FAYETTE COUNTY, TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
In our modern 21st-century society, we citizens seem to find pleasure in talking about and complaining about our current situations. Whether it is the traf- fic, the schools, taxes, insurance, the weather or family issues, we seem to find comfort and delight in letting others know of our thoughts about current events. In the Bible, the ancient Israelites found themselves in the Desert and so they “grumbled against Moses and Aaron.” (Exodus 16:2) This Footprints article will enlighten the readers of some of the problems in the bygone days of Fayette County, and the problems that the citizens were having at that time.
Problems with the Big Trucks: The August 21, 1930 issue of the La Grange Journal states the following: “…there is much complaint that the bus and truck drivers use the State highways as if they hold the only rights to their use, making travel dangerous for other traffic. In many cases, they ‘hog’ the center of the roads, drive to suit themselves, and do not allow small cars to pass them.”
Damage to the Roads: The February 7, 1929, Journal informed the public that in the northwestern section of the county, residents were complaining that the large trucks carrying oilfield pipe were damaging a bridge in the area and that the trucks had ploughed deep ruts into the ground, making the roads impassable.
Road Rage: Also in 1929, the June 20th issue of the Journal told the story that “an auto wreck on the road between La Grange and Holman caused a quarrel—the quarrel caused a killing.” The quarrel, and subse- quent fight ended with one man stabbing the other about the body and neck. The body was found by others, the Sheriff notified, and the guilty party was arrested and placed in jail with a murder charge against him.
Drought Conditions: The devastating drought of 1925 brought the following remarks from the editor of the La Grange Journal in the April 23rd edition. “Drought conditions prevailing at this time may have a tendency to create that feeling of unrest… When the farmer fails to make a good crop and get good returns for what he has grown, the business man will feel that loss…” He went on to point out that such conditions tend to lead to the destruction of the farm and an influx to the city.
Daylight Savings Time: The August 21, 1919, issue of the Journal informed the public that the U.S. House of Representatives had voted to repeal the Daylight Savings Law, overriding President Woodrow Wilson’s veto of the bill. All of the Texas representatives had voted to end the daylight savings law, due to having received many protests from the farmers in their home state against the continuance of the idea of keeping the daylight savings law.
School Violence: An incident in Ellinger in 1905 resulted in an article in the Journal in their April 6, 1905 issue. The incident in which “Professor J. C. Juricek, teacher of the Bohemian- American school at Ellinger, was seriously stabbed by Frank P. The cause of the trouble…. was a slight misunderstanding in regard to the teaching of school that day.” The root of the problem was a measles outbreak among the children, and a request to re-open the school after it had been closed for several days. Mr. Juricek received a wound in the chest and Frank P. was subsequently arrested and placed under a bond for the ugly incident.
Why Don’t They Pay Their Bills: From a 1926 article in the Fayette County Record, date unknown, comes the following. “H. P. Schaefer says it’s a good idea to hang on to all old accounts. This week … he has made a record collection. The note was dated July 30, 1881, due within two months after the date. The note was 45 years past due. It bore interest at the rate of 12 ½ percent, which was the current rate of interest in those days. In order to collect his original $5.00, Mr. Schaefer agreed to waive the interest during those 45 years. The note was signed by Henry Townsend.
Hauling Fayette County Away: The September 23, 1909 issue of the La Grange Journal reported that “gravel lands have their values. A deal has been consummated whereby Harris County has agreed to purchase from H.
G. Henderson a gravel bed of 115 acres located near Fayetteville … There is already a railroad track (MKT) running into the gravel bed, and loading racks ready for use. The gravel in this bed is of an excellent grade, and will be used by Harris County in doing road improvements.”
Road Building in Fayette County: In 1908, the Journal reported that “a great deal of work has been done by the … Fayette County citizens to arouse the people, and interest them in building good highways. It is universally agreed that all our failures in roadbuilding arise from two causes … trying to build without skilled engineering supervision, and the use of inferior gravel in surfacing roads.” (The term highway is derived from the Old English term heahweg, meaning the main road from one town to another.)
Not Guilty: Much discontent can arise in the public view when a violent act goes unpunished. Or, people sometimes become disillusioned with the justice system when they see that no punishment is served on a person who can afford the most expensive legal team for their defense, or they are from a high standing family.
Case in point, in an article in the La Grange Journal, dated June 16, 1887, the son of a famous Fayette County resident, and Texas Revolutionary War hero was found not guilty of the murder of a railroad worker near Ellinger.
The Journal reported that “after being out about five hours, [the Jury] returned a verdict of not guilty. Few, if any, were surprised at the verdict of acquittal, as it seemed to be the general opinion that that would be the result …” The Journal described the individual accused of the murder as being a heavy partaker of liquor, and also the brother of a Fayette County elected official.
In another murder case, this time from 1926, the Journal reported the story of the wife of a Southern Pacific Railroad em ployee who had hired a man to murder her husband. The couple were residing in the eastern section on the city of La Grange at the time of the murder. The defendants were found guilty of the charges, but thru the appeals process and the Governor of Texas, the wife and the triggerman were allowed to walk away from the horrific act.
So, in retrospect, the current issues that we citizens deal with on a daily basis appear to be the same issues and problems that the citizens dealt with in the decades past. Some things never seem to change. Just the names and dates change with time. Yet, we always seem to persevere and rise to meet the challenges of life.
