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Atkins House
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
416 N Jackson at Heritage Park
Marker Erected: 1991
Marker Text:
Irish native Sarah Hamilton Crouch and her husband, James Crouch, lived in Texas before the Civil War. After their divorce in 1868 she became a prominent businesswoman in Sulphur Springs. She married Joseph Atkins in 1873 and had this house built in the late 1870's. Believed to be the first brick structure in town, it was designed in a unique four-point configuration. The house remained on its original site on Atkins Street in downtown Sulphur Springs for over a 100 years. Threatened with demolition in 1986, it was dismantled and moved to Heritage Park.
Black Jack Grove Cumby
Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected: 1979
Marker Located on FM \499, between N 2nd and S. FM 275, Cumby
Marker Text: The grove of black jack trees which gave this town its original name was near an Indian camping ground. The trees stood atop the highest point in present Hopkins County. An Indian trail that crossed the grove later became a major wagon freighting route. Black Jack Grove Post Office opened in 1848 in the home of John W. Matthews, the first postmaster. In 1851 D. W. Cole purchased a tract of land that included the grove from Elizabeth Wren and began selling town lots. Cole operated a store and gave land for the first Masonic Lodge building. Henry Bingham ran a tavern which also served as a hotel. By 1860, Black Jack Grove was a thriving settlement with several stores, two physicians, two blacksmiths, and other tradesmen. A log structure housed the school. Later a vacant store served as a school and church facility. To avoid confusion with another Black Jack Post Office, the town was renamed in 1896 for legislator and Confederate veteran Robert H. Cumby. After 1900, two banks opened and the town incorporated. Later the population began to decline as improved highways lessened Cumby's importance as a trading center. One of Cumby's best-known citizens was the noted author Ben K. Green (1912-1974).
Black Oak Baptist Church
Hopkins County Texas
Marker Erected: 1984
Marker Located on FM 69 at FM 269, 17 mi. SE of Sulphur Springs
Marker Text:
Named for the black oak trees surrounding it, the Black Oak community was settled in the 1850s by recipients of government land grants. By 1854 a post office had been established, and a log building had been constructed for use as a community church and school. In its early years, Black Oak had a gin, hardwood sawmill, and grocery store. In 1856 Elders John J. D. Davis and Daniel Ramsey helped organize a Baptist congregation. The eight charter members-- H. W. Townsend, Stephen Bullock, Canter Irby, Rebecka Jane Byrd, Amanda Ford, F. M. Ford, Penelepe Floyd, and Malindy Bullock-- elected Davis as their first pastor. Throughout its history, Black Oak Baptist Church has been a focal point of the community. Early settlers David and Rebecca Attaway donated one acre of land for use of the church in 1859. Additional land was purchased in 1885 and in 1910. The current sanctuary replaced the original log building in 1909. The Black Oak Cemetery, located adjacent to the church building, long has been associated with this congregation. The oldest marked grave, that of Ava Oliver, is dated 1857. Many descendants of the early day founders of the Black Oak community are active in the Black Oak Baptist Church congregation today.
City National Bank
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected: 1989
Marker Located on 201 Connally St., Sulphur Springs
Marker Text:
The oldest banking institution in Sulphur Springs, City National Bank was organized in 1889. The first board of directors included J. J. Dabbs, John T. Hargrove, J. F. Carter, J. A. B. Putnam, W. B. Womack, W. A. Dabbs, and S. W. Summers. A two-story brick building was erected at this site on the town square. W. W. Jones, Sr., was a dominant figure in the bank. With his strong leadership, the bank thrived and survived the Great Depression intact. The original bank building was razed in 1968 and a new structure was built in its place.
Confederate Refugees in Texas
CSA Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected 1965
Marker Located Roadside Park on SH 19/154, 5 miles North of Sulphur Springs
Marker Text:
In the vicinity of Old Tarrant, south of here, the Civil War refugee family of Mrs. Amanda Stone, of Louisiana, was shown great kindness when rescued by Hopkins countians after a road accident. The Stones saw the Texans share the little they had, even cooking the last tough old farm hen, to feed them. The Stones were but one of many families to flee from war lines to the comparative safety of Texas. Here, though Federal invasion repeatedly threatened, only a few coastal towns were under fire from the enemy. The family of Gen. Stand Watie, from Indian Territory, visited relatives in Wood County. Gen. Kirby Smith, with headquarters in Shreveport, rented homes in Marshall or Hempstead for his wife and babies. Like most refugees, the Stones when they visited in Hopkins County were heartbroken over loss of their old home to the enemy. In Texas they endured poverty, loneliness, and sorrow at deaths of two sons in the war. They had to lease farm land, to support the family and 90 slaves dependent upon them. Their young boys at one time carried pistols for safety when schoolmates resented their strange manners. Yet eventually they and most other refugees were grateful to Texas for its many generosities.
Cumby
Cumby, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected 1979
Marker Located on FM 499, between N 2nd and S FM 275, Cumby
Marker Text:
The grove of black jack trees which gave this town its original name was near an Indian camping ground. The trees stood atop the highest point in present Hopkins County. An Indian trail that crossed the grove later became a major wagon freighting route. Black Jack Grove Post Office opened in 1848 in the home of John W. Matthews, the first postmaster. In 1851 D. W. Cole purchased a tract of land that included the grove from Elizabeth Wren and began selling town lots. Cole operated a store and gave land for the first Masonic Lodge building. Henry Bingham ran a tavern which also served as a hotel. By 1860, Black Jack Grove was a thriving settlement with several stores, two physicians, two blacksmiths, and other tradesmen. A log structure housed the school. Later a vacant store served as a school and church facility. To avoid confusion with another Black Jack Post Office, the town was renamed in 1896 for legislator and Confederate veteran Robert H. Cumby. After 1900, two banks opened and the town incorporated. Later the population began to decline as improved highways lessened Cumby's importance as a trading center. One of Cumby's best-known citizens was the noted author Ben K. Green (1912-1974).
Early Sulphur Bluff
Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected: 1968
Marker Location: FM 71 at CR 3608, 15 mi. NE of Sulphur Springs
Marker Text:
First known settlers in area were family of John Gregg. Their cemetery (2 mi. N) has marker dated 1837, from Republic of Texas era. Other early settlers were the brothers Hezekiah and Robert Hargrave, from Indiana. They built brush-roofed log homes (3 mi. N), on high bluff above Sulphur River, offering protection from Indians and providing abundant game. Robert Hargrave, a mechanical genius, built a wood and iron shop, a blacksmith shop, and a grist mill that drew customers from Caddo Mills, 50 miles away. A post office was built 1849; early school was founded 1852.
First Christian Church
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected: 1977
Marker Located at 207 N. Davis St. at Atkins St. Sulphur Springs
Marker Text:
(Disciples of Christ) In the 1850s, Disciples in the pioneer town of Bright Star, also known as "The Sulphur Springs," gathered for religious meetings at neighbors' homes and in a vacant store. Two evangelists, the Rev. Charles Carlton and the Rev. J. M. Baird, organized this congregation in 1870. Joseph Hooten, a church elder, acted as interim pastor until the arrival of the first full-time minister, the Rev. Lawrence W. Scott, who served 1871-79. Shortly afterward, this fellowship purchased, in partnership with the First Baptist Church, one-half interest in a white frame sanctuary being vacated by the Methodists. The congregations worshiped on alternate Sundays.The Disciples sold their share to the Baptists in 1884 and constructed a separate church to accommodate the growing membership. This was a clapboard building in the Gothic style with a steep roof, tall arched windows, and a central bell tower and spire. Under the leadership of the Rev. D. Cephas Shelburne, a larger white brick sanctuary was completed in 1914. Classrooms were later annexed and a two-story house on a lot adjoining the church property was purchased for an education building. In 1962 a new sanctuary replaced the old church structure.
First Presbyterian Church
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected: 1982 Marker Located at 129 E. College St., Sulphur Springs
Marker Text:
Organized in 1852, this church had eight members with Samuel Davidson as the ruling elder. A sanctuary erected jointly by this congregation and the Cumberland Presbyterians on Connally Street burned in 1873. The membership constructed a frame building at this site in July 1882. The Rev. J. C. Crow became the first resident pastor in 1886, and W. P. McDonald, clerk of the session, kept the first records in 1887. In 1890 Mrs. Lena Johnson began the Ladies Missionary Society. The present sanctuary was built in 1920, and an educational facility was added in 1981.
First United Methodist Church
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected: 1976 Located at 301 N. Church St. at Atkins St., Sulphur Springs
Marker Text:
Established in 1850 by the Rev. Pleas B. Bailey, this Methodist congregation erected the first church building in Sulphur Springs about 1852 on a site in the "Spring Lot" which surrounded the town's mineral springs. The property was purchased from Dr. Owen S. Davis, a charter member of the church and founder of the town of Sulphur Springs. The Rev. J. D. Lynch served as the fellowship's first resident pastor. The Methodists shared their original meeting place with the Baptist Church, founded in 1859. Delegates meeting here in 1867 organized the Trinity Conference, which later became the North Texas Conference of the Methodist Church. In 1870 the Methodists sold their building to the Baptists and the newly-formed Christian Church and moved to a larger frame structure on this property, purchased from William J. Johnson. A brick church building was erected here in 1893-1894. It was replaced by the present edifice, the fifth building occupied by this fellowship, constructed in 1917 during the pastorate of the Rev. W. D. Thompson. Active in civic, cultural, and educational activities, this congregation supported Central College, a Methodist institution which operated here, 1886-1895.
Forest Academy Cemetery
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected 1984 Marker Located take SH 11 about 7.3 miles SE to CR 2320, go North 1 mile to cemetery
Marker Text:
This cemetery was not formally set aside until 1858. But the land probably was used as a burial ground prior to that time. Settlement of the area began in 1847 when Thomas Madison and Elizabeth (Fanning) Ticer brought their family here. Thomas Ticer died one year later, but there is no record of his burial in the county. His wife was interred in this graveyard in 1879. The first known marked grave in Forest Academy Cemetery is that of Martha McCorkle, who died in 1858. In the same year, Winship S. Petty (1804-1881) bought 865.5 acres of land in Hopkins County. Since this burial ground was a part of that acreage, he donated it to the Forest Academy community and increased the area of the cemetery to six acres. Petty later supplied the lumber from his sawmill in Angelina County to build the first community church and school building. Petty is interred here in an unmarked site. By 1910 the families who lived in this area had moved, leaving only the Methodist Church building and this cemetery as reminders of this early agricultural settlement. The burial ground was vandalized in 1971, which destroyed many of the old grave markers. It continues to stand, however, as an important element in the region's heritage.
Greenview Community and Cemetery
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected: 1979 Marker Location just north of FM 1567 about 2 mi. west of SH 19, 12 mi. SW of Sulphur Springs
Marker Text:
In 1839 the Rev. Green Weaver (1795-1863), a prosperous merchant and slave holder from Illinois and Iowa, settled here with his four sons. A Christian church minister, the Rev. Weaver performed marriages and visited sick neighbors. He married Nancy McCorry and built a two-room log cabin. An old wagon trail from Shreveport crossed their plantation. The first burial in 1848 was that of the Weavers' five-month-old daughter Martha. The plot was placed near the home so her mother could walk to the grave. Only family members were interred here until 1878 when the burial ground was opened to the public. In 1884 the Rev. Weaver's son Joseph gave land for a church. The neighbors donated the lumber and constructed this community house. It served as a church building and school. That same year, "Weaver Neighborhood Cemetery" was renamed "Greenview" by Mary and Weaver Mosely. She chose "Green" in memory of her father and "View" for the sight from the old homestead. The Greenview School operated until 1914 when it was consolidated. This free public cemetery of more than 1200 graves is still in use. Memorial services are held here the first Sunday in July.
Harmony Methodist Church and Cemetery
Pickton, Hopkins County, Texas Marker Erected: 1993
Marker Location 3.5 mi. SE of Pickton on SH 11, then north on CR 2403 .5 mi. to CR 2397, then west about 1 mi. to cemetery
Marker Text:
Local landowner Jesse Odom persuaded an itinerant preacher to hold a revival for settlers in this area in 1877 and again in 1878. A congregation was organized and in 1879 a sanctuary was erected here on one acre of land donated by Mr. Odom. The Rev. S. W. Jones served as first pastor. A cemetery also was established that year on an adjacent tract of land donated by Henry P. Barron. The 1880 interment of Mr. Barron is the earliest recorded burial here. According to local tradition it was the aura of goodwill and harmony during the construction of the sanctuary that was expressed in the naming of the church and cemetery. In 1891 Jim and Henrietta Atkins (the parents of seven children under the age of 4 buried here between 1882 and 1898) donated an acre of land to the cemetery. In 1912 the Rev. W. B. Martin deeded land to the church. Will C. Hill donated an acre to the cemetery in 1914 and in 1916 the congregation replaced its original church building with a new sanctuary. The congregation erected its last sanctuary here in 1951. The church was dissolved in 1963 and in 1968 the Harmony Church building and land were sold to the Harmony Cemetery Foundation. The foundation continues to maintain the cemetery.
Hopkins County Courthouse
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected 1975 Marker Located on Courthouse
Marker Text:
The thrid Hopkins County Courthouse, built in 1882, was destroyed on Feb. 11, 1894 by a fire that also burned the jail and several nearby structures. Plans were soon made for a new court building to be erected on this corner rather than in the middle of the block where the first edifice stood. The site is unusual because most Texas courthouses are located in the center of the public square, not facing it. The new structure was designed by James Riely Gordon (1864-1937), popular courthouse architect from San Antonio, and constructed by the Dallas firm of Sonnefield and Emmins. Austin architect A O Watson wa hired to inspect the work. He admired the plans but suggested bracing to strengthen the stonework. The building was completed on Aug. 22, 1895 at a final cost of $75,000. A clock for the tower was requested by some citizens, but county commissioners refused to provide funds for it. Made of red granite with contrasting sandstone trim, the Hopkins County Courthouse is a fine example of the massive Richardsonian Romanesque style which Gordon often used. The quarter-circular porches at the northwest and southwest corners mark entrances to the three-story edifice. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1975
Hopkins County Echo-Daily News-Telegram
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected 1985
Marker Text:
Deed records indidcate that a newspaper was being published in Hopkins County as early as 1854. It was known as the "Texas Star" and was located in Tarrant, which then served as county seat. In 1855, the printing presses were purchased by William Wortham, who moved the equipment to Bright Star (later Sulphur Springs) and founded a paper he called the "Independent Frontier." In 1864, Wortham renamed it the "Sulphur Springs Gazette" and retained ownership until 1898. The "Echo" was founded by Ezra Tate in 1878 as a competitor to the "Gazette." During its 39-year ownership by the Tate family, the "Echo" acquired two other local publications, the "Evening News" and the "Morning Telegram." The Tate family merged these newspapers into the "Daily News-Telegram," while also maintaining the weekly "Echo." During 1917, the Bagwell Company gained ownership of the "Echo." The "News-Telegram," "Daily Gazette," and "Weekly Gazette" were later purchased and formed into one daily publication known as the "Daily News-Telegram." The "Echo" was maintained as a weekly. A central printing company, Echo Publishing Co., purchased the publications in 1951.
King, General W. H.
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected: 1963
Marker Location: Courthouse lawn, Connally St. at Gilmer St.
Marker Text:
Star and Wreath) Home county of Texas Confederate. (1839-1910) Georgian. Moved to Texas 1861. Rose to rank of colonel, 18th Texas Infantry. Led regiment in Red River Campaign of 1863 to prevent split of South along Mississippi. Commanded the 18th in Red River Campaign 1864 to stop invasion of Texas. Wounded Mansfield, La. and made brigadier general. Recovered to lead Walker's Division for a time and brigades in Louisiana and East Texas. Texas adjutant general 1881-91. A memorial to Texans who served the Confederacy. Erected by the state of Texas 1963. Texas in the Civil War: Texas made an all-out effort for the Confederacy after a 3 to 1 vote for secession. 90,000 troops, famous for daring and mobility, fought on every battlefront. A 2,000 mile frontier and coastline was successfully defended from Union troops and savage Indians. State and private industry produced war goods. Cotton - life blood of South - traded thru Mexico for medicine and military supplies. Texas was storehouse of Western Confederacy. Citizens made sacrifices to produce food and clothing for Texas fighting men.
Miller Grove Methodist Church
Cumby, Hopkins County, Texas Marker Erected: 1992
Marker Location: 8 mi. south of Cumby on FM 275 at CR 1142 in Miller Grove
Marker Text:
Circuit-riding ministers held worship services for Methodists in Miller Grove one Sunday a month as early as 1860. Formally organized in 1870, the congregation met in the community schoolhouse until members constructed their own sanctuary at this site on land donated by the Corbet family. Completed in 1900, the church building was used for many years by other denominations and for various community functions. The historic congregation was renamed Miller Grove United Methodist Church in 1968.
Mt Zion Churches and Cemetery
Cumby, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected 1967 Marker Located SH 11, 5 miles SE of Commerce and 5 miles North of Cumby
Marker Text:
Mt. Zion Methodist Episcopal Church organized here before creation of Hopkins County, 1846. Also at Mt. Zion, 1849, Harmony Cumberland Presbyterian Church was organized with 13 members, by the Rev. Anthony Travelstead. After years of worship in oak groves, brush arbors and homes, church edifice was built jointly 1861. Site given by David Findley, Nicholas Harlow. More land given 1904 by J. A. Rains, Chas. E. Brown. In 1901 Harmony Cumberland Presbyterian Church became Mt. Zion Cumberland Presbyterian Church; continues to function. Methodist moved away in 1914.
North Liberty Baptist Church
Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected: 1976 Marker Location: on FM 1537 at CR 3511, 5 mi. north of Sulphur Springs
Marker Text:
No records date the founding of this church, but a meeting led by Elders B. H. Elder and G. L. Smith in the nearby township of Tarrant resulted in reorganization of the fellowship in 1875. This church building was erected in the 1890s about one mile from here. Then called Liberty Baptist Church, the congregation added "North" in 1946 to avoid confusion with another church of that name in the area. The structure was moved to this site, owned by Daniel Debord, in 1952. Dalby Debord, grandson of Daniel, and his wife Pat donated the land to the church in 1966.
Oakland Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected 1979
Marker Located FM 2653 ROW, 12 NW of Sulphur Springs
Marker Text:
After the Civil War (1861-65), during the turbulence of Reconstruction, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Rising Star, Alabama, was burned. Members W. A. (Willis) (d. 1920) and Nannie Stewart sought a place where they could worship as they pleased. They came to Hopkins County in 1882 with their seven children and ex-slaves, Abraham and Chloe. Stewart bought 301 acres and built a two-room dogtrot house (3 mi. NW). The family continued their custom of evening singing, prayer, and Bible study. Soon neighbors joined the services. In 1883 a circuit rider, the Rev. Felice Johnson, baptized Mollie Bagget in the Stewart home. When nine more converts joined in 1884, Stewart received permission for services to be held in Oakland School. In 1896 Mrs. M. A. (Aunt Polly) Young gave this two-acre site for a church. Stewart and his Uncle Frank Herman drew the plans and with community help erected this meetinghouse. The congregation continued to grow and Stewart served as church elder until his death. During services in 1944 a fire started in the church loft and caused extensive damage. The fellowship repaired the structure and the Oakland Cumberland Presbyterian Church continues to serve the area.
Pine Forest Church and Cemetery
Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected 1999 Marker Located 12 mi. E of Sulphur Springs on IH-30; 4 mi. S on FM 269 (Weaver Rd.); E on CR 3310
Marker Text:
Founded about 1855 in what was known as the Stout Creek neighborhood, this church was established on a half-acre of land deeded from attorney Thomas Willison to church trustees. The 1855 trustees included James S. Stout, the original owner of the Methodist church land and much of the surrounding area. He was active in establishing schools, roads and churches in the community and served in civic and military capacities. The other trustees were James Stout's brother-in-law, Andrew J. Richey, along with William Truitt, Williams S. Fults and Robert Hamilton. The earliest known grave in the cemetery adjoining the church property is that of John Minter, who arrived in the area in 1855. By early 1856, he owned an interest in 26 acres of the original townsite, then called Saratoga. Minter died in 1856. Robert Junell, local landowner, was the second person interred here when he died in 1857. School classes were held in a building on church property in the 1860s. Later, classes and worship took place in the same structure. Joseph T. and Sarah A. Minter donated another one and one-half acres to the church in 1875 for community burial purposes. Additional land was given in 1883 and again in 1893. The first recorded pastor of the Pine Forest Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was J. W. Hunter who served in 1894. The church and cemetery continued to serve throughout the 20th century. A flood in the 1940s reportedly washed away many gravestones. The cemetery contains more than 600 graves and, like the church, is still active. The Pine Forest Church and Cemetery continue in the traditions of their pioneer founders. (1999)
Pine Hill Cumberland Presbyterian Church and Cemetery
Winnsboro, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected 1989 Marker Located 8 mi. NW of Winnsboro on FM 3019 to CR 2381, then east to church and cemetery about 1 mile
Marker Text:
Organized in 1864 by J. G. L. Davis and a small group of charter members, this church has served its rural community for well over a century. This property, acquired in 1883, has been the site of several church buildings, the last constructed in 1954. The adjacent Pine Hill Cemetery, containing over 125 marked and unmarked graves, dates to at least 1873. The earliest documented burial in the graveyard is that of James Thompson (1805-1873). Still serving people in a wide rural area, the church and cemetery reflect the community's rich heritage.
Plunkett School
Cumby, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected 1991 Marker Located 4 miles East of Cumby on IH-30, then .4 miles North to Pleasant Grove Cemetery
Marker Text:
The Hopkins County Commissioners Court established 32 school districts in 1867. District #30 became known as Plunkett School in 1903 when a new schoolhouse was built at this site and named for its builder, James W Plunkett (1829-1914). W A Smith, P B and Lizzie Wise, and O D and Ollie Gillis donated land for the school. The schoolhouse also served as a meeting place for a Cumberland Presbyterian Church and a non-demoninational congregation. Due to declining enrollment, the school closed in 1945 and the building was razed.
Richland Cemetery
Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected 2002 Marker Located at Sulphur Springs, 7 mi. E on FM 69
Marker Text:
Unmarked graves here may date to 1872, the year the Richland Baptist Church bought the site and the Richland School was established here. The earliest marked grave dates to 1878; two earlier ones, dated 1873 and 1876, are reinterments. Many veterans, including more than a dozen of the Civil War, are buried here. The Richland Cemetery Society maintained the graveyard from 1922 to 1962, when the Richland Cemetery Association formed. Although the school and original church are gone, the site now provides an enduring link to the area's early history. Historic Texas Cemetery.
Shooks Chapel Methodist Church
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected: 1988
Marker Location: SH 154, 1.1 mi. south of Sulphur Springs
Marker Text:
This church traces its history to 1886, when area settlers organized a congregation of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The church was named for the Rev. W. A. Shook, who held the first revival here. The congregation met in a brush arbor or a nearby schoolhouse until a sanctuary was built on land donated by B. P. Joiner. Early worship services were led by student pastors who were often paid in produce. Associated with the church is a community cemetery, begun in 1889. A second sanctuary, built in 1916, was replaced by a new structure in 1974.
Smith, Dr. Josiah House
Weaver, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected: 1976
Marker Text: This is a site important to Texas history, as shown by the above plaque given to the Dr. Josiah Smith house that stood here for 123 years, but was destroyed by fire on Nov. 30, 1974. The pillar in which the marker is set is made of bricks originally in the structure.
Stewart Cemetery
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected 1983
Marker Located FM 2653 ROW, 2.5 miles North of Ridgeway and 12 miles NW of Sulphur Springs
Marker Text:
Located on land originally belonging to early Hopkins County settler Zacharias Birdwell (1801-80), the nearby cemetery was first known as Birdwell's Graveyard. The earliest marked grave, that of infant James Becton Herman, is dated 1879, but the site was used as early as 1870. In 1882 Birdwell's widow, Polly, deeded land, including the cemetery, to her nephew W A Stewart. The burial ground, which soon became known as Stewart Cemetery, contains 23 marked graves, including that of Zacharias Birdwell. It was last used in 1915 for the burial of Mary E Casey.
St. Philip's Episcopal Church
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Building gone........Marker gone.
Marker Erected: 1978
Marker Text:
Episcopal missionaries preached in Sulphur Springs as early as the 1860s. This church was founded in 1872 after Bishop Alexander Gregg and Father Francis R. Starr visited the community. For over 20 years, the small Episcopal congregation worshiped in the Presbyterian Church building. In 1887 C. M. Houston (1809-1896) and his wife Nancy (1823-1890) donated this land for a church site. The original portion of the present church structure was erected about 1895. It was later enlarged and remodeled. (Note from Ed Kelton, a member of St Philip's Episcopal Church: The building (with none of its original furnishings) was in a city park 16 years ago. The marker was attached inside the narthex (foyer) of the new church building at 1206 College Street.)
Stout, James Selen
Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected: 2000
Marker Location: 12 miles east of Sulphur Springs on IH-30, then 4 miles south on FM 269 (Weaver Rd.), then east on CR 3310 to Pine Forest Cemetery
Marker Text:
(August 30, 1818 - July 19, 1897) Born in Arkansas, James Selen Stout was reared in what became northeast Texas. He served three months in the Republic of Texas cavalry in 1836, and in 1838 received a grant of 320 acres of land for his service. His parents, Henry and Sarah Stout, also received a land grant, and their property included the area that became Clarksville, the Red River County seat. A frontier scout and explorer, James S. Stout settled in this vicinity and helped encourage settlement in this area. He served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. He and his wife Elvira (Richey) were the parents of eleven children. (2000)
Sulphur Springs Loan & Building Association
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected 1994
Marker Text:
Chartered on Aug. 13, 1890, the Sulphur Springs Loan and Building Association is the oldest surviving savings association in the state of Texas. Charter members of the association included local business leaders Phil H. Foscue, W. F. Henderson, T. F. Gafford, L.. H. Avinger, M. G. Miller, O. M. Pate, John D. Williams, S. D. Crittenden, and R. F. Blythe. T. F. Gafford served as the first managing officer. Originally located in a two-story building southeast of the town square, the association responded to economic growth and development in the area brought about by the arrival of the railroad. Supporting both urban and rural building projects and home construction, the association has played an important role in Hopkins County history. Many of the area's businesses trace their roots to loans made by the association in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The association moved to new offices at this site in 1961. Among its public contributions are the support of numerous charitable and civic organizations through monetary assistance and the donation of meeting space. Benefits of the association's business practices can now be seen beyond the boundaries of Hopkins County in a number of northeast Texas communities.
Sulphur Springs Volunteer Fire Department and Fire Bell of 1889
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected: 1975 Marker Located at 627 N. Church St. at Bonner St. Sulphur Springs
Marker Text:
Volunteer fire fighters, organized soon after Sulphur Springs was incorporated (1870), used a "bucket brigade" and hand-drawn equipment to control blazes before the city purchased a steam fire engine in 1888. To summon firemen, this 500-pound brass bell was bought in 1889 and hung in the tower of the engine house. It was replaced in the 1930s by a siren which spread the alarm over a wider area of the growing town. Professional firemen joined the force in the 1940s, but volunteers still help battle major fires.
Townsite of Tarrant
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected 1975 Marker Located SH 19/154 ROW, about 4.5 miles North of Sulphur Springs
Marker Text:
Eldridge Hopkins, for whose family Hopkins County was named in 1846, donated this site for the county seat. Named for Gen. Edward H Tarrant (1796-1858), Texas Ranger and Mexican war veteran, Tarrant Post Office was established in March 1847. A two-story frame courthouse was begun in 1851, but lack of funds delayed completion for two years. Tarrant quickly grew into a thriving frontier town with a tannery, steam mill, blacksmith shop, brick kiln, and hotel. After 1851, it had a Masonic Lodge and school. During the 1850's, a newspaper, the "Texas Star", began publication and a Methodist college opened. Encircled by creeks, the town was difficult to reach in bad weather. The inconvenience of travel to Tarrant led Capt. Thomas M Tolman in 1868 to transfer county records to Sulphur Springs, where Federal troops under his command were stationed after the Civil War to enforce Reconstruction laws. Despite local protests, county government remained there until civilian rule was restored in 1870. The return to Tarrant was brief, because the State Legislation in 1870 named Sulphur Springs as permanent county seat. Soon Tarrant began to decline. A rural community and old cemetery now mark the siteof the first Hopkins County Seat.
Union Community
Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected: 1985
Marker Location: from Sulphur Springs take SH 154 about 7 mi. south to CR 1444, go east about .6 mile to Union Cemetery
Marker Text:
Rich, sandy soil attracted farmers to this area before the beginning of the Civil War. The settlement that developed here was called Union after the pioneer Union Church that served as the focal point of the rural agricultural community. Over the years, the site has boasted a school, church, post office, and store. The Union Church was founded about 1850 and was made up of members from various denominations. In 1885 the name Union Baptist Church was adopted. A circuit preacher held services once a month. The Union Church met in the school building until the early 1900s. Then a three-room, three-teacher schoolhouse was constructed. In 1946, the community school was absorbed into the Sulphur Springs School District. The general store, which also housed the post office from 1901 to 1906, was operated in its early years by Charles Hamrick and W. A. McKeever. These two men also served as the only recorded postmasters for Yesner, as the postal station officially was called. Many of the first settlers in the area are buried in the cemetery at this site. The graveyard was in use at least by 1861 when James Thrasher was buried in an unmarked grave. The earliest marked burial site is that of T. J. Gamblin, who died in 1875.
Union Stockade Site
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Erected: 1979 Marker Located at 303 Connally St. Sulphur Springs
Marker Text:
The Reconstruction era which followed the Civil War (1861-65) was a time of unrest in texas. In this area a gang of outlaws whipped and killed blacks and harassed other citizens. On August 10, 1868, Capt. T. M. Tolman brought Federal troops here to restore order. Despite protests the army moved the county seat from Tarrant (4 mi. N) to Sulphur Springs. After the hotel where officers were staying was set afire, a stockade was built. Surrounded by a split log fence, it served as post quarters, hospital, jail, stable, and kitchen. It was abandoned in 1870 when Federal troops withdrew.
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