The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 34, July 1930 - April, 1931 Page: 64
359 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
summer of 1839 the forerunners found relaxation from their hard
life in attending Daniel Montague's Fourth of July Ball. The
host upon this occasion had just completed the most elaborately
constructed house in the Warren settlements. It had two large
front rooms with a spacious hall between and boasted of a front
porch. The walls were made of logs smoothly finished and tightly
chinked with mortar. Finally, the building was treated with a
coat of whitewash inside and out. Wide fireplaces cast their light
over floors that had been adzed to velvety smoothness. All being
finished, invitations were sent from Coffee's Station to Lower Bois
D'Arc asking all without regard to station or wealth to attend
Montague's housewarming. Slaves busied themselves preparing
chickens, turkeys, pigs and all kinds of wild game in every manner
known to backwoods culinary practices. For those who cared to
indulge there were liquors of every variety from persimmon beer
to "Ohio" whiskey. The frontier beaux and belles for two days
and nights danced to the lively strains of "Money Musk" or paced
more slowly to the stately "Virginia Reel."8
On January 8, 1840, the Commissioners Court held its first ses-
sion in the new courthouse at Warren. The town's balmiest days
now began. James S. Baker and his nephew, William R. Baker,
opened a store, as also did John and Thomas Jouitt. The size of
the town and the number of its inhabitants are matters for con-
jecture. But it is known that it was a platted town whose streets
radiated from a public square. Nor have the names of the streets
vanished from record; today the historian finds in the Deed Rec-
ords of Fannin County mention of the transfer of certain lots on
Pecan and Water Streets in Warren.9
Joseph Sowell and John F. Scott built a tavern here that was
frequented by the jurors, lawyers and officials who came to the
county seat to attend the various courts. Many prominent men
were among these visitors. John M. Iansford and John T. Mills
presided over the District Court in which William Williams and
Jesse Benton, Jr., prosecuted and John B. Denton plead for the
defense. Edward H. Tarrant and William G. Cooke, Colonels of
the Frontier Battalion and Texas Regulars, respectively, found
time from their military duties to assist in the institution of a
Masonic lodge. Tall, robust, stately Daniel Rowlett, physician to
sIbid., 404.
"Deed Records for Fannin County, 115.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 34, July 1930 - April, 1931, periodical, 1931; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101091/m1/68/?rotate=90: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.