovered in the New Waverly area. He was known as the Peregrinating Priest because of his travels and frugal way of life. He established a new parish in New Waverly in 1869. It was during this time that Father Orzechowski traveled on horseback once a month to minister to the faithful in the Grimes County area, offering Mass and the Sacraments in their homes. How long he traveled from New Waverly is not known for certain. He lived in New Waverly where church records were kept. In 1873 the 30 Catholic families concluded that a building was needed for the purpose of gathering for Mass. They purchased a school building and three and one-half acres of land located three-fourths of a mile south of Anderson. Father Orzechowski continued to travel once a month from New Waverly to serve the little flock of Anderson. He served in this capacity until 1882. At this time, Plantersville was attended from Anderson. During the time he served the Catholic community of Anderson, one hundred families arrived from Poland in 1880 and settled permanently in the surrounding area. Many of our family roots are traced to the arrival of these families. After leaving Anderson in 1882, records reflect Father Orzechowski's presence
GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER JULY 2017
in various parishes in the northern states until around 1894. He returned to Poland where he expressed his feelings about freedom. He was placed on trial and sentenced to Siberia where he died after a short time in prison. Recorded in the Catholic Archives in Austin, Anderson was also attended by Father Joseph Mosiewicz. After his ordination in 1875 by Bishop Dubuis, he served in several parishes including Marlin, Bremond, and Anderson. He died in 1883 in Bryan as a result of a Church fire. Father Polyanski arrived in 1883 from New York City. He remained in Anderson less than a year. Parish history cannot be traced from 1883 to 1887, as there are no recorded church records. Visiting priests serving Anderson during this period carried the sacramental records with them to their parishes. (Bryan, New Waverly, Marlin and Bremond). One such visiting priest was Father Adam Laski. He served Anderson while stationed in New Waverly and Bryan. In 1888 Father Laski became the first resident priest. He remained until 1890, at which time he returned to his Poland where he died a martyr. Father J. Chalcarz arrived in 1890 and was appointed as the second resident priest at St. Stanislaus. He came to Anderson from Poland, returning there in 1892. The parish was blessed with another priest from Poland in the peson of Father A. Sulek. He arrived at St. Stanislaus in 1893 and was appointed as the third resident priest. He served until 1895 at which time he returned to his native Poland. Father J. Klein of St. Mary's Church in Plantersville offered Mass at St. Stanislaus from 1895 to 1897. During that same year Father F. X. Pruss took charge of the growing parish. He built a 40x60 ft. church and the old school building was converted into a small school which closed after Father Pruess' departure in 1903. It was during this period that the Rosary
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Society was organized. Years later it would become known as the Altar Society. Father Peter Litwora was appointed pastor of St. Stanislaus in 1904. For the first four years (1904-1908) he continued to help out at times in Bremond. Events of the next four years (19081912) are very sketchy, as Father was very ill. His tenure as pastor was blessed with many good works. However, because of poor health, he was compelled to leave Anderson. It is speculated that the carried the sacramental records in a saddlebag as he traveled from one place to another. Tracing records during his tenure at any Church is very difficult However a few have been found. In his absence, Father C. H. Weizenerowski attended once or twice a month, traveling from Brenham. There was not a resident priest for almost a year. On many occasions, the parishioners traveled to Brenham in a hack to bring Father for Mass. He was also sent for in case of illness or death. Father Weiznerowski served until Father Marcus Dombrowski was appointed pastor in 1912. His tenure was noted for the digging of a deep water well he had felt was needed as a source of good drinking water. He also attempted to remodel the old frame church. In 1916 Father Nikodemus Tomaz (Theo) Domanski became pastor. Born in Poland, he was ordained in 1914 and came to Anderson after serving in Chappel Hill. Noting the old church was too small for the parish family and in great need of repair, he proposed the erection of a new church in 1916. The old frame church was moved with a team of mules to make way for the construction of the new church. The faithful attended Mass in the old church until the new one was dedicated.
GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER JULY 2017
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$40,000. In less than two years, his dream of a beautiful church was realized and the joyful day of dedication on August 6, 1918 by Monsignor James Kirwin was a historic occasion as well as a day of spiritual joy for the proud parishioners. Progress continued within the parish and under his direction, more property was acquired in 1918. In 1924, the rectory was enlarged and in 1939 the parish hall was built. Father Domanski actively served the parish until 1951.
The beautiful stained-glass windows were designed and made by European artisans and are indeed masterpieces in their own right. The gorgeous altars are exquisite and unique in design. The majestic wooden spires which grace the beautiful altars ascend to Heaven as in an act of adoration. The ornate and elegant handiwork is marked by flawless craftsmanship. These lovely altars inspire us in our liturgical worship and in our praise to God. They are the focal point of interest for many visitors who come and absorb the beauty of our church.
Father's dream of a school for the youth in his care never became a reality. However, the dedication of a magnificent structure we enjoyed to this day was a bright shining star in his tenure as pastor of St. Stanislaus. The new church was completed in 1917 at a cost of
The new St. Stanislaus parish church was dedicated by Reverend Monsignor James Kirwin, Vicar General and Administrator of the Diocese of Galveston on Tuesday, August 6, 1918, the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord with over 1500 people in attendance. The dedicatory sermon was given by Rev. Fr. J. G. Zymonski. Although Fr. Zymonski spoke in Polish, the Navasota Examiner-Review of Wednesday, August 7, 1918, reported that “[w]hile we could not understand this splendid address, the delivery was so forceful and eloquent that we enjoyed the address almost as much as though we had been able to follow it verbatim.” Monsignor Kirwin gave an address in English after the dedication in which he took as his text a line from the feast day’s Gospel reading (Mt. 17:1-9) - “Let us build here three tabernacles.” In his address, Monsignor Kirwin praised Fr. Domanski and the Catholics of Anderson for building such a beautiful tabernacle for the Lord upon a lovely hill so that it could be seen from all directions. The
GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER JULY 2017
Monsignor, however, also reminded all present that the most important tabernacle for the Lord is the one built inside the human heart. Monsignor Kerwin also spoke in thanksgiving for America’s tradition of welcoming and assimilating people from all lands. Finally, he predicted that “when this awful struggle is over, Poland, which has always stood for liberty and freedom, will come into its own among the family of nations.” The awful struggle of World War I ended three months later, and, as Monsignor Kerwin had predicted, after the war, Poland once again became an independent nation. During his 39-year pastorate, Fr. Domanski enlarged the rectory (1924) and built a Parish Hall (1939). In 1951, Rev. Fr. T.W. Kappe was assigned as assistant pastor to Fr. Domanski. Fr. Domanski died in 1955 and was buried in the parish cemetery.
Upon Fr. Domanski’s death, Fr. Kappe, a most zealous and dynamic priest, was appointed pastor. He organized the local Knights of Columbus Council, named in honor of Fr. Domanski. He also began the first annual Homecoming and Bazaar and the first C.Y.O. in the parish. Fr. Kappe invited seminarians from St. Mary’s Seminary to come to the parish in the summer to teach religious education and to help with the maintenance and repairs at St. Stanislaus and St. Joseph, the mission church in Stoneham. All these seminarians were later ordained to the priesthood. Rev. Msgr. Joe
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Culver presently serves in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Rev. Frs. Richard DeStefano and Don Golasinski presently serve the Diocese of Beaumont, and Rev. Fr. Elmer Holtman presently serves in the Diocese of Austin. The late Rev. Fr. Cliff Natho served for many years in the Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston. When Father could no longer fulfill his duties as pastor, Father T. W. Kappe came to St. Stanislaus. Father Domanski passed away in 1955 at which time Father Kappe became pastor and served until 1960. Many accomplishments marked his tenure. In June of 1955 the local Council of the Knights of Columbus was organized and named in memory of Father Domanski. The parish celebrated its first homecoming in August of the same year. In 1956 the church underwent some much-needed renovation. He encouraged participation in the Cursillo Movement and he served as director of the Rural Life Conference for the Diocese. The love, zeal, and enthusiasm he expressed for his flock at St. Stanislaus serve as a loving tribute to his memory. Fr. Kappe was truly loved by all who knew him. Under Fr. Kappe’s direction, the present church underwent major renovations, including a massive reconstruction of the foundation and steeple. Fr. Kappe served two separate terms as St. Stanislaus pastor, the first 1955-1960 and the second 1964-1966. Fr. Kappe died in 1976 and was buried in St. Joseph Mission cemetery in Stoneham where he had also served.
The archdiocesan youth camp, Camp Kappe, located near Plantersville is named in his memory, as is the Knights of Columbus Council in Navasota.
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In 1960 Father Klass served as pastor. Father William Kennelly served for a brief time in 1961. He was succeeded by Father Robert Gradel who served until 1964. In that same year, Father Kappe returned as pastor for two years.
Between Fr. Kappe’s first and second terms as Pastor, St. Stanislaus was served by three priests — Rev. Fr. Francis J. Klass (1960), Rev. Fr. William Kennelly (1961), and Rev. Fr. Robert Gradel (1962-1964). After Fr. Kappe’s second term, Rev. Fr. Bernard J. O’Neill was assigned as pastor in 1966 and remained until his death in 1979. He was an unpretentious and dedicated priest and had a great love for the poor and needy. Fr. O’Neill purchased ten acres of land adjacent to the old cemetery, foreseeing the need for more cemetery space in the future. He dismantled the old wooden rectory and built a beautiful well planned new brick rectory. He also organized the parish Holy Name Society in 1967. Fr. O’Neill was buried in the parish cemetery, his gravestone donated by his former parishioners. During his final illness, Fr. O’Neill was assisted in the parish by Rev. Fr. Charles Burns and Rev. Fr. Roderick Hemond.
Father Louis S. Sikorski arrived in Anderson on July 14, 1979 and assumed the duties of pastor St. Stanislaus. That summer, with the aid of parishioners, the old brick rectory was renovated and converted into classrooms, so that the C.C.E. classes could be moved from the local public school back to the parish. Beginning in 1979 with the help of some very dedicated parishioners, the Bazaar facilities and its attractions began to be expanded, and presently, it draws one of the largest crowds of any event in Grimes County. Because of the financial success of the annual Bazaars, the remaining debt of $32,000 on the new rectory was paid off in 1981, and over $120,000 in parish improvements have been made on the church and the other parish buildings. Some of the improvements include the construction of new Bazaar buildings, two concrete parking lots, outdoor lighting, repair and sealing of the stained-glass windows in the church and in 1989, the installation of a stateof-the-art sound system in the church.
GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER JULY 2017
Over the past ten years, the Holy Name and Altar Societies have expanded their programs and goals, becoming models of active parish participation and assistance to the pastor and the parish. The C.C.E. program has grown and is staffed by some very dedicated teachers from the parish. The C.Y.O. has distinguished itself by their participation in parish functions and by winning a number of first place awards in athletic competition. The parish is also proud to have two permanent deacons ordained from the parish in 1984. Both have served the parish well. Father John Prill served the flock of St. Stanislaus from September, 1984 until October 1, 1985. Father was born in Poland as were many of the priests who have served the parish of St. Stanislaus in the early years of its history. Father Sikorski resumed his duties as pastor in October of 1985. In June of 1989, the parish celebrated the joyous occasion of Father’s 25th anniversary of Ordination. Father’s tenure here has been blessed with many accomplishments appreciated by all who visit our parish. His love of St. Stanislaus is contagious and is reflected in his ardent desire to preserve the Church in all its pristine beauty and serve his flock with untiring zeal. Father’s pride and interest in our parish family motivate us all with a deep love for the heritage which is ours. His great concern for the youth is evident in his constant support. The beautification of the church grounds under Father’s direction, include the planting of flowers, shrubs and trees, and the constant upkeep of the parish cemetery, thereby enhancing the appearance of our beautiful church. Father Sikorski retired on October 16, 2007. After Father Sikorski retired, Father Raul Marterior, pastor of Christ our Light parish in Navasota, took on the responsibility of pastor for the parish of St. Stanislaus in Anderson. He did an outstanding job of improving the parish at St. Stanislaus. He had a fence erected around the cemetery and put in a new playground for the children. He had the original Stations of the Cross restored as well as the Altars. The organ was moved back to the loft and a choir was added. The baptismal font was
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moved to the entrance of the church. A new parish hall was built in 2010 at a cost of 1 Million Dollars and the original ceiling artwork was restored in the sacristy after it was painted over in the 1970’s. Father Rodolfo "JoJo" Cal-Ortiz was assigned to St. Stanislaus parish on November 26, 2011 and has been Pastor here for the past 5 ½ years. His last mass was June 18, 2017. He will be replaced by Father Elias Lopez from St. Cecelia Parish in Houston. The present-day church was built in 1917 and is 100 years old this year. A celebration will be held later this year at the church. A new sign was also recently installed in front of the church to commemorate this event. The parish is named after Saint Stanislaus Kostka of Poland He was born at Rostkowo, Przasnysz County, Poland, on 28 October 1550; died at Rome during the night of 14–15 August 1568 at the age of 17. The Holy See ratified his beatification in 1605; he was canonized in 1726. St. Stanislaus is a popular saint of Poland and many religious institutions have chosen him as the protector of their novitiates.
GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER JULY 2017
UPCOMING EVENTS
The Fanthorp Inn is open for public tours on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 579 S. Main St. Anderson, TX 77830 Admission is Free http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/fanthorpinn
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LOCAL NEWS
Kathy Wells, president of the Robert Raines Grimes County Chapter of the DAR, reports it is continuing to collect information on any Grimes County World War 1 veterans from World War 1 for the memorial to be located at Historic Anderson Park by the fall of 1918. The group is also urging anyone who knows a family member who was a WWI veteran of Grimes County to please contact the above addresses. Donations for the memorial have reached nearly $2,000. Donors may contact Kathy Wells at kjcwells@gmail.com or Lisa Lents at llents3493@aol.com
Join the Texas Historical Commission (THC) this summer for three, free online workshops. On July 8, the THC’s Museum Services Program and Texas Heritage Trails Program are partnering with the Texas Association of Museums to present a webinar on the effective use of images in interpretive storytelling. The THC’s Historical Markers Program is hosting webinars on July 22 and August 14 about conducting research and applying for an Official Texas Historical Marker. An RSVP is required for participation. To reserve your space, please e-mail to history@thc.texas.gov or call 512-463-5853. Space is limited for all the webinars. For more information, contact the THC’s History Programs Division at 512-463-5853, or visit www.thc.texas.gov.
The group is selling these beautiful red poppy pins for $5 each to help raise funds for the monument.
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Item Grimes County Heritage Book Navasota Bluebonnet Book Grimes County Cemetery Book #1 Grimes County Cemetery Book #2 Grimes County Cemetery Book #3 Grimes County Cemetery Book #4 Complete Set of 4 Cemetery Books Grimes County Courthouse Plate Grimes County Courthouse Mug Grimes County Courthouse Hat Grimes County Courthouse Tote Bags Shipping & Handling Donation Amount (optional)*
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