|
An Official State of Texas Historical Marker stands beside
state highway No. 63 about nine miles out of Burkeville in the direction
of Jasper for the Farrsville Community, another one of the oldest communities
of Newton County.
Farrsville is on Cow Creek in northwestern Newton County.
It was named for Alfred Farr of Mississippi, who shortly after Texas "got
free," brought his family and slaves into Newton County and established
the community. He operated a plantation on the site. Farr was preceded
by James P. Hardy who came in about 1832 while the land was still under
the impresario, Lorenzo dc Zavala, who started the Zavala Trail that ran
a little south of the Old Beef Road, six miles north of Farrsville, Running
cast the Zavala Trail forked in Newton County, one trail crossing the
Sabine at Hadden's Ferry and the other at the older ferry. Burr's Ferry.
Farrsville Community played a far greater part in the
early history of Newton County than one would suspect today at visiting
the community.
The place was originally called Farr's Mill. It was a
water mill built by slave labor. The slaves were brought along with the
settlers in the forties or early fifties. There were several large plantations
about Farrsville. Farrsville lay on what for a time was known as the Military
Road, used during the war by Confederate Troops. It was important as a
stagecoach route which ran from Alexandria, Louisiana, to Burr's Ferry
in to Burkeville and Jasper, and thence south to Beaumont.
During its time, Farrsville has had a water mill, a gin,
sawmills, and a gristmill. The sawmill cut lumber until the Wiergate mill
opened in 1918, and the gristmill ran until 193?. The post office, which
does not appear on ante-bellum lists, was discontinued in 1948, and the
community gets mail on a rural route from the Wiergate post office. The
school district became part of the Burkeville-Wiergate Independent School
District by consolidation. There arc scattered residences over the community
with a probable population of 100. Highway 63 runs through the community.
Two stores arc in operation along the highway on Cow Creek.
The life of pioneer communities was far from easy and
survival often meant that the people were strong, both in body and moral
spirit.
Farrsville has been the home of many famous men of the
day, among them Charles Hancock, who was for sixteen years sheriff and
tax collector of Newton County. Once a year he would put what money was
due the State of Texas in his saddlebags and ride his mule to the Capitol
to settle Newton County's account.
Farrsville Community was the home of Thomas C. Holmes,
a Revolutionary War soldier. He is buried in what is called the Blackshear
Fields on the southeastern part of the community. His grave bears a marker
identifying him as a Revolutionary War Soldier. His name is listed in
"TEXAS and the American Revolution" a publication of the University
of Texas at San Antonio, Institute of Texan Cultures. He is one of the
46 mentioned in that list of Revolutionary War soldiers who came to Texas.
Some two or three miles distance from Farrsville itself
lies Farr's Chapel. The original Farr was a preacher, and he built the
church. It served as a great camp meeting place. The faith, then and now,
is Methodist.
Another church building stands close to the mill site.
It was once used as a school house for the Farrsville Community. It was
also a Methodist church.
An established date in Newton County for recalling "old
times" is the Second Sunday in June when Farrsville has its annual
homecoming. It is held at Farr's Chapel which is steeped in history. One
former resident described Farrsville: "One of the historic spots
of East Texas is that of old Farrsville." It is located in Newton
County, between Jasper and Newton. A brief story of that community is
told by Mrs. Emma Hilliard Teal, of Votaw.
She says, "I was born at Farrsville Dec. II, 1879.
My parents, Wallace and Alice Hilliard, lived in the small community,
with its store and post office. W.B. Powell, my grandfather, owned considerable
property there.
"There was one grist mill, a lumber mill, a cotton
gin, a general merchandise store and the post office. The mills were all
operated by water power from Cow Creek. The community was on what was
then known as 'the big road' that ran from Jasper to Newton and Burkeville.
"The road forked, near Cow Creek, one branch going to Newton, and
the other to Burkeville. A large pond supplied the mills, and the mills
were operated by my father. The cotton gin had a press powered by a yoke
of oxen. The gin stand was on the second floor, and the seed dropped to
the first floor from the gin.
"The lint was placed in an adjoining room. Cotton
farmers unloaded their seed cotton into stalls on the second floor and
it was carried to the gin stand in a basket. The lint was carried to the
press from the storage room in the same way."
The Farrsville Community is one of the oldest in Newton
County. It is noted for the water mill that was operated there. One of
the scenic sights around a mill is the water pond. Mrs. E. H. Teal of
Votaw, describes the mill site:
"Near the pond there was a vat where cowhides were
cured and tanned. The grist mill was the old-fashioned rock type. The
rocks were chiseled so as to make it possible to grind the corn into meal.
The sawmill had a carriage operated by a lever, and the saw was like a
crosscut saw. It moved up and down as the log advanced on it. Farr's Chapel
was down the Newton road, and the Farr cemetery is there.
' 'Wallace Milliard served as 'doctor' for the community.
He had a pair of tooth pullers, and looked after cases of toothache. His
medicine chest consisted of a supply of calomel, podophyllyn, bismuth,
baking soda, common syrup, castor oil, and Epsom salt. These were 'sure
cures' for biliousness.
"A Methodist preacher served the little church there,
and at Farr's Chapel, Newton, and Magnolia. He traveled by buggy and was
there 23 years.
"Mail was carried horseback, in saddlebags, and the
mail route originated in Jasper. The old store kept supplies of green
coffee in barrels, flour, sugar, and all kinds of dry goods and hardware.
Coffee and sugar were measured with a scoop. Pecans sold for 5 cents a
cup."
Farrsville Community has been the birthplace of many people
who are now scattered all over Texas and beyond. A Mr. Charles McKim had
the following to say about Farrsville.
"My grandfather, Charles McKim, married Daily's daughter
about 1840 and lived on one of his labors' before coming to Polk County
in 1843. Now Spring Creek is called Hunter's Creek and its waters run
into Cow Creek just below Jamestown.
"I was born in 1890 and went to Farrsville in 1894.
There were four houses there then, I considered them mansions. On the
other side of the road was Grandpa Harper and a house lived in at the
time by my mother's sister and Uncle Jim Hancock.
"A hundred yards or so east lived Gary Womack and
about a fourth mile farther on was Uncle Sim Horger, B. Z. Horger had
a general store and with the mill that was all of Farrsville's industry
at that time.
"Aunt Viney Ford, a Farr slave, said Farr's Mill
was built by the Farrs and she carried water to the workers, being too
small for work.
"When I went there in 1894 they had a circular saw
with patented teeth which could be replaced when worn out. One thing that
impressed me was the way a bale of cotton was pressed. Oxen were trained
to turn the press on the cotton bales.
"When a bale was pressed they were turned loose and
ran of their own accord down the steep hill to two sweet gum trees and
stood there in the shade until another bale was ready to press. Grandpa
Harper ginned over 300 bales one season."
Some of the history of Farrsville has been written in
a letter from Judge Belk who resided in Kirbyville until his death. The
letter was written in 1934, a copy of which is owned by Ward P. Westbrook,
a public accountant of Jasper, Texas. The letter shows that Farrsville
was located in a strategic spot. It says:
"The breastworks at Burr's Ferry was built by the
Confederates during the Civil War at a time when we were expecting a federal
invasion from toward Alexandria. I remember distinctly when they came
around, over Newton and Jasper counties and took Negroes over there to
do the work. I can not remember the year, but think it was about 1863.
"This was on a direct route and might have been called
a military route from the lower Red River section of Texas.
"I remember distinctly the passing of companies,
regiments and brigades along the routes going both east and west. A favorite
camping place at that time was Farr's Mill, now known as Farrsville. I
remember well the stage route across the country, that it began at Alexandria
on the Red River and crossed the Sabine at Burr's Ferry. Then on to Burkeville
and Jasper.
"From Jasper it turned south to Beaumont and from
there to Houston, I remember to have ridden on this line several times,
and I know that the route you mention was a regular stage line. I know
that Burkeville was the first county seat of Newton County and that it
was moved to Newton, but I don't know when.
"I remember nothing about who commanded the soldiers
who passed that route, except that I do remember that Gen. Tom Green passed
Farrsville going east and that they camped near our home. Tom Green's
body, after he was killed, was brought back over this route and the escort
camped overnight at our home at Farr's Mill.
Judge Belk wrote in 1934 that
"My father, as old timers know, was a leather worker.
He not only tanned the leather but manufactured it after it was tanned.
He selected Farr's Mill as the most favorable place to put in a tannery.
He did this during the early part of the Civil War and maintained it as
a tannery and shoe and boot making establishment, principally for the
Confederate government.
"His name was A.S. Belk. I do not know when Alfred
Farr built the mill. It was built, however, shortly before the Civil War.
Mr. Farr was a wealthy slave owner and had a large farm one mile south
of the mill. I do not know when the Farrs came to Texas but I know that
it was not many years before the Civil War. The Farrs and the Wingates
came here about the same time. They were related."
Another person has said about the founder of Farrsville
Mr. Alfred Farr came to this place about 1833, and established
the community of Farrsville, which was named for him. However, the first
name given the community was Farr's Mill. He not only opened a large plantation
about two miles down Cow Creek, but he also built a large water mill,
which operated a cotton gin, grist mill and saw mill. This was not the
extent of his activities. He found time to administer to the spiritual
needs of the settlers in the surrounding area. The church is also named
for him, in fact I believe it is said that he built the original church
building.
Mrs. Emma Teal, a daughter of Wallace Hilliard, who was
born in Farrsville in 1870, said that at this time there was, in addition
to the mill, a general merchandising store and the Post Office. She further
states that her father served as doctor of the community. He had a pair
of tooth pullers and looked after cases of tooth ache. His medicine contained
a supply of calomel, a supply of may apple extract. If you don't know
what this is, it is a bitter purgative, made from the rootstock of the
May apple.
|
