Perry Goodson moved by wagon Train from North Carolina with his parents at about age 5. He has no military record and grew up as a farmer in Cass County, Texas married Minerva Blanton and farmed 360 acres of land, which they acquired from her family. Perry built and operated a saw mill on the Linden-Hughes Springs Road. He gave each of his children 100 acres and a house as a wedding present. In addition, he gave the land and helped build the school which became known as the Goodson School. P. W. was a principal in the organization and financing of the church at Sardis (now know as Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church) and was one of the first directors of the Hughes Springs National Bank. P. W. and Minerva are buried at the Sardis Cemetery, Cass County, Texas.

The Goodson School was built around the turn of the century. It was located on Union Hill Road about a half mile south of Hwy. 11. The first building was small and had one teacher for the first seven grades. The building was heated by a wood stove and water was carried about a quarter mile from a spring. Teachers boarded with families in the community. Around 1910 Perry W. Goodson closed his sawmill. Most of the workers left the area to find work, taking their families with them. Because there were so few children, the Goodson school was closed for a few years and students walked to Pruitt's Lake or Turkey Creek Schools. In mid- 1920 the Goodson School was expanded to a two room, two teacher school for education through the ninth grade. In 1933 Hughes Springs school began a bus service for grade 10-11 students; then in 1945 the area was consolidated with Hughes Springs Independent School District. P. W's grandson, John Alvin, taught at this
school 1933-34.
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Hughes Springs post office was established in 1878. Early postmasters
included John F. Jones, Oct. 30, 1878; Wm. Edwards, Mar., 1883; John B.
Price, April, 1893; Henry D. Whitaker, July, 1896; John J. Bartlett, 1898;
W. D. Daniel, May 1913; Joe E. Haley, Feb., 1922; C. H. Callaway (acting)
Aug., 1934; B. J. McMillan (acting) June 4, 1935 and appointed July 3, 1935.
The First National Bank of Hughes Springs opened for business in early
September, 1903. Officials were: C. H. Morris, president; T. B. Keasler and W. B. Duncan, vice presidents; J. M. Mitchell, cashier; P. W. Goodson, J. M. Murphy and J. G. Hussey, directors.
Hughes Springs was incorporated August 4, 1903 for municipal purposes.
Sixty-one voted for incorporation, nine voted against it. City officials
were elected September 5, 1903 : Charles Kennedy, Mayor; Walter Rodgers, marshal; T. B. Keasler, J. M. Murphy, E. C. Nelson, Bob Wilson and G. W. Nelson, aldermen.
The first newspaper, Hughes Springs Courier, was published about 1892 by W. W. Slaughter, an alert young man who had been reared in Jefferson, Texas.
Another newspaper, The Operans, was being published by April, 1898, by C. M. Kennedy, an energetic man.
Fred Norwood opened Hughes Springs Bottling Works in 1910 for various kinds of soft drinks.

Article found in the vertical files of the Atlanta Public Library. No author
or sources were listed.
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The Goodson family came from North Carolina in 1860, it took them 6 weeks to get to Cass County, Texas by wagon Train. These families traveled together:
Rhyne, Cloninger, Lineburger, Fite and Abernathy.

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Perry Washington Goodson (b.28 April 1856 N.C. -- d.18 Jan 1926 Hughes Springs, Texas)
son of Alfred Goodson and Sarah Rosanne Sigman,
married Minerva Emmaline Blanton (b. Jan 1858----d. Nov 1946)
daughter of John M. Blanton (b.1827---d.1873 buried on the Blanton farm Cass County) & Julia Ann McAnear (b.1831 d.1915)
Had 11 children which most all of them married and stayed in the Hughes Springs, Cass County area.
They are:
1) Robert Washington b. 11 Sept 1878 b. Hughes Springs, Cass county, Texas d. 26 Nov 1944 buried Sardis Cemetery Cass County. (married Eulla Estelle Lineburger 4 Dec 1902 Cass County)
2)Susie Emmerline b. 8 Jan 1881 Hughes Springs, Texas d. 15 Jan 1973 (married William Walter Lineburger)
3)Farry Mae b. 24 Feb 1883 Hughes Springs d, 31 Jan 1937 buried Sardis Cemetery, Cass County (married Berry Watson 23 Dec 1903 Cass County)
4) Robena Ophelia b. Jan 1886 Hughes Springs d. 23 Jan 1955 buried Caves Springs Cemetery, Cass County. (married Freeman Ayres 14 Oct 1904 Cass County)
5)John Alfred b. 14 Dec 1888 d.1976 buried Sardis Cemetery Cass County (married Nannie Ola Brown 3 Aug 1911 Cass County)
6)Julia Ann b.18 Feb 1891 Hughes Springs d. 26 Feb 1976 buried Sardis Cemetery Cass County (married Lorance Howard on 1 Aug 1912 ,married Harry Bell Patman on 16 Dec 1942)
7)Vera Ray b. 26 Mar 1893 Hughes Springs d. 11 Mar 1903 Cass County, buried Sardis Cemetery
8) Nora Catherine b. 11 July 1895 Hughes Springs d. 25 Jan 1975 LA.
(married Jesse Booker married Crouch)
9)Mallie b. 7 Sept 1897 Hughes Springs d. 23 Nov 1981 buried Hughes Springs
Historical Cemetery (married Carnie Niblett)
10)Thomas Brag b. 14 Jan 1900 Hughes Springs d. 1901 Buried Sardis Cemetery
11)Iva D. b. 18 Dec 1901 d. 16 Oct 1905 buried Sardis Cemetery
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other cemetery listings:
Sarah Permelia Goodson Fite buried Sardis Cemetery, Cass County (daughter of Alfred and Sarah Goodson)

Elizabeth J. Goodson Smith buried Sardis Cemetery, Cass County (daughter of Alfred & Sarah Goodson)

Martha W. Goodson Nelson buried Sardis Cemetery, Cass County (daughter of Alfred & Sarah Goodson )

James Albert Goodson buried Sardis Cemetery, Cass County. (son of Alfred & Sarah Goodson)

Nettie D. Goodson buried Sardis Cemetery, Cass County (daughter of Alfred and Sarah Goodson)

William A. Goodson buried Sardis Cemetery, Cass County (son of Alfred & Sarah Goodson)

Infant son Goodson buried Sardis Cemetery, Cass County (son of Alfred & Sarah Goodson

Click on photo to enlarge

A family reunion picture of The Goodson clan and their spouses and children. Some of those pictured are Perry W. Goodson & Minerva Blanton Goodson, all 11 of their children and husbands to include Fites, Abernathy, Lineburger, Howard, Watson, Ayres and Brown to name a few, taken approximately 1917 as my great gramma we can make out and by the age of the child she is holding. I can tell people who a lot of these are but it's to hard to figure it out if I write it down. Feel free to e-mail me with questions.