The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-10-06
A Scrip Of History.

iFrom the Kaufman star, Oct. III
NThe act creating Kaufman Coun.
" was approved, Feb, 2G, 1913.
1t was named in honor Of David S.
Kaufman, Il native of Burke county
Penn. who immigrated to Texas at
an early day, and settled at Mar
shall, in Harrison county, in East
Texas. Mr. Kaufman was lawyer
by profession and man Of great
ability. He served several sessions
in Congress in the days Of the Re
public Of Texas, and was speaker of
the House Of Representatives two
terms. After annexation he was
elected to Congress from this State,
and died young, while member in
the Federal Congress Mr.. X. was
very popular in Texas, and was one
of her most devoted friends. His
surviving relatives still live in
Pennsylvania, and one Of them is II
subscriber to the Star.
Tho territory which forms this
county was originally embraced in
Nacogdoches district. In 1916,
Henderson county was created, and
what is now Van Zandt and Kauf
man counties, was included in Hen
derson;-the county seat was at Bull
alo, now deserted town on the
Trinity river. When Kaufman was
first created it embraced all of Van
Zant county; but in March, 1913,
that county was taken off of kaut.
man and u part of Henderson, and
in 1855 part of Kaufman was at.
tached to Van Zandt.
The first court ever held in Kauf
man eoanty began on the 18th day
of December, 1913. Bennett ii.
Martin was then Judge of this dis
trict, and A. J. Fowler, prosecuting
attorney. Sias Estes was sheriff,
and A. Baird, clerk. The attor-
neys whose names appear ON the
minutes of that court, were John IL.
lieagan, John Il. Cravens, Nat. NJ.
Burford, A. J. Fowler and 5. IL.
Campbell. The court was held IN
the woods, just east of James Ea-
gan's old place, between Kaufman
and Terrell. There was neither
courthouse or Jail. Not n house OF
any kind was near the place. Judge
Martin selected large postoak, I'M
der which he held court. The tree
is still standing, and while we are
talking and thinking of old times,
would IL not be well for our police
court to take some steps to have
that tree marked and preserved, so
that future generations may be able
to know the spot where Justice was
first administered in the country 7
II the curious have an inclination
to sec the place, they may do so by
leaving tho Terrell and Kaufman
roads at the north. west corner OF
James Eagan's field, not far from
where small drain crosses the
road and just before they reach tho
prairie, they will find the place
where the early settlers OF kaufman
like the Druids of old, administered
Justice in grove Of oak trees The
rees may or may not have oeen
.d,no with mistletoe. BE that as it
av first settlers OF this county
,..,.. .heir first court in open air,
ava, from any human habitatlon,
and with no covering but the shade
of an old post oak tree The grand
iurv retired to some secret spot ana
kept out sentinals and the travis
juries made up their verdlcts 'he
same way. There were no record
books and the minutes OF the court
were kept upon slips of paper when
are still to be seen in the clerk OIL
fee, though much mutiIated. They
were afterwards transcribed ana
certified to by the district Judge;
Surely these were days of primeva'
simplicity, almost as much so AZ
when Adam and Eve were clothed
with fig leaves in the garden OF
Eden. The first entry ever MADE
upon tho records of the county reads
rs follows; ,o,o ID
"Monday December 18th, lS4S, be
it remembered, that the Honorable,
the District Court for the county OF
Kaufman, within the ninth judicial
district of the state of Texas met
Mt the court house in said county
on Monday, the 18th day OF Deem
Der, in the year of Christ, one thons'
and eight hundred and f0rty'e,gnmS'
present the Honorable Bennett IL.
Martin, Judge ofsaid Court, Andrew
J. Fowler, district attorney, AVN "
Baird. clerk, Silas Estes, shcrlf,
The Grand Jury was oganized ana
charged that day and was composed
of the following pcrsons Josephine
s. Erwin, foreman, John ID. f. Nc
Caskill, JAS. Alexander, Henry
Bates, Rob't Godfrey, John Mont Mont,
aomery. Sterling r. Barnes, David
Morgan, VIM Dalton, Nathl Daugn'
ortys And'w II. Henry, WIN W
Mcintuf, John Wilson, Geo. W
Mitchell, Peter High, Nehemiah
Beardsec, 80
The first, third, fourth, skin .Ia,,
seventh, eighth, ninth ana 'en''
are dead. >. .o.s,o,