1913 :: Edwin Leroy Antony Dies

News has been received here of the death at Dallas of E.L. Antony, a former Rockdalian. 

Judge Antony spent his young manhood here, where he subsequently married Miss Houghton. 

His parents, Dr. and Mrs. Antony, came to Texas when the Judge was a youth, and settled in Cameron and Rockdale, where the Doctor engaged in the practice of his profession. 

The son attended college, and has since won many honors. 

Last summer he returned to his old stamping grounds, Cameron, but owing to ill health, left for Dallas in the early fall to be treated by specialists. 

His mother, the last of her family, and a daughter survive him, and a cousin, Mrs. J.D. Hamilton, of this place. He was very popular here among the older inhabitants.

The State Press says of him:

Dallas, Texas, Jan. 16. -- Edwin Leroy Antony, at one time United States Congressman from the Waco-Corsicana district, died here today at the age of 61 years. . . . 

The Rockdale Reporter and Messenger (Rockdale, Tex ), Vol 39, No 46, Ed 1 Thursday, January 23, 1913

1938 :: Lock o' Hair

Probably the most prized possession of Mrs. J.C. Thomasson, of Milano, is a gold, glass covered locket pin containing a lock of hair from the head of Jefferson Davis, one-time president of the Confederacy.

Mrs. Thomasson's grandfather, Mel Elson, left her the locket. Elson was Aide de Campe to Jeff Davis during the war, and the two were in an enemy prison together. (continued) . . . The Rockdale Reporter and Messenger (Rockdale, Tex.), Vol. 66, No. 33, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 22, 1938 Page: 1 of 10

1915 :: Death of Margaret Antony

News of the death of Mrs. Margaret Antony, mother of Ed. L. Antony, one of the beloved pioneer citizens of Cameron reached her friends in this city Tuesday. Her death occurred in Dallas at the home of her granddaughter, Mrs. Alice Antony Brown and her remains were brought to Rockdale for interment accompanied by Mrs. Brown and Miss Beryl Antony. Funeral services were arranged by her nephew James Hamilton, in whose home she loved to visit. Miss Antony was a noble Christian character and her many virtues made her beloved in every community in which she had lived. She was a native of Georgia and was of the prominent Henry family [sic, i.e., Davis family] of that State. She has many relatives and friends here who will mourn her passing. Mrs. Lula Cass and Miss Estelle Westmoreland, Mrs. Mary Arnold and Miss Bennie Arnold went to Rockdale to attend the funeral. The Cameron Herald, October 14, 1915

1897 :: Death of Mrs. Finnie Davis

Austin, Tex., July 26. -- Mrs. Finnie Davis jumped from the south-bound International train about a mile and a half this side of Rockdale this afternoon while it was running about thirty-five miles an hour and was instantly killed. She was being conveyed from Reisel to the insane asylum in this city, and, according to the officer's statement, had been very restless all day. A gentleman had been standing in the rear door of the train and had left it open when he stepped out on the platform. Mrs. Davis, seeing it open, jerked away from her guard and bounded out through the door and off the platform. The train was stopped and went back and picked up the unfortunate woman, who was dead. Justice Johnson held an inquest here this evening. The remains were embalmed and shipped to the husband at Reisel to-night, accompanied by the guard, Mr. Lowry. Dallas Morning News, July 27, 1897

1942 :: Death of Dan G. Davis

Dallas Morning News, May 1, 1942. Prominent Merchant Found Fatally Shot. Cameron, Texas, April 30 (AP). -- Dan G. Davis, 54, prominent Milam County merchant, was found shot to death at the Dan G. Davis estate store at Sharp, near here, Thursday. Justice of the Peace Joe Cummings returned an inquest verdict of suicide. His brother, Judd Davis, his associate in business, and Otto Klem, employee of the store, found the body.

Davis was a native of Sharp, the son of a pioneer family. He was married six weeks ago to Mrs. Josie Quebe of Rockdale and had resided at Rockdale since that time. Surviving are his wife, his 92-year-old mother, Mrs. Dan G. Davis of Sharp; two brothers, Judd G. of Cameron and Will of Sharp, and two sisters, Mrs. B.F. Davis of Dallas and Mrs. T.M. Pace of Grandview. [his Find-A-Grave memorial page]

1960 :: Death of Johnny Horton

Dallas Morning News. November 6, 1960. Singer Dies In 2-Car Collision. Milano, Texas. (AP) -- Singer Johnny Horton, 30, who became famous for his recording of "The Battle of New Orleans," died as two cars collided head-on here Saturday.

The accident on an overpass here in Central Texas also injured guitarist Gerald D. Tomlinson, 30, of Shreveport, La., reported in serious condition; Tilman Franks, 46, also of Shreveport, who was Horton's manager, and James E. Davis, 19, of Brady, a Texas A&M student who was alone in the other car.

The injured were taken to a Cameron hospital. Franks and Davis were believed to have escaped serious injury. A doctor said Tomlinson suffered compound fractures of both legs and might lose one of them.

Horton was at the wheel as he and his companions left Austin, where he filled an engagement Friday night. He was en route to Shreveport to discuss plans for a movie.

The singer, a former star of the national radio program "Louisiana Hayride," originating in Shreveport, had made his home in the Louisiana city the past eight years. He was born in Hollywood, but spent most of his early life in Rusk.

Horton was the husband of Mrs. Billie Jean Horton, who was the wife of Western singer Hank Williams until his death from a heart attack in 1953.

Other survivors are the couple's two small daughters, Zanina and Melody; his step-daughter, Jerry Lynn, and his mother, Mrs. John L. Horton of Rusk.

The funeral service will be held in Shreveport. Arrangements were incomplete.

• His Find-A-Grave Memorial Page
  
• His bio page at tshaonline.org
  
• The eerie demise of Johnny Horton by Clay Coppedge
  
• Honky Tonk Man by Archie P. McDonald

1885 :: Death of Dr. Milton Antony

On this date in the history of our hometown . . . the 25th day of January . . . in the year 1885 . . . Dr. Milton Antony dies in Rockdale, Milam County, Texas. He is buried in the Old City Cemetery, which is just out of sight at the bottom edge of the postcard in this collage.


Dr. Milton Antony, Jr. was a Confederate Surgeon in Brazoria County, Texas during the war between the states, then relocated to Milam County, Texas where he was the third Postmaster in Rockdale, serving 06 June 1876 to 26 April 1877 (which was one month after the entire wooden portion of Rockdale burned). He was a practicing physician in both Cameron and Rockdale. A Henry family reunion write-up in a 1931 edition of The Rockdale Reporter states that --

On Oct. 3, 1876, the Henrys [i.e., William Paschal Henry (1836-1912) and Josephine Wingfield Henry nee Davis (1842-1899)] arrived in Rockdale to visit a sister and family of the Mrs. Henry's, it being Dr. and Mrs. M. F. Anthony, who at that time had the post office and drug store combined on the corner where the Wolf Hotel now stands.

That is the Wolf Hotel on the right corner of the Rockdale postcard. The Wolf sat on the northeast corner of the intersection of Main and Milam. According to a history of Rockdale published in 1936, a two-story stone and brick bank building was erected in 1875, which later became the Wolf Hotel, and then, ca. 1935, the American Legion Hall. An 1885 map of Rockdale does show a bank at that location, and on the corner across the street is a post office in the Mundine House.


A year before Josephine arrived in Rockdale to visit her sister, Margaret, the following item appeared in the 12 November 1875 issue of the Galveston Weekly News --

There are street fights occurring (in Rockdale) almost every day and the officers of the law seem to enjoy it, taking their fines, never giving offenders the least word of warning or lecture. Nothing better could be expected when they license women of ill fame for ten dollars a month and receive half of the fines and their compensation. The most disgusting of it is, when they choose, these officers step beyond their authority and utterly disregard the law at pleasure. Every day or two some very interesting scenes occur in the pettifoggeries of Rockdale.

And just a year before that 1875 report, the same paper, in the 09 November 1874 issue, described the brand new city of Rockdale as being --

delightfully located in a thriving section of the county. . . . there are two or three banks, fifty or sixty merchants, and plenty of saloons, and has generally all the appearances of a railroad town. . . . While all is new and in some degree crude, there are some fine stone and brick buildings. . . . Where a population of eighteen hundred now thrive, was ten months ago the home of the deer, and the pleasure ground of the black bear.

For more information about Dr. Antony and his family, see --

• Dr. Milton Antony, Jr.
• His findagrave memorial page
• Dr. Milton Antony, Sr., his father
• Judge Edwin Le Roy Antony, his son
• Antony Roots & Branches, his ancestors & assorted kith 'n kin

P.S. The handwritten paper in the background of the collage is a document from 1864, signed by Milton Antony, M.D. and three other doctors -- requesting the Confederate army to excuse the only druggist in Brazoria County, Texas from being conscripted into the army . . .

1924 :: Mrs. Ellen Ames Buried at Rockdale

Dallas Morning News. January 14, 1924. Mrs. Ellen Ames Buried at Rockdale. Special to The News. Rockdale, Milam Co., Texas, Jan. 13. -- The funeral of Mrs. Ellen Ghent Ames, 75 years old, wife of R.H. Ames, formerly superintendent of the water works system in Rockdale, was held here Saturday afternoon. The body was brought from Little Rock, where death occurred some days ago, and was largely attended by citizens of this and near-by towns. The funeral services were conducted under the auspices of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, of which Mrs. Ames was for many years a member and president of the local chapter, the Terry Texas Rangers. The body was accompanied by Mrs. Ames' husband, her two sisters, Mrs. Mary Davis and Mrs. Victorine Arnold. Mrs. Ames' son was in Tampico, Mexico, and unable to be present.

1894 :: Hamilton-Henry Wedding

Bethlehem Community
To the Messenger:
December 24 [1894].


Once more I come, heralding the news from old Bethlehem. Since my departure it seems that marriage bells have been substituted for [Christ]mas bells. I have attended weddings for the past two weeks and still have several invitations left.


Last Thursday night [i.e., 20th December 1894] both young and old began to congregate at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Henry Sr., [my 2nd great-grandparents] for the purpose of witnessing the marriage ceremony between J. D. Hamilton and their daughter, Ella, conducted by Hon. W. D. Wells of Rockdale, with J. B. Henry and Miss Cornelia Bowling, Hubert Phillips and Miss Elma Rettig as attendants.

After which the entire crowd was ushered into the dining room, where they partook of a most wonderful, excellent and appetizing repast.


Well Mr. Editor, as I have an invitation to attend a wedding at Mr. and Mrs. Thos. Phillips, I will close by giving a list of presents. Enclosed please find some of the wedding cake.


The presents were as follows:

• Mr. and Mrs. Thos. Phillips, table cloth
• Miss Della Phillips, glass set
• Miss Isa Phillips, set of casters
• Mr. Hubert Phillips, syrup pitcher
• Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Rettig, cake stand
• Miss Elma Rettig, fruit dish
• Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Bowling, fruit stand
• Miss Nona Bowling, fruit dish
• Miss Cornelia Rettig, head rest
• Mrs. Lizzie Baumgartner of Iowa, photograph case
• Mrs. M. F. Antony, set goblets [i.e., Margaret Frances Antony nee Davis (1833-1912), sister of Mother of the bride]
• Messrs. Wallace Moody and Jno. Gore, pair towels and syrup pitcher
• Mrs. S. H. Sharp, dusting brush [i.e., Emma Sharp nee Henry (1872-1944), sister of the bride, & twin sister of my great-grandpa]
• Mr. J. B. Henry, set cups and saucers and spoons [i.e., Jerome Bonapart Henry (1870-1956), brother of the bride]
• Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Henry Jr., price of present [i.e., William Paschal Henry, Jr. (1868-1941), brother of the bride, & his wife, Annie Mae Henry nee Calvert (1874-1950)]
• Mr. L. O. Stewart, cake plate [i.e., Louis O. Stewart (b. June 1873), a 1st cousin of Berta Mary Sharp (1873-1955) who is the future wife of a brother of the bride, & my great-grandma]
• Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Henry Sr., plates, knives and forks, salt and pepper stand, glass set, pair linen towels, table cloth, set glasses and lamp [parents of the bride, and 2nd great-grandparents of the Keeper of this geneablog]

Sol.


Sweethearts Join Hands in 1894 Christmas Wedding . . . A copy of the above newspaper article turned up in my files -- source unknown. I assume it probably came from my 1st cousin once removed, Georgia Faye (Henry) Kaseberg (1925-2001), as she was always so good about giving me copies of whatever finds she made.

• Bride :: Ella May Hamilton nee Henry :: born 26 October 1875 in Grayson County, Texas :: died 14 December 1967 in Rockdale, Milam County, Texas :: a daughter of my 2nd great-grandparents, William Paschal Henry (1836-1912) and Josephine Wingfield Henry nee Davis (1842-1899)
• Groom :: James David Hamilton :: born 19 September 1872 in Kentucky :: died 03 May 1922 in Rockdale, Milam County, Texas after coming in contact with a high-powered electric wire following a storm :: son of Joseph David Hamilton (1832-1905) and Mary Katherine Hamilton nee Hughes (1842-1906)
  

• 1868 :: Phillip Brooks wrote Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
• Bethlehem, Texas according to TSHA
• Bethlehem Community from Rockdale Centennial: A History of Rockdale, Texas 1874-1974