Vol 12 No. 11 - August 1935

M. R. Cheatham, Old Indian Fighter

Beatrice Grady Gay, Santa Anna, Tex.

Account of M. R. Cheatham, Coleman County, who served as a Texas Ranger during the the early 1870's, while the Comanche and Kiowa tribes were bitterly contesting all efforts to banish them from their favorite buffalo hunting grounds. Mr. Cheatham was born in Gradyville, Adair Co., Kentucky in 1850 and came to Texas in December, 1872, in the same covered wagon caravan which brought his close boyhood friend Caleb Grady, and his people.

Further Mentions: brother, Al Cheatham * Brownwood, Brown county * Capt, Jim Connell * C. M. Grady * the little town of Whon * Captain Jeff Maltby of Burnet county * Lieutenant B. Foster * Clear Creek, near the western line of Brown county * Home Creek, about six miles southwest of Santa Anna Mountain * Major John B. Jones * Kerrville * Pease River * Jackboro * East Clear Creek pond * Pecan Bayou * Webb Arnett * Red Bank * the old Coleman and Brady road * Trickham * Jim Ned Creek * Bill Williams, who lived on Sand Creek * Tom Clark * Jake Hand and Sporty Brown * Bangs * Comanche Chief Jape * Jack McWhorter * John Banister *

Bandera Settler Has Narrow Escape

Account of Indian raid involving Rufus Click and Mr. John A. Jones, who moved in 1863 to Bandera county and settled at Indian Spring on Myrtle Creek, six miles north of the town of Bandera, and established a cattle ranch. This place, as was all of Bandera county at the time, was a frontier and exposed to frequent Indian raids. Brief mention of other raids that occurred in this place at about the same time.

Mentions: Dr. Fitzgibbons * the Guadalupe valley * the Jones ranch * the Medina river * Bladen Mitchell * Dr. Downs * Judge Booker Davenport * Charles de Montel, George Hay, Ezra Chipman, Hezekiah Griffin * L. B. C. Bucklew * his nephew, Frank Buckelew * Seco Pass * Jack Phillips * Chas. L. Fagan of Rahway, N. J. * Mrs. Fred Felthouse of San Antonio * Mrs. Laura Wallace of Pipe Creek, Texas * Russell Smart, of Utopia, Texas * Charles Eckhart of Bandera * Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Haby, of Rio Medina * Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher Davis, of the Hondo Anvil-Herald, Hondo, Texas * the D'Hanis Star * Mr. and Mrs. Chas. C. Harris, of Kenedy, Texas * Mr. and Mrs. Sam R. Kone, Mrs. B. W. Smith, and Miss Florence Kone *

Texas' Struggle For Its Freedom Recounted

By George Tichenor, in Georgetown Sun

The history of Texas and Hawii are compered in this article written when considerations were being made regarding granting statehood to Hawii. Texas shares with Hawaii, and only with Hawaii, the distinction of having been an absolutely independent, and sovereign nation at the time of their admission to the Union.

Mentions: Joseph R. Farrington * Juan Gaetano * Captain Cook * General Mejai * Captain Dimit * David Kalakaua * Queen Liliuokalani * Sanford B. Dole, "Hawaii's Grand Old Man," * John H. Soper *

Burnet County

SELLER’S NOTE: IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN EARLY BURNET COUNTY, TEXAS HISTORY OR GENEALOGY, THIS ARTICLE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE WITH MUCH ORIGINAL DOCUMENTATION OF EARLY SETTLERS, BUSINESSES, POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT, ETC.

The long gone days of sparsely settled country, great distances, horseback, ox wagon and lumbering stagecoach transportation made those great strips of country then designated as counties extremely cumbersome as governmental units; consequently, as the population began to increase, part of two or more of those counties were often made into another county-hence came our Burnet County from Bell, Williamson and Travis counties-named for David G. Burnet of Texas history fame.

Mentions: first county officers were Judge, John Scott, Clerk, A. G. Horne; Treasurer, S. E. Holland: assessor-collector, Wm. D. Reed; District clerk, and Justice of Peace, Geo. Joy; Sheriff, J. C. Bradley; commissioners, Wm. T. Cheeser and John Jennings, Sr. Not until 1912 did Burnet county have its first woman to hold an office when Miss Myra Erwin (later Mrs. Frank Atkinson) was elected county treasurer. * old Fort Crogan * Rolland * the town of Hamilton * two bitter factions. One faction contended to put the county seat east of the divide on Oat Heal creek; the other faction led by Peter Kerr, Sam Holland and Logan Vandiver, fought to keep it at Burnet. Peter Kerr donated 100 acres of the John Hamilton survey, to the commissioner's court in order to induce the majority to vote for the present county seat. * Logan Vandiver and Peter Kerr * The first marriage license was issued in 1852 to S. E. Holland and Miss Mary Scott * S. E. Holland was in all probability the first permanent settler of this immediate section * Among those old mills were Gabriel mill situated just across the county line from Mahomet, old Smithwick Mill, old Cedar Mill and the historic old Mormon Mill, so named from the fact that in the very early days a colony of Mormons settled in those lower reaches of Hamilton creek * a post office was located at Sunny Lane, Joppa, Mahomet, Sage, Strickling, Tamega, Naruna, Smithwick and several other places * With the coming of the railroad in 1882-1883 Burnet became a terminal for most parts of Llano, Mason and San Saba counties and points north and south * the road to Marble Falls and Llano * The county courthouse was burned in 1873 * A log cabin situated on Cow Creek in the southeastern portion of the county - the first house built within the county * Smithwick Mill, Mormon Mill, Cedar Mill * Council Creek, Cow Creek, Spicewood Springs, and Holland Springs * ago a daughter of Noah Smithwick, founder, came from California * Gabriel Mill village * Bertram * the founding of Marble Falls * Dr. Neyron Cheatham * In the 50's came the forefathers of our present day-Magills, Frys, Corkers Stewarts, Kincheloes, Williams, Breazeales, Jennings, Covingtons, Bitticks, Lewis, Moores, Smiths, Vaughns, Fields, Johnsons, McCoys, Halls, Jacksons, Coxes, Aters, Dorbandts, Malones, Lacys, McCartys, Pankeys, Laforges, Bartons, McFarlands, Rountrees and others * Judge Woodard * Gen. Adam R. Johnson * Our Granite Mountain * Graphite mine * Longhorn Cavern * the building of Buchanan Dam * the Burnet City Line Demonstration Club * John Jennings, County Commissioner * Mormon Mill * Major Ray Wingren * Uncle Peter and Johnnie Fry, M. H. Corker, B. H. and C. C. Stewart; L. C. Kincheloe was my grandfather * I knew Jeff, Harrison, and Clint Breazeale, and John, Dr Dick, and Flem Jennings, A. J. Covington * Dr. Field, Uncle Vaughan * Hugh McCoy, Capt. Dorbandt, father of Chris. Dorbandt, Uncle Alex LaForge, John Pankey, Alex and Poinseft Barton, Dr. Jack and King McFarland, Judge J. T. Woodard and Gen. A. R. Johnson * grandfather Chamberlain * first man to build and run a cotton gin in what was then called West Texas * highway 29, between Burnet and Bertram * the town of South Gabriel that was moved a distance of two or three miles to Bertram which was built after the railroad came *

Happenings In Texas Sixty- Years Ago

Compiled by F. M. McCaleb

Mentions: James O'neil who was murdered on July 20, 1875 near Round Rock by a party of horse thieves. * contract for building a bridge across the Navasota, River has been awarded to Messrs. Mitchell and Rown * Henry Dill, a cattleman of considerable wealth, * August Keller * A party of German immigrants are establishing a cotton factory about twenty miles from Carthage near the line of Rusk and Panola counties * a pioneer settler of Glenrose tells of the new county of Somerville. Portions of Hood, Johnson and Bosque counties were sliced off by an act of the Legislature and named after General Somerville Sept. 1, 1875 * Henry Shane from Sabinal, Uvalde county * John Weir, William Brown and Ambrose Crane in Sabinal Canyon * Billy Allen * Quihi * Mat Wallace * The Pleasanton Monitor * Miss Irene Smith * the widow Davis * L. A. Kerr of San Antonio * the bank in Cotulla * E. Hertzberg and the Bell Jewelry Company of San Antonio * Carrizo Springs * Eagle Pass *

Life Of David G. Burnet

By Col. A. M. Hobby, in The Texas Almanac, 1873.

This is a tribute to the life and character of President David G. Burnet and was published in the Texas Almanac in 1873. Fairly lengthy account contains excellent historical detail of the important early Texas statesman.

Mentions: Chief Justice Hornblower of New Jersey, and Judge Bradley of the Supreme Bench of the United States * His grandfather, Dr. Ichabod Burnet * , Dr. Wm. Burnet * Judge Jacob Burnet * Henry Clay and Benjamin Watkins Leigh * In 1806 Burnet joined the Miranda expedition * Samuel G. Ogden * General John Cummings * Col. Wm. Smith * La Villa de Coro * Porto Caballo * Jerome Course * General Filisola * Governor Henderson * Mrs. Preston Perry * Colonel Ross *

Bits Of Historical Information

By J. Marvin Hunter

Mentions: Comanche Indians * The last atrocity committed by Indians in this state occurred in 1883, in what is now Real county, when a Mrs. McLauren and a little boy were killed by either Kickapoo or Lipan Indians who came in from Mexico * DeLeon * Fort Clark, near Brackettville, Texas * Colonel Riley * Major John B. Clark * Indian tribes which roamed over Texas in the early days were the Caddoes and a number of related tribes, the Nacogdoches, Wacoes, Keechis, Ayish, Anadarkoes, Wichitas, Adaes, and Tejas. The Cadoo tribes dwindled rapidly, some by pestilence, some removed northward and settled on reservations, and there are but few left today of the once powerful Caddoan stock. Other tribes which dwelt in Texas were the Apaches, Lipan, Apaches, Comanches, Karankawas, Coahuiltican, Tonkawas, Pueblos, Cherokees, Alabamas, Coushattis, Seminoles, Delawares, Kickapoos, Arapahoes, Kiowas, and other branches. The settlers on the Western Texas frontier suffered much att the hands of the Apache, Lipan, Comanche, Kiowa and Kickapoo Indians * Monclova, Mexico * Los Adaes *

"Buffaloed!"

By E. A. Brininstool.

An account of early days in the Texas Panhandle when old cattleman Jim Kid who worked for the XIT went for the ride of his life.

Mentions: the Running-W * Big Buttes * Rosebud Creek * Andy Boyle * "Weary" Spragle * "Latigo Bill" Brannagan * Line Camp B * Jack Dawson *

Tells San Saba County History To Historical Association

By Alma Ward Hamrick

SELLER’S NOTE: IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN EARLY SAN SABA COUNTY, TEXAS HISTORY OR GENEALOGY, THIS ARTICLE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE WITH MUCH ORIGINAL DOCUMENTATION OF EARLY SETTLERS, BUSINESSES, POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT, ETC.

Mentions: Lieutenant Galvin, Father Serra and others who had assisted in removing Mission San Xavier on the San Gabriel river to this location * Germans, Heinrich Fischer and Burkart Mueller * Count Hans Von Meusebach * the Fiselfer and Miller grant * A Mexican named Lorenzo * Walace Creek * white settlers at Castell in Llano county * E. Guy Risien * J. H. Rollins * A. G. Delaware * T. J. Eely * beautiful J. R. Polk ranch, nine miles west of San Saba * Burke Trammel of San Antonio * David Matsler came with his family from Burnet county, and settled on Cherokee Creek near the present town of Chappel * George Matsler * By the early part of 1855, these men had settled near the Matsler family Messrs. Poplin, Rumsey, Low brothers, Boyetts and Caseys. In the same month there settled on and east of the present city of San Saba, the Barnetts, Hamricks, Flemings, Linns, Bolts, Harris, Crawfords, and Watsons. At the same time, the Harkeys, Browns, McDaniels, Woods, Duncans and Halls settled on Wallace Creek and on Richland Creek. In the Rock Shoals settlement were the Sloans, Aliens, Wadsworths, Flemings, Baxters, Roses, Maxwells, Ellis, Campbells, McCarty's, Crouches, Lathams, Phaxtons, Hendersons, Hintons, Bomars, Conways and Haldens. * Dr. Rogan, Dr. Hudson, Williams, the Burdens, Freestones, Cooks, Murrays, Barnetts, Harmons, Wears and Browns * Others settling in this county prior to 1860 were the Houstons, Greggs, Dawsons, Smelsers, Hannas, Kuykendalls, Hexts, Jacksons, Grays, Barbers, Esteps, Montgomerys, Haskells, Capt. Williams, Harrels, Clarks, Wiers, Browns, MeShans, Kellys Warrens, Mussets, Kirkpatricks, Grumbles. Capt. McMillin, Willises, Pyatts, Marleys, Dick Kolb, Dorans, Terrys, Beasleys, Hollands and others * were Joab Harrell, chief justice-, A. Sloan, district clerk; Eli Freestone, sheriff; G. B. Cooke, County Clerk Cal Montgomery, J. H. Brown, William Wear and James Wood, Commissioners; John Neil Justice of the Peace. Chief Justice James L. Bourland of Burnet county * Robert D. McAunelly * G. I. Cooke * C. Roan and Thos. E. Rowe * J. S. Williams * Mrs. Elizabeth Houston Kolb, wife of Dick Kolb of the Colony community * Rev. Tunnell * Revs. Carden Muffet, Glass, Kelly and Land * Miss Elizabeth Houston * S. A. Houston, a cousin of General Sam Houston * the Salt Works in Lampasas county * Among those who were killed by the Indians for the ten-year period from 1856 to 1866 were "Beardy" Hall, A. Gregg, Ben Linn, the Todd family, Capt. Williams, Bauche Woods, and others * W. I. Hubbert who came to San Saba while the town was being laid off * George J. Gray, San Saba's oldest and one of the largest ranch owners in the county * Baird, Moran, Fort Griffin, Dorans Crossing * The Gray ranch * W. H. (Billy) Gibbons * the present Gibbons ranch of 36,000 * J. E. Sorell * A true pioneer of San Saba county is Edmond E. Risien, who came to San Saba in 1874 * E. Guy Risien * J. D. Estep, who had entered business in 1875 * The late J. W. McConnell * Thomas Ward and Wiley T.. Murray * East Wallace Street * early San Saba town * Ward-Murray Bank * T. A. Murray * W. T. Melton * the City National Bank, The San Saba News, a weekly paper * Mrs. Ward Holman, daughter of the late Thomas Ward, who married a young physician here in the days when Yale and Harvard graduates came to the west seeking a fortune *

Temple Houston Defends A Fallen Woman

In the Fall term of court in Woodward, Oklahoma, in 1889, Temple Houston, son of the great Sam Houston, and once a Texas State Senator from the Panhandle, sought acquittal of a woman of ill-fame. He utilized incredible oratorical skills in his defense and his words are here recorded.

Mentions: the Woodward News * Judge Burford *

The Westward March Of Settlement

By Hamlin Garland

Account of the most characteristic figure in early American life - the New World pioneer-the man who took his axe, his rifle and his young wife and moved out into the wilderness to open a clearing in the forest and to build a cabin home. His like had never before been seen. Europe colonized in tribes, in communities. The individual explorer is a development of the Western Continent.

From the earliest date of British settlement at Jamestown and Plymouth, or the landing of the Dutch in New Amsterdam, for nearly three hundred years our colonists have been led by this trail maker. Walking his solitary path, this vedette of American civilization has led the way across the valleys of Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, and later over the Allegheny Mountains into the forests of Kentucky and Tennessee.

That these adventurous pathfinders, whether Dutch, English, Scotch or Irish must have been individually the hardiest, the most resourceful of their race, is self-evident, for these qualities are demanded by the forest and developed by the stream. Only men of stout heart and strong hand, those to whom toil and hunger and solitude were accepted incidents in a life of adventure, responded to the, lure of primeval vales and silent forest glades. Only the self-reliant could confront the forest and survive.

Mentions: explorers like John Finley * Richard Garland and his companions * the Chisholm Trail * Mr. Nixon * Mrs. James V. Allred and son, Jimmie, Jr. * Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Dillingham * the H. & T. C. * Mr. Brice Dillingham * Mrs. Laura M. Baines, Mrs. Ida Shanholtzer, of Austin, Mrs. Ella Thorp of Round Rock, and Mrs. Beulah Dickson of Shreveport, Louisiana. * Dave Dillingham and Woody Dillingham, all of Austin * Prof. T. U. Taylor

Some names mentioned in this volume:

Pres Adams; Billy Allen; Gov James V. Allred; Jimmie Jr Allred; Christian Andersen; Webb Arnett; Mrs Frank Atkinson; Austin; Mrs Laura M. Baines; John Banister; Alex Barton; Poinsett Barton; Daniel Boone; James L. Bourland; Andy Boyle; Bracht; J. C. Bradley; "Latigo Bill" Brannagan; Clint Breazeale; Harrison Breazeale; Jeff Breazeale; Brewer; Brininstool; Brininstool; J. H. Brown; Shorty Brown; William Brown; Frank Bucklew; L. B. C. Bucklew; Strap Buckner; Judge Burford; David Burnet; Dr Ichabod Burnet; Jacob Judge Burnet; Judge Burnet; William Este Burnet; Dr Wm Burnet; Castaneda; Chabot; Al Cheatham; M. R. Cheatham; Dr Neyron Cheatham; Wm T. Cheeser; Ezra Chipman; John B. Maj Clark; Tom Clark; Clay; Rufus Click; Col Jim Connell; Capt Cook; G. B. Cooke; M. H. Corker; Jerome Course; A. J. Covington; Ambrose Crane; Crockett; Gov Chas A. Culberson; Gen John Cummings; Judge Booker Davenport; Fletcher Davis; Mrs Irene Davis; Jack Dawson; Mrs Beulah Dickson; Henry Dill; Brice Dillingham; J. D. Dave; Woody Dave; Capt Dimit; Dobie; Sanford B. Dole; Capt Dorbandt; Chris Dorbandt; Dr Downs; Charles Eckhart; T. J. Eely; Emmett; Miss Myra Erwin; J. D. Estep; Fagan; Joseph R. Farrington; Mrs Fred Felthouse; Dr Field; Gen Filisola; John Finley; Heinrich Fischer; Dr Fitzgibbons; Lt B. Foster; Capt Foster; Lt; Foster; Francis; Eli Freestone; Johnnie Fry; Peter Fry; Juan Gaetano; Lt Galvin; Hamlin Garland; Richard Garland; Garrett; Gay; W. H. Billy Gibbons; Rev Glass; Jovita Gonzalez; Jack Grady; George J. Gray; A. Gregg; Hezekiah Griffin; Rudolph Haby; Haley; "Beardy" Hall; John Hamilton; Alma Ward Hamrick; Jake Hand; Joab Harrell; Chas C. Harris; Gen Harrison; Hay; Henderson; E. Hertzberg; Col A. M. Hobby; Gov Wm P. Hobby; J. S. Gov Hogg; S. E. Holland; Sam Holland; Mrs Ward Holman; Chief Justice Hornblower; A. G. Horne; Miss Elizabeth Houston; S. A. Houston; Gov R. B. Hubbard; W. I. Hubbert; Dr Hudson; Chief Jape; Dr Dick Jennings; John Jennings; John Jennings Sr.; Johnson Jennings; Gen Adam R. Jennings; Dr Anson Jones; John A. Jones; Geo Joy; David Kalakaua; August Keller; Rev Kelly; L. A. Kerr; Peter Kerr; Jim Kid; L. C. Kincheloe; Dick Kolb; Mrs Elizabeth Houston Kolb; Florence Miss Kone; Sam R. Kone; Alex Laforge; Lamar; Rev Land; Benjamin Watkins Leigh; Lewis; Queen Liliuokalani; Ben Linn; Capt Jeff Maltby; David Matsler; George Matsler; Robert D. McAnnelly; McCaleb; J. W. McConnell; Hugh McCoy; Dr Jack McFarland; King McFarland; Capt McMillin; Jack McWhorter; Gen Mejai; W. T. Melton; Miller; Gen Francisco de Miranda; Bladen Mitchell; Charles de Montel; Cal Montgomery; Chief Mopetschokepe; Burkart Mueller; Rev Carden Muffet; T. A. Murray; Wiley T. Murray; John Neil; J. P. Nixon; James O'Neil; John Pankey; Parks; Peak; Mrs Preston Perry; Jack Phillips; J. R. Polk; Wm D. Reed; Col Riley; E. Guy Risien; Edmond Risien; Roberts; C. Rogan; Dr Rogan; J. H. Rollins; lt Rooseve; Rose; Ross; Thos E. Rowe; Schmidt; John Scott; Miss Mary Scott; Father Serra; Henry Shane; Mrs Ida Shanholtzer; Gen Sidney Sherman; A. Sloan; Russell Smart; Mrs B. W. Smith; Miss Irene Smith; Col Wm Smith; Smithwick; Gen Somerville; John H. Soper; J. E. Sorell; "Weary"Spragle; Minnie Stacey; B. H. Stewart; C. C. Stewart; Prof T. U. Taylor; Mrs Ella Thorp; George Tichenor; Burke Trammel; Rev Tunnell; Logan Vandiver; Hans Count Von Meusebach; Mrs Laura Wallace; Mat Wallace; Walters; Thomas Ward; William Wear; John Weir; Capt Williams; Harry (Texas Trails) Williams; J. S. Williams; James Wood; J. T. Woodard; Judge Woodhull; Bauche Woods; Woodruff