In researching individuals living in, near or significant to my Angelina County Connections I discovered a book which was published in 1888. It was written by R. W. Haltom who was the then Editor for "The Leader" of Lufkin, Texas. The title is: "History and description of Angelina County, Texas" The copy that I found was reprinted and possibly revised in some way. That data is not noted within this publication, however, the reprint was done in Austin, Texas by Pemberton Press sometime in 1969. This version was 102 pages in length.

I do not have a Library of Congress Number for the publication nor did I while I was typing the following indicate what page or chapter the following entries were derived from. These were of interest to me, personally. I thought that someone might like to see some of the information in the publication and have some use for it. I loved several entries and thought that they were perfect snippets of history for the era and locale. That's why I posted!!!
ENJOY!!!
deb-

NOTE: PLEASE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THIS WAS PUBLISHED IN THE LATE 1800'S AND THAT COUNTY BOUNDARIES, THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE AND MUCH HAS CHANGED. AS YOU WILL NOTICE MANY WORDS AND NAMES ARE INCORRECT. OFTEN, COMMON WORDS ARE ALSO INCORRECT... THESE BOOKS WERE MOST OFTEN PRINTED BY LITHOGRAPHY WHERE EACH SMALL LETTER IS PLACED BY HAND...


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Description of Angelina County
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Angelina County lies between the Neches and the Angelina rivers, taking its name from the latter. It is bounded on the north, by Cherokee and Nacogdoches counties, east by Nacogdoches and San Augustine, south by Tyler and west by the counties of Trinity and Houston. This county is on the route of travel of Gov. Cordero in 1806. In 1830 Gen. Mier y Teran visited Texas and laid out a town named for himself on the Neches river, to which four leagues of land werre given; Col, Bean was left in command. Both the above named rivers enter Sabine Lake and they are navigable during the wet season; the Angelina for 400 miles and the Neches about 250 miles to Thouvenin landing. The soil in the bottoms is black sandy and very productive, a considerable portion of the uplands is also rich; the county is also heavily timbered with pine, oak, beech, magnolia, hickory, mulberry and other trees. It is traversed by the H. E. & W.T.R.R. and the Kansas and Gulf Short Line railroad. Lufkin the principal town of the county is situated at the intersection of these roads. Until the year 1846, it formed part of Nacogdoches County. Nacogdoches was first settled about 1778, although there is some dispute among authorities as to the correctness of this date. When it was first settled a stone fort was built, 80 feet long by 20 broad, the walls being two and one half to three feet thick and two stories high; the building stands there to this day and is known as the "Old Stone Fort." As has been stated already, on April 18th, 1825 Hayden Edwards obtained a contract from the Mexican government to settle 800 families in the neighborhood of Nacogdoches. It was an unfortunate location, as his settlers had constant trouble with the Mexicans in regard to land titles, invidious distinctions were made against the Americans and finally the contract of Edwards was annulled and his expulsion ordered. He had expended thousands of dollars, bringing colonists to the country and felt incensed at this act of injustice. This state of affairs let to what is known at the Fredonian war, which resulted in the expulsion of the Fredonians after a skirmish in the town of Nacogdoches on January 4th, 1827. The next important event was the battle of Nacogdoches, fought August 3rd, 1832. It was brought about by changes in the Mexican government; President Bustamente changed it from a constitutional republic to a centralized military form of government. Gen. Santa Anna became the leader of the republican party and called on all the states for aid, the Texan colonists being among the number. Col. Piedras commanding the Mexican forces refused to declare in favor of the constitution of 1824 and the Americans in three companies under Capts. Samuel Davis, Baily, Anderson and Bradshaw attacked the town. After fighting all day, the enemy withdrew and were pursued by a few volunteers, who overtook them at the lake, but their force was too small; they however passed the Mexicans and took a positionn on the west bank of the Angelina river, where at length the Mexidans surrendered; the Americans numbered by 17 men whild there were over 400 of the others. In 1834 the population of the municipality of Nacogdoches numbered 3,500; since that time, seven counties have been formed from Nacogdoches and it would be difficult to state the exact population today within the same limits; considerably over 135,000 however. It has well been said that Nacogdoches is as old as Texas and the history of one commences with the history of the other. The First Baptist church was organized in Nacogdoches in 1838; the first synod of the Cumberland Presbyterian church in Texas was organized there in 1842; a Franciscan mission was established in 1816; the first Americans settled there in 1800 being Capt. Dill and his son-in-law, Joseph Durst, Samuel Davinport, and Rober Barr. In 1831 the land district of Nacogdoches was formed, embracing all the territory between the San Jacinto and the Sabine rivers. In July 1812 the place was occupied by the republicans under Magee and in June 1819 the town was taken possession of by Long, who organized an executive committee, and for a short time a newspaper was published. In 1839, the Cherokee Indians were driven from their village on the Angelina river. Before the resistless, onward march of civilization, from the rocky bound coast of the Atlantic to the less tempestuous Pacific, the aborigines have been forced to fall back and abandon their hunting grounds. The policy of Gen. Lamar was aggressive. He believed that the Indians retarded the advance of civilization and should be driven away. Many depredations and atrocities were charged to them, among others that they had murdered the Killough family, some sixteen or eighteen having been killed. This charge was denied by the Cherokees, who said it was done by wild Indians. Vice President Burnett and Gen. A. S. Johnston, Secretary of War, were sent to the Indian village on the Angelina, to induce them to leave peacefully, being authorized to pay them for their improvements, but they peremtorily refused to go. Three regiments of volunteers under Cols. Burleson, Rusk and Landrum, the whole under the command of Gen. Douglass were collected and sent to that place. Negotiations having utterly failed to induce them to abandon their lands, they were attacked on the 15th of July. After suffering the loss of some eighteen they retreated to the Netches river where they were followed by the Texans, another battle being fought. In this fight the Indians lost about one hundred, killed and wounded. After suffering such a disastrous defeat, the Indians fled, abandoning their lands and homes to the white man. The following is an account of the adoption of the Lone Star for the Texan flag, as given by Hon. Guy M. Bryan, in a speech delivered before the Texas Veteran Association in 1873: "Travis and the men of the Alamo died fighting for the Mexican flag of 1824, as they had not heard of the Declaration of IndePendence. The Lone Star was a fortunate accident. A half century since, overcoats were ornamented with large brass buttons. It happened that the buttons on the coat of Gen. Smith had the impress of a five-pointed star. For want of a seal, one of these buttons was cut off and used. The first Lone Star flag I can find account of was made at Harrisburg and presented to the Company of Capt. Andrew Robinson, in 1835. The lone star was white, five-pointed and set in ground of red." In 1842-3, during President Houston's administration, Shelby county was greatly unsettled by the lawlessness and crime prevailing there. Some of the citizens organized a sort of vigilance committee to redress crime in a summary way, without waiting for the then tardy intervention of justice and law. They were known as Regulators. They soon carried their highhanded proceedings so far that many innocent men suffered. This gave rise to an opposition organization, known as Moderators. Wat Morman commanded the former, and a man named Bradley the latter. So violent and lawless became the proceedings of both parties that Gen. Houston found it necessary to call out the militia to suppress them and restore order. A brief resume of the facts will prove interesting reading. Throughout Texas law and order, except in Shelby county, and the adjoining territory of Louisiana, prevailed. After the land office was established in 1838, a trade sprang up in the sale of spurious or forged headright certificates and also in the cirdulation of counterfeit money. In 1842 occurred the first open outbreak. Charles W. Jackson, of Kentucky, who had been running a steamboat on the Mississippi and Red rivers for some cause or other ceased to do so, and entered into business at Shreveport, La. A reward being offered for his capture, a party of men seized and sent him New to orleans. He escaped and got back before his captors, rallied his friends at Shreveport, had an encounter with them on their arrival, in which several of his enemies were killed and the others put to fight. To avoid the consequences of his act, Jackson went to Shelby county. He was afterwards defeated for Congress, as he charged, through the efforts of those engaged in manufacturing headright certificates. He notified the Land Office at Austin of their actions, and received a letter from Joseph Goodbread, not to meddle with what did not concern him, or he would be killed by the writer if no one else was found to do it. Jackson, meeting him afterwards, read the letter and killed him. For a time justice was paralyzed. Judge Hansford failed to appear in court to preside at his trial. Desperadoes joined both parties; many honest, innocent men lost their property or lives; mob law prevailed, and a reign of terror and anarchy terrified the officials and law-abiding citizens, until some five hundred State troops assembled under Gen. Smith and by prudent action and a determined show of force the belligerants were persuaded to lay down their arms and no longer impede the proper execution of the laws.

In 1846, Judge Jos. Herrington, Capt. J. K. Bowman, Wm. G. Lang, John McAnally, Wiley Caldwell and Henry Massengill were designated by the Legislature to run the boundary lines of Angelina county and locate the county site. The county site was located at Marion in the fall of 1846. The first election was on the 16th of July, 1846. The following are the names of those elected to hold office: Joseph Herrington, Chief Justice; John D. Windham, Thos. Crawford, John Evans and Francis Hill, County Commissioners; A. C. Caldwell, County Clerk; G. T. W. Collins, Sheriff; John G. Gann, District Clerk; Thos. B. W. Windham, Probate Judge; Nathan W. Gann, Justice of the Peace Beat No. 1. Chief Justice W. W. Winfield, of Nacogdoches county, administered the oath of office to Chief Justice Herrington, and by him it was administered to the other officials. There were one hundred and thirty-nine votes polled at the first election held in the county. The County Commissioners court convened at Shawnee Prairie and proceeded to approve of petitions to make certain public roads and appoint road overseers.

At this time, and prior to it, one-year-old yearlings on the range frequently weighed four hundred pounds. The range was very fine and it was not necessary to feed horses or cattle. Beef could be had all winter. There was but veryl little corn raised; only here ant there some little patches were cultivated. The people depended almost entirely on their stock up to 1845; then a few farmers moved in and opened up some farms. The first gin was built by W. W. Hanks in 1842, who ginned for the eighth and two dollars for packing. In 1846, Wm. Herrington built a gin, ginning for the tenth, and he was followed by Samuel Nedham, who-erected one the next year.

..........book continues with information on stock, crops, weather, etc.

HOMESTEAD LAWS

The following laws, bearing on homestead and property exempt from forced sale, are given for the information of all, but particularly those seeking a new home, in whose interest this history has been especially prepared -- from the Constitution:

Art. XVI: Sec. 50 -- The homestead of a family shall be, and is hereby protected from forced sale for payment of all debts except for the purchase money thereof, or a part of such purchase money, the taxes due thereon or for work and material used in constructing improvements thereon, and in this last case only when the work and material are contracted for in writing, with the consent of the wife given in the same manner as is required to make a sale and conveyance of the homestead; nor shall the owner, if a married man, sell the homestead without the consent of the wife given in such a manner as may be prescribed by law. No mortgage, trust deed or other lien on the homestead shall ever be valid, except for the purchase money therefor or improvements made thereon, as herein before provided, whether such mortgage, or trust deed, or other lien, shall have been created by the husband alone or together with his wife; and all pretended sales of the homestead involving any condition of defeasance shall be void.

Sec. 51 -- The homestead, not in a town or city, shall consist of not more than two hundred acres of land, which may be in one or more parcels, with the improvements thereon; the homestead in a city, town or village, shall consist of a lot or lots, not to exceed in value five thousand dollars at the time of their designation as the homestead, with reference to the value of any improvements thereon; provided, that the same shall be used for the purposes of a home, or as a place to exercise the calling or business of the head of a family; provided also, that any temporary renting of the homestead shall not change the character of the same, when no other homestead has been acquired.

Sec. 52 -- On the death of the husband or wife or both, the homestead shall descend and vest in like manner as other real property of the deceased, and shall be governed by the same laws of descent and distribution; but it shall not be partitioned among the heirs of the deceased during the lifetime of the surviving husband or wife, or so long as the survivor may elect to use or occupy the same as a homestead, or so long as the guardian of the minor children of the deceased may be permitted, under the order of the proper court having the jurisdiction, to use and occupy the same.

.........background information on Lufkin followed by business owners... Interestingly enough, this must have been a publication that was supported by the merchants. The last portion of the book was entirely advertising. In almost every case, the people mentioned in various excerpts are those who also had paid advertising!!!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LUFKIN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MANTOOTH & ABNEY
This firm, composed of C. Mantooth and W. A. Abney, occupy a commodious building which is well stocked with general merchandise, consisting of dry goods, groceries, clothing, hardware, notions, &c. This houe was established in Jan, 1884, and transacts business yearly amounting from $12,000 to $15,000. Owing to the business qualifications and affability of these gentlemen, they are deservedly popular with those trading at Lufkin, people visiting their store once, being apt to come again.

ABNEY & SCURLOCK
The drug store kept by Dr. J. A. Abney and Mr. J. M. Scurlock, was started Oct. 1st, 1887, (having bought out Mr. A. C. Vinson). They make a specialty of compounding prescriptions with accuracy and care, the Doctor being a physician of 18 or 20 years experience and his partner, a practical pharmacisr, well posted in all the details of the business. They keep a large stock of fresh drugs, oils, paints, patent medicines and fancy articles. They do a fine business, having the confidence of their patrons.

L. CHANCY & CO.
Some time since James Herrington and Son, sold out to B. E. Moore, who in turn disposed of the stock of goods on July 25th, to the above named firm consisting of Mrs. Wm. Chancy and Mr. R. L. Denman. They propose replenishing their stock and filling up the shelves, when purchasers can find anything from a knitting needle to a plow, everything in fact, that is usually carried by general merchants. They have already a good run of business and hope by care and attention to secure a large trade.

C. A. WEAVER
At this house the thirsty traveler tarrieth and is refreshed. Mr. Weaver keeps a fine stock of liquors, wines and cigars, as well as the amber hued brew of Gambrinus. He is the agent for the Gold Star cigar and has on hand, Our Monarch, Paul Jones, Old Monarch and Reb Stock Malt Whiskies, as well as the favorite Schlitz, Pilsener bottled beer. During the heated term, he keeps beer on draught, which is always fresh cool and palatable.

JOE. EDMUNDSON.
The gentleman whose name appears at the head of this article, has been in business at this place for the past three years. Having been for some time on the road, as a commercial traveler, he is extensively acquainted and fully posted as to what the public need. He keeps a fully supply of everything embraced under the head of general merchandise, such as groceries, dry goods, notions, &c., and during the busy season of the year, has his hands full attending to the wants of his many customers.

W. H. BONNER, JR.
On the south-west corner of Cotton Square, you find the store of Mr. W. H. Bonner, Jr., who commenced business at Homer in 1878, moving to Lufkin in 1882, where he has done business since. He carries a large and varied stock of general merrchandise, his annual sales running up to some $35,000. He is assisted in carrying on the business, by his brother Mr. Frank Bonner, and Mr. B. J. Milam, who has charge of the books and also acts as salesman when occasion requires.

R. P. WALKER & CO.
This house successfully caters to the tastes of residents and visitors, having on hand only the best of wines, liquors and cigars. Their bar room is neatly and tastefully fitted up and the best of order is always maintained by the proprietors, who comnenced business at their present stand about six months ago. They aim to please those who patronize them by serving first class articles. They keep bottled beer on hand and also a choice variety of cigars.

W. C. DENMAN.
The Lufkin Livery Stable is kept by the above named gentleman, who has constantly on hand neat hacks and buggies and good horses to hire at reasonable rates, also accommodations and feed for teams of those visiting town.

W. C. DENMAN
About six hundred yards south-east of Cotton Square, is the steam gin and grist mill of Mr. W. C. Denman. It is a great convenience to those who have farms near town and enjoys the liberal patronage of the people of Lufkin vicinity.

THE LUFKIN HOUSE
This hotel, kept by Mrs. M. E. Crosier, is well known to all who visit Lufkin. No pains are spared to secure the comfort of the guests, and the table contains every luxury the market affords.

LUFKIN CASH STORE
The proprietor, Mr. W. B. Clark, is the pioneer merchant of Lufkin, having begun business here in 1882. He keeps on hand a choice stock of hats, boots, shoes, notions, dry goods and gents' furnishing goods.

I. D. CLARK
This house started in 1886 and deals in groceries, hardware, cutlery, stoves, bacon, flour, salt, tobacco and bagging and ties, making a special feature of flour and stoves. Mr. Clark is an experienced grocer and makes this purchases with that care and judgment that enables him to please his customers.

C. A. LEWIS
Mr. Lewis is a house-carpenter, and dealer in sash, doors and blinds. He also carries a line of coffins and caskets. He is prepared to make contracts to erect buildings, and do the same in a workmanlike manner.

J. W. MOFFETT & SON
This firm does a general blacksmithing business, shoeing horses, repairing and ironing wagons and buggies. Being machinists, they are prepared to do any and all kinds of work generally done in their line. They are first-class workmen.

ROBT. R. SHEARER
Mr. Shearer is the proprietor of the Lufkin Brick yard, and is a contractor and builder well posted in his business. He is the constructor of the brick buildings in Lufkin, and his work shows that he understands his business. He has invested in real estate here, and Lufkin claims him as a bona fide citizen.

J. KERR & CO.
This firm deals in dry goods, groceries, hardware and saddlery. They have been long established in the county, having moved here from Homer.

W. L. ANDERSON
Is a dealer in all kinds of fancy and family groceries, canned goods, tobacco &c. He also has a barber shop attached, where work is done in a finished and stylish manner.

J. F. DAVIS
This gentleman residing and having his office at Lufkin, is an Attorney at Law, the present County Attorney and also a Real Estate and Collection Agent. Having on hand a complete abstract of all land titles in Angelina County, his services are invaluable to any party buying or selling land in the county. Being ex-County Surveyor he is thoroughly posted as to the quality and value of land, now in the market or which may be offered for sale.

J. M. NOELL
Next door to the post office is to be found the store of Mr. J. M. Noell, who keeps on hand a general supply of general merchandise. This establishment is presided over by Mr. C. M. Noell, business manager, and Mr. Wm. Noell, head salesman. They carry a full line of dry goods, notions, tobacco, cigars, hardware, cuttlery, chinaware crockeryware, etc. This house transacts an annual business of from twenty to thirty thousand dollars.

SIMON ABRAM
The proprietor of this house is one who knows the value of printer's ink, and the rapid increasing of his business shows the correctness of his judgment in that respect. His store is "brimfull of seasonable bargains." Among other attractions, he has shoes, ginghams, oil dress prints, laces and ribbons, ladies' straw hats, gents' clothing, etc.; in fact he carries a magnificent line of dry goods, groceries and general merchandise. Mr. Abram alwo has an extensive establishment in Tyler. Mr. J. E. McPherson, a popular and worthy young business man, is Mr. Abram's book-keeper and enjoys the confidence of both his employer and his customers.

M'PHERSON & DAVIS.
This firm is composed of B. L. McPherson and J. F. Davis, Esq,. They transact a receiving and forwarding business, and weigh and sample cotton. In addition to this, Mr. McPherson has a grist mill and cotton gin in the suburbs of the town, which is liberally patronized.

LEWIS & MOORE
C. A. Lewis and W. L. Moore, Carpenters and Builders, comprose this firm. As they are thorough workmen and do first class work, it will be to the interest of those intending to build to give them the contract for the work.

A. W. ELLIS
Is established permanently in the brick block; with a full line of general merchandise.

T.R. BONNER & CO.
About six miles north of Lufkin, is a large steam saw mill, owned by T. R. Bonner & Co. and under the management of T. W. Clawson, Esq. It has a capacity for 30,000 feet of lumber a day, gives employment to 100 hands and does a flourishing trade. Being on the K. & G.S. L. railroad, they have convenient shipping facilities.

HENDERSON AND KURTH
Two miles north of town on the Kansas & Gulf Short Line Railroad, is found the steam saw mill of the above named gentlemen. They do a large and constantly increasing business in rough and dressed lumber and give employment to a considerable number of hands.

A. J. SMITH
The hotel of A. J. Smith fronting the depot, is well and neatly kept, the table supplied with all of the delicacies procurable in the market and every thing done that conduce to the comfort of the regular boarders or traveling public.

E. T. DURROUGH
In the heart of the pine district, is the shingle machine of Mr. G. Durrough, six and one half miles from town. He has on hand an abundant supply of heart and sap shingles at market prices. His P. O. address is Lufkin, where those desiring particulars can direct their letters. Being located immediately on the K. & G. S. L. Ry., Mr. Durrough is prepared for making shipments on short notice.

A. C. VINSON & CO.
Deal in dry goods, groceries and general merchandise.

W. W. MANNING & CO.
Carry a general assortment of drugs family groceries and furniture.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOMER
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Homer, the county seat of Angelina County, is located in about the center of the county, some six miles east of Lufkin and is most pleasantly situated. The first county seat was Marion, the first Commissioners Court being held there on April 12th. 1817. On Dec. 22nd, 1854, it was moved to Jonesville, the Commissioners Court met in session there, Feb. 19th 1855. Finally, Homer became the county seat in 1858, and has so remained until the present time. There for the past thirty years the courts have been held, officials have succeeded each other term after term; lawlessness inseparable from a sparsely settled country, has given place to order, and the mandates of the law are executed with the same case and promptitude and meet with the same respect as in any portion of the state. The country around Homer has been settled up, farms opened, and the town is now surrounded by prosperous, thrifty farmers and well tilled farms. The neat court house in which are found the offices of the different county officials, presents a striking contrast to the "al fresco" one, in which a meeting of the Commissioners Court was held at Marion, in 1846, around a pine log over which the clerk, A. C. Caldwell, spread his Mexican blanket, using it as a desk on which to write, whilst jotting down the minutes of the court. The growth of Homer has been steady and prograssive until the advent of railroads in this section, and then it received a check, as have many other county seats in the Eastern part of Texas, when not so fortunate as to be located on the line of the railroad. The school at this place is well attended, received a hearty support from the citizens and stands deservedly high, owing to the care exercised by the trustees in selecting a principal, who is competent and well fitted for the position; there are about 50 pupils enrolled in school with an average attendance of 75 per cent. The first newspaper published in Angelona County, was the Pioneeer, established at Homer by Judge McGowen in 1861, but it lived only for a year or two. The next was the Banner, which was started some twenty years later and the office moved to Lufkin in 1883. The merchants here carry a large supply of dry goods, groceries, notions, &c., such as are usually found in the stores of country towns, and the people in the surrounding country support them in a very liberal manner. The citizens of Homer are intelligent and sociable, extending a hearty welcome to all newcomers, who desire to settle among them. As the courts are held here and the county offices located at this place, most of the lawyers of the county have their residences and offices in the town. The traveling public are cared for at two well kept hotels; while the health of the community is looked after by three physicians. A well equipped livery stable, keeps everything on hand generally found in such an establishment. Below will be found the names of some of the merchants and professional men doing business at Homer.

W. W. MANNING
This gentleman has a finely fitted up drug store replete with everything pertaining to the business. It enjoys a wide spread reputation having been established in 1854. Mr. Manning is also interested in the drug store of W. W. Manning & Co., doing business in the town of Lufkin.

MANNING & RUSH.
This firm has been doing business since 1858 and deals in dry goods, groceries, notions, &c.; they also own large tracts of land throughout the county, which they have placed on the market, at reasonable rates and easy terms.

W. J. TOWNSEND
This gentleman, who is an Attorney-at-Law, represents the owners of 100,000 acres of timbered and farming lands in Angeling county, some of which are the finest in the county. He will practice law in all the courts of this and adjoining counties.

G.J. COLLINS
Is the proprietor of one the Homer hotels, and also of a saloon and family grocery. He sells honest goods over his bar, and keeps an assortment of family groceries, and successfully caters to the comforts of guests. His hotel is a popular resort.

J. D. GANN
Mr. Gann is an Attorney-at-Law, Land Agent and Surveyor. Besided practicing in the County and District Courts at Homer, he will also appear in the U.S. Circuit and District Courts at Tyler, when his services are required.

JOHN W. DAVIS
J. W. Davis, Esq., is an Attorney-at-Law and Collection Agent. All business entrusted to his care will receive prompt attention. He makes collection a specialty and is a success in this business.

HERNDON, GOULD & GANN
This firm is composed of W. S. Herndon and Judge G. H. Gould, of Tyler and J. D. Gann, of Homer. they devote their entire attention to land litigation, having offices both at Tyler and Homer, and their practice is very extensive.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BURKE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


With the advent of the Houston East and West Texas Railroad, the town of Burke, eight miles west of Lufkin, sprang into existence, some six years ago. Where but a few years since was primeval forest, with naught in sight save the lofty tops of the monarch pines, is now to be seen a commodious school house, three stores doing a general merchandise business, a drug store, a saw mill, besides numerous comfortable, neat dwelling houses. The district of which Burke is the center, is noted as being composed of some of the most fertile and valuable farming land in Angelina County and the farmers settled throughout that section are uniformly prosperous and successful. The Farmer's Alliance has a store established at this point for the accommodation of members of the order. The school at Burke, is in an especially flourishing condition, and is very well supported by the community, who take pride in its success. There were about 50 scholars enrolled last year, with an average attendance of 75 per cent, a larger number will enter next year, as the reports of the trustees show an increased number of children within the scholastic age. Being the trading point for a large and thickly settled farming community, the merchants here do a fair amount of business every year. The following are among the firms doing business at Burke:

ABNEY & ARRINGTON
These gentlemen carry a full supply of general merchandise, such as dry goods, groceries; hardware, crockery, hats, caps, clothing and notions. Being wide awake, well posted business men, they control trade amounting to from $6,000 to $9,000 annually.

J. C. ALLBRITTON
Carries a general stock of drugs patent medicines and fancy articles.

S. J. TREADWELL
Has an assortment of every thing usually found in a country store.

DR. W. H. JOHNSTON
This gentleman is a dentist and watchmaker, and ready to do any work in his line.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
POLLOCK
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Twelve miles north of Lufkin, on the Kansas and Gulf Short Line Railroad, is Pollock. Some of the richest bottom lands in Angelina County, are to be found east and west of this place, many of the most prosperous farmers living about there. Fruit does especially well here, one gentleman having an extensive vineyard planted with a variety of grapes which never fail to bear a full crop. Pollock has two stores doing a general merchandise business, a post office, and a saw mill, the latter employing a number of hands and having a fine trade.

J. K. MATTEWS
Capt. Matthews has a well selected and assorted stock of general merchandise.

J. A. YOUNG
Deals in dry goods, groceries, hardware &c,. Dr. J. G. McKnight, the postmaster, is located in the same building.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IVY, ORA, EUDORA and MOTT,
are small trading points, with a store and post office, situated in different parts of the county.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------