submitted by: (Victor O. McGilvray)

The Red Hill Story was written by J.W. Lambert In May 1986. Red Hill is one community in Cass County, Texas which has held its own for more than a century. There has been no boom times, neither has it faded away like several other neighboring communities. Among the pioneers who acquired land and settled in the area in the early 1850's were William Lambert and William B. Henderson, both from Georgia. And Mrs. Asenath Blackwell, a widow, and her son David R. Blackwell from Tennessee, with a stopover in Arkansas.

William Lambert was the grandfather of these Lamberts now at Red Hill: Joe W. , J.P. and Edwin in Linden. [ also Loony and Lex Lambert] William B Henderson was a great-grandfather of Mrs. Lillian Henderson McGilvray of Linden, and the late Bernard Henderson of Red Hill. David R. Blackwell was the grandfather of Mrs. Eunice Blackwell Lambert, Mrs. Mamie Morgan, Mrs. Ineta Chumley, Mrs. Inez Henderson of Linden, and Mrs. Louise Cox of Marietta. All once lived at Red Hill.

When Texas was admitted to the Union in 1845, William Lambert, a young attorney living in Georgia, started his trek westward toward the new state. He made a brief stop with other relatives in Alabama, then with several slaves he went to eastern Arkansas and stopped at Forrest City to await the decision as to whether or not Texas would be a slave or free state. Here he opened a law practice, and married Caroline Blackwell, daughter of Mrs. Asenath Blackwell in 1846. There first child Aury ( Audie ) was born there in 1847. In Later years, after they moved to Texas, she married John B. Henderson, ( a son of William B. Henderson ) in June 1866. They raised nine children here, all being most active in the up building of the Red Hill Community.

Plantation farming was the main business of this area from about 1860 to 1945, the leasing crops being cotton, corn, peas and sugar cane. Then the conversion started to cattle raising and timber growing. Since 1870, red Hill has continuously had one or more business establishments, stores etc. John B. Henderson and wife, Aury, built the first store, a two story frame building on the slope of a red hill on the west of the Linden-Douglassville road. The top story a used as a community meeting place. John B. Henderson was the first and only postmaster of Red Hill. The office was in his store from about 1875 to 1906. V.O. Henderson, oldest son of John B. and Aury Henderson, operated a large general store at Red Hill from 1903 to 1945. In 1904, he installed at Red Hill a modern steam cotton gin which he personally supervised until his son, Bernard Henderson, retired from big league baseball in 1923 and took over the management of the gin and part of his farming interests.

In 1878, the near-by Bethlehem Baptist Church was organized with the following charter members: Dave Blackwell, Anna Blackwell, Bell Blackwell, J.C. Spruce, Sarah Spruce, Mary Jane Spruce, Treacy Liles, Bud Liles, Hardy Smith, Sealy Smith, W.T. Griffin, Treacy Ann Griffin and Hettie V. Pate. In 1912, The St. William Catholic Church was built at Red Hill, being the first Catholic Church in Cass County.

The Red Hill School District was established in 1908 and closed when it consolidated with Linden-Kildare District in 1955. The old school building is now the Red Hill Community Center, which for years was used as a voting box.