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. HOLBERI F iRb lAX ASSESSOR
Jefferson County Got Its Start
In 1837 With Only 56 Free Holders
BY RUTH EYREThe official beginning of Jeff-
erson County was May 31, 1837,
although the organization of he
-ounty was started in March,
1636.
An idea of the county's popu-
ation in 1837 may be gotten
from the total number of free
holders referred to in the open-
mg of the first court. The free
holders numbered 56.
Two men, W. P. Clark and
N. Holbert, bid for the job of
assessing the county taxes when
he subject came up in the third
meeting of county court. Hol-
hert got the job of assessing all
property for $150. The sheriff
was to collect the taxes.
BOUNDARIES OF Jefferson
County were vague when it was
first organized but it included
its present area, a part of Har-
lin County and all of Orange
county.
There are indications that the
citizens said what they wanted
to whenever they wanted to in
the first county courts. One en-
try shows that James Mc-Fad-
din was fined $1 for "inter-
rupting said court."
In 1876 W. A. Cushman be-
came county judge, but on April
1877 the court reported that
Cushman has been out of the
ounty more than 20 days and
hat by law he automatically
went of office. J. C. Millikan
completed Cushman's term.
ONE SHERFF WAS elected
to office in 1858, but the coun-
ty court ruled that under the
laws of the state he could not
hold office because he was not
'et 21. This was William C.1
Cribbs.
The sheriffs collected the
county taxes until 1846 when
C. E. Harris was appointed tof
assess and collect taxes. t
The progress of the railroad
i Jefferson County was retard-
ed by the Civil War. The first
railroad that came was the Sa-
hive and Eastern Texas rail-
way, which extended to Port
Arthur.
.Later the Texas and New Or-
leans line was built but services
was discontinued during theta
Civil War because of lack of
men and finances to run the
railroad and bridges were
washed out and torn down.
The railroad did not become
acri'e again until 1880. t
JEFFERSON COUNTY issu-
a own script during the a
lays in denominations of fro
25 cents to $5, and all accour
could be paid in the scrip
there was no other money
be had.
.Provision was made for s
diers' families and county
ficials administered the relc
program through men appoin
ed to oversee each precinct.
In that same period two .
vere quarantines, one again:
Galveston and Houston and on
against Louisiana, both on a
count of yellow fever, were er
forcedFIRST BRICK COURTHOUSE-The first brick courthouse in Jefferson County which was the
second courthouse here was constructed in 1892. It was located at the present site of the court.
house and was torn down in I o-
A MILITARY PASS was nec-
essary to get permission tr'
come in and out of the county
during the epidemics.
Prohibition carried by one
vote in this county when an
election was held to d e c i d e
whether "vinous spiritous" and
other intoxicating liquors could
be lawfully sold in 1878.
But the prohibitionists' cause
lost the next year when 47
persons voted against and one
ti1901 at the Spindletop we:
brought the county into the
limelight of the world and add-
eO to the population explosion
in the county.
. Jefferson County men
served in a company with Sam
Houston at San Jacinto when
the independence of Texas wa3
*on, another company support-
ed by the county went to the
Civil War and another fought
in the Spanish - American War
And both World Wars took their
tolls.
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[McFaddin Scrapbook], book, Date Unknown; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth821523/m1/7/: accessed July 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting McFaddin-Ward House Museum.