The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1916-12-13
JAMES :. DAVIS or SAN ANTONIO
SPENDS DAY HERE LOOKING
AFTER PROPERTY.
CAME HERE IN 1853
Owns Property on Which His Father
settled When WaNahachie Was
Only Frontier Village.

was one OF the pioneers of Ellis
county. and it is interesting to hear
hem tell about the incidents of the
early days. He came to Texas with
his father, r. A. Davis. Just three
score and five years ago, which gives
him right to the title OF pioneer
citizen Old timers remember Jim
Davis as one of the live wires Of the
community some few years ago and
always welcome him when he comes
to visit in the city. He owns consid-
cradle property interests in the town
and county and comes occasionally
to look after his interests although
he has made his home in San An
tonic for the last ten years.
In speaking of his early day ex-
I periences Mr.. Davis said: II came to
Texas with my father in 1851, how
ever, did not reach Ellis county UNI
til 1858 and then came year in
advance of my father, who first set
! ttcu III Aoilih cDuhtS III tue UP
overland from Wilson county, Ten
nessee, to Texas Mr.. Davis grand
| father, Edward Sweat, was the pa
trisrch of the caravan. which in
cluded some seventy-five persons and
numerous wagons and teams.
I'VE left Tennessee on Oct. 3,
1851, and crossed Red river on
Nov. 4, 1851, Father and stopped
over in Collin county, but Grand
father Sweat came on to Ellis and
bought league of land on South
Prong, four miles south OF Waxa-
hachie. This was the William Stew
art league. / came from Collin coun-
ty osthe home of my grandfather
in 1853 and father came III 1854.
| Ny father settled on a portion of the
Stewart league, owned by my grand
! father II was on the fourth day of
May that we drove the stakes and
hoisted a wagon bed to start camps
1 on the land We then went into the
| bottoms and cut poles and hewed
logs with which to build cabins. One
of the cabins erected in that year
still stands on the place. We fenced
off small patch for a field and
| bought a few cattle and life was be
gun in earnest in Ellis county.
In 1857 my father, who was a
surveyor, was elected county survey
or of Ellis county. ! have a COM
mission signed by Governors Pease
and Runnels showing his authority
| for making surveys in the county.
| (Mr. Davis exhibited these we'll pre-
served documents bearing the dates
of 1857 and 1859 As a flagman
| for my father | Travelled all over the
county and made the acquaintance
of many of the early settlers. | do
not recall man or woman living
! here now who was a married mar or
woman and lived here at that time.
One by one they have passed away,
which reminds me that ] must be
getting up into years, although feel
about as young as | did during the
big barbecue and celebration Incl
dent to the laying of the corner stone
for the present court house back
in 1896"
! Mr.. Davis also had among his pa
pers the oaths of amnesty made by
himself and his father in 1855, at
lthe close of the war. These docu-
ments are well preserved and highly
valued by him. 1t was in the days
of reconstruction when the govern
ment required confederate soldiers
! TO take oath that they would support
the government. One OF the oaths
was made before Benz. #. Hawkins,
clerk of the courts.
Il remember back in 1857 when
a killing frost came on the 9TH of
April, killing ali the corn and wheat.
Six days later an inch Of snow fell
1 and put thouGH Albl9ANAN IL 49,
ground to bring out the wheat and
we made four or five bushels to tue
acre despite the fact we did not have
any more rain until in July That
light crop of wheat provided flour
for cur bread for the year. Wheat
sold at that time at $3.50 a bushel
4
speaking of the development OF
Waxahachie, remember when l
came here the people Of the coun-
tx we're busily engaged in erecting
their first courthouse, a small wood
en- structure. About 1870 they built
a stone courthouse. Along IN 1880.
ii wss, we built the present court
house. remember very Wen the
cornerstone celebration we staged
here. I was chairman OF the bar
beeue committee ana we barbecued