Posted by Jim Webb <webbkerr@ktc.com> on Sun, 11 Oct 1998
Surnames: Webb
| About 1871, Apalany Kennedy Webb migrated to Limestone County, Texas from Butler County, Alabama. She left a power of attorney authorizing William R Houghton to act in her behalf in selling property that she was leaving in Butler County. Her husband (John Webb) had died and the years following the Civil War had been very difficult for Apalany because the Union soldiers stole her horses and other property that she had. She was left with three young sons who grew up and got married in Limestone County, Texas. John Risby Webb married Ada Askew. They had eleven children, seven of whom survived, and they remained in the area where John Risby owned a store and also farmed. He was said to be a good swimmer and he was a generous man. He never refused credit to a family who needed food and many of these accounts were never paid. He was left handed. The esteem which he felt for his mother was shown as he named his first daughter Apalany. She died at the age of six days. He tried to get his sons' wives to name their daughters Apalany but to no avail. They didn't consider it to be a very attractive name. John Risby died at the age of 86 years. Evans Rutherford Webb married Carrie M Thompson and moved to the Texas Panhandle. They raised six children of whom some worked as mechanics in auto garages according to the 1910 census. James Davis "Jim" Webb married Mary Araminta Farnsworth in Limestone County on January 14, 1890. Her father, G W Farnsworth, was a good friend of Jim's and they bought and sold land together on several occasions. Jim was ten years older than Minta. They soon moved to the Texas Panhandle where they lived in Floyd County, Texas for a while and then moved to Yoakum County. Wherever they lived, Jim bought parcels of land and sold them. Minta also bought some land in her name. Jim lived to be 83 years old. Clyde Cecil Webb was the son of John Risby Webb and was employed as a rural mail carrier out of the Delia Post Office and he was transferred to the Prairie Hill Office when a rural route was established in that community. He served as rural carrier there for forty years. Upon his retirement the route was divided between the Coolidge and Mount Calm Post Offices. This made Clyde the only rural carrier that Praire Hill ever had. During this era some patrons could neither read nor write and Mr Webb often took the time to read their letters, make out orders and read their incoming mail. During World War II when families received letters from their sons and husbands on a Sunday, Clyde would deliver them that day, knowing of their fears and concerns. He was not only their mail carrier but he was also their friend. There were gravel roads in the Prairie Hill community during the early years and when it rained the roads became impassable for cars. Mr Webb would then ride a horse and often walked for miles to see that people on his route received their mail. |