Issue 9 Volume 3 Grimes County Historical Commission September 2017 Meetings of the Grimes County Historical Commission are held on the Second Monday of the Month at 6:30 pm in the Courthouse Annex in Anderson, Texas Contact Information Joe King Fultz [email protected] Visit us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ GrimesCountyHistoricalCo mmission Grimes County Historical Commission Photo of the Month Executive Board Chairman Joe King Fultz Vice Chairman Susan Boudreaux Secretary Vanessa Burzynski Treasurer Bob Goldstein COMMITTEES Historical Markers Denise Upchurch Historic Preservation Sarah Nash Newsletter & Publicity Vanessa Burzynski Volunteer Committee Photo of Tapley Holland at the Alamo Susan Boudreaux GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2017 PAGE 2 The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) April 17, 1898 News from the Past Constable Killed Brenham Weekly Banner (Brenham, Texas) March 14, 1879 News was received here yesterday afternoon from Grimes County by telephone to the effect Bas Wilkerson was killed on the 6th inst. near that Constable Joe Hall of the Bedias precinct Bedias, Grimes County, by Tom Williamson. was shot Friday night and died yesterday The latter accused the former of starting a morning at 7 o’clock. It appears from the report prairie fire that burned some fence. Wilkerson that a public meeting had been held and after it armed himself with an axe and went to was over there was some disorderly conduct and Williamson’s home. As Wilkerson stepped on shooting in the vicinity and Hall was shot while the gallery Williamson fired upon and killed trying to quell the disorder. His slayer is him. Williamson surrendered to the authorities. unknown. Hall left a wife and two children. The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) February 7, The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) May 14, 1905 1895 Col. R. H. Harrison Dead - Was a The Moderators and Regulators of the Bedias Pioneer Texan and Mexican War country in North Grimes county have had Veteran another battle with Winchesters which occurred Sunday. Wm. Shannon’s house was fired on by Yesterday morning at 4 o’clock, at his home at unknown parties. Shannon was shot in the back Bedias, Texas, Col. R. H. Harrison breathed his and his son through the body. They returned last. Col. Harrison was in his 82nd year, and has the fire and shot Leonard Hall and Andrew been in failing health for nearly a year. Previous Jackson, both white. Fifteen men are said to to that time during his long life he was active, have been implicated in the firing on Shannon’s healthy and strong, and hardly knew what it was house and all will be arrested. An account in the to be sick. Col. Harrison was a native of Houston Post says the Moderator crowd got one Tennessee and came to Texas in 1850, settling of the Regulator boys off by himself and cursed at the home where he died. Full of spirit, vitality him and invited him to come and bring his and energy, he was a strong character and a crowd if he wanted to fight. He did so with the successful man. He was engaged in farming and results given. He came to Shannon’s house and stock raising and accumulated a competence. the firing began. The details are rather meager. His wife and five of the nine children born to Joe Shannon of the Moderators is not expected them survive him. They are Mrs. N. M. to live. It is not known here which side began the McDougald, Mrs. Emma Spell and Dr. R. H. shooting first. Trouble is expected as both Harrison of Bryan, Mrs. B. M. Maret and Dr. Bev crowds are considered game and fear nothing. Harrison of Pankey. All were with him at the The feud between the two factions has existed time of his death except Mrs. Spell who lately for many years. returned from his bedside. Col. Harrison was a Mexican war veteran, and Odd Fellow and a pioneer Texan 0 one of those sturdy characters who have helped to build the state and shape its destiny – a good man who will be sadly missed by family and friends. Dr. N. M. McDougald, Mr. D. McDougald, Mrs. Emma Spell and Mrs. Jim Martin left yesterday to attend the funeral at Pankey this afternoon at 3:30 o’clock. GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2017 PAGE 3 a tailor, a blacksmith, a pistol factory that COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT provided handguns for the Confederacy and a ANDERSON, TEXAS. Anderson is on State population of 3,000. At least six different Highway 90 and Farm roads 149 and 1774 ten Anderson newspapers were published between miles northeast of Navasota in central Grimes 1854 and 1900. County. Bidai, Coushatta, and Kickapoo Indians roamed this area before the arrival of Stephen F. For all of its promise in the stagecoach days, no Austin's first settlers. Francis Holland, one of major development in road or rail line the first settlers in the area, received his deed to construction passed through Anderson. Local a league of land from Austin on August 10, 1824. landowners refused to give right-of-way to the In 1833 Henry Fanthorp purchased the east Houston and Texas Central in 1857. In 1903 quarter of Holland's league for twenty-five cents they agreed to construction of the Madisonville an acre and built a corn-storage building that Branch of the Missouri Pacific, from Navasota to served also as a dwelling and grain market. In Madisonville. This line was discontinued in 1834 he built a larger, dog-run house to live in. 1944, leaving Anderson without a public carrier. In order to take advantage of the stage lines, he The first highway to pass through Anderson was enlarged this dwelling into a tavern known as not begun until 1930. Growth was also retarded the Fanthorp Inn. Mail was delivered here by the lack of city government. Although the weekly, starting in 1835; the inn was thus the town was incorporated, records show elected first post office in what was to be Grimes officials only for the years 1867 and 1875. In County. 1983 a movement to revive city government was defeated at the polls. In 1846 Grimes County was organized, and Fanthorp offered land for the county seat. In the Although Anderson is the county seat and was following election a site between Alto Mira and once the fourth largest town in Texas, its Randolph was chosen. It was named Anderson, population in 1990 was only 370, composed of in honor of Kenneth L. Anderson, last vice the residents within a half-mile radius of the president of the Republic of Texas, who had historic county courthouse. The town has a recently died at the Fanthorp Inn. In time the number of historic homes. Special events that community encompassed Alto Mira, Randolph, attracted tourists are Texas Trek in April, a and the inn. County Fair and Juneteenth celebration in June, and Texan Days in September, as well as Good soil, good crops, good water supply, and church festivals and activities of fraternal numerous stagecoach routes across Grimes organizations. By 1990 a dozen or more County contributed to Anderson's growth. commercial business and offices, a post office, Lawyers, teachers, preachers, physicians, and the bank, the school, law enforcement offices, political leaders from the southern United and the county jail were within a three-block States, along with skilled farmers of German radius of the courthouse. Livestock, dairy and Polish descent, came together in Anderson. farming, hay, and honeybees were the means of The Masons opened Masonic Collegiate livelihood for the surrounding community. Institute, also known as Patrick Academy, in Many residents worked out of town. By 2000 1846; other schools followed: St. Paul's the population dropped to 257 with fifty-eight Episcopal College (1852), a Lutheran school businesses. (1882), a Catholic school (1890), and the school BIBLIOGRAPHY: Irene Taylor Allen, Saga of Anderson-The of Anderson Independent Free District (1893). Proud Story of a Historic Texas Community (New York: Numerous churches provided worship services. Greenwich, 1957). E. L. Blair, Early History of Grimes County The town boomed from 1846 to 1885; it had two (Austin, 1930). Grimes County Historical Commission, History of Grimes County, Land of Heritage and Progress (Dallas: steam sawmills, six cotton gins, five hotels, a Taylor, 1982). Vertical Files, Dolph Briscoe Center for drugstore, a mercantile house, a hardware store, American History, University of Texas at Austin. GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2017 PAGE 4 Also buried here are the following: Cemetery Spotlight William Burney died Jan 1, 1845 (husband of Susannah Holland) HOLLAND CEMETERY William Berryman 1797 - 1863 The Hollands and other family members listed (husband of Nancy Holland) here were among the early settlers of what is today Grimes County. They arrived from Ohio in William Holland died 1833 1822 and settled on Ten Mile Creek, known (brother of Francis Holland) today as Holland Creek west of present day Anderson on Highway 90. To get to the Susannah Buck Holland died 1833 cemetery you will travel East on HWY 90 (wife of William Holland and sister of Margaret towards Anderson, cross Holland Creek to Buck Holland wife of Francis Holland. County Road 447. Turn right, go up that road about 1/4 mile and the cemetery is on the right. William Holland Jr. (son of William and There are no stones depicting the burials of Susannah Holland) Hollands. The names have been added from the County records. The Hollands actual burial sites John Holland (son of William and Susannah are unknown. Some researchers believe they are Holland) buried here This cemetery is also known as the Berryman cemetery and was used as a Black Mary Holland Fisher Peterson cemetery.