A Brief History of Beckville
Submitted by Mrs. Lonnie B. Harmonfrom "The History of Panola County, Texas"
Beckville is one of many small peaceful villages in Texas. Pioneers found the area a vast expanse of forest covered plain, broken only by creeks and small rivers.
The highland region was covered by a dense growth of short leaf pine, oaks and other deciduous trees that grew long the creek banks and river valleys. Wild animals were abundant. The soil gave promise of good crops.
Indians occupied most of the area. The Nadaco, a branch of the Hasenai Tribe were found on the Sabine River in the northern part of what is now Panola County, as early as 1787.
Beckville was also within the limits of lands claimed by the Cherokees. The Teneha Trail and the Green Grass Trail were tails made by Indians. One Indian village was about six miles west of town, one about eight miles southwest and another on a few miles east.
These Indians were peaceful and friendly, but the roving bands would rob and kill the settlers while passing through. Mr. Zeke Davis was killed by one of these roving bands of Indians.
An Indian burial ground was discovered between Panola and Rusk County while grading the County Line Road. Human Teeth and bones were unearthed at that time.
A road had been opened between Douglas in Nacogdoches County and Shreveport, Louisiana, before the Civil War, about the year 1850. About a mile north of Iron's Bayou and on this road a Mr. Beck (Matthew Beck) built his home and put in a stock of goods or supplies for the convenience of the settlers and travelers along this road. A small settlement soon grew up there. Later, Mr. Beck moved nearer to Shreveport, but his name still clings to the settlement.
A creek (Wall Branch) divided the village into east and west sides. Mrs. John Garner and Mr. Appling built stores on the east side and Mr. S.J. Metcalf later built on the west side. Each store carried a line of general merchandise. Only the saloon specialized in the sale of specialized goods. All goods were hauled by wagon from Shreveport. A small sawmill on Martin's Creek to the west and another near Carthage furnished lumber for substantial buildings. Only the oldest building, Mr. Beck's, was made of logs.
Dr. Wall (Alexander Sugars Wall), Dr. Reagan (Thomas Jefferson Reagan) and Dr. Kirkley (J.E. Kirkley) were Beckville's first doctors. Farming was the principal occupation of the settlers and cotton was the chief crop. Ginning the cotton was a real problem for the settlers, but later gins were built for the farmers' convenience. Then a haul to Shreveport to market was a trip all looked forward to. The cotton was exchanged for the next year's supplies, food, clothing, tools, etc.
A Beckville Post Office was established in 1857 with Joseph R. Sweeten as first Post Master. Old Beckville did not have a school, but there were schools in the area. Mr. Youngblood (Isaac Youngblood, Sr.) gave land for a school a few miles west of town, but he requested that the building be used for a church as well. The Kuykendall School was located northwest and the Booty School was located east of town. School ran for six months only - four months in the winter and two months in the summer.
Religion has always played a large part in the life of the pioneers. Preachers came into this area as early as 1838. In 1865 a Presbyterian Church was organized. Other groups organized and held services as often as preachers could be secured.
Often services were held in the homes, in vacant buildings, or in the shade of large trees. Men and women did not sit together at church. More often the men occupied one side of the congregation while the women sat together on the other side.
Social life did not play an important part in the lives of the early settlers, but it was not entirely lacking. Spelling Bees, Play Partier and square dances were among the most popular forms of entertainment.
New Beckville lies in a small valley in the northwestern part of Panola County. It is on the Santa Fe Railroad connecting Beaumont and Longview. The population numbers less than 799.
For years after Beckville was settled there was no railroad closer than Longview. Later, Smith and Garrison built a railroad from Timpson to Carthage that extended to a mill settlement known as Boren. In 1884 a railroad came from Longview to a saw mill near Tatum. In 1885, Old Beckville citizens began thinking enthusiastically about the two lines uniting. If this dream was realized, the railroad would then pass through or near Old Beckville. The people who owned the land on the proposed right-of-way through Old Beckville asked such high prices for their property that the railroad company refused to buy. Mr. Joe Biggs offered the railroad company land for their right-of-way. He then laid off a new town site, about a miles and a half northwest of the original town. The first train came over the new track in February 1887. The Carthage people planned a dinner and dance in honor of the occasion and the railroad offered the women of Beckville free passage for the event.
When the railroad missed Old Beckville, the merchants began planning to move near the railroad line. As a result, it was not long until Old Beckville was almost deserted and the new town became known as Beckville. The occupations of the people remained about the same. However, with the railroad coming through the town, the people could produce more and get it to market easier.
The most important means of making a living were farming, livestock raising, lumbering and minerals. Beckville became a prosperous little town and its prosperity lay in the fact that it had a railroad on which produce could be shipped to market, and on which goods could be brought in. Markets in Fort Worth and other meat packing centers were opened to Beckville livestock. Each sale brought money into the community and most of it was spent in the home community.
The town grew and many improvements were gradually making life better for everyone. An electrical lighting system was installed by Mr. Neal Crawford in 1908. In 1922 Mr. Gene Campbell installed a home water system. Mr. P.R. Nisbett was certified with the beginning of the first incorporated bank in 1909. Mr. Nisbett also owned the first automobile in Beckville.
In 1904 Beckville was an Independent School District, having an enrollment of two hundred and eighteen pupils. The school was known as Hewett Collegiate Institute and was located a little northwest of the depot. Beckville was becoming a progressive little town.
But, alas! The drought of 1927 and the depression of 1929 played havoc with Beckville's period of prosperity. A decline in the amount of goods and the price of goods became less and less. The presence of highways and the number of automobiles caused trade to concentrate in the larger towns where larger stocks of goods were to be found. People still trade mostly in larger towns.
The schools seem to be one of the most progressive things in Beckville and the citizenry is proud of the school system.