World War II had gripped the country for the better part of the last five years. This was the first peacetime July Fourth celebration in many years and for some cities, the first celebration of any kind since 1940 or 1941. Around the state, newspapers reported how it was observed:
The Horrell Brothers
In the latter half of the 1870s in Lampasas County, Texas a feud developed between two families, the Horrells and the Higgins. Prior to that, the Horrell brothers, Mart, Tom, Merritt, Ben and Sam, had come to the attention of state law enforcement officers. In early 1873, during a short period when the Texas Rangers had been disbanded by the federal government, the Horrells were involved in a several incidents. In place of the former Texas Ranger force, reconstruction Governor Edmund J. Davis promoted a state police force around 1870 to be positioned in authority over all state-wide and local law enforcement. This was on the heels of the end of the Civil War and the emphasis was to be inclusive of non-white lawmen when selecting officers, though some whites were also hired. This led to race-related conflicts between the officers and the general population in addition to natural conflicts with criminal elements. The Texas Rangers would later be reinstated in mid 1873.
Continue reading The Horrell BrothersSarah Horton Cockrell
Sarah Horton was born in Virginia on 13 January 1819 to Enoch and Martha Stinson Horton. She moved with her family to Dallas County, Texas near Eagle Ford in 1844, becoming one of the pioneer families in the area. In September of 1847, she married Alexander Cockrell.
Texas Central Railroad
(Image credit, ttarchive.com)
The railroad that later became the Houston and Texas Central Railway dates back to 1848. It was originally called the Galveston and Red River Railroad. A charter was granted to Ebenezer Allen to build a line from Galveston north to the Red River. Construction started a few years later and by early 1856 the first two miles of the line had been completed. The name change to the Houston and Texas Central was effected in the fall of 1856 when the company was reorganized.
The “Twin Sisters” and Dr. Henry North Graves
“Twin Sister” replicas at San Jacinto Battleground (image in public domain)
The “Twin Sisters” refers to two field pieces (artillery pieces) donated by ladies of Cincinnati, Ohio to the cause of the Texas Revolution. According to an article in the Austin American-Statesman from 1874, they were two identical six pound rifle cannon that were built by a Mr. Tatum at a foundry in Cincinnati and shipped by riverboat to Texas. They were delivered in person by Mr. Tatum himself in time to be used by General Sam Houston in the Battle of San Jacinto. Following the Revolution they became prized relics and were known to have been fired at ceremonial occasions including the fifth anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto and the inauguration of Gen. Houston as President of the Republic of Texas.
Continue reading The “Twin Sisters” and Dr. Henry North Graves
Texas History Notebook 