Antebellum Jefferson, Texas: Everyday Life in an East Texas Town

11. County Seat

151 Cass County When Cass County was created by the Texas Legislature out of Bowie County on April 25, 1846, Jesse Cherry was designated to survey the county boundaries. A new county seat was needed. This was not accomplished until Linden was created and designated as the county seat by the Texas Legislature in January 1852. In the interim, Jefferson served as the county seat and therefore was the place in which the official county activities were conducted, including those of the commissioners court, clerk’s office, surveyor’s office, sheriff, justice of the peace, constable, and assessor and tax collector. It was also the place in which the sessions of the 5th district court were held, which drew people from surrounding counties. Political meetings were always a correlate of judicial proceedings, particularly because attorneys then as now were heavily involved in politics. Jefferson benefited not only from prestige and visitation, but also from the rental of facilities and the provision of services. The legislative act creating Cass County stipulated that courts of the county meet in the tavern house of William Perry in Jefferson until a suitable courthouse could be erected and that they could adjourn to any other place that they deemed suitable. At a minimum, a tavern house was a place where alcoholic beverages were sold and overnight accommodations were provided. However, advertisements in contemporary newspapers such as the Clarksville Northern Standard and the 11. County seat 152 Antebellum Jefferson, Texas Washington Telegraph published in Arkansas indicate that the term also referred to full-fledged hotels. The location of Perry’s tavern house is unknown and probably indeterminable because Perry owned many lots in Jefferson. The first meeting of the commissioners court was held at the tavern house of William Perry on July 23, 1846. The court moved to the tavern house of William Russell for the January 1847 session, then to Simon Heald’s new frame house for the June session. The June session was attended by Charles DeMorse of the Clarksville Northern Standard, who provides an account of the district court proceedings and a description of Perry’s Soda Lake Hotel in the June 23 issue. DeMorse was impressed by the appearance of the town, the quality of the hotel accommodations, and the sophistication of the people who had assembled in relation to public business: The next morning we rode into Jefferson, about eleven o’clock, and were agreeably surprised by the improved appearance of the place, since last summer, and the increased air of comfort which it has, from having a better supply of house room. We found also a much larger number of persons in attendance upon court, than we had expected to see....The attendance of lawyers was quite large, though the bulk of them were from Marshall.... The Hon. David B. Kaufman, Col. A. S. Thurston, and Wm. P. Hill, Esq., of Marshall, were among those whom we had known for many years, in the west, and whom it was pleasant to see again. Judge Roberts of the 5th, Mr. Walker the District Attorney, Col. Burke of Sabine Co., Col. Spearman Holland, James D. Todd, Esq., of Port Caddo, and the members of the Bar in general , from Harrison, were among the new ones, whose company made the hours pass pleasantly.... The court progressed in regular order with its business , and we left it in session, on Friday evening. Of the bearing of his Honor Judge Roberts, upon the bench, we might say much, and still not exceed propriety.— To say that he is dignified and urbane, patient, inves- 153 County Seat tigating, cautious and conscientious, and that he has the full confidence, and the warmest friendship of the people of his district, is not to say too much. In the private circle, the Judge is a modest, and quiet gentleman, highly intelligent, and most agreeable in conversation. Mr. Richard S. Walker, the District Attorney, also comes in for a share of our respect and appreciation, for his capacity, diligence, and gentlemanly propriety. He is young, and promising, and we have no doubt, will attain a rank to his profession highly creditable. The court moved to Israel Leavitt’s frame house (apparently his storehouse on the west half of Lot 9 in Block 4 on Dallas Street) in July 1847. William Perry was paid in January 1848 for boarding court officials at the Soda Lake Hotel during the December...