Rains County Leader (Emory, Tex.), Vol. 116, No. 26, Ed. 1 Tuesday, December 2, 2003 Page: 16 of 24
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113 TRaing Coontq Leader
TUESDAY. DECEMBER 2, 2003
Did
News”
by Elaine Bay
“Old is news for a family
historian/genealogist
2001 Award of Im rlleiu <•
Texas Stale < Genealogical Sot iety
Cattle Ranching in Rains County
JO Mooring was horn on a ranch in Rains County, Texas, in
I868, the son of J.T. Mooring who was a cattle rancher with 1000+
cattle and 400 horses. “His brand was the square and the compass
and two marks on the ear" The largest ranches were in the south
and west sections of the county and cattle were run on the open
range until in the late IXXO’s when the wire fence appeared in the
area
Roundups occurred in the fall and the spring when cattle were
branded and some were cut out for sale Learning to ride a horse and
handle cattle, J.G. Mooring learned at an early age. About the age of
12 he earned the title “worm saw-bone" because his job was to ride
amongst the cattle and locate those that had gotten cuts with screw
worms in them, he pointed these out to the “saw-bone." When a dis-
eased cow was located, he would cut it out to the edge of the herd,
lasso the animal, throw it to the ground, and while the wind was still
knocked out of it, daub a salve concoction on the sore spot.
Rains County was full of brakes and thick brush, J.Ci.Mooting
was also known by the cowhands as a “brush-whacker” During the
roundups “a person might as well try to find a hos theif in heaven as
to work in the brush unless the party was a good ruler" The brush-
whacker had to be able to ride fast while swinging down and laying
to the side to duck limbs. To keep the cattle out of the brush, a 10'
pole was tied across their heads; "When we would get a steer
dressed to go to Sunday school, as we called putting a pole on it, we
would turn it loose I he critter would pronto make a drag for the
brush and when he hit the trees that pole would stop his front end
while the hind end was still going That would agitate the animal
and he would take on religion and we [would'') have no more trou-
ble "
Stampedes occurred on the prairies when a storm hit, especial-
l\ at night or in the brush country, when a strange animal ran into
the herd, especially at night when they are bedded down. The cattle
would come away from what scared them
\merican Life Histories Manuscripts from the federal
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BENT TREE MOTEL
421 W. I cumin l)r. - llwv. ft*) N.
903-473-0061
Emory. Texas 75440
Open 24 Hours, SHERRY ALLEN, Mm
7 Days A Week
Located on Hwy. 69 & 276 in Emory
between lake Fork and Lako Tawakoni
Honoring AARP and offering corporate retea
LOOKING BACK
JAMES HARPER
STARR
By Archie P. McDonald
James Harper Starr cannot be
regarded a "typical” immigrant
to Texas during the days of the
Republic, for those were the
days when “GTT” explained
hasty departures from the states
and beginnings with new identi-
ties.
Starr had no such baggage
He was bom in Connecticut in
1809 to an established family,
who then moved to Ohio shortly
after his birth Starr attended an
academy in Worthington. Ohio,
and by 1830 had become a
physician through self-educa-
tion and observation. He estab-
lished a medical practice in
McDonough, Georgia, and later
one in Pleasant Grove, then
moved to Nacogdoches, Texas,
in 1837.
Within the year President
Sam Houston appointed Starr a
member of the Board of Land
Commissioners for Nacog-
doches County. The board
supervised public domain under
the authority of the General
Land Office, and, among other
things, awarded land to veterans
at the completion of their serv
ice.
When Mirabeau B. Lamar
succeeded Houston as president
of the Republic of Texas, he
appointed Starr secretary of the
treasury in his administration
Starr held the post for a year,
then resigned to serve as admin-
istrator of the estate of his broth-
er-in-law. Frost Thorn, who is
credited with becoming the first
“Texas millionaire "
Starr spent the next several
Photo courtesy ot Sue (Sisk) Meddere
JUNIOR HIGH DANCE - Pictured (left to right) are Sue Sisk, Charlsie Abney, Barbara Adair, Pat
Peeples, Pam Peeples and Margaret Ann Burns, taken at Point Junior High gym in 1959-60 after con-
solidation into Rains ISD
years involved in various aspects
of land and real estate. He
served on the board of trustees
for Nacogdoches College, also
known as University, and in
other civic capacities. Starr sup-
ported annexation to the Union
in IS4S but not secession from it
fifteen years later, but his sons
and son-in-law. Henry Raguet,
entered Confederate military
service when the Civil War
began He did accept a civil
appointment as a receiver for the
Confederate government and
later as a Confederate postal
agent
After the collapse of the Con-
federacy Starr formed a partner-
ship with his son, James
Franklin Starr, in a land specula-
tion and banking enterprise in
Marshall, Texas Starr eventual-
ly moved his entire family to
Marshall, where he continued in
business until his retirement in
1873. He died in 1890.
Starr County was named in
honor of James Harper Starr.
About all that remains to remind
the citizens of Nacogdoches of
this financial pioneer is Starr
Avenue, one of the thorough-
fares that borders Stephen F.
Austin State University.
Hus column is provided as a public
service by the I asi lexas Historical
Association. Archie I* McDonald is
director of the Association and author «>t
more than 10 books on lexas.
RAIN
A REPORT
^ by Henry Potts
Nov. 26........trace'
Total for week .. trace
Total for month .2.65
Total for year . . 26.52
A V A
Photo courtesy of Fdith Trimble
SANDRA RABE, approximately
six years old School picture
made in approximately 1950
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GIFT CERTIFICATES
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Santa needs to take a look
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While you ’re here, you might just
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POTTS FEED STORE
903-473-2249
Hwy. 69 & 19
Emory
Since 1962
Our same helpful store but now we have a whole lot more!!!
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i
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Hill, Earl Clyde, Jr. Rains County Leader (Emory, Tex.), Vol. 116, No. 26, Ed. 1 Tuesday, December 2, 2003, newspaper, December 2, 2003; Emory, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth765946/m1/16/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rains County Library.