INTRODUCTION

                    
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INTRODUCTION

This is a collection of stories based on actual happenings over more than a century in Hamilton County, Texas.  At the beginning this area was under Spanish dominion, later under that of Mexico, then as a Republic, and finally one of the States comprising the United States of America.

It started with a simple story of a group of people selling their land on the west bank of the Mississippi River in what is now Perry County, Missouri. Those selling were Catholics and those buying were Saxon Lutherans.  The religion of some of the Catholics was more fervent than with others of the faith.  The more loyal Catholics came to Texas with the Emperasio program and settled in what is now Yoakum County near Port Lavaca.    Those who felt less dependent upon the priestly functions formed a train and came to what is now Hamilton County.  Some of those left the Catholic Faith and became members of the Masonic Lodge and either the Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, or Church of Christ.  They came without the benefits and protection of the Empresario plan and were wholly dependent upon each other for any aid and assistance they might need.

Their needs were few but vital--log cabins for shelter, food mostly from game until land could be cleared and a crop planted and harvested, and protection from the Indians who resented this intrusion on their hunting ground.  

The people in Perry County, Missouri, knew about Texas and also the Empresario program being operated by Stephen F. Austin, Green DeWitt, and others. The Manning Clan split when some of them sold their Missouri land and went to Lavaca County in the Green DeWitt group. Ezekiel Manning chose to come to a part of Texas not covered by any settlement contract. With other neighbors of like thinking, they settled North of land contracted under the Empresario Program. Their settlement was formed in Hamilton County when they came together to organize it in 1858 out of Milam County.

There was little or no crime rising from the misdeeds of the settlers. The Indians were still a threat to life and property. Ezekiel Manning was chosen Sheriff as one of the first officials upon completion of the County’s organization. He used groups of his fellow settlers to deal with Indian raids. It was not long before a sprinkling of outlaws, draft evaders from the North-South War, and such moved into the area. There was a sudden change for the worse in the crime situation. There were many instances of disruption of religious services. Charges were filed and punishment meted out, but this type trouble persisted. It was usually the work of drunks who were "raising ..." just for fun. Crime of theft and murders happened, now and then. Some officials, elected at this later time, were not the caliber of the ones who had formerly served.  Some owed favors, some lacked the needed principals, law enforcement floundered, and certain men without any official status became known as the "Kingpen" of an area.

One early native says that an agreement was worked out among the groups headed by the "kingpens," which covered several counties. For example, a group in Comanche County might have an enemy who was very close to discovering their misdeeds. The criminal group would decide that enemy must be killed. But instead of the affected group’s doing the job, they would work out a plan with a group of similar ilk from an adjoining County or area. Thus when the deed was actually committed, those who would be naturally suspected had good alibis and if there was a witness all he knew was that perpetrators were strangers.

There was in existence at all times a group who supported honest dealing, due process of law and justice. For the most part, farm communities centered around their church which was Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, or Church of Christ and the people were stable peace loving and law-abiding. The efforts of all these groups coalesced in voting out saloons and electing officials who would deal effectively with the criminal element. The liquor problem was one which refused solution. Where saloon keepers had formerly profiteered these profits now went to doctors who wrote prescriptions for whiskey and the druggists who still could sell it legally. The moonshiner and bootlegger eventually became important in the business.

The pendulum swung too far and people went to prison for crimes which now look petty. The zealots persisted in demanding saintly conduct and the public supported their efforts for many years. But a more tolerant view developed slowly whereby the rule of reason supplanted the straight jacket in measuring acceptable conduct.

Since much of the material in this collection of stories and interviews is the product of a few people, all advanced in years, some probably harboring unacknowledged prejudice, we must expect some inaccuracies. In some instances the story as told had another side. It could hardly be otherwise when a close member of the story teller’s family was involved in horse stealing and his demise reported as being killed by Indians by one group and as being hanged as a horse thief by another.

The account of "Early Sheriffs" is inaccurate since Ezekiel Manning is not mentioned and a David Smith is named as the first sheriff of Hamilton County, Texas

Ezekiel Manning was one of the organizers of Hamilton County, held commissions as sheriff signed by Sam Houston and another by Miriam Lamar and photographs of both appear in the Hamilton County Historical publication published about 1975 with Library of Congress Card No. 79-880-32.

The story of Dr. Perry standing ready with a large inventory of whiskey and 5000 prescriptions filled out except for the (patient) name when the Volstead Act became effective may have been by those resenting a higher cost for whiskey and the saloon keepers forced out of business, exaggerated or even untrue.

Life then was hard. We owe a great deal to those people who fought the Indians and the outlaws and at the same time were building houses and fences as well as planting and gathering their crops.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

About those who furnished most of the information on which the notes about early days in Hamilton County, TX:


F. C. Williams says "His father was a doctor who came to came to Hamilton and stayed some months."  He never had but one patient who was a neighbor, David Snow.  He observed that, "There weren't many people and they were either too healthy or died too suddenly to need a doctor."  The notes do not say where the Williams family went after the "some months" in Hamilton nor how long before they moved back to Hamilton.  Mr. Williams account of the death of his brother, Hal Williams, was that he was killed by Indians.  Another version is that he was hanged by Bill Payne for stealing horses.  There was trouble between the community and a reported partnership of Tom Poe and Hal Williams "Over the handling of a colt" to use Mr. Williams' words.

His account of early sheriffs of Hamilton County was inaccurate and a complete study of his notes indicates inaccuracies on events occurring before this family moved to Hamilton County.

Ezekiel Manning moved here in company with several families from Perry County, Missouri.  He was an organizer of the county and the first sheriff.  His commissions to that office signed by both Sam Houston and Miriam  Lamar have been preserved.  Photographs appear in the Hamilton County Historical publication published about 1985 with the Library of Congress Card No. 79-880-32.  Mr. Williams said that Dave Smith was the county's first sheriff and makes no mention of Ezekiel Manning.  Smith was an early sheriff--not the first.

Mr. Williams had much sadness.  He had two sons.  One was murdered in Hamilton while young and the other was found dead from undetermined causes at least so far as I know, near Fort Worth or Dallas.

 

 
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People and Places: Gazetteer of Hamilton County, TX
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Copyright © March, 1998
by Elreeta Crain Weathers, B.A., M.Ed.,  
(also Mrs.,  Mom, and Ph. T.)

A Work In Progress