Authentic History January 21, 1938

Interesting Stories and Events In Honey Grove’s Early History
Honey Grove Signal-Citizen, January 21, 1938
Written by H. P. Allen, assisted by W. J. Erwin

More About the Families Who Settled the Honey Grove Country

The Robert B. Johnson (Uncle Bobbie, as he was called) family came from Missouri about 1850 and settled four miles southwest of Honey Grove on the Bonham road. He had quite a large family of five daughters and four sons. The eldest daughter married Mr. Frank Stephens. They had no children of their own, but reared four or five of other people’s children – perhaps more. Uncle Frank and Aunt Nan, as they were called, were the good Samaritans of the community in which they lived. They certainly found that giving and doing good to others brought contentment and happiness into their lives, and God so enriched their hearts and lives that they kept up their good work until they died of old age.

Another daughter married Marshall Galbraith. She was a good neighbor and a kind Christian mother. Her living children are Mrs. Baldwin, Mrs. Mantius, Miss Corinne Galbraith, R. H., W. J., Coke and Albert Galbraith.

Mrs. Mack Bronough is the only child of Uncle Bobbie living, and her home is in Roff, Okla. His four sons have all passed away. The writer went to school with his younger children, was often in the home, and knew him well

Some time before he passed away there was a protracted meeting conducted at the Johnson school house there on his home place. Having heard that Uncle Bob had been converted, the writer went to the Sunday service. Mr. Clark first held an old fashioned experience meeting. Experiences were given, and Uncle Bob was asked to stand up and tell about it. Slowly he arose, bent with age and leaning on his cane, and told of his conversion. He had not lived exactly a Christian life, but in most all other ways he had been a good man and a good neighbor. He made one of the most convincing talks on the reformation of man that we ever heard. Tears of joy were shed all over the congregation. We spent a Sunday afternoon with him before he passed away. His faith was unshaken and his hope of eternal life bright and cheerful. \

Benjamin Parrish was born in Adair County, Ky., Aug. 8, 1829. He was one of the early settlers, having come in November, 1845. He was a brother of Mrs. Gilmer, Mrs. Allen, Mrs. Nicholson and Mrs. Sallie Stapp. He homesteaded 160 acres of land about three and one-half miles northwest of Honey Grove which is yet held by his family. After getting a home prepared he married Miss Tabitha Cheatham, daughter of Josiah Cheatham, who was from Cumberland County, Ky. To this union two daughters and three sons were born, all now deceased. Early in 1868, his wife passed away. Ben Parrish was the son of William D. Parrish, born in 1792, was in the war of 1812, represented Adair county in the state legislature two terms, was appointed a recorder of deeds by Governor Bramlett, who was the father of Dr. Eugene Bramlette, who lived and practiced medicine, and died in Honey Grove 40 or 45 years ago.

In 1869 Ben Parrish married Miss. Sallie Rodgers, who with relatives had settled in Honey Grove. To this union a large family of sons and daughters were born and reared, several of them living in and around Honey Grove. Mrs. Parrish was a most excellent woman, but is an invalid, and has been confined to her bed nine years or more. She is comfortably and kindly cared for at the home of Mr. Cravens and wife, they being son-in-law and daughter. Ben Parrish died May 30th, 1895. He was serving his second term as county commissioner. The court appointed his son to fill out his unexpired term; then Joe was elected two or three terms before he died. Joe’s wife, who was Miss Bell Williamson, daughter of J. M. Williamson, who was also an early settler, having come from Georgia. Joe’s wife and son Frank and wife have remained in Honey Grove. The other son, Eugene, and wife reside in Dallas.

The Bronaugh family—The ancestry of this family has been well preserved, and goes back to Scotland, thence to Virginia, then to Kentucky, then to Fannin County, Texas. Malcolm Bronough was born in Louisa County, Va., May 30, 1816, and remained there until he was 19 years old, then moved to Christian County, Ky., where he remained for some years. Moving to Texas, he bought land about three miles southeast of Honey Grove, where he spent the balance of his life. He came in 1852, and to use an expression of his own, he just scared the deer away and burned off the grass to get a foundation on which to build his log house. He was an industrious man and prospered and was looked upon as one of the most substantial men in the community. He was a man who would do his part in all community enterprises. After migrating to Kentucky, he married a widow Bronaugh, who had three children by her first husband, two boys Bill and Dave, who were twins, and a daughter who married a Mr. Bowles. She lived longer than any member of the Bronaugh family. At the time (1852) that he came to Texas, his family of the three step-children, three daughters, Mary Frances, who was never married; Judith who married Percival Henderson, and Nannie, who married James Hobbs; and one son, Malcolm Jr., all deceased. I cannot name all the grandchildren, only one living in the community, who was the wife of the late Levi Hall, who is noted for her friendly and helpful spirit. Malcolm Bronaugh, Jr., was one of the most industrious men we ever know. He died suddenly in Oklahoma a few years ago, leaving his wife, who was Uncle Bobbie Johnson’s youngest daughter, and three sons.

A.B. Stobaugh--About 1859 there came to Honey Grove a young man from Tennessee whose name was A. G Stobaugh. He was a brother-in-law of U. T. Cole, who was in the mercantile business on the north side of the square in Honey Grove. Mr. Stobaugh’s education and general equipment for a business career were excellent. He at once acquired a partnership with Mr. Cole, and they did a fairly good business until about 1862 when the stress of civil war, put all merchants in the South out of business. In the meantime Mr. Stobaugh married Miss. Mary Drenan, daughter of Uncle Davy Drenan, one of the very early settlers in the Honey Grove country. She was a sister to Mrs. Gus Erwin, Mrs Lewis Chiles and Mrs. Joe Bryan. Of this marriage four daughters were born. First were twins, our own Mrs. Jess Thomas and Mrs. Lizzie Galbraith. The writer has forgotten the names of the others. Mr. Strobaugh kept no family record, and such data as we have we copied from markers at the cemetery.. Mr, Stobaugh was born Oct. 10, 1834; died Feb. 17, 1882, aged 48 years.

Mr. Stobaugh conceived the idea of getting a new county formed by cutting off a few miles from the east side of Fannin and a few off the west side of Lamar, to form Webster county, with Honey Grove as the country seat, and came very near succeeding. It was his own conception and he tackled the proposition singlehanded and alone, worked at it in and out of season, got a count of the voters and found he had a large majority. He was preparing a huge petition to go to the legislature to get it granted, but doubtless influence at Bonham and Paris had prevailed, and the legislature at once passed the bill making it unlawful to form any county less than 30 miles square. Had he succeeded he would have been considered a public benefactor.

(To be continued.)