I enjoyed sharing last week’s article of various newspaper articles I had found on the internet about some early history of Shelby County. Not all the news that made the paper in those days was good news much as it is today. So, I decided to continue with part 2 of ‘Made the News’.

Not only are we dry in July of 2023, but this is the condition of the crops of Shelby County, Texas. Crops are standing greatly in need of rain, though they are now very promising according to The Daily Picayune, Saturday, July3, 1852. (171 years earlier)

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The Pennsylvania Inquirer, Tuesday, March 09, 1852, report: The grist and sawmill and cotton gin of R. Cartwright, of Shelby County, Texas, were entirely destroyed by fire a short time since. (Note: Does anyone know the location of the grist, sawmill and cotton gin?) Another article published in The Daily Picayune on Thursday, Feb. 26, 1852, states the fire originated in the machinery of the sawmill.

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The San Antonio Ledger, Saturday, Feb. 04, 1860: M.L. MCormack Esq. has commenced the publication of "The Echo" at Shelbyville, Shelby County, Texas. From his long experience as a publisher and editor we have no doubt Mr. M. will furnish his subscribers with an excellent paper.

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The Coconino Sun, Saturday, July 28, 1900 (Flagstaff, AZ: Henry Walmgren of 1506 Chartres Street, Houston, Texas, is making inquiry for the heirs of Joseph Ellery, who was a resident of Shelby County, Texas, in 1839.

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The St. Louis Republic, Thursday, Feb 20, 1890
To the Editor of the Republic

Alvarado, Tex, Feb. 15 - Be so kind as to allow me to correct the unintentional mistake of your San Augustine correspondent of the 9th inst. in regard to Col. Blount being the last surviving signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.

Wm. C. Crawford of this vicinity is the only living signer of that document. He was a delegate from Shelby County, Texas, in that convention of patriots which met at old Washington on the Brazos in 1836 and gave us a republic in blood and tears.

Peace to their ashes.  S.K. McGowen (Note: The last surviving signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, William Carroll Crawford (1804-1895) was born to Archibald and Nancy (Carroll) Crawford in Fayetteville, North Carolina. After the family moved to Georgia, Crawford apprenticed as a tailor (1821/1822-1830) and became a Methodist minister in Alabama in 1830. Four years later he married Rhoda Jackson Watkins (d. 1881), with whom he had nine children.

In 1835, the Crawfords settled with the Watkins family near Shelbyville in Shelby County, Texas. Crawford and Sydney O. Penington represented Shelby County at the Convention of 1836, where they signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. In 1859, Crawford moved to Pittsburg, where he served as postmaster from 1874 to 1881. He then lived in Hill County, until 1884, and in Alvarado, until his death.)

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The Bolivar Bulletin, Friday, Dec. 10, 1897, Bolivar, Tennessee
Mr. John H. Patrick left Wednesday morning in a covered wagon for Center, Shelby County, Texas. He expects to reach his destination about Christmas.

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The Washington Observer, Thursday, July 27, 1882, Washington, PA

Three Human Lives for a Dog

From the Orange Tribune.

According to the report given of the recent Shelby County, Texas killing by the Center Champion, it appears that John Goodwyn while out hunting killed a dog belonging to Windham. The latter expressed a determination to whip Goodwyn at sight for killing the dog. About two weeks afterward Goodwyn and his brother-in-law, Moran, passed by Windham's house. Windham gathered up his shotgun and followed, soon overtaking them. He shot both Goodwyn and Moran dea, but received himself a bullet in the knee, from which he died in about an hour. Our Shelby County friends must place an immense value on the life of a dog.

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The Atlanta Journal, Monday, Feb. 24, 1890, Atlanta, GA
Mr. Charles Davis, of Shelby County, Texas, carried to Shreveport last week a bale of cotton for which he refused 25 cents per pound. It was pronounced the longest staple and the finest bale of cotton ever offered for sale in that city. This fine specimen was grown from a stalk of cotton which Mr. Davis found on his place three or four years ago, the seed of which he has carefully watched and propagated. He does not know of what variety the cotton is, and therefore has no name for it.

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Charlotte Home and Democrat, Friday, May 08, 1885, Charlotte, NC

The Serpent's Power

On the third page of the Advocate is an article from Wm. H. Metheny, Arkansas Conference, headed "Snake-charming," in which he gives an account of a bird under some seeming influence or spell that it had no power to break This connection with the presence of a snake led him to suppose the bird was being charmed by it. He then gives us the opinion of several men, among them two professors, as to the charming power of snakes. He then asks, "Who can turn on the light and give us facts in reference to this mooted subject?" I cannot give facts but can give one fact. Here is what I saw with several others. I was sitting on the gallery of Mrs. Gibson's house in Center, Shelby County, Texas, about three years ago, waiting for the family to get ready to go to church. Suddenly, a bullfrog went leaping through the yard as if jumping for dear life, as subsequent developments showed he was. I was soon made aware of the cause of his haste, for just a few rods behind him was a medium-sized black snake, putting forth all his powers of locomotion to overtake the frog. They went round and round in the yard, until the frog made his way under the house, the snake following I went into the yard where I could see under the house. I saw this snakeship a few feet from the edge of the gallery lying perfectly still with his head raisedabout two inches from the ground. I supposed him looking for the frog, I watched closely, and soon saw the frog start from the upper side of the house and go just as straight to the snake as it was possible, and into his mouth, when the snake bore it way triumphantly, the frog sending back the piteous wail of death. J.T. Smith, Texas Conference, in Nashville Advocate.
The Houston Post, 06 Jun 1910

Center, Texas. June 5 - Mr. Cunningham of Lufkin, who recently purchased the Center steam laundry, has arrived, and will begin operation as soon as the machinery can be overhauled and put in suitable repair.

Center, Texas, June 5 - Mr. A.C. Cooper has completed his new concrete bungalow on San Augustine Street. It is the only one of its kind in the city.