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. |
