Document text
'Alt" ALAI
lolklore.
'iss Arne Cowan,
McLennan County, Texas,.
District 8,
REPSRENOB:
10. Of Words,
#tle NO. 840.
Page NO. 1.
"Intertet:ew With Mr dtaka- 4.4TomilPon, White Pioneer, 14,9rlin, Taint*.
"My fatber,John Tomilsonocameiwith tlit.herai from the state of
Alab*M0 to Tern8 in 1849. He Zooated dear miles west of the ?tolls
of the Brazos River, bought four ,Sections of land an& stayed a year
alone then returned to Alabama and hi/ought the family through the
Country in wagons together with arogn# a hundred slaves. He settled
at what is now called Tomilsot- Hill across the river six miles west of
Marlin.
"Father ,lived through the troublesome days of the War between the
States and died in 1865 at the 'age it 46 years. He was survived by
four sons and two :e daughters, The Latter being Mrs Amanda Toting and e,
Mrs Lady Landrum. The sons are
I b
ve beard father tell oehow they crossed the river at Vicksburg
Missippi and how they had to wait,for the river to go down from the
rains and the slew travel, bat bow they finally reached Palls county,
and how the Falls of the Brazos was the only suitable camp;o1. place
when they reached .their destination. The country was wild and unsettled,
no public roads scarcely just cattle trailsland wild game in the
Brazos.bottom was plentiful so they did not have to wev%q about meat.
"Fathers plantation extended from 4tte Hill,to the Brazos river just
six miles 444,i of Marlin. In 1850 he took his cotton to Houston to the
FOlk12re,
Irs ffie Cowan,
Ledeaka'lau Texas,
Aistriat'8:
File NO. 240.
Page NO. 2.
market.Also to Brownsville, Texas, the nearest railroad. Several
men would go in together and would work from eight to ten head of
oxen to the wagon to carry their produce. They would bto eight
weeks on the trip and on their return they would bring enough supplies
to last through the year.
64.1410
Wit Oar nearest neighbor was four miletland there wer about ten famili-
lies in a radius of fifteen or twenty miles, with the exeleption of Mar-
VeLt"
lin to the east bare were around fifty families. To the west what is now
the Lott, Chilton, Durango and Rosebud communities
the settlments were
thinly populated. Before Marlin had .a church we worshipped in homes,and
my brother helped to build the Marlin Baptist church. About the year
1862 to 1870 living in the Marlin and Blue Ridge communities there were
the follow'ng families.(That iseart of them.)
The Bartletts, Chruohill, Jones, Killebrew, Bartons Hunnicutt,
Garrett Bell, Bassett, Pountian, Flowers, ,ornelison, Mitchell,
and to the west of Marlin to the Bell oonnty line there lived General
Shields afterward American Consul to South America andeollector of
6vAtoms at Galvestoni-Imise..lhe J.H.and lorohn Gassaway families, N.J.
Dnvisdon ranch, also .he John Powers and Dick Beal who were stockmen
and ranchers. Col. J.C.Gaither, Legislator and Senator.,
"I was a boy *Mr 10 years old when overnor Coke was elected governor
of Texas and when he drove overnor B.J.Days out of the governors chair
at Auctin4("The carpet bagger governor). /he earliest impression of my
political reaotion in lalls county was the change from he carpet
Davis wa2 governor.
bagger rule, as it was called when
Folklore,
Miss BM° Cowan,
doiennan Obanty, Texas,
Diatrict'8.
File BO. 240.
Rage NO.3.
"In Falls county there were more negroes at this time than white people
and they were -overbearing. I remember. how when the men went to vote
when Coke was elected qgovernor bilpw at 4arlin/they had to march between
rows of negro guards How they were all set to win their men and how
the white men dame armed in order to fight,,if -need bepfor their right to
vote. There was a comparatively peaceful election for some one began
shooting up nea; the samara and most of the negroes fled"to the Brazos
bottom and the white men went on with their votingeAfter it was over
they ,beld a celebration that night)over their success. Bon -fires were
lit and great was the rejoicing over the return of the white man to his
right to vote.
I can see in memory the first business houses of Marlin. Ihey were
the general merchandiAing store of Bartlett and Killebrew who had their
goods hauled by fre4ht from aoaston. The old stage stand was located
on the square and it crossed the river at Rock Dam ,aboat six or seven
miles above.Uarlin.and on into Waco up the old Waco Marlin road. When
the old log court house was in use I remember that !ierry Barton, and
Killebrew, were sheriff and also A.D.Soroggins sad sheriff and tax
collector. Lawyers were J.D.Oltorf Goodrich and Clarkson, and B.C.
Stewart ,county JadgeAaboat the years 1870 to 1875.1 was county Clerk
A
two years and deputy for four years.
"The first hangill ever saw were men by the name of Howard and Jones
who killed a white man ,three miles east of Marlin in the bed of big
Sandy creek. They were hang in a grove of trees north of town where
Folklore,
Miss Iilffio Cowan.
McLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
141, TO. 240:
Page TO. 4.
the overpass bridge intersects with the International and Great North-
ern Rail -road. When the citizens caught horse and _cattle thieves they
were hung without recourse to law,therby patting a stop to so mach steal
41 444f-
-ing. Later they were dealt with impartially in the way of sentencing
them to the pen.
In those day the country was fall of squatters who settled -on the
land and stayed until some one bought the land and run them off. The
older settlers were men of rugged honesty Gne aould lend them from a
$100.00 to a $1000.00 and they would pay it back in due time without recou--
-rse to the law. Often not charging any interest at all. I can remember
George Gissaway.7rancher and farmer riding up to our gatd hitching his
horse to the old bitching post and staying to ea* dinner with as,while
all the time be was in the house there was a shipment of money tied to
his daddle-bags outside, he had been to Marlin to get to pay off
his men and run him for several months.
Some of the saloons at Aarlin were owned by Kimbroagh, King, Barlow and
Tom Stewart. It was customary for the ranch men and their cowboys to meet
VAA414 GAZi1"44
)(when pay-day came and settle .ap for their work. It was seldom that there
ever developed any trouble between the rancher and his cow -boy, but the
cowboy's took this time to selebrate and it was not ahcommon for their
months pay to he sfent over the ;rambling table before they left. at it
was all In the life, they were good losers as well as good earners: No
was a cheerful and happy man as a rule and took his misfortunes along with
the good.
/olklore,
.iss BMA Own*.
Igliennan CoOnty, Texas,
'District 8.
tile NO. 240.
Page NO. 5.
"The stock men drove their cattle through to Abiliie and Wichita Kan-
-sas in those days,over the old chisholm trail which ran west of Waco
and port Worth to the markets in Kansas. I had a brother who belpei_
to drive the herds for Powers and Seal ,cattlemen. It took them two or
three months/1mi let them graze on the way. At the end of the trail the
boss would meet them scud pay them off. This is when they,too,woilld cele-
brate their log hard drive by patting on what the younger generation Of
ibis day would call anwhoopee" 2or they surely wok some good times
after the drive which *ten would take from three to four months and. they
bad to be continually on the watch for Indians and cattle thieves, cattle
stampedes and so forth. owever the destination astAelly was reached with
the herds in good shape. Texas steers at this time brought from $10.00
to $P0.00 apiece, and fine mulch cows sold for $10.00 and $151,00 each.
After the Houston and Texas Central Railroad came through Marlin
in 1870 some of the merchants were Mose Levy, I..Rickleman, Rpsentbal
dud Maymon, !krone and FrankseGrooery. Lyons 'ro14;DryGoods, L.B.
Chilton. W.R.Patillo and Mr Soraggs. Some of the teachers were W.M.Chil-
-ton, Miss Martin, sister of Captain Martin the man who was the surveyor_
and
for the Houston and Texas Central Rail-roadoi Miss Bartlett Some of
the preachers were J.R.Touobstone, M.K.Tbronton,Baptist; J.M.Montgomery
Ais4,04
Prsablrterial-Weems Wooten;Mtikklist 14r Hotobkisaidbu
"When the now famous aineral Water of Marlin's Hot Wells was discovered
it was piped at ifirst to a few residences and as it was not practical
for domestic purpose it was turned off and the first notable case of cure
was a man from Houston. D.n.W.Cook was the first doctor to discover
Folklore,
A
APB BM+, Cowan,
ctennan County, Texas,
District 8.
File NO. 240.
Page NO. 6.
the curative power of'the aot wells. There were many other doctors who
soon followed his example of using it for Hot Baths for rheumatism, among
them Dr Walter Allen, deceased. Dr Rice, Dr J.W.Torbett who is the bead
of the Torbett Sanitarium and gajestic Bath House and Dr N.,D.Baie who is
the headof the Buie blinie. The government Crippled Childrens hospital
and bath house has recently been stablished with Dr Hipps as its head
surgeon. There have arisen so many clinics that it would be aieless to
go into them all now. But in the days gone byinstead of the aitizend
appreciating the Hot wells they threatened to sue the city for patting
off the hot water -unfit for domestic-paeposes on them.. so that was
st.441 to be the reason it was oat off from their homes.
Other prominent man of the community west of garlin which I failed to
name was W.G.Ethridge. Representative D.Y.Gaines, Col. W.D.Gaines. 3.R. -r.
Hatch. Gilbert Jackson, Tamer Wiggins; Robert goore, for whom the town
of Mooreville was namedm,Hardy Jones, G.H.Bowman; Lee Floor; and Ed Me-
son
Callough, a rela4tve of the Texas famous ranger and Indian fighter Capt.
Sd Mo Colloagb, who came to palls county in 1866 and brother of Judge Tom
MoOplloagh of Weoo. Ed McCollough is still living near the old home after
'having spent a number of his years as a banker in Waco.
"For our school house in those early days we had the old log school house
with the split logs for seats called panobeon seats. I Later attended
the A& M. College of Texas at J2.ryan in 1880 1881. Then the Sam Hpastos
Teachers College of'Hantiville, and for a time taught school.. 091.001116ast
folklore,
Jag Effie Cowan,
geuennan County, Texas,
District
NO.240
Page NO. 7.
I As I look back over the political horizen/of al1s county can see
oar present Senator Tom Connally when he first. came to the,town of Marlin.
This was in May of 1899 when he bagari his 170. career. ie was elected
to the -twenty.'-seventh legislature in 1900 and the twentreightb in 1902.
He gave satisfaction to his constituents so they elected him county attor-ip•
-ney in 1906 and again in 1908k his service expiring in 1910 Since this
tine he has been continnally sent to Washington to represent .this dis-
trict.
Then there was Judge David Boyles of Marlin who came to Texas in
tAd Lt-•
1878 and settled near Reagan v Aof wenty-four yearei.r 4 -bile making his
living as as a contractor be began the study of law and passed his exami-
nation ander for the bar, under Judge B.H.Rice, Messrs Swan and Clampitet.
He began the practice of this profession in 1884. and in 1896 he was app-
-ointed assistant county attorney which office he filled for six years.
In 1904 he was elected county judge and reelected to this office in
1906. Since his retirement until his death he devoted himself to the pre.-
otitis of Law. And in this he was beloved by men in all walks of life.
Again t kook into the pat and to my mind comes talk of Falls countt
during the days of the War between the States,and the name of Zenas Bart-
lett comes up. H. was just from a trip from his old home in Mobile Ala-
bama to 0alifornia,where he was one of the forty-niners who formed an army
of gold -seekers to the Golden Gate, some across the desert and some via
the Isthmus. After trying his luck with some degree of success he came to
Falls county and left his name stamped on the history of the county.
Folklore,
Miss Effie Cowan,
7cLennan County, Texas,
.t'istrict 8.
94 enas ,aartlett Sr. passed away in 1897 leaving a widow and seven ohild-
ran. There were two son whi b ve also left their names on( the politi-
14..e
-cal life of the count Hen. Churchill Jones #4rtlett first started
in the office of Marlin's newspaper/the Arlin Ball ander T.C. Olterfs
7
With the closing years of Clevelands administration he entereithe post-
-office at liarli# and was commissioned by President Harrison as postmaster)
was city trasarer and secretary for ten yearn and justice of the peace
for four years. Leter he ran for representative of Falls county to the
File N0,240.'
Page NO.8.
legislature from the Sixty -seventh district which imbraces walls county.
He was elected to the thirtieth and thirty—first legislature in 1906
and 1908. There was a hot race for govorner at this time between Gov,
campbell andr Bell. Mr Bartlett being for Campbell and after his election
worked in harmony with him. He helped to pat over several important laws
daring his term of office,among them the abolishment of the strap for
punishing criminals in penal institutions. He was delighted with the
opportunity to take part in the enactment of laws which did not "Turn
Texas Loose" a slogan ff his opronant.
The fifth child of2enas Bartlett Sr. was 1,enas
a little of this son who also made a place in the
for the name of Barlett. This son was educated in
Jr. I mast tell you
county's history
the 'marlin public
schools at the Texas A.&.M.College and graduated from the law depart-
ment of Texas University in 1899. He then became a member of the firm
of Bios and Bartlett,' which existed antil.L.1907, when 4adge Rioe was
appointed to the bench of the Court of Civil Appeals. At thie time the
firm of Spivey Bartlett and Carter was organized. It is most oher,'
Jelled ambition to see the presperitybof his town and county.
FOlklore,
lies Bffie Cowan,
meLennan Utility, Texas,
Distriot 8,
Ptle NO.240.
'age NO. 9./
Aside form the political memories of Pall county. I have given
you *be names of the first basinese men, among the ones of later date
are '''rallizPeacook, who has been one of the towns best real-estate boos-
ters aa+doe=ficem his retail mercantile business. Bradley ',Intl:A.0nm 14/t,
was a member of the firm of Cheeves and Linthionm wbo-first came to
Uprlin as rbill clerk for the Houston and Texas Central Railroad in
1882. and remained to become the Vice.wiresident of the First.Nationai
Bank.
There could be written many more idents of the early eettlers of
the county, from political characters.v. to the business en and the
county Officers aid well as those who gave of their talents and time
to the progress of the schools and chuleobes, bat for this time I will
leave these hames and characters whiob I have personally knownrand
\perhaps at another time tell you of them.