Midlothian and Mountain Peak News Items Late 1800s - early 1900s Contributed by Bill Page and Sarah Stead Midlothian, April 19--A severe windstorm passed over Mountain Peak, a small village some six miles south of this place, last night, completely demolishing the blacksmith shop and blowing six other dwellings from the foundation, but, fortunately, no one was hurt. Midlothian is now experiencing the heaviest rains of the season, and fears are entertained that the growing crops will be injured. The hardest rain for years fell here yesterday. L. M. Robinett has retired from the News, J. E. Conevy assuming control. The dramatic entertainment last night, not withstanding the inclemency of the weather, was a grand success. Galveston Daily News, April 20, 1884 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Midlothian ... Miss Loula BEALL, a charming young lady of Mount Peak, spent Sunday here ... Mrs. R.A. SINGLETON of Mount Peak has been spending some part of the week here . Dallas Morning News, 10 June 1889. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Midlothian . W.H. ELLINGTON and bride, nee Miss Loula BEALL, arrived from Mississippi last week, where they spent their honeymoon .. Dallas Morning News, 10 Mar. 1890. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Midlothian ... Mrs. Pink BURKS of Mountain Peak is visiting her father J.C. VANCE of this place ... Dallas Morning News, 6 June 1892 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Midlothian ... The following young ladies have arrived this week and entered the Polytechnic Institute: Miss Lillian DORSEY of Nash, Miss Ella WELLS of Grandview, Miss Earl WALCOT of Mansfield, Miss Janie McWHORTER of Ennis, Miss Maggie WALCOT of Oak Cliff, Miss Ellen SHORTER of Mansfield, Miss Lillie BOWERS of Venus, Misses Ollie and Erin HUFF of Mountain Peak ... Dallas Morning News, 19 Sept. 1892 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Midlothian, Texas, June 30--J. P. Moore, a tenant on the farm of Lee Moore, near Mountain Peak, six and one-half miles southwest of this place, shot himself with a shotgun this morning about 7 o'clock, blowing half of his head away and scattering his brains over the side of the house. He leaves a wife and small children. He has been in the state three years, coming from near Springfield, Ala., where most of his relatives now reside. Dallas Morning News, July 1, 1897 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Midlothian. Miss Oni Atkisson is at Italy. Mrs. Stallings is at Meridian. Mrs. Cox returned from Ennis. Miss Knight has gone to Austin. Mrs. E. S. Herrin visited Cedar Hill. Mrs. Hattie Bryan returned to Lampasas. Miss Hawes of Waxahachie is visiting Mrs. Carrico this week. Miss Carroll of Cedar Hill and Misses Sneed and Seay of Oak Cliff visited Mrs. J. M. Herrin. Miss Snyder of Fort Worth, Miss Goulden of Mount Peak and Miss Walcot of Oak Cliff have returned home. Dallas Morning News, April 1, 1901 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Midlothian. Mrs. Stallings returned from Meridian. Mrs. M. A. Rea visited Dallas Saturday. Mrs. Ada Hill returned to Dallas Monday. Mrs. J. A. May returned from Weatherford. Mesdames Woodring and Baily visited Waxahachie. Miss Mosely of Dallas is visiting Mrs. Cole Johnson. Mesdames Barnett and Dunn are back from Waxahachie. Mrs. T. C. Persy and Mrs. R. L. Naylor are at Cedar Hill. Mrs. N. D. Clark of Mount Peak visited friends here Friday. Miss Fannie Pearson and Janie Campbell of Venus visited here Friday. Misses Ferguson, Kimmel, Pearson, Emma Pierson, Connery, Curtis, Campbell, Griffith, Hawkins and Wilson visited Mount Peak Sunday. Dallas Morning News, April 15, 1901 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Midlothian. Mrs. Dees returned from Amarillo. Miss May Smith of Soralvo is here. Mrs. Herrin visited at Cedar Hill. Mrs. Dunaway visited at Mount Peak this week. Mrs. Posey of Waxahachie has returned home. Mrs. M. A. Dillard was at Dallas Saturday. Mrs. J. E. Kelly is visiting in Greer County. Mrs. R. R. Hendrix of Waxahachie visited here recently. Mrs. Curtis and daughter, Miss Mamie, are back from Dallas. Mrs. J. M. Oxner of Memphis is visiting her sister, Mrs. Huckaby. Miss Coleman of Mansfield has returned home after an extended visit. Dallas Morning News, September 30, 1901 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- L.E. ESKRIDGE, a good citizen of the Mt. Peak community, was here today and said he was a candidate for constable of the Midlothian precinct. Waxahachie Daily Light, 15 Jan. 1902, p.4, col.2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the session of the Commissioners' Court late yesterday afternoon the presiding officers for the voting boxes were appointed for the enacting year ... Mt. Peak -- H.M. BURLESON ... Waxahachie Daily Light, 15 Feb. 1902, p.4, col.4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Charley SMITH of Mt. Peak was in the city yesterday and gave us the information of the fearful work of a mad dog in that community the other day. Several dogs in the neighborhood and a mule and a horse belonging to George EDWARDS were bitten. Madstones were applied to the stock and adhered. The dog was shot Saturday but was not killed. Sunday morning he was seen near the home of Bob PARKER and killed by John MORRIS and Jim STANBERRY. Waxahachie Daily Light, 18 Feb. 1902, p.1, col.4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. W.M. SHYTLES, who was recently appointed county health officer, moved his family into the city Monday from Mountain Peak, and is occupying the house on Franklin Street formerly occupied by Dr. KEPLINGER. The doctor is a splendid gentleman and a good physician: as such none ever stood higher in the Mountain Peak country where he has practiced for the past nine years. This paper welcomes Dr. SHYTLES and family to Waxahachie. Waxahachie Daily Light, 3 June 1902, p.4, col.3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lee MOORE, manager of the gin company at Mt. Peak, was in Thursday and said that this company was sinking a deep well at the gin there. Heretofore the people of that section have been using water from the spring, but now the spring is dry and the people are hauling water from all sections. Mr. MOORE says the well will be completed in a few days and a pump will be put in and water furnished to all who need it. Waxahachie Daily Light, 19 June 1902, p.4, col.3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- J.M. ARCHER and L. DODD, who rent the BEALL farm near Mt. Peak, were in the city this morning, after June corn to plant. They said that the big spring on the SINGLETON place, which has been dry this summer for the first time in the history of the county, now had some water in it as a result of the recent rains. Waxahachie Daily Light, 5 July 1902, p.4, col.3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. VANCLEAVE of Mt. Peak was in the city today. Waxahachie Daily Light, 10 July 1902, p.4, col.3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prof. J.M. ALDERDICE was here today from Mountain Peak. Waxahachie Daily Light, 16 July 1902, p.4, col.2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A lawsuit went from Ellis Co. to the Texas Court of Civil Appeals in 1911. This case, titled, "SINGLETON et al. v. SPEAR," appears in 139 South Western Reporter 33 (June 3, 1911): This case concerns the Mountain Peak Gin Company. That company was incorporated on 8 Sept. 1902 by R.K. ERWIN, J.W. SINGLETON and J.P. BELLEW, with a capital stock of $5,000. On 11 Apr. 1907, ERWIN, SINGLETON & BELLEW sold A.H. SPEAR the entire stock of the company. The case also involves land which the company purchased from Mr. and Mrs. W.H. BOOTHE. The published summary of the decision (cited above) provides a few additional details, but more complete data should be available at the District Clerk's office in Ellis Co. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mountain Peak Body to Hold Annual Frolic Waxahachie * Old-timers from Mountain Peak will hold their annual frolic this year at the old home place near Mountain Peak of Jack BEALL, Dallas, it was announced Tuesday. A feature of the "frolic" is to be a country dinner. Several Waxahachians, including former postmaster J.W. SINGLETON and Sheriff W.H. FORBES are among those who never fail to attend the reunion. Dallas Morning News, 15 Nov. 1923, p.15, col.5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Midlothian, Ellis Co., Texas, Feb. 18--Funeral services for R. H. Morton, 63, for many years a merchant here and at Mountain Peak, were conducted Monday afternoon at the First Methodist Church by the Rev. T. H. Gates. He is survived by the following children: Charlie, Rufus, Gene and J. P. Morton of Midlothian, Leonard Morton of Dallas and Miss Obera Morton and Mrs. Leo Byrd of Waco. Dallas Morning News, February 19, 1929 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Midlothian, Texas, Aug. 11--George Thomas (Uncle Tom) Eskridge, 74, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. J. O. Burleson, at Waxahachie Sunday and was buried at the Midlothian Cemetary Monday. Mr. Eskridge was born in Weakly County, Tennessee, in 1856, and resided there until 1881, when he moved to Texas. He conducted a general merchandise business at Mountain Peak, six miles south of Midlothian, for twenty-two years and retired about four years ago. Surviving him ar three daughters, Mrs. J. O. Burleson of Waxahachie, Mrs. W. P. Godfrey of Shreveport, La., and Mrss. Hoss Pickard of Dallas; one brother, J. B. Eskridge of Midlothian; one sister, Mrs. J. D. Roberts of Dukedom, tenn; a half-brother, J. R. Eskridge of Dallas and several grandchildren. Three men who were reared by him also survive, being George and Buster Edwards and Wick Morrison, all of Dallas. Funeral services were conducted at the home of Mrs. Burleson at 311 East Martin Street, Waxahachie, by the Rev. McKinzie of the First Baptist Church and the Rev. R. D. Burleson of Mountain Peak. Dallas Morning News, August 12, 1930   Copyright © 2003-2016, Ellis County TXGenWeb. All Rights Reserved. This page was last modified: Thursday, 01-Jul-2021 13:19:45 MDT