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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