The first recorded white settler on Ellis County land - William Howe

William R. Howe came to Texas in 1839 from Lauderdale County, Tennessee. Howe was issued a conditional certificate, Number 1301, by the General Land Office Of the Republic of Texas on January 10, 1840. Howe claimed 640 acres on Chambers Creek between present-day Forreston and Italy. William Howe was a carpenter, blacksmith, shoemaker and a farmer. Constant attacks from "Indians" caused a delay in the building of his home. But after pushing the "Indians" west Mr. Howe could finish his house and by the spring of 1842 it was built.  It was a two-story house with two stone fireplaces. The house was built on the north side of Chambers Creek and close to the Military road surveyed by Gen. William G. Cooke. 77 and I-35 follow the basic path of the military road of 1841. I believe somewhere near the old rest stop may be where the Howe homestead originally sat. Today, there is a house and barn a little below the old rest stop. I am not sure if the property holds any remains of the Howe settlement. The rest stop has been taken down and is taped off as of today. The Howe cabin was a standout structure compared to many cabins you would normally see built by pioneers who needed to establish their homestead before a certain date. Mr. Howe ran the post office at one time for all of North Texas and his house became a stagecoach stop. The area was known as Chambers Creek after the nearby tributary of Trinity River. When William Howe settled his land he was in Robertson County in the Republic of Texas. After Texas was annexed in 1845 Navarro County was cut out of Robertson County on July 13, 1846. Chambers Creek became the county seat of Navarro County. Later, in 1849 Ellis County would be proposed then cut out of Navarro County in 1850 including William Howe's property. It was a true wildland when Mr. Howe settled on Chambers Creek. He also took in captured Native American children that would be used to trade for pioneer children captured by Native Americans. William Howe also brought the first slave to the Ellis County region named Reuben. Buffalo would hang out near the property so food was always available. Wild horses were there for the taking also. Native Americans would enter the properties claiming to be hunting but it was known they were likely there to steal horses the pioneers had collected. It was a time when a man could cut his own life out of the wilderness using his tenacity, skill, and pure will. For more info visit the Ellis County Museum in downtown Waxahachie where you can fund a small biographical sketch book on Mr. Willaim R. Howe for around $4. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bessie Coleman- First African American Woman Pilot (MSN Black History Month)

                                                                

Waxahachie former resident, Bessie Coleman had an interesting short video on MSN for Black History Month.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/video/black-history-bessie-coleman-first-african-american-woman-pilot/vi-BBIyWUk

BESSIE COLEMAN QUOTES:
“I knew we had no aviators, neither men nor women, and I knew the Race needed to be represented along this most important line, so I thought it my duty to risk my life to learn aviation,”

 “The air is the only place free from prejudices.”

Here is a small Blog for Ellis County Texas story on this amazing woman.
https://blogforelliscountytexashistory.blogspot.com/2008/02/bessie-coleman-01261892-04301926.html

The Mulkey-Loggins House - Ennis, TX is now in Midlothian, TX

          Mulkey-Loggins House picture from Waymarking.com

The Mulkey-Loggins House, 110 N Elm St, Ennis, TX. until October 2015 to be moved to Midlothian, Tx and restored.

 This property was part of a tract settled in 1854 by pioneer Philip A. Mulkey (d. 1862). Ennis was founded in 1871, when the Houston & Texas Central Railroad reached this point. Mulkey's son James (1859-1903), a prosperous cattleman, included this site in the Highland Addition, a neighborhood that he developed after Ennis became the railroad's divisional headquarters in 1891. Dr. James C. Loggins (1845-1921), mayor and city alderman, erected this Victorian residence in 1898. It was purchased in 1944 by Keith Mulkey, James Mulkey's grandson, and his wife Tina Beth (Wheeler). (1978)

I have worked next to the Mulkey-Loggins property for years and one time I was visited by some previous occupiers of the house. One told me as a child they had lived in the house and remembered cattle had been driven on a trail on the north side of the property where Wal Mart is currently. The old house had a water well  located on the north side of the property and the little girl would watch the cowboys get a drink of water as they drove the cattle into town.


The Mulkey family pleaded with city of Ennis to keep the house in Ennis. One family member was told "It's just an old house." So the City of Ennis decided to let it go.  A gofundme account was put together and money was raised but was unsuccessful. In comes an investor from Duncanville, Tx who owns FOUNDER'S ROW and saves the day! For a 117 years it sat in this location.  Now it's new location will be in Midlothian, Tx.  It was moved between Avenue G and Avenue F streets in an empty lot between 11th and 12th street. It is currently being remodeled and looks to be almost finished as of 2018.   The car wash is in now in at the houses original location and it almost seemed cursed at first. I thought the car wash would never open.  They had the gas line cut twice and had to move the whole sewer line around to get it in the right place. It opened a year later than expected. Here are some pics of the extraction.

Above in the car is lady who actually lived in the house. It was hard to watch for the nice lady  who grew up in the house. She cried when they started moving the quartered house but in the end history was preserved and in good hands.