Rains Co.TXRains County in 1880 "There were no brick buildings in Emory in 1880." "A tent city for the railroad gang was on the lots where George Alexander's gin and home now (1939) are." The Baptist Church was located in front of the M.S. Pierson residence.
"...the courthouse was located in a residence on the southwest corner of the square, where the Henry building stands. The old court house had burned in November 1879, and the second one was not built until several years later."
"School was being held in the old Masonic Hall. Orville Rice was the Principal and was assisted by his two daughters, Maggie and Montie Rice." Prof. Rice was not lised as living in Rains County in 1900 according to the 1900 Rains Co., Texas federal census. Other men shown with the occupation of "teacher" in 1880 were J.D. Millora, S.H. Allison; female teachers were W.A. Appling, S.A. Appling, S.C. Grantham (widow)
Also "Prof. Bill Hart was teaching a normal for girls in Emory, known as the Hart Institute, and the building was located along where the D.W. Peeples residence stands." This is, today, across from the Methodist Church on Hwy. 19/Texas Street. According to the 1880 Rains Co. census, W.A. "Bill" Hart was a white male, aged 40 years, born in Georgia. He was married on March 4, 1880, by Ambrose Fitzgerald to Elizabeth "Lizzie" Lamb, aged 19 and born in Texas. The Hart family was not listed as residing in Rains County in 1900 according to the federal census; the family moved to nearby Upshur County. The obituary for Wiley M. Lamb (April 1904) states Mrs. Lizzie Hart was living in Gilmer, Upshur Co. Later in July of the same year, "Mrs. W.A. Hart, of Gilmer, is visiting her mother, Mrs. W.M. Lamb, in Emory this week."
Some county officials were:
Sheriff: J.W. Montgomery
Deputy Sheriff: R.J. Cooke
Deputy Marshall: Eli Bibb
Co. Clerk: L.M. Allred
Deputy Clerk: L.C. SpradlingAttorneys in the county were C.H. Yoakum, E.P. Kearby, T.K. Appling and E.J. Darden
Merchants:
W.T. Coke - grocer
Thos. M. Cain
M.C. Whitfield - peddling
L.W. Hunt - brick mason
M.S. Pierson
E.B. Davis - general merchandise
William Evans - saddlerPhysicians were E.L. Trimble, William M. McCord, E.A. Swepston, J.M. Bethel, J.E. Mooring, T.L. Scrugg, and William Byford
Pharmacists were J.A. Gee, L.B. Lovelace, Austin Cooke
The local blacksmiths were T.R. Mitchell, Leeman Hale, Harry Ross, W. Hooker, and S.D. Burke
The ministers around the county were James Barker, A. Fitzgerald, W.J. Galtin, M.L. Hines, A.C. McKay, L.B. Allen, J.J. Ballew, J.B. Rabb, and T.J. McBride.
source:
"Father had a Blacksmithing Contract for the Railroad Crew when the MK&T Track was Laid", The Rains County Leader Pioneer ed., August 11, 1939 and the 1880 Rains County Federal Census