Van Alstyne Era
February 18, 1930
pg. 1

ONLY SURVIVOR OF FAMILY OF THIRTEEN
The brother-in-law of the first white child born in Grayson county is still with us. The child was Texiana Dumas, the first wife of Reese Cannon. His brother, Mr. O.M. Cannon of Van Alstyne, Texas, is the only living one of the original family. His father, Elija Cannon, brought his family from South Carolina in 1852. Mr. O.M. Cannon was only 4 years old at this time. The only means of travel then was by wagon and team.
When the family got to Texas, they settled on the old homestead abour 4 miles east of Van Alstyen. At that time there was no lumber and the home had to be made from logs. Land was cheap then, costing from 50c to a dollar an acre.
Game was plentiful; among some of the animals were squirrels, possums, prairie chicken and wild turkeys. The buffaloes had already been killed out when Mr. Cannon came here. The Indians had been run into the west by this time.
Mr. Cannon was born in what is now called Pickens county, South Carolina in 1848, on May 18. He will be 82 years old his next birthday. His mother died before he came to Texas, so his sister, Mrs. Eliza West, reared him. He is very active for an old man as large as he is. He walks to town and back every day, and like most old people, likes to play dominoes and checkers.

Sherman Democrat
May 19, 1931
pg 4

Oscar M. Cannon, Pioneer Citizen, Observes Birthday

Van Alstyne - May 18 marked the birthday of Oscar M. Cannon, one of Van Alstyne's oldest citizens and the brother-in-law of the first white child born in Grayson county. The child was Texiana Dumas and she was the first wife of the late Reese Cannon, brother of Oscar Cannon. Mr. Cannon, who is 83, is the last surviving member of a family of thirteen whose names are inseparably linked with the development of this section of the country.

His father brought the family from South Carolina to Texas in 1852 after the death of the wife and mother in 1850. Oscar Cannon was
only four years old at the time, the youngest in a family of eleven children. He was cared for by a sister, the late Mrs. Eliza West. The only mode of travel then was by wagon and team. The retinue of the Cannon caravan consisted of the father, five daughters, and six sons. The journey through the primitive country was not without danger.

When they arrived in Texas they settled six miles east of where the city of Van Alstyne was laid out 21 years later, and the community became known as Cannon. It still bears the name and now has a school house, a general store, a filling station, a gin, a tabernacle and population of about 150. It is situated on the highway between Van Alstyne and Whitewright and today the old Cannon homestead built after the first home of logs was torn down, has a certain colonial charm.

In those times land was cheap, costing from fifty cents to a dollar to acre. Game was plentiful and the men hunted squirrels, prairie chickens, opossums, and wild turkeys. Buffalo had been killed out and Indians driven into the west.

Following the arrival in Texas, three daughters died and other members of the family died with passing years but the three brothers,
John R., Reese, and Oscar and the sister, Mrs. Eliza West lived until close to the century and now of the four only Oscar Cannon, the youngest remains and he has been ill for several years.

Mr. Cannon had four brothers who served with the Confederacy. Reese was a charter member of Mantua Lodge No. 209, A.F. and A.M. organized in 1857 and at the time of his death was the oldest member in years and length of membership. Oscar Cannon himself, is a member of this lodge and takes an abiding interest in it. He has never married. When in good health he is busy reading and keeping up with the affairs of the day, playing games and conversing with friends. He lives in his own home and a niece and her family live with him. He is known to everyone in this immediate section.