Panola County Historical & Genealogical Association is now housed in the Old Panola County Jail Museum and Genealogy Library

213 North Shelby • Carthage, Texas 75633
(903) 693-3388       http://oldjaillibrary.org/

Panola County, adapted from the Cherokee word for cotton, ponolo, is located in northeastern Texas. Carthage is the county seat. In 1846, the Texas Legislature incorporated Panola County from pieces of Shelby and Harrison counties. Two years later (1848), Panola County chose Carthage as its seat. Various tribes of the Caddo Indians inhabited the area until European advancement in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

During the fifteen years before the Civil War, the county expanded in size and diversified its economic infrastructure through the sale of cotton, sweet potatoes, and livestock. After the war and through the 1920s, Panola County began to stabilize and recover, primarily through the cotton and logging industries. Railroads created additional jobs and helped to build the county's infrastructure. Throughout the 1920s, the county's population decreased slightly, but cotton helped stabilize the uncertain market.

After the Great Depression, the population declined because of a sharp nosedive in property values and available land. The only industry that remained strong through the depression, cotton, took a permanent hit and never recovered. After World War II, Panola County's population decreased over the next several decades because of a combination of permanent decreased land values and decline of the cotton industry. However, by the 1960s and 1970s, the county government worked hard to reinvigorate the depleted soil, but the oil and gas industry became the prominent economy force in the 1970s.

Panola County Historical and Genealogical Association and The Leila Belle LaGrone  Family History Center

213 North Shelby

Carthage, Texas 75633

(903) 693-3388

info@oldjaillibrary.org

Our History

The Panola County Historical and Genealogical Association (PCHGA) was founded by ordinary people in the community  who had an interest in family and local history and who  wanted to preserve our heritage. So, they met and formed  PCHGA to serve those ends. The charter members were all volunteers, so they asked  Panola County to give them a long-term lease on the old  1891 Panola County jail which was no longer in use. The  jail use was discontinued in 1954 and the old jail had fallen  into a state of disrepair.  These charter members not only raised money from others,  but also donated their own time and money, and ultimately  rebuilt a structure  that would house history, family books  and artifacts in a stable, controlled environment. The upstairs of the Old Jail is now used as a museum.  The old cells and locks are still intact. The bottom floor of  the jail is where the jailer's family lived and where meals  were prepared for the prisoners by the jailer's wife. The  bottom floor now has three book rooms with a good  representation of states, counties and family history ; a computer room with four computers for public use;  and an office with one computer for keeping up with  the daily affairs of PCHGA. The PCHGA Old Jail Library is open three days per  week: Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday afternoon.  There is no user fee or membership  cost. Normal hours  are from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM on Tuesday and  Wednesday, and from 1:00 PM until 5:00 PM on Sunday.  We invite the public to visit us during any of these times. We have three to four volunteer staff members to assist  you with researching your family tree  or maybe the history  of your home county, town or state. You can also use our  computers to research on the internet. We also welcome  any and all tour groups.

"GREAT UNCLE SAM ALLISON’S GARDENING AND SUCH"

Letter from Dr. Virgil M. Holland to his daughter, Mary, who has provided some editing additions for clarification. -- Dated July 29, 1982

Dear Mary,
That was an interesting article on the large Ginkgo tree on the old Sam Allison farm out in Fairplay, Texas. There were a few things that even my book did not mention. Sammie was a great one for plants of all types. In his best years, I can remember that he had an orchard with pecan trees, apples, cherries, and pears; in the plot across the road from his house on FM 159 from the Henderson Hwy, US 79, to the north (right) of the barn. In the corner of the garden next to the smokehouse he had raspberries of several different types and colors. It was my delight to pick these through the picket fence when I was about four.

In the chicken yard where the fig trees are now behind the house, there were two huge fig trees. The trees there now are only the remains of one of these large figs. In the turkey yard, he had three fig trees of the large variety. These never seemed to have ever amounted to much... even though one persisted around by the pear tree until a freeze a few years ago did it in...to the roots. Over to the right of the pear tree was an apple tree that ripened in June. It was the first fruit to be available. There were small apples, seldom ever as large as lemons, but they were the best tasting apples that I can remember.

Further back in the orchard proper that now has only three large pecan trees; he had a chinquapin tree, a “Japanese” walnut tree, several varieties of plum and at least a dozen or more peach trees. Among the peaches were the Indian peach for pickles, peaches which the meat adhered to the seed, and peaches of the “clear-seed” kind and several Alberta’s, which are now synonymous with modern day peaches. There were about four apple trees of a type he called “horse apples”. I never saw one ripen. They were fit only for apple cobblers and pies, of which he was very fond. They were also used to make jelly. [Mary’s addition: there were also Hachiya “Japanese” persimmon trees. These had seeds and needed to be fully ripen before eating or they would cause one’s mouth to “pucker”.]

The yard around the house was full of flowers [Mary’s addition from memory: daffodils, hyacinths, jonquils, wisteria, snowflakes, a tulip tree and a massive old Magnolia...to name a few] and there was a rose garden (heirloom varieties with trellises) over on the south side of the driveway, by the house. [Mary’s addition: a red crepe myrtle and pomegranate tree were nearby] I can remember Sunday afternoons when he had visitors from all around... that were flower people...that came only to wander through the yard and garden to see his flowers and see what new varieties he had added in previous Winter. These folks usually left with an arm full of cuttings or bulbs. Sammie, no doubt, spent some time admiring their flowers and brought home new varieties.

He always liked to try new flowers and trees as witness the Ginkgo tree and Tulip tree that still blooms. (Mary’s addition: Great Uncle Sam once had a beautiful Japanese red maple outside the kitchen window.] The Ginkgo tree made it under very adverse circumstances. For years, it seemed to have been a mere sprout of a tree. Diamond Pope’s kids all rode it down when they were left under the sycamores while Diamond was working in the field. Sammie would get on to Diamond for letting the kids ride his tree, then she would break switches by the armloads from the same tree to whip the misbehaving kids. (The tree’s ancient ancestors probably survived similar treatment by animals, dinosaurs and such!)

Sammie’s real love was flowers and he always carried bundles to the church every Sunday. He eventually had enough varieties planted to have material for bouquets at any season of the year. In his dotage he even carried this a bit too far...and would make special trips to town just to pass out flowers to people. He didn’t just bring flowers, but had to visit for a spell and give a bit of the history of every flower. (I suspect a lot of his flowers ended up in the waste basket when he was gone.)

He had some of the same interest in certain animals. Pigs were just for bacon and ham ...cows, milk...and horses just draft power.
Poultry was where he gave way to his interests...He always had turkeys as far back as I can remember. He did not like ducks or geese...or Guineas...they always were getting out and messing up his flowers. His chicken yard looked like a Babylon of varieties...He specialized in the bizarre. He had “frizzled” chickens with curled up feathers...”bunnie” chickens that had no tails...bantams, and various other varieties for color and size. He kept all of these together and every setting of eggs was always a surprise package!

Love, Dad

Neighbors of Fairplay 1920 - 1930

In growing up in a rural East Texas community in the 1920’s, early in life you realize the importance of neighbors. There is a dependency for assistance, physical and otherwise, and a dependency for fellowship as our contact with the outside world was pretty limited.

Before I was six, I had probably been out of the immediate community less than ten times. I thought it would be of some interest to write about all the people who lived in the community of Fairplay, Texas between 1920 and 1930 in so far as I can remember and determine with a little research. I am sure this will be of more interest to me than anyone else.

When I first remember, we lived in a house on the Carthage-Henderson road about one mile east of the store at Fairplay. Early on frosty mornings, we could hear a train whistle to the northeast. This was the train from Carthage to Beckville and already trains, and especially train whistles, conjured up visions of faraway places that, at this time, I had very little hopes of ever seeing. Our world centered about our neighbors and, in the early years, about our closest neighbors.

Our closest neighbors were Andrew and Margaret Futch, who lived about 50 yards west of our house on the same side of the road. One time at about four years, I was sent to borrow a cup of sugar from Margaret, which is the first time that I can remember going anywhere by myself. The fifty yards seemed a terrible distance at the time and I kept a wary eye for dogs and other ferocious beasts.

They (the Futch family) were from Louisiana and, for some reason, had moved to Panola County. They had two daughters, Versie and Blondell. Blondell married Linus Steger, a son of Melville Steger and Estelle Ross in the Delray Community. Versie married Hoyt Pierce in the same community who was born September 24, 1894 and who died October 24, 1915 leaving her pregnant. She later was to deliver twin boys – Clyde and Claude.

Hoyt was a member of a large family of Pierces in the Delray Community including a brother later to marry Lois Lawrence.

Dennis Austin, who lived a bit further up the road to the west, had lost his wife Axie Dobbins who was the daughter of Kate and Lafayette Dobbins. She had died with complications of her leg following gangrene. Axie and Dennis had four children who were Doyle, Addis, Cozette and Alegra. He needed a second wife badly and heard of the comely widow in the next community.
They were soon married and Versie brought her twins to live in the household. Shortly, he and Versie Futch had a daughter, Laretta, who was about three years younger than the twins, and shortly another daughter, Doris. Dennis had a large tract of excellent farm land and he prospered. He had one of the best houses in Fairplay and was one of the first to own a car in the community. Shortly, he moved Versie’s parents to live in the house on his land previously mentioned. Later, Linus and Blondell moved into another house between the two.

Dennis was an avid bird hunter and owned a large English Setter. During bird season, it was a common sight to see him on his mule, bareback, gun in hand and bird dog at heel on the way to suitable bird cover. He was very well thought of in the community and a member of the Baptist Church which he attended every Sunday with the kids who could not get in the car swinging on the funning board and kicking at every dog along the way that condescended to chase the car.
This idyllic situation came to an abrupt end when Dennis died of some type of heart condition. Dennis and Axie’s children refused to stay with Versie. The two girls were taken by Charlie Austin, their uncle. Doyle and Addis moved out to live in a small house near by in which they batched.

There was a division of the land. Versie and her two daughters received the house and about eighty acres of land around the house and a tract of pasture and timber of about 100 acres on Buckner Creek that was reached through a lane about one half mile down the road from the house.

Andrew and Margaret Futch moved in with Versie. Linus and Blondell moved into the house in which the Futches had been living.

EDITOR NOTE THIS MIGHT NOT BE COMPLETE - TAKEN FROM

http://www.txgenweb4.org/txpanola/vmholland_recollections1.htm

Panola County Web Site: http://www.txgenweb4.org/txpanola/

Texas Web Site: http://txgenweb.org/

NEIGHBORS
FAIRPLAY 1920 – 1930
In growing up in a rural East Texas community in the 1920’s, early in life you realize the importance of neighbors. There is a dependency for assistance, physical and otherwise, and a dependency for fellowship as our contact with the outside world was pretty limited.
Before I was six, I had probably been out of the immediate community less than ten times. I thought it would be of some interest to write about all the people who lived in the community of Fairplay, Texas between 1920 and 1930 in so far as I can remember and determine with a little research. I am sure this will be of more interest to me than anyone else.