Texas History and Genealogy - presented by Genealogy Trails

THE HISTORY OF COMMUNITIES

IN PANOLA COUNTY

BECKVILLE

The original town of Beckville was located one mile east of. new Beckville, but did not remain a permanent. location .due to, the fact that there was not a railroad. The old. settlers were very opposed to a railroad, because they thought it would bring too many strangers into their quiet little town, and too it would change their mode of living. Some of the progressive thought. differently, and a railroad was established in 18S8. Mr. John Appling offered to give the land for the town site, but the railroad refused to build. a station at this particular place. Vilias was first thought as the name for the new town but later Beckville became the name of the village in honor of a Mr. Beck. The day the first train came through, the railroad company offered the lady passengers a pass to Carthage as the citizens of Carthage were staging a dance and dinner in honor of the railroad. The train came into the. Beckville station puffing and roaring to. find all the ladies dressed in their best attire but frightened to the extent that their husbands had to hold them. The passenger cars were crudely built 'resembling a freight car with planks for seats. The party stayed until eleven o'clock in the evening awaiting the return journey on the train.

The Methodist parsonage was built in 1888, but a church was not however. M-rs. Emma Appling and family resided in the parsonage as there were so few houses in the town. Brother Joe Smith, a -circuit preacher, came and preached in any building that was available. Mrs. Philip Long (Nee Mattie Mae Appling) was the first white child born in the new town. In 1889 the Methodist church was built on the same site where it now stands. The property was given by a Mr. Biggs. It wa& blown down by a storm three years later but was soon rebuilt. The first church built in Beckville was the Baptist church, and the land was given by the Applings. Finances were low, and the labor was donated for the building of the church. The ladies did their, bit by preparing lunches and taking them to the workmen. 'The first school was built in 1889 and was taught by Beulah and Bertha Kirkley. Miss Bertha was offered a position in Hunts-ville which she holds to the present day, therefore she did not finish out the term. In 1917 the new brick building was built.
There were about six early business houses, and these burned in 1917 and were replaced by brick. Some of the early merchants were Crawford, Whitfield, Carpenter, and Parker. The first saloon was owned by Bob Hammonds.

The pioneer (doctors of Beckville were Drs. Sterett, Kirkley, and Hornsberger. Beckville of today is what one would rightfully •expect from the pioneering of the most worthy pioneers, business section has grown in size and can boast of most up to date stores, drug stores, cafes, garages, grocery stores, beauty par-lars, hat shops and Bank—Continental State organized in 1918. The new school building would indeed be a credit 'to a town much larger than Beckville. Supt. L. R. Sharp, one of the most efficient school men of the €ounty is making progress in the educational life of this time. C. L. Beason, O. E. Meadows, and IS'. T. Matthews are some of the preceeding 'superintendents.
Church and social life is second to none in the county.

A stronger loyalty cannot be found elsewhere—in all her activities. The first light plant was built in 1914. In 1932 all the schools near Beckville consolidated. In 1920 the new railway station was built. The most recent improvement is the street lights. Beckville had the first highway in the County. It ran from Beckville to the river. The first oil well drilled in Panola County was drilled near Beckville.

BETHANY
The earliest record to be obtained of the founding of the little town, Bethany, located on the extreme eastern edge of Panola County is 1840. It was then a small village and at that time called Vernon. The Post Office was located on the Texas side, later moved to the Louisiana side, and then the name was changed to Bethany. In 1840 the enterprising little village boasted one log store, a tavern, a grain mill, run by water, and a tan yard.

There was lots of traveling and passing through, for Bethany was a day's travel from Shreveport, and one of the old roads used by settlers from Alabama, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana that came this way.

Some of the oldest settlers were Dr. and Mrs. White. Mrs. White taught the first school before the private tutors were used. The Harrises, Shadowens, Davenport, Rogers, O'Brians, Woolworths (the father of our prominent East Texas lawyer, now living in Carthage, J. G. Woolworth), Hills, Birdsongs, Fosters, Agrus, Holts, Griffins, Trospers, Gills, Smiths, Gipsons, and Flanagans. Dr. and Mrs. John Schumpert were prominent citizens. They gave to the medical world their only child a son. The late Dr. T. E. Schumpert, who for a number of years had charge of the Charity Hospital, but later founded his own hospital, the Schumpert, which he willed to the Catholic Sisters of the Order of St. Vincent. Mr. Molt Trosper was a prosperous merchant through a number of years. He was later, succeeded by his son, Mr. James M. Trosper who now resides in San Antonio. Some of the direct descendants live there today: Mrs. Clanten, Mr. Frank Clanten, Mrs. Rhoda Wooten, 'Mr. Pink Taylor, Anna Gretchin, Howard and Bobby Edgar, Mrs. E. H. Hammelt and children, L. L. Davis and daughters, Mary and Frances, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Alexander, B. M. Alexander and son, and Mr. and Mrs. Shadowens and children. Bethany today has five general mercantile stores, two churches, Methodist and Baptist, a good elementary school, four teachers. The people live by farming and developing the wonderful gas fields that has done much towards the growth in wealth and population of this and all East Texas, also making its influence being felt in the State of Louisiana,

LATEX
LaTex is one of the newest towns of Panola County and has done much towards the development of the extreme eastern part of the County. This busy and. thriving little village is sometimes spoken of as LaTex Compressor Station. In this immense gas field that has not only been a source of wealth to many citizens of East Texas, but also Louisiana.
Construction for LaTex was started the latter part of 1924 and began operating in April 1925 by the Magnolia Gas Association. The station at that time had five 1000 horse power engines. Three more units were later added bringing the station to its present size of eight thousand horse power, with a maximum capacity of approximately 150,000,000 cubic feet of natural gas per day. Gas delivered from LaTex into pipe lines to Houston, Dallas, Beaumont and various towns along those lines. There are about one hundred men employed in and around the station—all conveniences are furnished the employees and their families, making strictly a modern town with much civic beauty and pride in evidence. The investment in this station is near a $1,000,000.00—now it is operated by the United Gas Public Service Company which is a unit of the United Gas System.

CLAYTON
Two years before Texas declared her Independence, Rev. Isaac Reed of Tennessee moved to Nacogdoches and began to visit among the earliest settlers and preach although forbidden to do so. In 1835, before the organization of Panola County, he purchased a league of land located near the present town of Clayton, moving his family with married sons and daughters to the new home. Here built log houses and cleared farms. In 1838 Rev. Reed organized Old North Church near Nacogdoches, the oldest living Baptist Church in Texas. In 1834 Lemuel Herrin, from Camden, Tennessee, came to Texas. Reverends Reed and Herrin were the first two Baptist ministers in Texas. On Saturday before the fourth Lord's Day in September, 1843, these two ministers organized the Old Bethel Church in Reed's home. The original minutes of this meeting are still in possession of the Bethel Baptist Church in Cayton. They located this church on the old :Shreveport and San Antonio road near Rev. Reed's home, two miles northwest of the present town of Clayton.

The early pioneers of East and Southwest Texas hauled with ox-teams and wooden skein wagons, (greased with pine pitch) lumber and other materials over this road as far southwest as San Antonio—from the boat landings at Jefferson, Texas, and Shreveport, La. This old Baptist Church was the second Baptist Church organized in Texas. This church later moved to the present site in Clayton, where "Clayton Home Coming Day" is held. The negroes now have a church on the old site. Rev. Isaac Reed was killed by an Indian in 1848 and was buried on the old church ground. Aunt Lizzie Reed as she is affectionately called by the citizens of Clayton said, "Isaac had made camp at Old Bethel and one afternoon when he returned an Indian was in his camp. As he went in the Indian ran out and hid in some bushes He shot an arrow through Isaac's breast. The latter shot and killed the Indian. Isaac did not live long after receiving his wound."
Sometime about 1845 Jacob Cariker came from Georgia and settled in what is now known as Clayton. Among his negro slaves he had one most faithful, named Clayborne. Mr. Cariker wanted to name the place Clayborne after his "Old Faithful" servant, but there was already one place in Texas by that name. He called the place Clayton. Other settlers had come from Clayton, Alabama, and some believe the name was given by these settlers. Mr. Cariker's home stood just back of the present home of Dr. S. L. Davis. He and his nephew cleared about fifty acres of land including the place where the Clayton School now stands, and built a twelve rail stake and rider fence around it. Later on he built a horse power gin near the east side of the present school ground, and just back of the present home of Mrs. Ethel E. Carmichael. By hard work he could gin two bales of cotton a day.

The first store in Clayton was owned by Pleas Fite, who also had the first saloon. This building was just east of the present Bryan's Store. The second store was owned by George Cariker, son of Jacob Cariker and was located where Britton's store now stands Later other stores were built by John Ash, Bud Allen and others. Still later others were operated by J. W. Cariker, son of Jacob Cariker, Brown Ross, A. W. Davis, Sr. Joe Nelson and others. Among the first school houses was one located west and between the present town of Clayton, and the Roquemore and the old J. R. Jarrell place—the present home W. H. Latham. Hewn and split logs were used for seats. About 1876 a Baptist College was located on the present school ground. A two story building was erected but later abandoned.

Among the earlier settlers in Clayton that pioneered business, church and school life for those of late yesterday and today were: Reeds, Cankers, Fites, Satterwhites, Hayes, Waltons, Sheppards, Morrises, Blacks, Guinns, Halls, Heaths, Hewitts, Pages, Phillips, Longs, Ashs, McClendons, Lalwrences, Jarells, Banks, Nelson, Hoistons, Davises, Dukes, Carmichael, Mauritzens, Ross and others .perhaps whose names we have been unable to get.

Among the first preachers were: Elder W. H. Hays, J. F. Mc-Clendon, and J B. Mauritzen. The first doctors were: Drs. Hall, Carlton, Lassiter and Deason; etc. Some of these descendants of the pioneers are represented are adding honor and worthy appreciation to these courageous forefathers, in various vocations including ministers, doctors, dentists, lawyers, and teachers scattered throughout the Lone Star State.

This is among the oldest organized town in Panola County located, on the original site. Too, no place will there be found a populace that has a keener interest in the church, school and community life. Clayton keeps apace in all enterprises for substantial growth and in a conservative manner. Some of the county's largest farms and most independent farmers are found near this little town—Clayton.

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