Nineveh

taken from an article in the Buffalo Express written by Norma Moore   

            The Nineveh Leon County settlement was established in the 1800's.  Its boundaries being within the North Creek and Camp Branch territories of our Russell, Flo Community.  Nineveh of its beginning was a thriving country settlement.  It is believed Nineveh received it name from the Biblical name, these early immigrants who called this land their home with Christian values believing it to be a good omen for a title of God's name.  These early settlers, the Houston Johnson, MCO Johnson, Fanny Raines, Dorman's, Reeves, Halley's, Tilley's, Tubb's, Newsom's, Anders, Ellis, Danford's, Guyton's and McGuire's were some of the first families to settle in Nineveh and to establish it to be successful and have a prosperous lifestyle.
        The Patrick Anders family owned a lot of land in the Stanmire Lake area.  This family was well known as excellent farmers and ranchers, developed the fertile land into organized bountiful crops of cotton, corn, fruit orchards, and gardens being a great asset for his community.  The land also provided a natural resource of fish and wild game, which was useful for all families.
        The Anders family ancestors have been residents of this Nineveh property since its pioneer days.  Agnes Speights, a descendant was a well-loved Flo teacher and today her son V.O. Jr. is an heir of the land.  He has great interest of the home place.
        The Houston and MCO Johnson families were most important of business opportunity and growth.  They owned a cotton gin and a store.
        The Reeves family owners and operators of a Sawmill, found the Beaver Dam Creek with its water resource a proper location of an appropriate business.  This provided jobs and a market for the production of timber and lumber.
        Fanny Raines, a special Lady of Nineveh, owned and operated a store and she was a delightful post-mistress.

July 2, 2003
        Nineveh located near North Creek Camp Branch, provided the country settlement with natural resources of water, fertile land for farming, raising livestock and a bounty of wild game, fish, and for the operation of a sawmill and cotton gin.  Nineveh has the reputation of being a colorful Leon County Community.
        The farmers with their bountiful crops of cotton, maize, had also large herd of cattle, hogs, and horses grazing on open range of lush grass.  Upon the arrival of the first settlers there were bison, bears, panthers, deer, wild turkeys, squirrels and varieties of water fowl.  The cotton gin owned and operated by MCO Johnson helped to populate the settlement with more immigrants who found the land to be fertile farm land.
        The cotton gin operation supply brought recognition of local and national government officials.  The Nineveh cotton and corn market provided needful funds.  The sawmill owned and operated by Houston Johnson was prosperous and supplied jobs for the local men.  A resource of timber for construction of homes buildings and for market, brought dollars to the people, their community and their county.  The men busy were cutting the trees, and hauling them by wagon later by trucks.
        Several of the men there camped on the property to be able to get more work done.  Their gathering together after the long days work catching fish and killing squirrels, having fish fries and squirrel stews is still talked about today.  These camp outs of work purpose led to family enjoyment in the spring before crops were planted.  After the crops were harvested, families would pack their wagons and go to the Nineveh wooded areas, of the Beaver Dam Creek.  There was visiting, music playing, singing, games the ladies held quilting bees and some fine eating of home cooked meals with the fish fries and squirrel stews would be enjoyed.
        Also this area is the resource of trapping for furs, another gain for the local and other men and boys.  The furs provided extra money and a trade business for the settlement.
        Nineveh with its huge fields of cotton, maize, large gardens spreading from the edges of the fields with a variety of vegetables, pecan, black walnut trees, fruit orchards, its lush meadows forested hills was described by a writer, Frank Tolbert of the Dallas Morning News, as a fair to middling town with homes all over mingled with business houses (courtesy of Ruby Johnson) was a story of its own to bring about a more populated community.
        When a country settlement of the late 1800's and the early 1900's of Leon County was sought by a reporter of a big city newspaper for its recognized family homes, lifestyles and its organized business operations, this was and is a conversation topic that has never been forgotten.
        Frank Tolbert the Dallas Morning News Reporter, failed to locate Nineveh on his first trip through Leon County and left without the story of Nineveh.  The people all prepared for their visitor, Tolbert received over a hundred letters giving him the dickens.  He along with the owner of the Newspaper knew these Nineveh people meant business.  He made another trip to Nineveh and this time he was told he had better find it.
        He would find the location when he found his way to a Ranch House where Kermit Dorman a cowboy with boots, and cowboy hat was dismounting from his saddle horse.  Tolbert said "I'm looking for Nineveh"

July 9, 2003
        Nineveh settlement, located near Russell was well known as the colorful country community that provided our county with special citizens.
        Nineveh is a farming and ranching settlement with great wealth of natural resources and a foundation of organized business opportunity by the new immigrants brought about a recognized rural community of pride reports of their founded prosperity by local and Texas.
        Government officials and publication by our local journalists attracted the attention of big city newspaper editors of the Houston, Ft. Worth, Tyler, and the Dallas cities.
        Frank Tolbert of the Dallas Morning News caused quite a stir when he was sent to Leon County to write a story of Nineveh and its people.  Tolbert, failing to locate Nineveh the citizens ready to tell their stories and he returning to Dallas without a report.  He received over a hundred letters of harsh words was sent back to Nineveh by his boss to find it and to get a published editorial of this rural settlement.  Upon his travel he made stops through the country roads at this time the roads were difficult to travel.  He asked the folks to direct him to Nineveh.  He was introduced to Kermit Dorman and Tolbert asked him to help him find Nineveh, but he was there.  Kermit with his guide Mrs. Fanny Raines being the post mistress and owner and operator of a mercantile store and the store post office was along the stage coach route that traveled from Buffalo to Crockett.  The history of the travelers a hustle and a bustle they introduced to the country finding the people warm, friendly, helpful, they with interest of the wild fruits, berries, and the home grown vegetables, fruits, and the wild flowers the ladies, children enjoyed picking and in return the visiting ladies with their parasols and their apparel and the gents dressed in business suits was a sight to the Nineveh citizens and as they made their tour to the farms the large fields of cotton, maize, and the big fine gardens near the ranch homes of logs some frame some white washed along with the cattle hogs and horses on open range this was an impressive sight to Tolbert.
        The sawmill in operation and the trees being cut to be processed the inviting water of the Stanmire Lake, Beaver Dam creek, and the camp branch the restful camp grounds and the tour of the school house.  He saw the students so attentive, willing to learn and he realizing the school was their church on Sundays the people hungry for the word of God provided by Circuit Riding Preachers who came by horse and buggy and Tolbert welcomed by the people was offered some of the best home cooked food he had ever tasted; and he with true heart warming stories to compile he left with a gratitude of thankfulness to have made the journey to this country surroundings he with pride wrote and published articles with interest of real people of the southern qualities of life where a heritage of our Leon County Texas history which brought a recognizable amount of visitors.

July 23, 2003
        Nineveh, a thriving populated settlement of our Pioneer days was rich in character with its foundation of Christian family planted immigrants who named it for the Biblical name.  The people believing it to become the great city as the biblical Nineveh.
        The country community with its boundaries close to North Creek and Beaver Dam settlements, its a question today to know exactly where Nineveh was:  yet the ancestors of the pioneer settlers who from generation to generation have lived at Nineveh can quickly tell you where Nineveh is.  Leila Dorman the wife of cowboy Kermit Dorman, who was a notorious rancher, has an inheritance of the community since the 1800's, she still resident, lives in the same house.  It has been remodeled, yet his historical trademark remains and her daughter Emmy now living with Leila and the Fannie Raines ancestors, Ben Tubbs, and John Anders.
        The Joe Earl Danford, Dr. James Key, and the Joseph Newsom ancestors all proudly tell you Nineveh will always be their home front.  Fanny Raines, homesteader owner of a store, post mistress, Ann Raines her daughter today has pride of being raised in Nineveh.  Ben Tubbs, as an outstanding leader with acknowledgement of skillful farming, ranching, business and community development , a Tubb cemetery  being established by the Tubb Family that is still in existence today; a Leon County landmark since the 1800's.  Joe Earl Danford, owner of a lot of land, a prosperous farmer, and rancher.  He and his descendants served as honorable soldiers as Christians were influential as ministers and the development of all aspects of God's Ministry and today the Danford relatives still bring great wealth of Christian, Family, community, and business leadership for all Leon County.
        Dr. James Key, a prominent gentleman doctor provided much needed medical needs promotional land, home and business house established, Dr. Key receiving his medical licenses in Limestone County in 1908, served the Limestone, Nineveh, Leon County people as a traveling physician and dentist riding a horse through all our territories his medical supplies packed in a bag on his saddle.  Dr. Key died from a fall from the horse.  He was riding, coming back home and saw one of his patients in 1917.  Dr. Key is recorded as a recognized histories physician.  His intellectual skills brought an advanced technology of the medical and drug fields for Nineveh.
        Joseph Newsom family were homesteaders, farmers, ranchers, patriotic, community workers of Nineveh since 1918.  They own 160 acres of land working long enduring hours of developed farm, ranch, property and helping to establish a school educational system.
        Today our Flo Ira Dell (Newsom) Bell and her children are the descendants of Joseph Newsom who still have connections of the Nineveh land still provide promising support of the Nineveh community.  These families as important influential residents of Flo Leon County bring an everlasting precious heritage, as unique pioneers and citizens who are dear to our hearts of which they tell they owe it all to the lifestyles of the Nineveh country settlement.
        The Culpepper family Christmas Tree Farm is one of the newest resourceful wealth.  The Nineveh land, when the railroad operation came into Leon County and means of shipping by passed the steamboats.  Nineveh became less populated and soon was closed as a settlement.  Yet today, Nineveh is recognized as the most colorful admired pioneer settlement of Leon County.