Newspaper
Unknown
Date Unknown
JAMES C. GAITHER HELPED
MAKE HISTORY AT CHILTON
CHILTON---SPL---James C. Gaither had an important part in making early Falls
County and Texas history. He was born in Iredell County, North Carolina,
the son of Forest and Lamira Caldwell Gaither. He came to Texas as a first
lieutenant of Captain Evans' regiment in the war with Mexico.
In 1873 he came to Falls County, and bought
the land Chilton now stands on. Later he sold this to the railroad for
the townsite.
In 1875 he was a delegate to the
constitutional convention from this county. He was author of the bill
that restricted location of all land certificates to public domain, prohibiting
their location upon land that had already been located and patented.
Gaither served as Representative of Falls
County in the 16th and 17th Texas Legislatures. He was author of the bill
legalizing the use of barbwire for fences, thus contributing to the cutting up
of the land into small farms. He was the first superintendent of the
first State orphans in 1879.
In the War Between the States he served on
the Texas coast. His son, Forest, served 10 years as a clerk in the Land
Office in Austin before returning to Chilton. In 1910 he was elected to
the House of Representatives, serving two terms.
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