Tidbits of Shelby County History
Trivia by Mattie Dellinger
This week’s article is still information obtain from the papers of Mattie Dellinger. This great source of Shelby County history was shared by Dixie Dellinger. Thank you, Dixie.
Timpson was named in honor of son-in-law of P.E. Timpson, stockholder, of the railroad that was being built and operated in Timpson in 1884. This Mr. Timpson lived in New York. In those days they named new towns along the railroad after the stockholders, like Lufkin, Appleby and other.
The first bottling works in Texas was built and operated in Timpson by A.B. Jennings.
John Bussey built the first telephone system in Timpson running it parallel with the railroad out from town in each direction.
B.F. Morris donated the land for the town site of Joaquin. He gave the right-of-way through 500 acres of his land to the Houston, East and West Texas Railroad in 1884 and also provided a 100 acre town site; it was named after Joaquin Morris, grandson of the original land owner. Morris also donated the building site of the First Baptist Church of Joaquin.
J.M. Hairgrove, T.H. Day. M.D. Carroll and L. Smith were commissioners in 1884 when the contract was let to build the Shelby County courthouse and O.R. Hooper was county judge.
Mrs. Clara Short Ramsey (1879-1937) was the wife of Joaquin Dr. W.A. Ramsey, Dr. Ramsey died in 1962 at the age of 76.
Douigeville, near Joaquin, was named for coins called “dougies”, according to Florence Davis, of Center, whose husband, the late Carroll Davis was a filer for the Pickering Lumber Company and Mrs. Davis explained “After W.C. Garrett took over the management of the mill he issued coins made of copper to the employees who needed to borrow money from the mill. The coins were called, “dougies” and could be exchanged at the plant commissary.” She added that in later years a Mr. Cobb who operated the Cobb Hotel in Logansport, put in a little business on the south side of the overpass in Haslam and would take in the “dougies” in exchange for money or merchandise. Thus the area became known as Dougieville.
What year did the Shelby County Fair have its beginning? And who was the Shelby County Farm agent that year? Answer: October 20, 1927 and C.P. Scurlock was the county agent at that time. The first Shelby County fair was held at the old rodeo grounds on San Augustine Street. The proceeds of that fair went to help pay the salaries of the county and home agents. Miss Myrtle Glazner was the Home Demonstration agent the year of the first fair.
There have been 75 different post offices located in Shelby County since the county was organized. How many post offices do we have in Shelby County now? Answer: 5, Center, Timpson, Tenaha, Joaquin and Shelbyville.
Who was district clerk of Shelby County in 1885, the year the courthouse was completed? Answer: Y.W. Rogers, the father of John C. and Will Rogers.
Can you name at least 2 ferries that were operating on the Sabine River from Shelby County in 1883? Answer: Brooklyn and Logansport Ferries, Ashton Ferry, Myricks and Hamilton Ferry. (This information was taken from Volume I of the Shelby County Commissioners’ book of Minutes….. and required that these ferries pay an annual license fee of from $50 to $5 for operating. It is interesting to note that the court ordered these fees to be paid or charged at the ferries: for footmen to cross the using the ferry, 5 cents; horse and buggy, 20 cents; two horses and wagon or one yoke oxen and wagon, 25 cents; four horses and wagon or two yoke oxen and wage 40 cents; three yoke oxen and wagon 60 cents.
Note: Do you have 3 extra hours a week? If so, why not spend that time volunteering at the Shelby County Museum. We still need a volunteer for Fridays. If that date won’t work for you, we may be able to make arrangement for a different day of the week. We need you!!!