Grimes County Historical Commission Issue 3 Volume 2 March 2016 Meetings of the Grimes County Historical Commission are held on the Second Monday of the Month at 7:00 pm in the Courthouse Annex in Anderson, Texas Contact Information Russell Cushman 403 Holland Navasota, TX 77868 (936) 825 8223 [email protected] Visit us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Grime sCountyHistoricalCommission Online Website (coming soon) www.grimescountyhistoricalcom msion.com Grimes County Historical Commission Executive Board Photo of the Month Chairman Russell Cushman Vice Chairman Joe King Fultz Secretary Vanessa Burzynski Treasurer Joe King Fultz COMMITTEES Historical Markers Denise Upchurch Heritage Preservation Sarah Nash Newsletter & Publicity Vanessa Burzynski Bedias Jail Bedias, Texas GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER MARCH 2016 PAGE 2 Administrator’s Notice Letters of administration having been granted to the undersigned on the estate of The Central Texian David B. Floyd, deceased, by the honorable Saturday, March 17, 1855 the County Court of Grimes County at the Anderson, Texas December term thereof, A.D. 1854, notice is hereby given to all persons having We are requested to announce that Hon. J. claims against said estate to present them Boone, D.D.C. for the district of Grimes duly authenticated within the time and Montgomery will lecture at the Court prescribed by law. Elisha Floyd, House in this place on Thursday night next, Administrator. on the subject of temperance. We trust that our citizens will generally turn out Letters of administration having been upon that occasion. granted to the undersigned upon the estate of Willis I. Roan, deceased, by the Probate Captains Henry and Walker have offered Court of Grimes County, at the February the services of themselves and companies term 1855. Persons holding claims against to Gov. Trias of Chihuahua. Their term of said estate will present them within the service in the United States expired on the time prescribed by law and those indebted 14th instant. must make immediate payment. John P. Roan, Administrator. Rangers – The companies of Texas Mounted Volunteers under the command of Letters of Administration having been Captains Henry, Walker and Travis, are by granted to the undersigned by the County special order of Gen. Smith to be mustered Court of Grimes County at the January out of service at the expiration of three term, 1855, on the estate of E. J. Hendrick, months from the time they were mustered deceased, notice is hereby given to all in. The San Antonio Texan from which we persons having claims against said estate, obtain this information, censures Gen. to present them authenticated as required Smith very much for this step, which by law, and those indebted to the same to nothing but orders from the War make immediate payment. Margaret E. Department will excuse. The Indians Hendrick, Administratrix. continue to depredate on the frontier settlements. Joseph H. Dunham, Administrator of the estate of John H. Dunham, deceased, has The Railroad Convention at LaGrange fixed filed in my office his final exhibit and upon Galveston and Austin as the places of account current with said estate; also his terminus for the contemplated road, and petition praying for a discharge from said took measures for the survey of three administration; all of which will be heard routes, and the opening of books for the and acted upon at the next regular term of subscription of stock. Those who the County Court for the Probate of Wills to subscribe select the route; and in case be holden in and for the County of Grimes, they do not choose that which is finally at the Court House thereof on the first determined upon, they will be at liberty to Monday and 26th day of March, 1855, when withdraw their names. It is further and where all persons interested may resolved that no one be allowed to take attend and contest the same if they think stock to an amount greater than one-fourth proper. J. G. Chatham, Clerk his taxable property. GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER MARCH 2016 PAGE 3 $25.00 Reward for plaintiff, having made oath that he, said E. C. McClenny, is a transient person or Pocket Book Lost – Lost between Barry & that his residence is unknown to affiant. Montgomery’s saw mill and Anderson, a small green pocket book containing a $100 You are therefore commanded to summon bill on the bank of Mobile, a $50 bill the said E. C. McClenny to be and appear Louisiana money, a $20 gold piece, two at the next term of the District Court to be $10 pieces, one $3 bid and one $1 bill holden for the county of Grimes at the Galveston money, and one very old silver Court House thereof in the town of dollar. The finder will receive the above Anderson, on the second Monday after the reward by leaving it with Col. Barry or at third Monday in March, A.D. 1855 by this office. Thomas. J. Sharp publication in the Central Texian, a newspaper published in the town of Anderson, Grimes County, Texas., of this citation, for four successive weeks previous to the return date hereof, then Citation Notice and there to answer the petition of Sampson Buff now on file in my office. State of Texas – Grimes County Herein fail not, under penalty of the law, No. 347 – Sampson Buff vs. E. C. McClenny and have you then and there this Citation with your return endorsed thereon. To the Sheriff of said County – Greeting: Whereas, Sampson Buff of the afore-said Attest: A. Buffington, Clerk of the District State and County, has filed his petition in Court of Grimes County, with the the District Court of Grimes County, impression of the seal of this office, this the alleging that E. C. McClenny, whose 7th day of March A.D., 1855. A. Buffington, residence to him is unknown, is justly Clerk District Court Grimes County. B. indebted to him in the sum of three Franklin Brigance, Deputy. hundred and sixty-three dollars and fifty cents for this, to-wit: That some time in the I William Carley, Sheriff of Grimes County, month of __________ A.D. 1853, on John S. do hereby certify that the foregoing and Parker, made, executed, and delivered to above is a true copy of the original placed him the said Buff, a certain note for the in my hand. WM CARLEY, Sheriff Grimes sum of $353.50 for value received and that County. he delivered the said note to said E. C. McClenny in trust and confidence that he Came to hand March 8th, 1855, and ordered would collect the amount thereof and to be published in the Central Texian a refund and pay over the sum of $363.50 to newspaper published in the town of him, the said Buff; he further alleges that Anderson, Grimes County, Texas for four the said E. C. McClenny did collect and successive weeks previous to the return receive the full amount of said note from day. WM. CARLEY, Sheriff Grimes County. said John S. Parker and he further alleges that the said McClenny has not refunded or paid over said amount to him, not will he, the said McClenny give any account of what he has done in relation thereto, and that he still refuses to refund or pay to petitioner said sum of money and therefore prays judgment and John W. Hutcheson, GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER MARCH 2016 PAGE 4 and six rated businesses. The population remained unchanged in 2000 but the number of businesses had grown to thirty- eight. BEDIAS, TEXAS. Bedias is at the intersection of State Highway 90 and Farm BIBLIOGRAPHY: roads 1696 and 2620, twenty-nine miles northeast of Navasota in northeast Grimes Grimes County Historical Commission, County. The community was named for the History of Grimes County, Land of Heritage Bidai Indians, whose Caddo name means and Progress (Dallas: Taylor, 1982). Adele "brushwood." The town in turn has given B. Looscan, "Harris County, 1822–1845," its name to the distinctive tektites—called Southwestern Historical Quarterly 18–19 Bediasites—found in Texas, most of which (October 1914-July 1915). have been discovered within Grimes County. Settlement of the area began in 1835, when Thomas Phiney Plaster established a plantation a few miles west of the present townsite; earliest reports of the community refer to it as Plasterville. In 1844 Archelaus B. Dodson took up residence on the northern edge of the settlement; his wife, Sarah Bradley Dodsonqv, reportedly designed the first Lone Star flag. A post office was established at Bedias in 1846, 1847, or 1867, according to various sources. A Baptist church was organized in 1848, and the first Methodist congregation in the community was formed by a circuit rider from Palestine in 1871. By 1885 the population had grown to 300 residents, who supported four gristmill-gins, three churches, and four privately operated schools. In 1903 the International-Great Northern Railroad line reached Bedias. By 1907 the town had five general stores, two banks, two hotels, two gins, and sundry additional businesses; by 1915 a population of 500 was reported. Most of the town's business section was destroyed by fire in 1927 but was soon restored. In 1936 the town reported twenty-five rated businesses and an estimated population of 500. The community's fortunes declined during the 1960s. By 1967 its population had fallen to an estimated 290 and its businesses to five. In 1990 Bedias had a population of 301 GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER MARCH 2016 PAGE 5 with tin over a thick wooden ceiling. It Bedias Jail measures 2.51 meters across the front and 3.11 meters on each side.