Staff Writer I hope you enjoy these “looks back” at times past– mostly 100 or more years. Thanks to Linda Harwell, longtime Forney preserver of history and the “keeper of grave information,” for sharing these “tidbits” in printed form and sending them to me…I was just going to read two or five and “ended up” reading all she had sent! Thanks to Kathryn Wolfe Criswell and Lena Jones, two of my early “grammar school” teachers, who inspired me to “read, read, read” after I had finished my initial assignments. Some day I will detail their methods.
Forney, Texas, June 3– Near here today, Jack Arnold stabbed Will Short to death and fatally wounded James Short, during a dispute over some land…from The Record-Union, June 04, 1892, Sacramento, CA.
Prosper, Texas, February 26, 1960–The Rev. Jerry Griffin, pastor of First Baptist Church, has resigned to accept the pastorate of the Forney Baptist Church, effective March 1. The Rev. Mr. Griffin has been pastor of the Prosper Church for 3 ½ years, coming here from Goldthwait. Mrs. Griffin and their two children will remain in Prosper until the end of the present school term. Mrs. Griffin teaches school…from The DentonRecord Chronicle.
Forney consists of four or five general mercantile houses, flour mill and blacksmith shop. Messrs.
Dougherty & Smith are prominent among the active business men…from Dallas Weekly Herald, April 21, 1877.
The “ little green church in Forney” has a new home on Lake Ray Hubbard…
from The Dallas Morning News, August 16, 1973.
The Galveston News says that the bill creating the new county of Rockwall, has become a law. This county is cut off from the northern portion of Kaufman County by a line nearly east and west. The county is nearly square and very small, not exceeding above 200 square miles. Being a northern portion of Kaufman County, the inhabitants were very inconvenient to the county seat. The county (probably should be “city”) of the new county is also Rockwall. There are nearly 500 inhabitants in the new county… Dallas Herald, February 22, 1873.
A new paper is to be started this week at Forney to be called the Forney Enterprise. Two young men from Terrell have moved the old Vidette material to this point… from Dallas Morning News, September 11, 1932.
The little town of Forney has a population of 1,500; 350 of them are members of the Methodist Church, and this heroic band has built and paid for a modern church plant at a cost of $60,000. Rev. C. W. Dennis is the popular pastor, and he reports the raising for all purposes during the three years of his incumbency the grand total of $82,000. He has received 101 members, and the church is well organized in all departments. June 27 the church was dedicated by Bishop Hay with befitting ceremonies…from Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, November 04, 1926.
Charley Muse, Mangum, Okla., who has been in Grand Saline on numerous occasions during the past few years and who has a brother now living here, will open a café in the Venner
building in Forney soon, according to the Forney Messenger.
The Mesenger stated that Mr. Muse has been in the café business in Mangum and Altus, Okla. for thirty years…from The Grand Saline Sun, July 02, 1931.
Forney– Graduates of the high school are: Miss Beoulah Patterson [only person mentioned in the article]… from Dallas Express, June 03, 1922. [The Dallas Express was a Negro newspaper.] Forney, June 2nd –
St. Martin’s Academy, conducted by the Sisters of Notre Dame, closed Wednesday. The graduates were Miss Ina Belle Mirick, Lawrence; Miss Bridgid Maloney, Terrell; Miss Clare Layden…from Dallas Morning News, June 03, 1911.
Mr. L. J. Led better (sic), a very estimable lady (sic) of the Valley View neighborhood, died Sunday of cancer of the stomach, and was buried in Terrell Monday…from the Forney Messenger, September 19, 1902.
Forney, Mar. 28th– Fire broke out in the frame row north of the railroad this morning. The following is a list of the losses: W. A. George, building; Reagin and Lee, groceries; A. B. Snow, restaurant; John Venner, building; G. H. Crawford, building; Frank Bryant, shoe shop; T. J. Cooper, groceries; Masonic Lodge, no insurance; Wm. Daugherty, no insurance; Forney Implement Company, no insurance; J. R. Daugherty, building; J. J. Patterson, saloon; Harris & Lee, restaurant; R. G. Word, general store; Perry & McKenna, saloon; J. T. Lunn, barber shop; J. F. Yates, building; J. J. Patterson, two buildings; George and William Venner, plate glass; The Justice Court records were destroyed in the Daugherty building; The Southwestern Telephone Company; J. AL. Gassaway, building…from Dallas Morning News, March 29, 1901.
Forney, May 23rd–The graduating exercises of the Forney public school, S. J. Lewis, principal, were held at the Christian Church last night. The graduates were: Misses Julia Bell Shands, Edith Mabel Crawford, Texie Buena Sowell and Mr. Ned Douglas Shands…from Dallas Morning News, May 24, 1900.
Forney, May 29th–The graduating exercises of the Lewis Academy were held last night. The graduates were James Davis, Martin Collins, Edward McKellar, Anice Darden, Thos. Layden, Myrtle Sowell, Perry Starnes, Harvey Crittendon, Cora Pinson, Allie Pinson and Hubert Lyon…from Dallas Morning News, May 31, 1900. Charters filed with the Secretary of State yesterday: the Forney Cemetery association of Forney, Texas. Capital stock, $250.
Incorporators: J. D. Lebound, T. J. Wideman, John Pott…from Weekly Democratic Statesman, March 25, 1897.
Forney, April 8th– T. J. Wideman, one of our business men of ten years’ standing, has sold out, but will begin the erection of a brick business house about June 1st. He has rented his business house on the north side to a young merchant from Georgia, who will begin business in a few days…from Fort Worth Gazette, April 09, 1896.
The Forney Tribune is now issued twice a week. The editor is Mr. Gilmer… from Dallas Morning News, October 03, 1894.
Forney, Sept. 4th– Work has commenced on the new Presbyterian church. An effort is being made to build a Catholic church here…from Dallas Morning News, September 05, 1891.
*Note: I have printed most of these as found; you may find “errors” as you might call them. I also changed a few errors for clarity purposes.*
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.