PIONEER LIFE FULL OF ZEST, FUN (1949)
The following newspaper article is from the genealogical collection of my grandmother, Mary Pauline (Barron) Ray.It appeared in the SUNDAY COURIER-TIMES-TELEGRAPH, Tyler, TX in 1949.There is no actual date of appearance included with the article.
PIONEER LIFE FULL OF ZEST, FUN
By Henry Wilson
John A Beall, 82 last March 11, the last surviving member of his generation of the Augustus Chandler Beall (his grandfather) family now lives in Van Zandt County about 10 miles west of Tyler on the Dallas Highway, with his good wife, Annie E. Beall.
His present home is only a mile east of his birthplace on the same highway.The log portion of the older home, including the sandstone chimney and fireplace, was built 100 years ago by his great grandfather, James Coltharp.The home later passed to the Beall family and today is owned by Miss Annie Beall.John Beall has been told that there was a four inch snow on the ground at the time of his birth, March 11, 1867.He lived in the old home until he became grown and was married.
He tells of the little community of Hamburg as the settlement was called.There was a general store, and a blacksmith shop and it was a stage coach stop.The virgin soil produced good crops in those days -- 50 to 60 bushels to the acre of corn and a bale to acre of cotton on the bottom land.The settlers lived at home and produced practically all their food on their land.Wheat and corn were ground into flour and corn meal at the nearby mill and the miller held back one-eighth of the finished product as pay for the grinding.Hogs were slaughtered in the cold winter weather and hams and bacons were hung in the smoke houses and were slowly cured with the aid of real smoke -- not liquid smoke.
HOME GATHERINGS
Amusements and social gatherings were in the homes of the neighborhood.The dances of that day were in the homes and the music was usually produced on a fiddle, sometimes with the addition of a guitar or banjo.These instruments were easily carried from one frontier home to another and the musicians were always popular.The dancing was mostly square dancing and, while some churches objected, many of the members participated.
There was some singing in those days of popular songs, such as are now sung by the "barbershop quartets."There also were singing schools in which only religious songs were sung, usually out of the Sacred Harp Book.
Spelling matches at the one-teacher school houses also furnished entertainment.The Old Blue Back Speller was used and most of the serious ones became fine spellers, probably better than a lot of folks in this day.
John Beall says back in that day there was no such thing as a cigaret and later when smoking of them was struggling to catch on, their use generally was frowned upon.The men smoked cigars and pipes loaded with Duke's Mixture smoking tobacco.The young women did not smoke, but some of the old women smoked clay pipes.
GOOD CALF ROPER
Most of the ranch sports which carried on into the present day rodeo were engaged in then.John Beall was a good calf roper at branding time.He usually caught his calf by its feet and had it tied up and ready for the branding iron in short order.
John Beall also was a good woodsman, felling his tree in any directions he desired and manning one end of a cross cut saw to cut it in fireplace lengths.He still burns wood in his fireplace and in the kitchen stove but uses a one-man buck saw.He still is a good hand with the ax.
In his younger days, he was quite a beau and made all the dances in the neighborhood.He still has a full suit of hair on his head and it still is black, though his mustache has turned gray.
Mrs. Annie Beall 69, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Zach Phillips.They then lived on a nearby farm.Asked as to whether she attended the neighborhood dances, she said, "Sure, my parents were opposed, but I slipped off and had a great time.Maybe I shouldn't have done it, but I can remember now it was a lot of fun."
BAPTIST CHURCH MEMBERS
Both are members of the Concord Baptist Church, which is a mile from their home and one of their sons, Johney Beall, who is unmarried and with whom they live, is a deacon in this church.They lived for many years on a place about a mile to the north.They still own that place, but the son thought they would be less lonely on the highway so he bought the place there several years back and had them move to his place.
Besides the son, Johney Beall, their other children are:Mrs. Leila Mears, Caney, Okla.;Verda Hearon, Dallas;Otho Beall, Tyler;Mrs. Bessie Lee Moncrief, Tyler;Mrs. Magnolia Ellis, Chandler.A daughter, Mrs. Gussie Stuart, died in 1933 and her daughter was adopted by Mrs. Moncrief.They have 19 grand children and 9 great grandchildren.
John Beall previously was married to Miss Ada House.They lived together about two years and there are two children, Mrs. Lillie Moncrief, San Angelo; Mrs. Flora Holliman of Tyler.There are nine grandchildren of this marriage.
The grandfather of John Beall, who was Augustus Chandler Beall, was married to Miss Charlotte Elizabeth Coltharp on June 24, 1845, in Georgia just before they moved to Texas.The history of the two families in Texas is somewhat parallel.A Coltharp built the 100 year-old home, some 11 miles west of Tyler on the Dallas Highway.Members of the Beall family have occupied it during much of its lifetime and the present owner and occupant is Miss Annie Beall, niece of John Beall.
At the celebration at the old home a few days back, A. W. Coltharp, (great) grandson of the builder of the old home, presided.He is high school principal at the Dixie Public School some six or seven miles from the old home toward Tyler.Sid Beall led the singing.Miss Annie Beall gave the Beall history and Ray Coltharp of Baytown, introduced by E. O. Coltharp of Nocona, gave the Coltharp history, going back to the emigration of the family from England to America in 1754;settling in the Carolinas; later moving to Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia and Texas.They soldiered in the Revolutionary War and in the War of 1812.
James Coltharp settled in Rusk County and moved to Van Zandt County in 1849, building the Coltharp-Beall Home on the Dallas Highway.
Today there are four living grandchildren of James Coltharp.They are:Mrs. Millie Barron, 518 W. Charnwood, Tyler;Mrs. Mary Maynard, Tulia;John A. Beall, Edom, and Juluis Dyer, Fresno, Cal.
NOTE:Included with this article is a picture of Mr. and Mrs. John A. Beall.
{Mrs. Millie Barron, is Millie Joanna (Coltharp) Barron -- the mother of Mary Pauline (Barron) Ray.}
Transcribed 1/15/2000
Sharon (Ray) Sukiennik
[email protected]
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Re: PIONEER LIFE FULL OF ZEST, FUN (1949)
Adrainne Pruitt 1/17/01
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Re: PIONEER LIFE FULL OF ZEST, FUN (1949)
Adrainne Pruitt 8/29/00