Commissioners Court Minutes Vol. 2 Bowie County

Submitted by Anna Brett. She typed these up & got permission to put on line.   She has also submitted some copies that will be typed up and added as time permits.  These records are available at the Bowie County Court House in New Boston.

Page 56
Commissioners Court May Term A. D. 1896

The Sheriff of Bowie County is directed to keep all horses, cattle, and hogs out of the courthouse and jail yard and not permit any stock of any kind to be watered out of the cistern and the Clerk is directed to give the Sheriff a copy of this order.

Page 84

The contract to furnish the Court House with water at 24 cents per barrel to be delivered when needed and in such quantities as needed is let to Y. W. Morris and J. E. Adcock, the water to be good fresh spring water.

Page 120
Commissioners Court November Term 1896.

It is ordered by the Court that the Sheriff employ a competent workman to repair the skylight in the east side of the Court House and all the doors of said Court house that need repairing and that bills for same be present at the next regular term of this Court.

It is ordered that Dr. C. P. Helms be retained as County Physician for the next year under the same terms and conditions as during the present year.

It is ordered that all County officers be required to keep their office at the County Seat as required by law and keep all their books of record in said offices and that the County Clerk notify all officers of this order.

It was moved and carried that a contract be awarded to S. E. Adcock to raise and elevate the walks in the Court House yard and cover same with sand at least six inches deep, the said walks to be ten feet wide and that he be allowed $2.50 per day for said work.

Page 124
Special Term December 14, 1896.

It is ordered that an order heretofore made requiring all County officers to keep their offices and books pertaining to said offices at the Courthouse at Boston is peremptory, and to take affect immediately, and that the County Clerk notify said officers at once of this order.

Page 203

The County Judge is authorized to make contract to put in pipe to carry waste water from through to sewer pipe & connect same therewith.

Page 229
Commissioners court Feby Term 1898

Feby 23rd 1898
It is ordered that J. O. Battle be appointed Tax Collector of Bowie County, said office being made vacant by the death of J. W. Jones, late Tax Collector of said County and to fill the unexpired term of said J. O. Jones, dec'd and he is required to make and file his bond within twenty days from this date.

Page 244
Commissioners Court Minutes May Term 1898

It is ordered that from and after this date that the keepers of the Jail at the Court House and at Texarkana will be required to furnish whatever is necessary for the boarding and maintaining of the prisoners and the County will not pay for same and the Clerk is instructed to notify said keeprs of this order.

Page 354
Commissioners Court Minutes Special Term 1899

June 12th 1899
It is ordered that after this date, the Sheriff and his deputies are required to keep the Court House room in the upstairs of the Court House locked and permit no persons to enter same without lawful authority.

Page 506
Sept 4th, 1900

It is ordered that the County Judge be authorized and empowered to employ a Janitor for the Courthouse at a sum not exceeding 10 dollars per month. The duties of said janitor shall be to wait on all the courts, keep the Court House upstairs and downstairs and the Courthouse grounds clean and in good order and it is further ordered that the Sheriff or person in charge of same be instructed to turn over and deliver to the County Clerk the keys to all the doors belonging to the upstairs of the Court House.

It appearing to the court that Scarlet fever now exist in several parts of Bowie Co. and it being apparent that some steps are necessary to be taken to prevent the spread of the disease, it is ordered that the County Physician investigate the same and report to this Court on Monday the 10th day of Sep 1900 and in the meantime he is authorized to take such steps in the prevision as the condition may require.

Page 511
Minutes of Commissioner's Court, Special October Term, 1900.
Court in special session in pursuance of adjournment, this October 17th, 1900.
With Hon. R. H. Jones, County Judge and all the members being present.

It appearing to the Court that small-pox and scarlet-fever exist just outside the limits of Texarkana, and in the vicinity of said city, and in other parts of Bowie county, and it appearing to the Court that some steps should be taken to prevent the spread of said diseases. It is therefore ordered by the Court that the County Judge be and he is hereby authorized to act in conjunction with the Mayor of Texarkana or any other person authorized by the City of Texarkana to prepare a suitable place to be used to place such persons with such diseases, and he is further authorized to fix up any house on the place known as the Arbuckle place for such purposes, provided that said City of Texarkana shall defray its proportionate part of the preparation of said house and maintaining same, and the County Judge is instructed to confer with the proper authority of said City, and in conjunction with said authorities to proceed at once to prepare said place, and the County Physician is to supervise and attend to all County Patients placed therein. 

The County Physician is further authorized where-ever he deeds it necessary and best to establish local quarantine and employ guards and to do other things in the premises as he may deem necessary and right to suppress said diseases and to prevent the spread of the same. It is further ordered that the County Clerk furnish the Mayor of Texarkana and County Physician a copy of this order.

Page 555
Minutes County commissioners' Court, Special Term, May 22nd, 1901.

May 25, 1901.
It is ordered by the Court the Clerk of this Court notify all persons in this County engaged in the slaughter of animals, that they are required by law to make a report under oath to each regular term of the Commissioners' Court of the animals slaughtered by them, calling their attention to Article 4943 page 909 Revised Statutes of Texas.

Page 597
Minutes County Commissioners' Court, August Term, 1901

August 17th, 1901. Order to the Sheriff.
It is ordered by the Court that the Sheriff quit using the wood stacked on the Court House yards by the County for the use of cooking for the prisoners confined in the County Jail, or for cooking purposes at all, said wood being put there by the County for the purpose of heating the Jail and the different Offices of the Court House only, and that the Clerk serve the Sheriff with a copy of this order.

Page 600
Minutes County Commissioners' Court, Special Term, August 27th, 1901.

Application to record Instrument.

The application of W. E. Estes and M. D. Tilson, two members of the Texarkana Abstract Company, to allow to be filed by said Texarkana Abstract Company, whereby said Abstract Company binds itself in accordance with an Act passed by the 27th Legislature of the State of Texas, and being Chapter XXXV (35) of said General Laws of the 27th Legislature, is granted by the Court.

It is therefore ordered and adjudged by the Court that said W. E. Estes and M. D. Tilson be and hereby permitted to file their contract in writing as per the terms of said Act, being Chapter 36 of the General Laws of the 27th Legislature of the State of Texas.

Page 612
Texarkana Abstract Company. Contract

The State of Texas
County of Bowie

Whereas, by virtue of an Act of the Twenty-Seventh Legislature of the State of Texas, that convened at the City of Austin, January 8th, 1901, and adjourned April 9th, 1901, amending Article #2313 of Chapter #4, Title XL of the Revised Civil Statutes of the State of Texas of 1895 as amended by an act of the Twenty Fifth Legislature of the State of Texas, all abstracts of land titles or land abstract books to lands in this State complied from the records of any County in this State prior to the year 1890, where said records were destroyed by fire were made competent prima facia evidence of the truth of the date or memoranda therein contained with several provisions:

And whereas one of the provisions is the filing with the Commissioners' Court of the County in which said lost records were destroyed a contract of the owner of said abstracts binding himself, his heirs and assigns as follows: That said owner, his heirs or assigns will whenever requested in writing setting forth the data required by any party to any suit interested in introducing said contracts of land titles said abstracts of land titles or land title abstract books, produce the same without charge on the day demanded for introducing evidence and upon the trial of any cause in this State.
And that the said owner shall bind himself, his heirs and assigns, to answer in full damages to any party damaged by the failure or default of said Owner, his heirs or assigns, without good cause to produce said abstracts of land titles or land title abstract books, data or memoranda when demanded as the re in provided, and that said contracts shall further stipulate that no charge shall ever be made by said owner, his heirs or assigns in excess of One Dollar for each instrument of record in any title in the compilation of any abstract or title, to the lands in the County to which said abstracts of land titles or land title abstract books pertain.
And that said owner, his heirs or assigns, will upon request and payment of the fees therefore by any person either make, compile and certify or cause to be made, complied or certified within a reasonable time a complete abstract of title to any lands to which said abstracts of land titles or land title abstract books pertain.
Now therefore in consideration of the premises we, the undersigned composing the 
Texarkana Abstract Company, hereby bind said Company and its legal representatives to do and perform all such acts and things as is required of us by the said act of the Legislature as specified and set forth in the said Article #2313 as amended by the Twenty Seventh Legislature aforesaid, and to do and perform all things necessary and lawful to make the said abstracts of land titles or land title abstract books competent evidence in any of the Courts in this State as required of us by the term of said act of the Twenty Seventh Legislature as aforesaid. 

Witness our hands, this the 30th day of September, A. D. 1901.

Attest: Texarkana Abstract Co.

A. S. Watlington by, W. E. Estes, President
Secty. & Tresur.

Filed for record October 1st, 1901, and duly recorded October 10th, 1901.
Frank A. King, County Clerk, Bowie County, Texas

Page 617
Minutes County Commissioners' Court, Bowie County, November Term, 1901.

November 11th, 1901. Order for Local Option Election.
In the matter of the petition of J. T. Terrell, et al, for an order for Local Option election in School District No. 8.

On this day came on to be considered, the petition of over fifty qualified voters of Independent School District no. Eight of Bowie County, Texas, for an election to determine whether or not, the sale of intoxicating Liquors shall be prohibited in such Independent School District, described as follows, to-wit: Beginning at the N.W. corner of the Jas. S. Stout H.R. Sur. Thence East on the north boundry line to the Payton S. Wyatt H.R. Survey; Thence North to the N.W. corner of the Payton S. Wyatt H.R. Survey; Thence East on the north boundry line of the Payton S. Wyatt H.R. Survey to the N.E. corner of same; Thence South on the East boundry line of same to the S.E. corner of the Payton S. Wyatt H.R.; Thence West on the South boundry line of the Payton S. Whatt H.R. Survey to the N.E. corner of the Thos. P. Hawkins H.R. Survey; Thence South to the T.P. Railroad, Thence East on the North side of the T.P. Railroad to where it crosses the South boundry line of the William Richie H.R. Survey to the S.E. corner of the Wm. Richie H.R. Survey to the S.E. Corner of Thos. P. Hawkins H.R. Survey, Thence West, South and West on the boundry line of the Thos P. Hawkins to the East boundry line of the Jacob Lacy H.R. Survey; Thence direct across the Jacob Lacy H.R. Survey and Jno. T. Smith to the West boundry line of the John T. Smith H.R. Survey; Thence North on the West boundry line of same to the N.W. corner of same; Thence East on the North boundry line of the Jno. T. Smith H.R. Survey to the N.E. Corner of same; Thence North on the West boundry line of the Thos P. Hawkins H.R. Survey to the South boundry line of the James S. Stout H.R.; Thence West on the South boundry line of the James S. Stout H.R. Survey to the S.W. Corner of same; Thence on the West boundry line of the James S. Stout H.R. to the N.W. corner of same to the place of beginning, and it appearing to the Court that said petition is in due form, and is signed by more than fifty of the qualified voters in said School District, and by the required number of voters. 

It is therefore ordered by the County Commissioners' Court of Bowie County, Texas, that an election be held on the 7th day of December, A. D. 1901, at the Malta School house within and for said Independent School District No. 8 of Bowie County, Texas, for the purpose of determining whether or not the sale of intoxicating liquors, shall be prohibited in said Independent School District No. 8, and the Clerk of this Court is hereby ordered to give notice of said election, as is required by law, and C.A. Wheeler shall be manager of said election, at Malta School House.


Page 628
Minutes County Commissioners' Court, Special Term, Jany 10th, 1902.

Prohibition in School District No. 8.
January 9th, 1902.

This being a special session of the County Commissioners' Court of Bowie County, Texas, and it being the thirteenth day after the holding of the Local Option Election in Independent School District No. Eight of Bowie County, Texas, on the 28th day of December, A. D. 1901, and the returns of said election being on file, the Court proceeded to open the Polls and counted the votes cast in said election, and find the cast in said Independent School District No. Eight, at Malta, it being all the election precinct named in said District, to be as follows, for Local Option Thirty (30) votes and against Local Option Twelve (12) votes, total vote cast at said election being Forty two (42) making a majority of Eighteen (18) votes of said total cast in said Independent School District No. Eight for Local Option: Now therefore in accordance with the result of said election is that a majority of Eight on votes cast at said election were cast in favor of Local Option. It is therefore ordered and adjudged by the Court aforesaid that the sale of Intoxicating Liquors, except the ale of wines for Sacramental purposes and the sale of alcoholic stimulants as medicines in cases of actual sickness upon the written prescription of a regular practicing Physician, dated and signed by said Physician, and certified to on his Honor, that he the said Physician has personally examined the applicant, naming such, and that he finds said patient actually sick, and in need of the stimulants prescribed by law, be and the same is hereby prohibited in said Independent School District No. Eight, of Bowie County, Texas, which meets and bounds are of record in the office of the County Clerk to which reference is here made, until such time as the qualified voters therein may at a legal election held for that purposes by a majority vote decide otherwise.
Read and approved in open Court, this January 9th 1902.
A. S. WATLINGTON    County Judge, Bowie County, Texas

05/14/05