In 1872 the town of Wortham was laid out by an association known as the Groesbeck Association; this town being upon the railroad and surrounded by fine farms, has for years been one of our most important towns. And in the fall of 1924, oil was discovered within its corporate limits, and has added millions to its wealth and its streets are congested with its necessary traffic.

Early Freestone County History

Lying about eight miles East of Wortham we find the little town of Kirven, named after Judge 0. C. Kirven, located on the T. & B. V. Railroad, it, too, like Streetman, dates its birth in the year 1906. This town has a bank, churches and school, as all the rest have, and it too is fairly prosperous.

Traveling South down the T. & B. V. Railroad, some seven or eight miles from Kirven, we find the village of Simsboro, with a store and a magnificent oil pump station. This town or village, I believe, is the youngest one in our County; it has good people, with their Southern hospitality, as all the others have.

Further South, four miles from Simsboro, we arrive at the city of Teague---the principal town of Freestone County, laid out by the Valley Route Townite and Loan Company.

In the year 1906 it embraced within its borders the old village of Brewer. Teague is the divisional point of the T. & B. V. Railroad, this Railroad having its roundhouse and divisional offices in this city. The population of Teague is three or four thousand people. There are many fine homes, public buildings, churches and park; with all the modern improvements such as water, lights and fire department that the larger cities possess. But I must pass on.

Some six or seven miles South of Teague, on the T. & B. V. Railroad, is located the village of Freestone, which derived its name from our County. This smaller town has several stores, churches, and a gin.

Further South down the T. & B. V. Railroad lies the little town of Donie. It, too, was founded in the year 1905, and is a prosperous town of some two or three hundred people.

The next two villages that I shall mention probably should be omitted, but history should state facts, even if they are brutal. First, is the former village of Mills, once boasting of its fine community interest, stores, churches, etc., but now we must draw the mantle of charity over it, because it is a place of the past.

Next following is the village of Luna, which was once a prosperous country village with its stores, churches, school and gins; but the building of Teague and the removal from this place of all the commercial enterprises is like its former sister village, Mills---a thing of the past.

Traveling East we find the village of Dew, which was located and named under Cleveland's first administration, who refused to have it named Blaine after one of the most prominent citizens, Major William Blaine, because Cleveland thought it was an attempt to criticize James Blaine, the Republican whom he had defeated for president. Dew is noted for its churches, schools and society, there being several stores, two churches, two garages and a gin.

Traveling East on the Exall Highway, we come to the former village of Lanely, but we find only a nice schoolhouse and a church left.

The seat of justice of Freestone County is a large brick building, with beautiful architecture; it is set upon a lawn around the square.

The first courthouse was a small log building of one room; the second was a brick building consisting of four rooms downstairs and one upstairs; the third was built of wood in l889, it being much larger than the other one.

Freestone County has a corps of able officers, although they have had difficulties, there having been two oil booms near or in the County. The first was at Mexia, which caused an influx of the lower class of people, and an increase of the violations of the prohibition laws. To quiet this great disturbance, it was necessary to call the rangers of Texas.

Then in 1924 the boom at Wortham began, and it, too, caused a disturbance but this has almost come to a close.

The most important sign of progressiveness of Freestone County is the good road program undertaken in 1924; actual construction of the highways leading from East to West across the County is now under way, and it promises to be one of the scenic highways of the State. In addition to improving transportation for commerce, it will open up new territory for tourists. So that we see Freestone bids fair to regain its ante-bellum prestige.

Re-printed in 1997 by
Donna L. Ritter
from the original newspaper article