Freestone County, Texas Communities Dewey/Dewie Prairie The Dewey Prairie Baptist Church was organized in 1886. Donie Prairie School is how the school was listed in newspapers. The name of the community changed from Dewey Prairie to Donie in 1898. Three settlements around the area very early was Click Place (west), Brewer Place (east), and Hardy Place (south). Robert Fulton came and settled on the Bloomfield Place (4 to 5 miles east). *8* The soil is red and black clay and sand. The trees are post oaks, black jacks, hickory, elm and cedar. Crops are cotton, corn, peanuts, potatoes, and peas. The land is not favorable for grain. The Turkey Rocks are about 4 to 5 miles southeast of Donie. *8* School: Donie Prairie School - Led by Professor Fryar and Mattie Newman in 1888. had 35 pupils in 1887 Churches: Dewey Prairie Baptist Church *2* (started 1886, name changed in 1909 to First Baptist) (Mrs. Maggie Fulton joined in July 1899.) *12* Cemeteries: Social Organizations: Businesses: Drug Store (owned by Dr. John W. Bond, Mr. Click ran the drug store as a clerk after Dr. Bond was the postmaster. Mr. Click had health issues.) *8* Dry Goods and Grocery (Mr. Hall, Mr. Worthy, and Mr. Click, later Mr. Click sold has shares to the others.) *8* Nearby Communities: Known Former Residents: Beall, Mr. *8* Bond, Dr. John W. *8* Brewer, Bill *8* Burleson, Elder O. W. (was there in 1878, ordained in 1892 by Dewey Prairie church) *6* Click, Jim *4* *8* Cowart, Jesse *8* Doie, Mr. *8* Dunagan, Leonidas Alonzo *4* Fulton, Robert *8* Harris, Jeff *8* Little, Miss Sarah married James Kennedy at Dewey Prairie in Feb 1890. *14* Newsom, Joel *8* Terry, Tom and Bill *8* =========================================================== Donie The Dewey Prairie Baptist Church was organized in 1886. The name of the community changed from Dewey Prairie to Donie in 1898. The new Donie (on the Brazos Valley railroad) was laid out about one mile from Old Donie in August 1906. *1* Donie had about 600 people at its height in 1914. In 1990 the population of Donie was 206. Train Depot: A wooden train depot was built for the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railroad in 1907 and a water reservoir was dug to supply water for the steam engines. Post Office: 9 Dec 1898 to current Post Masters: Bond, Dr. John W. - 9 Dec 1898 Dunagan, Leonidas Alonzo - 18 Mar 1907 Scott, Samuel J. Jr. - 27 Oct 1914 Nash, Mrs. Maude A. - 29 Oct 1917 Bond, Gaynell - 1 Dec 1943 Mullen, Perry C. - 5 Dec 1975 Oakes, Helen - 13 Aug 1976 Biggers, Mary W. - 7 May 1977 Gilliam, Marcia - 1 Jun 1980 Gordon, Laverne E. - 11 Dec 1980 Vestal, Marie W. - 13 Jun 1981 Spine, Sandra K. - 28 Sep 1992 Gordon, Franklin - 24 Jun 1993 Hunter, Lillie J. - 12 Jan 1995 Gordon, Franklin L. - 10 Apr 1995 Churches: Methodist Church (still active) Church of Christ (disbanded) two Baptist churches: Dewey Prairie Baptist Church *2* (started 1886, name changed in 1909 to First Baptist) First Baptist Church of Donie (active) Missionary Baptist Church built in 1923. *8* Schools: The school district No. 3 was still refered to as "Dewey Prairie" in 1903 with W. T. Hancock, manager and B. F. Hall and J. B. Little as assistants. *5* Dewey Prairie had 55 students in 1892-1893 school year. *13* Dewey Prairie school district had 78 students in 1904-1905 school year. *7* Dewey Prairie school district had 79 students in 1901-1902 school year. *10* Professsor V. A.Byrd and Miss Mattie Newman taught school at Donie in 1907. Principal A. A. Bradley oversaw 187 white and 3 colored students in 1918-1919 in the Donie ISD. The Donie school had from first to eleventh grades at one time. Donie's High School closed just after 1943. Donie's elementary school continued until it was closed in 1969 and the kids began attending Teague schools. The Donie school building was a large wooden two-story structure that had a central tower and a covered small porch at the entry door. The Donie school building is known to have two chimneys in the back of the structure in opposite corners. The only part of the old school left is the "Rock Cottage" which was the home economics building. Railroad Depot: Trinity and Brazos Valley Railway depot (1907-?) Social: Donie Camp of Woodsmen of the World #6590 Businesses (past): Milton Wrigley's Barber Shop in back of Bond's Drug Store *8* J. C. Price Blacksmith Shop *8* John William's store (1907) Mr. Thompson's gin (1907) Huffman Store Donie State Bank (started 1919 as Guaranty State Bank, then renamed in 1926. In 1992, became a branch of the State Bank of Jewett.) Turner's Feed Store Railroad Depot Solley's Garage Vaquero Energy Services Yolanda's General Store and Resturant Donie Chair Company drug store Mrs. Jewel Canady's Hamburger Shop Roy Pace owned a blacksmith shop Cotton gin was run by Jack Eppes D. M. Worthy & Co. General Store Businesses (modern): Donie Water Works Donie Post Office Cemeteries: Old Communities in the area: Pin Oak Cemeteries in the area: Post Oak Cemetery #2 (2.2 miles southeast) Wilson's Chapel Cemetery (3.2 miles south) Old Zion (3.5 miles east) Bottoms Cemetery (between Donie and Buffalo) Known Past Residents of Donie: Abenf, F. J. Archer, A. C. Archer, Bill Barnard. Eldridge Biggers, Mary W. Bishop, Allen Blount, Dr. R. T. (moved to Teague in 1908) Bond, Bolen Bond, Gaynell Bond, Dr. John W. Bond, Julia Bond, T. W. Byrd, Professsor V. A. Canady, A. J. Canady, David Claud Canady, Mrs. Jewel Canady, Lee Roy Chavers, Mr. Chester, T. T. Childress, Beady Click, A. J. *9* Collins, George Collins, Howard Cone, Bud Cone, Vison Cummings, Rev. Daniell, Vernia (Canady) Darnell, Edgie & Lela Darnelle, Cecil Davidson, Dr. J. D. Demic, Henry Devine, Miles Dosey, Emmett Dunagan, Leonidas Alonzo Ellis, Jim Eppes, Jack Eskew, J. R. (dept agent) *8* Eskew, James Ethridge, Arvin Fail, T.O. Fulton, Bob Fulton, George Fulton, Henry Fulton, Mrs. Maggie *12* Gage, Maurice George, Johnny Gilliam, Cloner Gilliam, Elsie Clytee (Wren) Gilliam, J. A. Gilliam, James B. Gilliam, Marcia Gilliam, Stanley Gordon, Franklin L. Gordon, Laverne E. Hall, B. F. Hall, D. O. Hall, Mrs. Fannie Lee Hall, Frank Hall, Leonard Hall, Miss Modene Hall, Mae Hall, Ray Hancock, Tom *9* Hancock, Will and Prudie (moved to Teague in 1921) Harris, Alvis Harris, Charles R. Harris, H. C. Holmes, E. R. Howell, James Thomas & Belle Ezell Howell, J. W. Howell, John Howell, S. J. (1891 obit) *11* Hudson, Ettie Hudson, Jake Hudson, J. D. Huffman, Amy Huffman, Alvin Huffman, Clayton Huffman, Clarence Huffman, Elbert Huffman, E.E. Huffman, J. A. Huffman, Keith Huffman, Melt Hughes, Elouise May Hunter, Lillie J. Hutchens, Joseph Ivy, Alice Ivy, Weldon Jackson, Miss Jessie James, J. C. Johnson, J. L. Jones, Alvah "Alvie" Lee Kennedy, Garvis Kovacebich, Nick Lacy, Rev. W. B. Lambert, Alf Lamberth, J. L. Linson, Miss (milinary store above Dr. Bond's store) Little, J. B. *3* Little, Marion Little, Monroe Mainard, W. E. Martin, C. C. Martin, Martha N. (Carroll) May, Edith May, James Henry May, John Calvin May, John Harvey May, Melton McDaniel, Clinton McDaniel, Henry McWaters, Hubert Miller, Bonner Miller, B. S. Miller, Jesse Miller, Jim *3* Miller, Lee Mitchell, Ray Moody, Irvin & Sophine Mullen, Perry C. Nanny, J. A. Nash, Covie Nash, Mrs. Maude A. Newsom, Luther Oliver & Emma Newsom, Ralph Eldon Sr. Nicolas, E. O. Oakes, Artie Oakes, Clifton Oakes, Helen Oakes, Tom Oakes, Waylon Oakes, Wes Pace, Ben Pace, Roy Pierce, Miss Maurine Pierce, Miss Adelle Pierce, Mrs. Lilburn Pippins, William Green Price, J.C. Richardson, James & Portia Richardson, John Whitney Richardson, Malinda Mae Rife, James Kirkwood Russell, Christine Newsom Savage, Allen Savage, Bert Savage, Mrs. Emma *3* Savage, Kerry D. Self, William Schulte, Hank Scott, Samuel J. Jr. Senter, Marvin Shaw, Rev. W. D. *3* Shelly, Otto Sardis Smith, Tom Spine, Sandra K. Stroud, Asa Allen Thompson, Mr. Turner, Trent Vestal, Marie W. Waldrip, Melvin Ward, Rev. J. L. Webb, Louis West, B. F. West, Jerry Wheelus, Pearl Whitaker, Day Whitaker, J. L. R. Whitaker, Joseph D. Whitaker, Rigs Whitaker, Roxie White, Susie Williams, Billy Joe Williams, Beck Williams, John Wilson, Tom Worthy, Bob Worthy, D. M. *8* *9* Worthy, Roy Jr. Wren, Millard Benjamin & Altha Mae (Bond) Yarbrough, Mr. ============================= SOURCES: *1* = Teague Chronicle newspaper - August 3, 1906 edition *2* = Fairfield Recorder - Feb. 11, 1910 issue *3* = The Fairfield Recorder - Friday, May 15, 1908 Page: 5 *4* = Fairfield Recorder - July 11, 1935 issue, front page *5* = Fairfield Recorder - Feb. 30, 1903 issue, front page *6* = Fairfield Recorder - Dec 27, 1907, page 5 (obit) *7* = Fairfield Recorder - Sep 16, 1904, page 4 *8* = Fairfield Recorder - July 25, 1929, page 2 *9* = Fairfield Recorder - Feb 25, 1904, page 3 *10* = Fairfield Recorder - Sep 20, 1901, page 8 *11* = Southern Mercury - Oct 15, 1891 Page: 12 *12* = Fairfield Recorder - Mar 6, 1908, page 4 (obit) *13* = The Fairfield Recorder - Oct 7, 1892 Page: 2 *14* = Fort Worth Daily Gazette - Feb 26, 1890 Page: 6 Donie Items May 11— Mrs. Barnard is very sick..... Farmers are taking advantage of the pretty weather and are pushing work. Lots of our people attended memorial services at Wilson Chapel, Saturday. Mrs. Emma Savage returned Wednesday, from a visit to Coolidge. Mack Ellis and family, of Farrar, visited at J. B. Little’s, yesterday. Upton Barnard, of Mart, was here yesterday. W. R. Beene and wife, of Freestone, spent Friday and Saturday at Jim Miller’s. J. A. Bishop and wife, of Personville, attended church here yesterday. Rev. W. D. Shaw preached at Concord yesterday. =============================