Authentic History September 17, 1937

Honey Grove Signal-Citizen, September 17, 1937

Authentic History of Honey Grove to Be Published Serially

It is with special interest that the Signal-Citizen announces to its readers that it will next week start the publication of an authentic history of Honey Grove, commencing at the time the first residents settled in this section, and which will be brought up to date.  This history will be the reproduction of the first authentic history of the early days of Honey Grove, and was written by one of the community’s first settlers, James Gilmer, who located here in 1845.  His most interesting history will be reproduced, serially, and verbatim and following up his history,  H. P. Allen, one of Honey Grove’s oldest and most respected citizens, will take it up, and bring the history of the community up to the present day.  Mr. Allen is probably the only person in the entire community capable of producing such a record, and he has been getting this data together for several months, and is engaged in getting it ready for printing.  He has a most remarkable memory, and in his earlier days was associated with the pioneer families and recalls many interesting events, as well as dates, names and incidents.  The Signal-Citizen feels that the presentation of the early history by Mr. Gilmer, followed by the history which Mr. Allen is preparing, will prove an instrument which will carry latter-day history to our posterity.  There has been nothing of the kind prepared previously, as far as we have been able to ascertain, and we know that our readers will all want to preserve the copies of the Signal-Citizen which carry it.  It
will probably take weeks to carry all the information the two histories will contain, but it will be of utmost interest and no one will want to miss any of it.

The Signal-Citizen feels that the entire community will owe Mr. Allen a debt of gratitude for his efforts in this matter, and his writings will likely reveal many incidents which have never before been recorded, and never would be were it not for his remarkable memory and his willingness to reproduce them for publication.

The First History

The history as written by James Gilmer is a most valuable document, and Mr. Allen has entrusted it in our care for publication, and in addition to the Honey Grove history, there is recorded in the volume scores of other interesting facts which we will deem it a pleasure to reproduce from time to time.  We had intended to reproduce the first section of this history this week, but upon second thought believed that it would be best to first announce its publication, so our readers will watch for it and be prepared to preserve the various issues, and make plans for placing it in their scrap books.  We are sure that school students will want to study these weekly releases and preserve them for future references.  We are assured by Mr. Allen that the history, as prepared by Mr. Gilmer, is accurate and official, and the Signal-Citizen personally endorses and guarantees the accuracy and this truthfulness of the history which he is preparing and which will follow shortly.  Again the Signal-Citizen congratulates Mr. Allen in his efforts and desires to perpetuate the authentic history of Honey Grove.  It contains many interesting events, and tells of many of the pioneer and near-pioneer families.

In bringing to the Signal-Citizen office this week the first history, Mr. Allen also brought to us a historical edition of the Bonham News, dated December 23, 1892, edited by Evans & Evans.  It is a Christmas edition, and contains historical articles concerning Fannin County, written by the county’s oldest citizens, and these articles are most interesting.  The edition was printed on cloth, and is in a fine state of preservation.  Many of the names printed therein are still familiar with the people of this and other section of the county.  There is a most interesting article produced therein by James P. Gilmer of Honey Grove, dated December 15, 1892.  Mr. Gilmer stated that he was born in Honey Grove in 1846, his parents coming from Kentucky in 1845, and settling in Honey Grove.