History

February 6, 1930

Grand Jury Returns Indictment For Murder Of Monroe Higgins – The 87th Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Earl Williford with murder of Monroe Higgins, negro found dead in Cottonwood Creek recently. The Grand Jury also returned an indictment against Williford charging him with violating the prohibition law. Judge Boyd granted $1,500 bail in the murder case and $1,000 in the liquor case.

January 30, 1930

Old Citizen Of Streetman Passes – U.F. Roberts, aged 78, long time resident of the northern part of the county, died Saturday. Burial was in the Birdston Cemetery Sunday, the Rev. W.H. Day officiating. Deceased is survived by his widow, eight sons and two daughters: Ben Roberts, Evansville, Ind.; Bark Roberts, McQueen, Okla.; Jack Roberts, Clovis, N.M.; Joe Roberts, Roswell, N.M.; Aubrey Roberts, Dallas; Sam Roberts, Dallas; Lish Roberts, Corsicana; Mrs. Eleanor Sibles and Mrs. Alice Sims, Dallas.

January 23, 1930

Embezzlement Case In 77th Court Delayed – The O.P. Arrington embezzlement case which was docketed to start at Groesbeck, has been delayed on agreement of the counsel. Arrington, a prominent official in Mexia, was indicted some months ago on a charge of embezzling school funds.

Child Dies Of Bright’s Disease – Alford, 6 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. O.P. Hagen, died of Bright’s Disease at the home of the family near Steward’s Mill, Saturday. Burial was in the Dew Cemetery, Sunday.

December 23, 1943

December 9, 1943

Published in the Fairfield Recorder Nov. 28, 1968

Historic old Magnolia Landing, which harbored flatbottom steamboats on the Trinity River a century ago, will live long in the hearts of Texans now sure that towboats and barges will be plying the river within the next few years.

Governor-elect Preston Smith was the principal speaker at a program in Palestine, Nov. 19, dedicating a historical marker and pointing up things to come with navigation of the river all the way from the Houston Ship Channel to Fort Worth.

November 18, 1943

Ira’s – Banjo on my Knee starring Joel McCrea and Barbara Stanwyck; Law of the Northwest starring Charles Starrett and Shirley Patterson; It’s a Great Life starring Arthur Lake and Penny Singleton; Let’s Face It starring Bob Hope and Betty Hutton

Book Review – Mrs. Bowlen Bond will give a book review on “More Than Conquerors” at the First Baptist Church, Nov. 22, at 2 p.m. Members of all churches of Fairfield are invited to come and be with us.

Lurline Tisdale donated her 1904 W.W. Kimball Company upright piano – which graced the halls of the Post Oak Baptist Church for many of the church’s 90-plus year existence – to the Freestone County Historical Museum recently. The July 23, 1888 issue of The Fairfield Recorder states Post Oak “is situated about 4 miles southeast of Fairfield on the Fairfield and Buffalo road. There amid a beautiful clump of post oaks, whose towering heads and gnarled trunks show they have stood the blasts of many winters, stands the picturesque little church of Post Oak.” The road is now known as FM 1580.

November 4, 1943

Weldon Bonner Prisoner In Italy – It is reported here that Mr. and Mrs. Wirt Bonner of Stewards Mill have been informed that their son, Weldon, is a German prisoner in Italy. Weldon, who has a wife and child, was living at Hillsboro when he joined the Army.

Winston Oliver Reported Missing In Italy – Ed Oliver, longtime resident of the Campbell’s Branch community north of Cotton Gin, has been notified by the War Department that his son, Winston Oliver, is missing in action in Italy. Oliver was a member of General Clark’s fifth army, which is seeing active and continuous service against the Germans in Western Italy.

The following stories were found on the Texas Genealogy website for Freestone County. Written by former sheriff Sonny Sessions, the spooky stories are based on tales from residents in Fairfield, Teague, Kirvin, and Donie.

Fairfield ghost tales