History of Hughes Springs
Reece Hughes was born in Bedford County, Tennessee, on November 26,1811. When he was only 18 years old he left his home and joined a small ban of adventurers headed for Texas on a buffalo hunt. Texas, a province of Mexico, was a wild and unsettled region. This band was driven out by a larger band of hostile Indians.
The attractions of this strange, new country lured Reece Hughes back, nine years later when Texas became a Republic. He was joined by his brother Robert and a Negro man slave in his early 20’s.
They first stopped at Blossom Prairie in Red River County. Here they rented a small piece of land and raised a crop. But Reece Hughes had heard a strange rumor the first time he visited Texas. A wild rumor of a strong-box full of gold coins that was said to be buried near an Indian village, by Trammell, the pirate. This treasure was said to have been hidden somewhere on the Old Trammell Trace, not far from the Sulphur Fork. The Hughes brothers, lured by this hidden treasure, followed the old Trammell Trace until they reached an old, deserted Choctaw Indian village near the trail. This village was in the valley of present day Hughes Springs. Here, the brothers stopped and on March 28, 1839, they pitched their tent, began to build a log cabin and clear the farmland.
If they ever found the treasure, there is no record of it. They did plant a crop of corn and peas. They were so satisfied with the results of the first year that Reece Hughes returned to Northwest Alabama to bring his father and his family to the Republic of Texas. Many of his relatives and friends were also seized with the Texas fever. The Hughes, Prewitts, Bennetts and Skinners formed the first settlers of this portion of East Texas. Area lakes were named for these families. Shortly after this, immigration increased rapidly and the new country began to prosper.
The attractions of this strange, new country lured Reece Hughes back, nine years later when Texas became a Republic. He was joined by his brother Robert and a Negro man slave in his early 20’s.
They first stopped at Blossom Prairie in Red River County. Here they rented a small piece of land and raised a crop. But Reece Hughes had heard a strange rumor the first time he visited Texas. A wild rumor of a strong-box full of gold coins that was said to be buried near an Indian village, by Trammell, the pirate. This treasure was said to have been hidden somewhere on the Old Trammell Trace, not far from the Sulphur Fork. The Hughes brothers, lured by this hidden treasure, followed the old Trammell Trace until they reached an old, deserted Choctaw Indian village near the trail. This village was in the valley of present day Hughes Springs. Here, the brothers stopped and on March 28, 1839, they pitched their tent, began to build a log cabin and clear the farmland.
If they ever found the treasure, there is no record of it. They did plant a crop of corn and peas. They were so satisfied with the results of the first year that Reece Hughes returned to Northwest Alabama to bring his father and his family to the Republic of Texas. Many of his relatives and friends were also seized with the Texas fever. The Hughes, Prewitts, Bennetts and Skinners formed the first settlers of this portion of East Texas. Area lakes were named for these families. Shortly after this, immigration increased rapidly and the new country began to prosper.
The newcomer, who afterwards was to become the most closely connected with the life and destiny of Reece Hughes,
was a man known far and wide in East Texas as old Capt. William Pinckney Rose. He migrated to Texas in the fall of 1839 and homesteaded eight miles east of the current town of Scottsville, near Marshall. Capt. Rose was a wealthy planter and an old soldier who raised a company in Washington Parish, Louisiana where he served with General Jackson and fought in the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.
When Capt. Rose moved to Texas, he was accompanied by two daughters, one a 20 year old widow McLean with two young children and Elizabeth who was 14. Elizabeth soon attracted the attention of Reece Hughes and after a brief courtship, they were married in April 1841.
Texas was new and without any settled form of local government. Lawlessness and crime were rampant. The permanent citizens in Harrison County, needing protection, met and organized a Vigilance Committee. This organization selected old Capt. Rose as its leader. He promptly organized a group of citizens, and with their help, captured horse thieves and outlaws. They spared their lives, punished the outlaws and ran them out of town. This soon raised opposition. Col. Bob Potter, a noted politician and lawyer, lead the opposing party. The struggle between these two groups grew to be bitter and bloody. Col. Bob Potter, after a vain attempt to ambush Capt. Rose at his own home, was in turn surprised by Capt. Rose. Col. Potter was killed while trying to escape by swimming Caddo Lake in July, 1842. The death of Col Potter put an end to the bloody strife.
By 1847, Reece Hughes founded a new town at a chalybeate spring one mile west of his home. He named the town Hughes Springs. Here, camp meetings were held here and a boarding school was established by Potton. The town eventually dwindled away because Reece Hughes and Col.W.B. Aikin bought up all of the land in that section forcing people less wealthy to go west. By 1848 there was scarcely anything left of the first town. The children of Reece Hughes, joined by Dr. J.H. McLean, under a contract with the East Line and Red River Railway Company, laid off and founded the present day Hughes Springs.
When Capt. Rose moved to Texas, he was accompanied by two daughters, one a 20 year old widow McLean with two young children and Elizabeth who was 14. Elizabeth soon attracted the attention of Reece Hughes and after a brief courtship, they were married in April 1841.
Texas was new and without any settled form of local government. Lawlessness and crime were rampant. The permanent citizens in Harrison County, needing protection, met and organized a Vigilance Committee. This organization selected old Capt. Rose as its leader. He promptly organized a group of citizens, and with their help, captured horse thieves and outlaws. They spared their lives, punished the outlaws and ran them out of town. This soon raised opposition. Col. Bob Potter, a noted politician and lawyer, lead the opposing party. The struggle between these two groups grew to be bitter and bloody. Col. Bob Potter, after a vain attempt to ambush Capt. Rose at his own home, was in turn surprised by Capt. Rose. Col. Potter was killed while trying to escape by swimming Caddo Lake in July, 1842. The death of Col Potter put an end to the bloody strife.
By 1847, Reece Hughes founded a new town at a chalybeate spring one mile west of his home. He named the town Hughes Springs. Here, camp meetings were held here and a boarding school was established by Potton. The town eventually dwindled away because Reece Hughes and Col.W.B. Aikin bought up all of the land in that section forcing people less wealthy to go west. By 1848 there was scarcely anything left of the first town. The children of Reece Hughes, joined by Dr. J.H. McLean, under a contract with the East Line and Red River Railway Company, laid off and founded the present day Hughes Springs.
In 1856, Reece Hughes moved from his old farm one mile east of Hughes Springs. At this point the old Brick House was
built, one of the largest and finest private residences ever built in Texas. It had solid massive brick walls, both outer and partition walls, and was four stories tall including the basement. Parapet walls and towers stood above the roof. About three miles east of his mansion, Hughes built his iron furnace, where he was preparing to manufacture iron on a large scale. All of this building was carried out by slaves.
At the beginning of 1861, times at the old Brick House were gay and lively. Reece Hughes had hired three noted dancing masters, Hun, Sam and Lud Williams. Hughes invited his friends and neighbors to the dancing school. The dance room was one of the main halls of the building, and apartment 20 feet by 40 feet. The floor was as smooth as a plane could make it, then waxed which gave it a glossy smoothness. This made an ideal place for the performances.
Suddenly, in April 1861, Confederate cannons fired on Fort Sumter, South Carolina. The dancing school closed at once and 30 days later, the young men of the country were arming, equipping and hurrying to the battlefield.
From this time forward, Reece Hughes was outspoken, strong and uncompromising in this opposition to the policy of secession. He wished to still hold his slaves, but he wanted the South to remain in the Union and to fight for her rights under the old Flag. This view was also held by Gen. Sam Houston. The first company was raised in Avinger by Capt. W. E. Duncan. It went by the name of “The Black Cypress Rangers”. On the first day of their march, they halted for dinner at the old Brick House. Reece Hughes gave them a royal welcome, had a substantial meal prepared for the whole company and had their horses cared for in good style. After dinner, as was the custom, he set out a liberal supply of his best peach brandy.
Because of his strong, outspoken Union sentiments, Reece Hughes made many bitter enemies in the radical secession movement. As the war progressed, this sentiment grew stronger against him, until towards the war, a petition was sent to Gen. Kerby Smith, the commanding officer of the Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department, to have Hughes executed as a public enemy. Through the counter influence of Hughes’ friends, this movement failed.
The war had now virtually come to an end and at last the great crash, the break-up came. The slaves were all freed and Reece Hughes, besides losing in a day’s time something like $200,000 worth of slave property, was left with his vast plantation of 2000acres of rich valley land virtually without a tenant. In a financial way the blow was staggering to him. He never could recover from it sufficiently to fit himself into the new economic order of things.
At the beginning of 1861, times at the old Brick House were gay and lively. Reece Hughes had hired three noted dancing masters, Hun, Sam and Lud Williams. Hughes invited his friends and neighbors to the dancing school. The dance room was one of the main halls of the building, and apartment 20 feet by 40 feet. The floor was as smooth as a plane could make it, then waxed which gave it a glossy smoothness. This made an ideal place for the performances.
Suddenly, in April 1861, Confederate cannons fired on Fort Sumter, South Carolina. The dancing school closed at once and 30 days later, the young men of the country were arming, equipping and hurrying to the battlefield.
From this time forward, Reece Hughes was outspoken, strong and uncompromising in this opposition to the policy of secession. He wished to still hold his slaves, but he wanted the South to remain in the Union and to fight for her rights under the old Flag. This view was also held by Gen. Sam Houston. The first company was raised in Avinger by Capt. W. E. Duncan. It went by the name of “The Black Cypress Rangers”. On the first day of their march, they halted for dinner at the old Brick House. Reece Hughes gave them a royal welcome, had a substantial meal prepared for the whole company and had their horses cared for in good style. After dinner, as was the custom, he set out a liberal supply of his best peach brandy.
Because of his strong, outspoken Union sentiments, Reece Hughes made many bitter enemies in the radical secession movement. As the war progressed, this sentiment grew stronger against him, until towards the war, a petition was sent to Gen. Kerby Smith, the commanding officer of the Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department, to have Hughes executed as a public enemy. Through the counter influence of Hughes’ friends, this movement failed.
The war had now virtually come to an end and at last the great crash, the break-up came. The slaves were all freed and Reece Hughes, besides losing in a day’s time something like $200,000 worth of slave property, was left with his vast plantation of 2000acres of rich valley land virtually without a tenant. In a financial way the blow was staggering to him. He never could recover from it sufficiently to fit himself into the new economic order of things.
A Brief History of the Hughes Springs Area
The earliest inhabitants of the area now known as Hughes Springs were Indians. Evidence of the Caddo tribe goes back as far as 500 A.D. The Spanish explorers passing through East Texas in the 1500’s called the Caddos the Tejas Indians. The name Texas comes from Tejas. Even today arrowheads and pottery of the Caddos are uncovered along streams throughout East Texas.
It appears that a Choctaw Indian villiage was located one mile east of Hughes Springs on what in now Highways 11 and 49. Their settlement was confirmed by a land grant from Sam Houston, then President of the Republic of Texas, to Joseph Burelson. Choctaws were here for a couple of years on their way from their original homeland in the Mississippi-Alabama area to their new home in Oklahoma. This was during the infamous Trail of Tears, when President Andrew Jackson signed into law the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Choctaw authorities in Oklahoma have no record of a settlement in Texas. Their information shows no knowledge of their people crossing the Red River in Louisiana, then across Arkansas and into Oklahoma. Several early records of Hughes Springs confirm the presence of the Choctaw village here, however.
Rumor has it that a pirate named Nicholas Trammell buried a trunk of gold and silver around Hughes Springs. Supposedly Trammell was a member of Jean LaFitte’s band, and when the group disbanded at Galveston, he headed for St. Louis by land. When he reached our area, he was sighted by Indians, and in desperation for his life, he buried his treasure to lighten his load for swifter movement. He never was able to return to reclaim the treasure. It should be noted that the historical marker at east end of Hughes Springs tells about Trammell’s Trace, but makes no mention that Trammell was a pirate, or that he left a treasure. Maybe local citizens were trying to keep the story quiet in the hopes of reclaiming treasure for themselves!
Trammell’s Trace was an early traveling route for thousands of immigrants into Texas. Many wagon trains followed the trail to the abundant land that was available in Texas. Reece Hughes followed the trail, stopping to settle just east of what is now Hughes Springs, in march of 1839. He set up his headquarters at a mineral spring on a log cabin and cleared a little farm. Hughes was pleased with the area, so he went back to Alabama for the rest of his family. Another early settler, W.B. Aiken, built a log house in 1844, northeast of present day Hughes Springs. Other settlers also came. In 1847, a post office was granted with W. V. Hughes as postmaster. In January 1847, Daniel H. Barecroft gave his bond as constable of Beat No. 3, which included Chalybeate, and Benjamen F. Green gave his bond as justice of the peace for Chalybeate. At the session, Cass County Commissioners Court appointed Robert Arberry to be returning officer for all elections held at Chelybeate in 1847. Deed records show that by July 1847, the families of Jacob Spear, Allen Urquhart, James Jackson, Mrs. Portwood, James McKinney, and (?) Gruel were living near the old Choctaw village just east of Chalybeate. By late 1850’s Reece Hughes and W.B. Aiken had purchased numerous tracts of land and this caused decline of the first town of Hughes Springs. It was almost gone by 1870.
In 1855 a Colonel Potton established the first school in Hughes Springs. He operated the school for about 15 years as a boarding school. In 1856 Reece Hughes was prospering, so he built a four story mansion on his plantation. For years the Hughes plantation was the center of social activity for the area.
Do you how many people voted for Abraham Lincoln in 1860? None. Lincoln did not get a single vote in Texas or any of the nine southern states. When he was elected, the states of the South seceded, and dozens of men from Hughes Springs went off to war.
The area around the springs was always a center of social activity. Several; area residents came to the springs daily for their drinking water. In 1872, Dr. John H. McLean, a prominent Methodist minister and stepson of Reece Hughes, held a revival under a brush arbor at the springs. As a result of that revival, the first church was established in Hughes Springs – a Methodist church. The Hughes family generously donated land for the church and the area now known as the Spring Park.
Dr. McLean asked Reece Hughes to give an additional 50 acres to the Methodist church to establish a university in Hughes Springs. Hughes decided that there was a limit to his generosity, and did not consent to the request. The land needed for the University was acquired in Georgetown. Dr. McLean helped to establish Southwestern University there and served as president of the institution for a number of years.
Originally, the road from Hughes Springs to Daingerfield went south on Ward Street, then over Hanes Hill, making a westerly turn just past R.M. Hanes Home. The Hanes home is located across the street from what is now Hickory Chop Barbecue (has since burned down). It served as a stagecoach stop between Jefferson and Daingerfield. Imagine the stage driver pulling the reins to stop the horses on that dusty trail of a road. The passengers would go inside for a dipper of cool well water while fresh horses were hitched to the coach. Wouldn’t the local residents be excited to receive mail from their families back East. In those days the stage was the only source of information.
Things began to change in 1877 when the Hughes Family deeded land to the East Line and Red River Railroad. A narrow gauge line was built from Shreveport to Hughes Springs and eventually on west. The Hughes family saw the possibility for great growth for their little community. Howell R. Hughes, Reece’s son, laid out lots available for sale around the springs. On July 4, 1878 an excursion train came to Hughes Springs from Shreveport, making stops all along the way to pick up passengers. Once the train reached Hughes Springs, passengers were treated to a picnic at the Spring Park and shown lots available for sale. A number of visitors purchased land for sale, a number of visitors purchased land, including Thomas Brooks Keasler, who built a home near the park and the next year opened a general store at the corner of the railroad line and then main road. The T.B. Keasler Store was a Hughes Springs institution from its opening in 1879 throughout the store’s eighty year existence.
It appears that a Choctaw Indian villiage was located one mile east of Hughes Springs on what in now Highways 11 and 49. Their settlement was confirmed by a land grant from Sam Houston, then President of the Republic of Texas, to Joseph Burelson. Choctaws were here for a couple of years on their way from their original homeland in the Mississippi-Alabama area to their new home in Oklahoma. This was during the infamous Trail of Tears, when President Andrew Jackson signed into law the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Choctaw authorities in Oklahoma have no record of a settlement in Texas. Their information shows no knowledge of their people crossing the Red River in Louisiana, then across Arkansas and into Oklahoma. Several early records of Hughes Springs confirm the presence of the Choctaw village here, however.
Rumor has it that a pirate named Nicholas Trammell buried a trunk of gold and silver around Hughes Springs. Supposedly Trammell was a member of Jean LaFitte’s band, and when the group disbanded at Galveston, he headed for St. Louis by land. When he reached our area, he was sighted by Indians, and in desperation for his life, he buried his treasure to lighten his load for swifter movement. He never was able to return to reclaim the treasure. It should be noted that the historical marker at east end of Hughes Springs tells about Trammell’s Trace, but makes no mention that Trammell was a pirate, or that he left a treasure. Maybe local citizens were trying to keep the story quiet in the hopes of reclaiming treasure for themselves!
Trammell’s Trace was an early traveling route for thousands of immigrants into Texas. Many wagon trains followed the trail to the abundant land that was available in Texas. Reece Hughes followed the trail, stopping to settle just east of what is now Hughes Springs, in march of 1839. He set up his headquarters at a mineral spring on a log cabin and cleared a little farm. Hughes was pleased with the area, so he went back to Alabama for the rest of his family. Another early settler, W.B. Aiken, built a log house in 1844, northeast of present day Hughes Springs. Other settlers also came. In 1847, a post office was granted with W. V. Hughes as postmaster. In January 1847, Daniel H. Barecroft gave his bond as constable of Beat No. 3, which included Chalybeate, and Benjamen F. Green gave his bond as justice of the peace for Chalybeate. At the session, Cass County Commissioners Court appointed Robert Arberry to be returning officer for all elections held at Chelybeate in 1847. Deed records show that by July 1847, the families of Jacob Spear, Allen Urquhart, James Jackson, Mrs. Portwood, James McKinney, and (?) Gruel were living near the old Choctaw village just east of Chalybeate. By late 1850’s Reece Hughes and W.B. Aiken had purchased numerous tracts of land and this caused decline of the first town of Hughes Springs. It was almost gone by 1870.
In 1855 a Colonel Potton established the first school in Hughes Springs. He operated the school for about 15 years as a boarding school. In 1856 Reece Hughes was prospering, so he built a four story mansion on his plantation. For years the Hughes plantation was the center of social activity for the area.
Do you how many people voted for Abraham Lincoln in 1860? None. Lincoln did not get a single vote in Texas or any of the nine southern states. When he was elected, the states of the South seceded, and dozens of men from Hughes Springs went off to war.
The area around the springs was always a center of social activity. Several; area residents came to the springs daily for their drinking water. In 1872, Dr. John H. McLean, a prominent Methodist minister and stepson of Reece Hughes, held a revival under a brush arbor at the springs. As a result of that revival, the first church was established in Hughes Springs – a Methodist church. The Hughes family generously donated land for the church and the area now known as the Spring Park.
Dr. McLean asked Reece Hughes to give an additional 50 acres to the Methodist church to establish a university in Hughes Springs. Hughes decided that there was a limit to his generosity, and did not consent to the request. The land needed for the University was acquired in Georgetown. Dr. McLean helped to establish Southwestern University there and served as president of the institution for a number of years.
Originally, the road from Hughes Springs to Daingerfield went south on Ward Street, then over Hanes Hill, making a westerly turn just past R.M. Hanes Home. The Hanes home is located across the street from what is now Hickory Chop Barbecue (has since burned down). It served as a stagecoach stop between Jefferson and Daingerfield. Imagine the stage driver pulling the reins to stop the horses on that dusty trail of a road. The passengers would go inside for a dipper of cool well water while fresh horses were hitched to the coach. Wouldn’t the local residents be excited to receive mail from their families back East. In those days the stage was the only source of information.
Things began to change in 1877 when the Hughes Family deeded land to the East Line and Red River Railroad. A narrow gauge line was built from Shreveport to Hughes Springs and eventually on west. The Hughes family saw the possibility for great growth for their little community. Howell R. Hughes, Reece’s son, laid out lots available for sale around the springs. On July 4, 1878 an excursion train came to Hughes Springs from Shreveport, making stops all along the way to pick up passengers. Once the train reached Hughes Springs, passengers were treated to a picnic at the Spring Park and shown lots available for sale. A number of visitors purchased land for sale, a number of visitors purchased land, including Thomas Brooks Keasler, who built a home near the park and the next year opened a general store at the corner of the railroad line and then main road. The T.B. Keasler Store was a Hughes Springs institution from its opening in 1879 throughout the store’s eighty year existence.
By 1883 Hughes Springs boasted a population of two hundred. From information obtained from
the Texas State Gazeteer and Business Directory of 1882-83: Hughes Springs had an express and telegraph office, a steam gin, saw and grist mill, and good schools. Cotton and lumber were exported. J.F. Jones was postmaster and daily mail was delivered by rail. Businessman listed in the directory included:
T.H. Briggs – saloon
J.F. Brothers – general store
J.M. Driver – general store
T. Jones – livery
Keasler and Berry – general store
Nash and Brothers – furniture, saw and grist mill
R.P. Ray – physician
S.Y.L. Ray – teacher
At about the same time, an enterprising businessman saw the potential of baths at the mineral springs. He built a hotel and latticed gazebo around the springs. Mineral baths were becoming very popular and train trips to Hughes Springs were advertised in newspapers as far away as Austin.
About 1890 the first public school building was constructed just east of Hughes Springs. It was a two-story wooden structure. The first floor housed four classrooms and the second floor was an auditorium. A cupola at the top of the school building housed the bell which was rung each day to begin school. That bell is now mounted at the Spring Park. The first class to graduate from Hughes Springs High School Was in 1904. Prior to that time students attended school to learn enough reading and writing to be able to get a job.
In 1905 the telephone came to Hughes Springs. In 1911 the town incorporated. A.M. Shelton was the first mayor, and the alderman were T.J. Cook, W.L. Cloninger, A.L. Glass, B.J. McMillam, and J.T. Barfield. These posts have been thankless jobs since their start.
T.H. Briggs – saloon
J.F. Brothers – general store
J.M. Driver – general store
T. Jones – livery
Keasler and Berry – general store
Nash and Brothers – furniture, saw and grist mill
R.P. Ray – physician
S.Y.L. Ray – teacher
At about the same time, an enterprising businessman saw the potential of baths at the mineral springs. He built a hotel and latticed gazebo around the springs. Mineral baths were becoming very popular and train trips to Hughes Springs were advertised in newspapers as far away as Austin.
About 1890 the first public school building was constructed just east of Hughes Springs. It was a two-story wooden structure. The first floor housed four classrooms and the second floor was an auditorium. A cupola at the top of the school building housed the bell which was rung each day to begin school. That bell is now mounted at the Spring Park. The first class to graduate from Hughes Springs High School Was in 1904. Prior to that time students attended school to learn enough reading and writing to be able to get a job.
In 1905 the telephone came to Hughes Springs. In 1911 the town incorporated. A.M. Shelton was the first mayor, and the alderman were T.J. Cook, W.L. Cloninger, A.L. Glass, B.J. McMillam, and J.T. Barfield. These posts have been thankless jobs since their start.
Mayors:
A.M. Shelton...................…. 1912
C.C. Smith…...........…. 1912-1914
H.D. Nelson….............. 1914-1916
A.M. Shelton…............ 1916-1918
R.J. Thompson ................... 1918
W.T. Evans…....................… 1918
R.J. Thompson. ..............919-1924
C.H. Calloway.............. 1924-1926
H.V. Grainger…............ 1926-1928
W.L. Cloninger.............. 1928-1930
A.G. Daniels….............. 1930-1932
Hugh Meredith ..................... 1932
G.E. Goolsby…..............1932-1936
J.T. Harris…...…......... 1936-1940
Garth L.English ............ 1940-1942
Cecil O. Pratt ............. 1942-1944
R.L. Pyland…............... 1944-1946
R. O. Moon…................ 1946-1948
A.H. Ryle..................... 1948-1949
R.L. Pyland.................... 1949-1951
Cecil O. Pratt............... 1951-1952
C.R. Davis.................... 1952-1953
Ed Watson................. 1953-1958
Edd Burke, Jr.............. 1958-1960
Carl Williams.................. 1960-1961
Edd Burke, Jr................ 1961-1962
Phillip Goolsby.............. 1962-1963
Herbert Harmon............. 1963-1967
Thomas E. Strickland..... 1967-1969
T.H. Henderson............ 1969-1976
S.J. Welch.................... 1976-1979
W.D. Pyland.....……...... 1979
Bill Dean.................... 1979-1982
Dr. Gary W. Brackeen ..1982-1985
Carol Leftwich............ 1985-1986
Reba Simpson........ 1986 - Present
C.C. Smith…...........…. 1912-1914
H.D. Nelson….............. 1914-1916
A.M. Shelton…............ 1916-1918
R.J. Thompson ................... 1918
W.T. Evans…....................… 1918
R.J. Thompson. ..............919-1924
C.H. Calloway.............. 1924-1926
H.V. Grainger…............ 1926-1928
W.L. Cloninger.............. 1928-1930
A.G. Daniels….............. 1930-1932
Hugh Meredith ..................... 1932
G.E. Goolsby…..............1932-1936
J.T. Harris…...…......... 1936-1940
Garth L.English ............ 1940-1942
Cecil O. Pratt ............. 1942-1944
R.L. Pyland…............... 1944-1946
R. O. Moon…................ 1946-1948
A.H. Ryle..................... 1948-1949
R.L. Pyland.................... 1949-1951
Cecil O. Pratt............... 1951-1952
C.R. Davis.................... 1952-1953
Ed Watson................. 1953-1958
Edd Burke, Jr.............. 1958-1960
Carl Williams.................. 1960-1961
Edd Burke, Jr................ 1961-1962
Phillip Goolsby.............. 1962-1963
Herbert Harmon............. 1963-1967
Thomas E. Strickland..... 1967-1969
T.H. Henderson............ 1969-1976
S.J. Welch.................... 1976-1979
W.D. Pyland.....……...... 1979
Bill Dean.................... 1979-1982
Dr. Gary W. Brackeen ..1982-1985
Carol Leftwich............ 1985-1986
Reba Simpson........ 1986 - Present
The first part of the twentieth century Hughes Springs was a rough town. The local saloons were scenes of shootings and brawls.
Some women of the town joined the national Women’s Christian Temperance Movement and marched in picket lines in front of the saloons until they were closed. About a dozen brave women in long white dresses were parading in front of a saloon on the east end of town. Two women who participated were Mrs. H.L.D. (Ella) Jenkins, and Mrs. J.W. (Lizzie) Reeder. The nation W.C.T.U. movement brought about Prohibition, which made the sale of alcohol a national crime.
The 1914/1915 edition of the Texas Gazeteer listed Hughes Springs with a population of 700. Other facts listed include, on the M. K. & T. Ry., in Cass County, 20 miles east of Linden, the county seat, and 150 east of Dallas. Has churches, schools, 2 banks, a weekly newspaper, saw, shingle and flour mills, cotton gins, etc.
The railroad had two large buildings located behind what is now Hughes Springs Flower Mart. One building was the depot, the other was the Katy Cafe. A 1911 advertisement in the Hughes Springs School Handbook stated that the Katy Cafe was open all night to serve the train travelers and local residents. At that time several freight trains and four passenger trains served Hughes Springs – two going east and two going west each day. The railroad was largest employer in town.
Norine Cloninger Bowers, a local resident, told about cattle drives through downtown Hughes Springs. Men on Horseback herded the longhorn cattle down First Street on their way to market.
J.T. Barfield ran a livery stable. It was located in a wooden building where Vestal’s Tire Store is today (presently closed). He took care of people’s horses. A sideline to the business was a horse-drawn taxi. Customers were transported around town in a surrey with the fringe on top.
The Niblett family operated Hughes Springs’ electric power and ice house. The plant was located next to the railroad across the street from where Economy Auto Supply now operates.
People who had farms raised cotton. The cotton gin was located where Quick Lube is today. Bales of cotton were stacked beside the gin. One year Hughes Springs got so much rain that the creek flooded into the gin yard and several bales of cotton were seen floating down Hughes Creek in the direction of Jefferson.
The city jail was known locally as the calaboose. It was a cell dug down below street level, located just behind what is now Tri Cities Insurance Company. The cell was open to the weather and onlookers who were always curious to see if anyone was locked up.
When the United States finally was drawn into World War I, a number of local residents proudly served. Many went to France, some lost their lives there, and some such as Rev. A.L. Pearce were gassed and suffered breathing difficulty for the rest of their lives. After the war Hughes Springs went back to normal life. Most people in the area farmed small family farms. They brought their produce to town by wagon. Longer trips were made abroad the train. A few automobiles began to appear, since Henry Ford had begun mass producing the Model T. Until the 1940’s, most travel on roads continued by horse.
The year 1929 brought two things to Hughes Springs. Arkla Gas introduced natural gas through its pipeline. Many conveniences were introduced as a result of the gas power. When news of the stock market crash reached Hughes Springs, some residents laughed that what happened in New York wouldn’t affect Hughes Springs. They were so wrong. For several years few jobs were available, and no one seemed to have any money. A local movie theater proved to be a popular diversion. Folks could forget their problems for a few hours, and imagine they were in a world far away from their problems.
Several young men joined the W.P.A. work corps and constructed such things as the Daingerfield State Park and school buildings throughout the area. Local residents said that the state park was a joint project between Hughes Springs and Daingerfield, and they expected it to be named the Hughes Springs-Daingerfield State Park or at least the Daingerfield-Hughes Springs State Park. Regardless of the name, the park’s fine facilities have been enjoyed for 50 years by residents of both communities.
In 1936 Hughes Springs finally got a sewer system. Before that the outhouses served local residences and the Red Front, a public outhouse, served the downtown and merchants. The front of the building was painted red, and it was a cold place during winter. A southwesterly wind to Hughes Springs was an unwelcome occurrence to downtown in those days, because the Red Front was located where Highway 161 crosses Hughes Creek near what is now the Quick Lube. Finally the Red Front burned. It must have been right after 1936, because it was never rebuilt.
First Street known locally as Main Street was a dusty place until it was paved in 1937. Hughes Springs remained pretty dusty until 1950’s when the rest of the streets were finally paved.
One of the positives of WW II was the construction and establishment of Lone Star Steel Defense Plant, seven miles southwest of Hughes Springs. The nation must have steel, if it was to win a war and progress as a nation, and the Hughes Springs area was rich in iron ore, so Hughes Springs native, Congressman Wright Patman, helped to get the men and money together to make the steel mill a reality.
Hundreds of Hughes Springs residents served in WW II. After the war many returned to the Lone Star Steel Company to work, Hughes Springs was a boom town. A seminar was held at the Daingerfield State Park “to hear boomtown problems discussed by those who have encountered them firsthand.” The Dallas Morning News said that Hughes Springs was the fastest growing city in Northeast Texas after the 1950 census came out. The population increased 88% between 1940 and 1950.
“Catastrophe” – that was the headline of the February 17, 1950 edition of The Voice, a local newspaper. The paper stated, “The date February 12, 1950 will be remembered in Hughes Springs until the end of time. Within a few minutes of midnight the morning of that date the worst cyclone in its 110 year history struck an east residential section leaving devastation in its wake.” A 92 year old man was seriously injured and eventually died when falling timber struck him. As usual the fire department and rescue squad came in and did a great job.
Young men and women from throughout the area served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. They did not get the recognition they deserved, although they were treated much better by the citizens of Hughes Springs then they were in many other parts of the U.S.
In 1961 a couple of things happened in Hughes Springs to get the town a lot of publicity. Late spring of that year brought Hughes Springs a third place in the state championship track and field events. Unfortunately few residents got to go to Austin to see Hughes Springs’ best bring home the bronze. The next month, Hughes Springs was again in all the papers. This time a wild black bear was discovered in the city limits! No one has yet been able to explain how the bear got here, but after several hours of excitement, Joe Cotter killed the bear with his deer rifle.
In 1966 there was heavy flooding in downtown Hughes Springs. It certainly wasn’t the first time for flooding, but it probably was the worst. An eighteen-car train wreck occurred just east of downtown in 1971. It was spectacular to see how high those boxcars were piled up! Fortunately no lives were lost.
The 1971 basketball team of Hughes Springs High School won state for the first time. Unlike the track meet of ’61, it seemed that the whole town was in Gregory Gym in Austin to witness and savor the victory. In late April of 1971 the Wildflower Trails of Texas was started. Citizens of Hughes Springs, Avinger, and Linden worked together to create a festival which has grown and prospered over the years.
The 1914/1915 edition of the Texas Gazeteer listed Hughes Springs with a population of 700. Other facts listed include, on the M. K. & T. Ry., in Cass County, 20 miles east of Linden, the county seat, and 150 east of Dallas. Has churches, schools, 2 banks, a weekly newspaper, saw, shingle and flour mills, cotton gins, etc.
The railroad had two large buildings located behind what is now Hughes Springs Flower Mart. One building was the depot, the other was the Katy Cafe. A 1911 advertisement in the Hughes Springs School Handbook stated that the Katy Cafe was open all night to serve the train travelers and local residents. At that time several freight trains and four passenger trains served Hughes Springs – two going east and two going west each day. The railroad was largest employer in town.
Norine Cloninger Bowers, a local resident, told about cattle drives through downtown Hughes Springs. Men on Horseback herded the longhorn cattle down First Street on their way to market.
J.T. Barfield ran a livery stable. It was located in a wooden building where Vestal’s Tire Store is today (presently closed). He took care of people’s horses. A sideline to the business was a horse-drawn taxi. Customers were transported around town in a surrey with the fringe on top.
The Niblett family operated Hughes Springs’ electric power and ice house. The plant was located next to the railroad across the street from where Economy Auto Supply now operates.
People who had farms raised cotton. The cotton gin was located where Quick Lube is today. Bales of cotton were stacked beside the gin. One year Hughes Springs got so much rain that the creek flooded into the gin yard and several bales of cotton were seen floating down Hughes Creek in the direction of Jefferson.
The city jail was known locally as the calaboose. It was a cell dug down below street level, located just behind what is now Tri Cities Insurance Company. The cell was open to the weather and onlookers who were always curious to see if anyone was locked up.
When the United States finally was drawn into World War I, a number of local residents proudly served. Many went to France, some lost their lives there, and some such as Rev. A.L. Pearce were gassed and suffered breathing difficulty for the rest of their lives. After the war Hughes Springs went back to normal life. Most people in the area farmed small family farms. They brought their produce to town by wagon. Longer trips were made abroad the train. A few automobiles began to appear, since Henry Ford had begun mass producing the Model T. Until the 1940’s, most travel on roads continued by horse.
The year 1929 brought two things to Hughes Springs. Arkla Gas introduced natural gas through its pipeline. Many conveniences were introduced as a result of the gas power. When news of the stock market crash reached Hughes Springs, some residents laughed that what happened in New York wouldn’t affect Hughes Springs. They were so wrong. For several years few jobs were available, and no one seemed to have any money. A local movie theater proved to be a popular diversion. Folks could forget their problems for a few hours, and imagine they were in a world far away from their problems.
Several young men joined the W.P.A. work corps and constructed such things as the Daingerfield State Park and school buildings throughout the area. Local residents said that the state park was a joint project between Hughes Springs and Daingerfield, and they expected it to be named the Hughes Springs-Daingerfield State Park or at least the Daingerfield-Hughes Springs State Park. Regardless of the name, the park’s fine facilities have been enjoyed for 50 years by residents of both communities.
In 1936 Hughes Springs finally got a sewer system. Before that the outhouses served local residences and the Red Front, a public outhouse, served the downtown and merchants. The front of the building was painted red, and it was a cold place during winter. A southwesterly wind to Hughes Springs was an unwelcome occurrence to downtown in those days, because the Red Front was located where Highway 161 crosses Hughes Creek near what is now the Quick Lube. Finally the Red Front burned. It must have been right after 1936, because it was never rebuilt.
First Street known locally as Main Street was a dusty place until it was paved in 1937. Hughes Springs remained pretty dusty until 1950’s when the rest of the streets were finally paved.
One of the positives of WW II was the construction and establishment of Lone Star Steel Defense Plant, seven miles southwest of Hughes Springs. The nation must have steel, if it was to win a war and progress as a nation, and the Hughes Springs area was rich in iron ore, so Hughes Springs native, Congressman Wright Patman, helped to get the men and money together to make the steel mill a reality.
Hundreds of Hughes Springs residents served in WW II. After the war many returned to the Lone Star Steel Company to work, Hughes Springs was a boom town. A seminar was held at the Daingerfield State Park “to hear boomtown problems discussed by those who have encountered them firsthand.” The Dallas Morning News said that Hughes Springs was the fastest growing city in Northeast Texas after the 1950 census came out. The population increased 88% between 1940 and 1950.
“Catastrophe” – that was the headline of the February 17, 1950 edition of The Voice, a local newspaper. The paper stated, “The date February 12, 1950 will be remembered in Hughes Springs until the end of time. Within a few minutes of midnight the morning of that date the worst cyclone in its 110 year history struck an east residential section leaving devastation in its wake.” A 92 year old man was seriously injured and eventually died when falling timber struck him. As usual the fire department and rescue squad came in and did a great job.
Young men and women from throughout the area served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. They did not get the recognition they deserved, although they were treated much better by the citizens of Hughes Springs then they were in many other parts of the U.S.
In 1961 a couple of things happened in Hughes Springs to get the town a lot of publicity. Late spring of that year brought Hughes Springs a third place in the state championship track and field events. Unfortunately few residents got to go to Austin to see Hughes Springs’ best bring home the bronze. The next month, Hughes Springs was again in all the papers. This time a wild black bear was discovered in the city limits! No one has yet been able to explain how the bear got here, but after several hours of excitement, Joe Cotter killed the bear with his deer rifle.
In 1966 there was heavy flooding in downtown Hughes Springs. It certainly wasn’t the first time for flooding, but it probably was the worst. An eighteen-car train wreck occurred just east of downtown in 1971. It was spectacular to see how high those boxcars were piled up! Fortunately no lives were lost.
The 1971 basketball team of Hughes Springs High School won state for the first time. Unlike the track meet of ’61, it seemed that the whole town was in Gregory Gym in Austin to witness and savor the victory. In late April of 1971 the Wildflower Trails of Texas was started. Citizens of Hughes Springs, Avinger, and Linden worked together to create a festival which has grown and prospered over the years.
About 1980 something happened in Washington, D.C. which had a great impact on Hughes Springs. Oil was
deregulated. Oil companies began drilling wells and increasing production as fast as possible. They needed oilfield pipe, and as much as they could get. This created a second boom in Hughes Springs and the area. Unfortunately, unfair foreign competition and a drop in the demand for oil stopped the boom after a couple of years.
The area economies went through a period of pretty hard times in 1983-85. Hughes Springs through 1983-85. Hughes Springs during the its Chamber of Commerce and local merchants came up with an idea to get more people to shop in Hughes Springs during the busiest shopping days of the year – the two days after Thanksgiving. Merchants and chamber members dress up as cartoon characters and have great sales throughout the town. They call it Crazy Dayz, and it has brought a lot of shoppers into town.
Hughes Springs residents are proud of their past and look forward to the future with excitement and confidence. Additional information about the history of Hughes Springs area can be found in the following:
McLean, John H., Reminiscences of Rev. John H. McLean, A.M., D.D.
Dallas: Smith and Lamar Publishing House, 1918.
Patterson, Grace Daniel. The Strawberry Apple Tree.
San Antonio: The Naylor Company, 1971.
Gleason, Mildred. Caddo – A Survey of the Caddo Indian in Northeast Texas and Marion County,
1541-1840.
Jefferson: Marion County Historical Society, 1981
Jaynes, Nita Mac and WillardG. History of Cass County, Texas
Cass County Historical Society, 1972.
Cass County Genealogical Society
Davis, Jim. History of Cass County People, 1982
(Taken from the Hughes Springs Texas Histories, Vol. 1)
The area economies went through a period of pretty hard times in 1983-85. Hughes Springs through 1983-85. Hughes Springs during the its Chamber of Commerce and local merchants came up with an idea to get more people to shop in Hughes Springs during the busiest shopping days of the year – the two days after Thanksgiving. Merchants and chamber members dress up as cartoon characters and have great sales throughout the town. They call it Crazy Dayz, and it has brought a lot of shoppers into town.
Hughes Springs residents are proud of their past and look forward to the future with excitement and confidence. Additional information about the history of Hughes Springs area can be found in the following:
McLean, John H., Reminiscences of Rev. John H. McLean, A.M., D.D.
Dallas: Smith and Lamar Publishing House, 1918.
Patterson, Grace Daniel. The Strawberry Apple Tree.
San Antonio: The Naylor Company, 1971.
Gleason, Mildred. Caddo – A Survey of the Caddo Indian in Northeast Texas and Marion County,
1541-1840.
Jefferson: Marion County Historical Society, 1981
Jaynes, Nita Mac and WillardG. History of Cass County, Texas
Cass County Historical Society, 1972.
Cass County Genealogical Society
Davis, Jim. History of Cass County People, 1982
(Taken from the Hughes Springs Texas Histories, Vol. 1)
