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Family photos
courtesy of C. Lynn Harbour
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Cornelius
Charles “C. C.” Duson
August 31, 1846 Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana - October
19, 1910 New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana
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12 Jul 1902 – C. C. Duson – 1 of 11 stockholders and directors for
Texas Rice Development Company – Palacios
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24 Oct 1902 – C. C. Duson –
1 of 11 stockholders and directors for Palacios Townsite Company the
first year. C. C. Duson lived in Crowley, Acadia Parish, Louisiana.
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MIDFIELD
Violet M. Brhlik
Midfield was so named because it was in the midst of open fields
practically equal distance from Ganado to the west,
El Campo to the north, Bay City to the east, and Palacios to the
south. The townsite was laid out and subdivided by Curley C. Duson,
Sr.,
of El Campo in 1903.
Duson was one of the promoters of the Southern Pacific Railway
from Wharton to Palacios; the train made its first run July I, 1903.
For many years the postal department called the town "Midfields,"
but they were finally persuaded to drop the plural and call it
"Midfield" to agree with the original name and the name used by the
railroad company. The main public road from Bay City to Palacios was
through Midfield and was an all dirt road for many years.
The first hotel was built and owned by Duson and opened for
business in 1903. It was managed by Ben Kuykendall and his sister,
"Miss Emma," both oldtime residents of the Tres Palacios community.
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Duson family members were frequent guests at the Hotel Palacios as
evidenced in the hotel register.
8 Jul 1904 - George Duson
11 Aug 1904 – Mrs. W. W. Duson, boy & nurse
24 Aug 1904 – Dr. W. W. Duson – El Campo
12 Sep 1904 – R. R. Duson – Midfield
20 Sep 1904 – R. R. Duson – Midfield
02 Oct 1904 – R. R. Duson – Midfield
03 Jan 1905 – R. R. Duson – Midfield
15 Jan 1905 – R. R. Duson – Midfield
15 Jul 1905 – George M. Duson
05 Aug 1905 – Dr. W. W. Duson & Family
01 Sep 1905 – Geo. Duson
08 Aug 1906 – W. W. Duson & family
21 Aug 1906 – C. C. Duson & Family
07 Jul 1909 – Duson & 3 Boys
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Funeral of C. C. Duson.
Special to The News.
Crowley, La., Oct. 20. –The funeral of the late
C. C. Duson, who died from a paralytic stroke at New Orleans
yesterday, will be held at the residence of T. J. Toler tomorrow at
10 o’clock. All business places in Crowley will be closed during the
funeral.
C. C. Duson, who was a native of this parish was
one of the founders of the town of Crowley and was instrumental in
having the parish of Acadia created. He was 61 years of age.
Galveston Daily News, October 21, 1910
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Mortuary
Hon. C. C. Duson’s Funeral
Special to The News.
Crowley, La., Oct. 22.—The funeral of the late
Hon. C. C. Duson, United States marshal for the western district of
Louisiana, took place here yesterday morning from his late residence
at the home of his brother-in-law, T. J. Tolar. All Crowley turned
out to the funeral and all business places in the town were closed
from 10 o’clock until after the funeral; which was conducted by Rev.
S. S. Keener and Rev. W. H. Benton. After simple ceremonies at the
house the funeral sermon was preached at the Methodist Church South
by Rev. S. S. Keener. Four of the men who were deputies of C. C.
Duson when he was sheriff acted as pallbearers. They were Elisha
Andrus, Mitt G. Wilkins, Clarence Hayes and “Sonny” Johnson. The
other pallbearers were W. W. Duson, a brother of the deceased; T. J.
Tolar and Gue E. Fontenot, brothers-in-law, and A. C. Lormand, a
cousin. Many old friends of the family from St. Landry and other
parishes were present at the funeral.
The Galveston Daily News, October 23, 1910
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“Curley” C. Duson.
Hon. C. C. Duson, United States marshall for the
western district of Louisiana, died in New Orleans Oct. 19, after a
prolonged illness, and his remains were interred at Crowley, of
which town he was one of the founders. Mr. Duson was one of the best
known citizens of this state, and a braver, bigger-hearted man never
drew breath. As a deputy sheriff and afterwards sheriff of St.
Landry parish for more than a dozen years he earned a national
reputation for efficiency and fearlessness in the performance of
duty and the successful pursuit of law-breakers, and bring the past
thirty years, as a member of the firm of W. W. Duson & Bro., he
played a leading part in the wonderful development of southwestern
Louisiana, whereby an extensive area of almost worthless marsh lands
has been transformed into the largest rice-producing section of the
United States.
Donaldson Chief (Louisiana), November 19,
1910
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Duson Family Plot
Plot 233
Garden of Memories
El Campo, Wharton County, Texas |
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Curley Pharr Duson
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Clarice Koch Duson
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C.
P. "Curly" Duson Of El Campo, Passes
Palacios friends regretted to
learn of the death of C. P. "Curly" Duson of El
Campo, who died early Friday morning in a Houston
hospital.
Mr. Duson was a well known
businessman in El Campo, was a veteran of World War
I, and was prominent in teh rice industry for many
years.
Survivors include his wife, Mrs.
C. P. Duson of El Campo; two sons, C. P. Duson Jr.
and Dr. Craddock K. Duson, both of Houston; a
granddaughter, Miss Betty McNaughton Duson of
Houston; two brothers, Dr. W. W. Duson of El Campo
and George Duson of Florida; a sister, Mrs. Neta
Mornhinveg of Opelousas, La.
Funeral services were held
Saturday afternoon in the home in El Campo, with
interment in the O. D. H. S. Garden of Memories.
Palacios Beacon, August 10, 1950
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Curley Pharr Duson, Jr.
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Dr. Craddock K. Duson
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Duson Family Plot
Section 3
Garden of Memories
El Campo, Wharton County, Texas |
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Walter Webb Duson
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Augusta L. Duson
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Mrs. W. W. Duson Dies Sun. El Campo
Augusta L. Duson
Mrs. W. W. Duson died at her
residence in El Campo, Sunday afternoon at 6 o'clock,
following an illness of short duration. Mrs. Duson was
well known in Bay City where she often visited with
friends.
She is survived by her husband, W. W.
Duson; one son, Don Duson and three grandchildren, all
of El Campo.
Burial will be in El Campo Tuesday
morning at 10 o'clock. Services will be held at the
Wheeler Funeral Home.
Daily Tribune, January 16,
1950
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Donald McNaughton Duson
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Savanna Hawkins Duson
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Donald McNaughton Duson
Funeral services for Donald
McNaughton Duson, 89, of El Campo will be held 2 p. m.
Thursday at First Presbyterian Church in El Campo.
Mr. Duson was born in 1903 in El
Campo to Walter Webb Duson and Augusta Lastrapes Duson
and he died Aug. 4, 1992 in El Campo.
He was an attorney, civic leader,
family man and outdoorsman. He served the community as
El Campo city attorney, chairman of the board of Wharton
County Junior College and helped founded the El Campo
Economic Development Corp. He served as president of the
El Campo school board, First National Bank, Chamber of
Commerce, Nightingale Hospital and El Campo Rotary Club.
He was selected Citizen of the Year in 1966 by the El
Campo Chamber of Commerce. In 1929 he married Savanna
Hawkins, daughter of longtime Bay City resident Ruby
Hawkins.
Survivors include two daughters,
Diane Clapp Bueltel of El Campo and Dede Duson of
Dallas; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Mr. Duson was preceded in death by
his parents; his wife, Savanna Hawkins Duson; a son,
Walter Webb Duson III and a brother, Walter Webb "Jack"
Duson II.
Daily Tribune, August 6, 1992
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Walter Webb Duson III
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Jack Duson
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Walter Webb Duson III
Walter Webb Duson, III, died at
Methodist Hospital, Wednesday, April 22, 1981, after a
long illness. Born October 8, 1935, in Bay City, Texas.
Mr. Duson was raised in El Campo and has resided in
Houston for the past 20 years. He was a registered
architect, a member of the American Institute of
Architects, and has practiced in Houston in recent years
as the head of his firm. Prior to this he was associated
with McKie and Kamrath. He was graduated from the
University of Texas, and took an advanced degree in
architecture at the University of California at Berkley.
Mr. Duson served in the navy and his naval duty included
two years on Okinawa. He is survived by: Wife, Lizabeth
Kerr Duson; daughter, Kerr Bailey Duson; son, McNaughton
Abness Duson; parents, Mr. and Mrs. Donald M. Duson of
El Campo; two sisters, Diane Duson Bueltel of Austin,
Delia Duson of Dallas; niece, Linda C. Raun; nephews,
Randy Clapp and Curtis Clapp of El Campo. Pallbearers
will be Ben Cadenhead, Jim Windom, Rick Dosey, Tommy
Peterson (of Beaumont), Boyd Henderson, John Munson,
John Traenor, Johnny Nordeen (of Em Campo), Thaine
Nanshe. Funeral services will be held at the First
Presbyterian Church, 9:00 a. m. Thurday, April 23, 1981.
Graveside services, Garden of Memories Cemetery at 1:30
p. m., El Campo. For those who wish, contributions may
be made to the Interferon Foundation, Care of Leon
Davis, 2660 South Tower, Pennzoil Place, Houston, 77002.
Earthman Funerals, 2420 Fannin, 659-3000.
Houston Chronicle, April 23,
1981
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Howard Ray Clapp
Husband of Diane Duson
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Ruby D. Hawkins
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Duson Ranch
Standing l to r: Julia Enid Orton, Donald Duson, Savanna (Hawkins)
Duson, Ruby Elizabeth (Orton) Harbour
Seated l to r: Texia Pearl (Daugherty) Orton, Carol Lynn Harbour,
Ruby (Daugherty) Hawkins
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Texia Pearl Daugherty and her sister Ruby Daugherty
Harker, Ennis, Texas c 1884
At left: Rev. James S. Daugherty,
Pearl Texia Daugherty,
Ruby Daugherty and Savannah “Noma” (Wright) Daugherty
J. T. McKean, Artist, Ennis Texas |
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Wedding portrait of Texia Pearl (Daugherty) Orton at
age 21,
taken at Paris, Missouri in 1904
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Savannah (Wright) Daugherty 1884 |
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Savannah (Wright) Daugherty & Rev. James S. Daugherty
(Mother & Father of Texia Pearl Orton and Ruby Hawkins)
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Four Generations
Standing: Savanna Hawkins Duson
Left: Savannah Wright Daughterty
Right: Ruby Daugherty Hawkins
Baby: Diane Duson (firstborn of Savanna and Donald Duson)
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Children of Donald McNaughton Duson and Savannah Pearl Hawkins
Duson
Diane, Walter and Delia "DeDe" Duson
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Donald Duson and grandson, Mac.
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Donald and Savanna Duson and grandchild
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