1889 :: Sale of land to SAAP

On this date . . . the 9th day of July . . . in the year 1889 . . . Wm. P. Henry of Milam County, Texas sold and conveyed the rights to about four acres of his land . . . located about four miles north of Rockdale . . . to the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway Company . . . 

Know all men by these presents, that I, W.P. Henry of the County of Milam and State aforesaid for and in consideration of the sum of One Dollar to me in hand paid by the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway Company the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, have granted sold and conveyed and by these presents do grant sell convey and deliver unto the said San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway Company of the County of Bexar and State of Texas that certain tract piece or parcel of land lying and being in the State of Texas and County of Milam and described as follows to wit. A Strip of land ? feet in width and about 1200 feet in length over and across my land on the T. J. Chambers Survey said strip of land to embrace ? feet on each side of the center of track of the S.A.&A.P....on the plans on file in the Office of the Engineer of said Company containing about 4 acres more or less. To have and to hold the above described premises together with all and singular the rights and appurtenances thereto belonging unto the said San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway Company, its successors and assigns forever. And I do hereby bind my heirs executors and administrators to warrant and forever defend all and singular the said premises unto the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway Company its successors and assigns against every person whomsoever lawfully claiming or to claim the same or any part thereof.

Witness my hand at this 9th day of July A.D. 1889.

Signed "Wm. P. Henry"

Original 1891 documents from Volume 27, pages 149 and 150 of the Milam County Records as found in the Milam County Courthouse in Cameron, Milam County, Texas . . . 1891 map from Portal to Texas History . . . 

1939 :: Rest Rooms Locked

The Commissioners' Court has made improvements in the rest rooms in the basement of the court house. They have been freshly painted and signs have been erected calling attention of the public to the fact that a five dollar fine is assessible against anyone guilty of abusing or defacing this property. The court gives notice that there has been considerable abuse by persons writing on the walls, striking matches on the walls, together with other abuses and the rest rooms have been ordered locked at 8 p.m. Cameron Herald, October 26, 1939

1874 :: Courthouse Burns

Galveston Daily News
April 14, 1874

Fire at Cameron
Public Records Destroyed

[Special to the Galveston News.]

Cameron, April 13, 1874.

Last Thursday, about 1 o’clock, this quiet little village was roused by a terrible roaring of fire and cracking of burning timbers. It was soon discovered that the courthouse was wrapped in flames. The discovery was made too late to effect any good, no fire engine being in the place. When discovered, the clerks' and sheriff’s offices were almost entirely gone.

All records, books and papers of the court, tax rolls for last year and assessment rolls for this year, were entirely destroyed. Nothing was saved except the indictments found at the January term, 1874. The deputy clerk, Mr. Homan, had carried these home with him to issue capiases at night.

The work is supposed to be the doings of some one who was indicted, and desired to destroy the papers of his case. A small jug, with a little kerosene oil in it, was found under the steps to the courthouse fence.

A negro has since been arrested on suspicion. It is supposed he was instigated to the act by some white man. The loss is inestimable. Messrs. Ackerman and Smith’s store caught fire several times, but was extinguished rapidly. No other house burned.

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