JAMES H. LOVEJOY
Courier
February 3, 1908
of Houston Texas, Third
Sheriff of Collin County 1854-1858.
While on a
recent visit to relatives in McKinney, James H. Lovejoy and wife of Houston,
were called upon by one of the editors of The Daily Courier-Gazette and
Weekly Democrat-Gazette, at the home of their niece, Mrs. Edna Nale, to whom
they talked most interestingly of early times in Collin county which county
was their home in their younger days. In fact, Mr. Lovejoy claimed McKinney
as his home for a period of thirty-seven years (1848-1887) and had the honor
of serving for two terms as the third sheriff of Collin county, from
1854-1858. As stated in these papers at the time, Mr. and Mrs. Lovejoy came
up from Houston to visit their nieces Mrs. Edna Nale in McKinney and Mrs. M.
C. McMahan of White's Grove and nephew John L. Lovejoy, the prominent
McKinney banker (third of the name).
James H. Lovejoy
James H.
Lovejoy, third sheriff of Collin county, whose second term in the office
expired now just a half century ago, was born Feb. 3, 1832 at Hot Springs,
Ark., and was the son of Rev. John D. Lovejoy, a noted pioneer figure in the
early annals of Texas religious, political and commercial circles.
When the subject
of this sketch was only three years of age, his father emigrated to Texas
crossing Red River at Mill Creek, May 13, 1835, and settled in what is now
the northeast corner of Lamar county. But then there was no such
geographical sub-division as Lamar county known on the map or ever thought
of. Texas independence had not yet been so brilliantly won on the bloody
field of San Jacinto by Gen. Sam Houston and his patriot band of citizen
soldiery. The star of political hope of a new-born republic was just
beginning to take root prior to the bursting forth in resplendent glory to
shed its rays of political and civil liberty broadcast over an empire
territory of unsurpassed, but virgin richness, and rescue it from under the
iron heel of Mexican tyranny and despotism. What is now called Lamar county
was then a part of Nachadoches Land District. Bowie county was a part of
Arkansas and was represented in the legislature of that state by Travis
Wright who later died in Paris. For about ten years, Mr. Lovejoy Sr. made
his home there, until about 1845, when he moved to Grayson county. Wilson's
old mill on Sister Grove being his home for nearly a year. Then Collin
county became his home. In 1846 he opened up a dry goods business at Old
Buckner, the first county seat, where he sold goods till 1848. An election
was held to determine the location of a county seat nearer the geographical
center of the county. The present location of McKinney was chosen. On Apr.
2, 1848, the first McKinney lot sale in the newly surveyed county capitol
was held. Four days later, Mr. Lovejoy had moved his little shack of a store
building from Old Buckner and established himself in business in the same,
which rested upon the lot now known as the Foote House corner, occupied by
White & Newsome's Gents Furnishing establishment. This was the first store
in McKinney and Mr. Lovejoy and his family, who lived in the rear of their
store building, became the first settlers of McKinney. James H. Lovejoy then
a lad of sixteen, built the first store in McKinney on the same lot. Mr.
Lovejoy also bought three other lots in McKinney on the southeast corner of
the square and then bought another lot across the street east, which he
later sold to I. D. Newsome, the pioneer McKinney merchant, who founded
thereon a mercantile business that was continued by himself and sons for
upwards of a half century on the same plot of ground.
Mr. Lovejoy Sr.,
sold the Foote House corner property to A. M. and C. C. Alexander, pioneer
McKinney merchants and moved to Alton, Denton county, where he sold goods
till the county seat of that county was moved to Denton town, when he too
moved there and became Denton's first merchant. During the same time he ran
a branch store at Weatherford which place was then called Lovejoy's Store.
All the while he was merchandising at different points mentioned, Mr.
Lovejoy had a varied experience as a Texas Ranger, a preacher and active
participant in matters political affecting the Republic and newly made Lone
Star State. He shirked no duty of a citizen as he saw it, in any sphere of
activity religion, politics, business or armed defense of his country
against the wild Comanche Indian or other foe of this then sparsely
inhabited section and looked upon as the extreme border frontier.
Associated with
Rev. John W. McKinney, another noted Texas pioneer minister, Rev. Lovejoy
established the first Methodist church in North Texas at Clarksville, Red
River county, in the year 1838. He had the honor of serving as chaplain of
both the lower and upper chambers of the Texas legislature during his
ministerial career. A unique distinction for Rev. Lovejoy, in this
connection, is the fact that he held the above positions of honor in the
law-making bodies of Texas before he was ever licensed to preach. In fact,
he was not formally clothed with authority to preach by his church until he
was seventy-three years old. The revered D. J. Martin, a pioneer Methodist
minister who was known by almost all our older readers, regularly licensed
Rev. Lovejoy to preach after the venerable pioneer had been expounding the
gospel as a lay minister for about fifty years. This rugged old ranger and
preacher passed to his reward in the year 1885 at the ripe old age of
eighty-five. Denton was his place of residence when his long, varied and
useful life came to a peaceful close.
His son James H.
Lovejoy as before mentioned, became a resident of McKinney Apr. 6, 1848, but
had been here three or four years before that early date even. When he first
beheld the spot now known as McKinney, it was a wild prairie, unfenced,
untilled, unoccupied, save by the wild game then so plentiful and peculiar
to this section before it was slaughtered or banished by the advancing tramp
of civilization. Reared amid such rugged surroundings, it was quite natural
for this stalwart young man to become enthused with the first duty of a
pioneer citizen that of protecting his loved ones and neighbors against loss
or injury alike from the raids of the savage or the ruthless hand of the
lawless white man. He saw ranger service and before he was twenty-one he was
appointed deputy sheriff by Bob Fitzhugh, who was the second sheriff of
Collin county. District Judge Mills who organized the county, appointed King
Custer first sheriff of Collin county prior to 1848.
The first
election of the newly organized county was held, so Mr. Lovejoy says, on the
first Monday in August in the year 1848. Officers elected were: King Custer,
sheriff; A. t. Robinson, county judge; Jordon O. Straughan, district clerk;
Joel F. Stewart, county clerk; Capt. Beverly, (father of Rev. John Beverly
and grandfather of Ex-Sheriff Tom Beverly), Walter Yeary of Farmersville and
John B. Martin, county commissioners.
In 1850 Bob
Fitzhugh defeated King Custer for re-election as sheriff. Fitzhugh served
two terms from 1850 to 1854. He was succeeded by James H. Lovejoy, who also
was elected two terms serving from 1854 to 1858. Lovejoy was followed in
office by J. Dud Doak who held the position for one term, being succeeded in
1860 by James Reed who was hanged while holding office, during the war, near
Rockwall.
James H. Lovejoy
enlisted in the state service in the early part of 1860 and helped capture
Forts Washita and Arbuckle under Col. Bill Young. In these preliminary
skirmishes of the impending great civil war much arms and ammunition were
taken, after which the ex-sheriff returned to McKinney and helped to raise
two companies for Stone's regiment. He joined company D which was raised at
Old Mantua under Capt. Bowen. He was in the battles of Wilson Creek, where
Lyon fell; of Pea Ridge when McCulloguh fell and other lesser engagements.
Gen. Van Dorn then entailed him as mustering officer and sent hin home to
help organize Martin's regiment, DeMorse's regiment, Burford's regiment and
Stone's second regiment; rejoined his command near Holly Springs, Miss. and
remained with the same until the close of the war.
When the war
closed the subject of this sketch came back to McKinney where he resided
until Oct. 20, 1887, when he moved to Hillsboro where he remained for
eighteen years, then moving to his present home in Houston. Mr. Lovejoy's
oldest brother, George W., died here in 1866 and was buried in the old
McKinney cemetery. He was the father of our fellow-townsman and president of
the First National bank, John L. Lovejoy. There were two other brothers,
John L. and Wm. C. Lovejoy. The latter died soon after the war from a wound
received while in the service of the Confederacy. John L. Lovejoy (second of
the name) was the second county clerk of Collin county, serving for ten
years from 1852 to 1862. He went into the practice of law, moved to Denton,
then to Decatur where he died about three years ago. There were also four
sisters in the family as follows: Miss Lee Ano, married Dave Stiff; Miss
Margaret, married Dr. Tom Cash at Denton, soon afterward dying; Miss Nancy,
married C. C. Daugherty of Denton, still living, and Miss Martha who married
Joshua Burks, mother of Mrs. Edna Nale of McKinney and Mrs. Homer D. Wade of
Stamford.
James H. Lovejoy
was married Oct. 28, 1857 to Miss Malinda Goodman here in McKinney, Rev.
Smith, a well known Cumberland presbyterian minister of those early days,
officiated. This old couple are still in the enjoyment of comparatively good
health for people of their age and are both possessed of clear memories of
events in those early days and are most interesting conversationalists. The
first school Mr. Lovejoy attended was in a small school house, which stood
on the site of the present home of J. W. Purcell on North Church street in
McKinney. It was taught by Prof. Mays. Among the friends of his boyhood and
young manhood still living in this county are Alfred Chandler, Albert
Chandler, James Wetsel, Sol Fitzhugh and Eld. Jno. M. McKinney. Most of them
have passed to their reward beyond. While enjoying his visit in the main
back among the scenes and activities of his youth and prime of life, still
there gathered about him melancholy thoughts tender memories of happy
events, loved ones and devoted friends whose bodies have long since
mouldered to dust that invested the
visit of the old veteran with the only touch of pathos or regret connected
with the otherwise pleasant stay of a few weeks in the great county which
had honored him more than a half century ago.
