In
1900 there were only 4 or 5 Negro families living in Kentucky Town.
Most of them were homeowners who had remained in the community
after the Civil War and worked for the people in the community on a
day-by-day basis. Three of the families lived in cabins located
along the east side of the church and school grounds. The 1900
census for Justice Precinct #3 of Grayson County, Texas the Negro
families residing in the Kentucky Town area were:
1900 Federal Census Justice Precinct 3 Grayson Co., Texas June 26, 1900 Sheet 17 James H. Biggerstaff, enumerator Dwelling #282; Family #285 Thomas Canon, age 33; Head, male, black, married 4 years; born in Texas; father born in Georgia; mother born in Indian Territory; occupation - farmer Susie Canon, age 24; wife, female, black, married 4 years; mother of 2 children; 1 child living; born in Texas; father born in South Carolina; mother born in Mississippi Lester Canon, age 3; son, male, black, single; mother born in Texas; father & mother born in Texas Dwelling #294; Family #297 William Southwood, age 39; Head, male, black, married 13 years; born in Mississippi; father & mother born in Mississippi; occupation - farm laborer Mollie Southwood, age 34; wife, female, black, married 13 years; mother of 8 children; 7 children living; born in Texas; father born in Kentucky; mother born in Texas Guy Southwood, age 17; son, male, black, single; born in Texas; father born in Mississippi; mother born in Texas; occupation - farm laborer Alfred Southwood, age 14; son, male, black, single; born in Texas; father born in Mississippi; mother born in Texas; occupation - farm laborer Anna Southwood, age 9; daughter, female, black, single; born in Texas; father born in Mississippi; mother born in Texas Robert Southwood, age 7; son, male, black, single; born in Texas; father born in Mississippi; mother born in Texas May Southwood, age 6; daughter, female, black, single; born in Texas; father born in Mississippi; mother born in Texas Ethel Southwood, age 4; daughter, female, black, single; born in Texas; father born in Mississippi; mother born in Texas George Southwood, age 1; son, male, black, single; born in Texas; father born in Mississippi; mother born in Texas Dwelling #296; Family #299 Jerry Boyd, age 68; Head, male, black, married; born in South Carolina; father & mother born in "not known"; occupation - farmer Dinah Boyd, age "not known"; wife, female, black, married; mother of 8 children; 6 children living; born in "not known"; father & mother born in "not known" Walter Boyd, age 18; son, male, black, single; born in Texas; father born in South Carolina; mother born in "not known" Erwin Boyd, age 13; son, male, black, single; born in Texas; father born in South Carolina; mother born in "not known" MATTIE ALEXANDER, AGE 9; GRANDDAUGHTER, FEMALE, BLACK, SINGLE; BORN IN MISSISSIPPI; FATHER & MOTHER BORN IN MISSISSIPPI William Eubanks, age 26; boarder, male, black, single; born in Texas; father & mother born in Texas; occupation - farm laborer Robert Macy, age 23; boarder, male, black, single; born in Kansas; father & mother born in South Carolina; occupation - farm laborer Dwelling #300, Family #303 Thomas Parrish, age 42, male, white, single, boarder in home of Richard & Blanch Saunders; born Texas, father born in Kentucky and mother born in Kentucky Dwelling #301, Family #304 MARY PARRISH, age 50, female, white, head of family, single; born in Tennessee; father born in Kentucky and mother born in Kentucky; occupation - school teacher LELA PARRISH, age 37, female, white, sister, single; born in Texas; father born in Kentucky and mother born in Kentucky; occupation - school teacher Dwelling #331; Family #331 Charles Bolden, age 72, Head; male, black, married; born in Tennessee; father & mother born in Tennessee; occupation - farm laborer Jane Bolden, age not known, wife, female, black; mother of 6 children, 6 children living; born in Alabama; father & mother born in North Carolina Lee Bolden, age 24, son, male, black, widowed; born in Texas; father born Tennessee; mother born "unknown"; occupation - farmer Oscar Bolden, age 19, son, male, black, single; born in Texas; father born in Tennessee; mother born "unknown"; occupation - farmer Dwelling #332; Family #330 Mellisa Parks, age 30; Head; female, black widowed; mother of 6 children; 5 children living; born in Texas; father born in Tennessee; mother born "unknown"; occupation - wash woman Delitha Parks, age 13; daughter, female, black, single; born Texas; father born Tennessee; mother born "unknown"; attended school 5 months Bessie Parks, age 8; daughter, female, black, single; born Texas; father born Tennessee; mother born "unknown" Cleora Parks, age 7; daughter, female, black, single; born Texas; father born Tennessee; mother born "unknown" Benjamin Parks, age 6; son, male, black, single; born Texas; father born Tennessee; mother born "unknown" McKinley Parks, age 2; son, male, black; single; born Texas; father born Tennessee; mother born "unknown" Jerry Bolden, age "not known: brother, male, black, widowed; born Texas; father born Tennessee; mother born Alabama; occupation - day laborer Dwelling #339; Family #340 Benjamin Andrews, age 45; Head, black, male; married 14 years; born Tennessee; father born "not known"; mother born Tennessee; occupation - day laborer Lizzie Andrews, age 28; wife, black, female, married 14 years; mother of 2 children; 2 children living; born in Texas; father & mother born "not known: William Andrews, age 11; son, black, male, single; born in Texas; father born in Tennessee; mother born in Texas; occupation - farm laborer Fay M. Andrews, age 7; daughter, black, female, single; born in Texas, father born in Tennessee; mother born in Texas Dwelling #342; Family #345 Wesley Adams, age 64; Head, black, male, married 39 years; born Tennessee; father & mother born Tennessee; occupation - farmer Martha E. Adams, age 62; wife, black, female, married 39 years; mother of 11 children; 8 children living; born in Arkansas; father & mother born "not known" Dwelling #343; Family #345 Robert Adams, age 23; Head, black, male, married 3 years; born in Texas; father born in Tennessee; mother born in Arkansas; occupation - farmer Fannie Adams, age 19; wife, black, female; married 3 years; mother of 0 children; born in Texas; father & mother born in Texas John Williams, age 15; brother, black male, single; born in Texas; father & mother born in Texas Dwelling #351; Family #353 Mike Moss, age 35; Head, black, male, married 6 years; born in Texas; father & mother born "not known"; occupation - farmer Josie Moss, age 22; wife, black, female, married 6 years; mother of 1 child; 1 child living; born in Texas; father born in Mississippi; mother born in Missouri Virgil Moss, age 6; son, black, male, single; born in Texas; father & mother born in Texas Dwelling #351; Family #354 Dick Guess, age "not known"; Head, black, male, married 32 years; born Mississippi; father & mother born "not known"; occupation - farmer Amy Guess, age "not known"; wife, black, female, married 32 years; mother of 10 children; 8 children living; born Missouri; father & mother born "not known" Julia Guess, age 22, daughter, black, female, single; born Texas; father born in Mississippi; mother born in Missouri Burtie Guess, age 19; daughter, black, female, single; born in Texas; father born in Mississippi; mother born in Missouri Benjamin Guess, age 17; son, black, male, single; born in Texas; father born in Mississippi; mother born in Missouri; occupation - farm laborer Lillie Guess, age 13; daughter, black, female, single; born in Texas; father born in Mississippi; mother born in Missouri Dorcas Guess, age 10; daughter, black, female, single; born in Texas; father born in Mississippi; mother born in Missouri Lula Spurlin, age 27; daughter, black, female, widowed; mother of 4 children; 3 children living; born in Texas; ; father born in Mississippi; mother born in Missouri Vernon Spurlin, age 10; son, black, male, single; born in Texas; father & mother born in Texas; occupation - farm laborer Jerone Spurlin, age 6; son, black, male, single; born in Texas; father & mother born in Texas Junior H Spurlin, age 4; son, black, male, single; born in Texas; father & mother born in Texas Dwelling #359; Family #362 Wesley Reynolds, age 50; Head, black, male, married 16 years; born Kentucky; father born "not known"; mother born Kentucky; occupation - farmer Caroline Reynolds, age 37; wife, black, female; married 16 years; mother of 1 child; 1 child living; born in Texas; father & mother born "not known" John Reynolds, age 25; son, black, male, single; born in Texas; father born in Kentucky; mother born in Tennessee; occupation - farm laborer Cleveland Reynolds, age 14; son, black, male, single; born in Texas; father born in Kentucky; mother born in Texas; occupation - farm laborer Margaret Cleveland, age 29; sister, black, female, widowed; born in Texas; father & mother born in "not known"; occupation - housekeeper Dwelling #426; Family #429 Nathan Cooksey, age18; servant in the Mullins household; black, male, single; born in Texas; father & mother born in "not known"; occupation - farmer Dwelling #427; Family #430 William Callie, age 37; Head; black, male, married 5 years; born in Texas; father & mother born in "not known"; occupation - farmer Texanna Callie, age 26; wife, black, female, married 5 years; mother of 4 children; 2 children living; born in Texas; father born in Georgia; mother born in Tennessee Roy Loper, age 11; son, black, male, single; born in Texas; father & mother born in Texas; occupation - farm laborer Duffie Loper, age 10; son, black, male, single; born in Texas; father & mother born in Texas; occupation - farm laborer Mollie Belle, age 25; boarder, black, female, widowed; mother of 2 children; 2 children living; born in Texas; father born in Alabama; mother born in Georgia; occupation - wash woman John Nettie Belle, age 8; daughter, black, female, single; born in Texas; father & mother born in Texas Minnie Belle, age 6; daughter, black, female, single, born in Texas; father & mother born in Texas These families were struck with the dreaded disease of small pox; as early as mid-February 1900 it was reported that small pox seened to be very bad all over Texas. ("Important Events," Friday, February 16. The Sunday Gazetteer, February 18, 1900, pg. 1) those that had family members were either quarantined or confined themselves voluntarily to their homes. Those living in the community would take food, medicines and other necessities to points at the edges of the premises and left these items for the Negro families to pick up after the bearer had left the area. Although the affected families began to improve, much talk and fear existed in the community, fearing the possible spread of the disease. After plans were confirmed in how to prevent the spread of small pox, a community wide plan was developed to take up a general collection of funds and buy the Negroes' homes so that they could move away as soon as they were physically able to do so. Sufficient funds were raised to pay the asking price of the colored folks for their properties. On the day that the sick ones were able to travel by wagon, the Negroes moved from the Kentucky Town community. Immediately after the cabins were vacated, Dick Norman of Whitewright was hired to set fire to each cabin and all were burned at the same time. Some of the older boys of the town such as Joe Dean and Tom Saunders stood nearby the burning cabins and shot at the rats as they scurried from the burning buildings. For some unknown reason one child, Mattie Alexander, was left behind as her grandparents and children vacated the area. Misses Mary Ella (1849-1916) and Lela (1862-1930) Parrish, daughters of merchant Joseph N. and Carrie D. Parrish, had "taken a shine to" Mattie. The Parrish sisters lived five houses from the Boyd family; on the day that the Boyds left Kentucky Town to make their new home in Whitewright, the Parrish sisters went to the Negro section of town and picked up Mattie in their buggy and took her home with them to live. According to the 1900 census, which was taken on June 26, 1900, the Negro Mattie went to live with the Parrish family after June 23, 1900. Mattie grew up in the home of the Parrish family as a "cherished member" of the household. Since both Lela and Ella were teachers, they tutored Mattie; she was also sent away to school as she grew older. A small 2-room house of the same architecture as the Parrish home was built for Mattie in their back yard so that Mattie could occasionally have guests of her own race in her home. Mattie, as well as the Parrish family, carried herself with a certain air of regality and of refinement as she drove about town in her shiny buggy as a young woman. The Parrish home was the last house enumerated in the 1910 Grayson Co. census: 1910 Federal Census Part of Justice Precinct 3 Grayson Co., Texas April 26, 1910 Sheet 13A Lucian Nicholson, enumerator Dwelling #188, Family #188 T.W. Parrish, age 52, male, white, head of family, single; born in Texas; father born in Tennessee and mother born in Kentucky; occupation - general merchandise Ella Parrish, age 60, female, white, sister of T.W. Parrish, single; born in Tennessee; father born in Tennessee and mother born in Kentucky Lela Parrish, age 47, female, white, sister of T.W. Parrish, single; born in Texas; father born in Tennessee and mother born in Kentucky Mattie Alexander, servant, female, black, age 17, single; born in Mississippi; father born in Mississippi and mother born in Mississippi At about the age of 20 years old, Mattie married and moved away but she continued to visit the Parrishes as long as they lived. According to her Death Certificate, Lela died of heart disease at the age of 68; Ella died of Bright's Disease, a kidney disorder, at the age of 66. Both women along with their mother are buried in Vittitoe Cemetery, Grayson County, Texas. Editor's Note: Both Ella and Lela's Death Certificates show that their mother was Carrie D. Parrish and their father, Joseph M. Parrish. Source: Chumbley, Joe W. Kentucky Town and Its Baptist Church. Houston, Texas, D. Armstrong Co., Inc., pg.169. 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