William Henderson Horn
PIONEER FAMILY REMNANT
Picture of W. H. Horn Sr. and Wife and Surviving Children.
CAME TO COLLIN IN 1858
Numerous Posterity—Early Times—John C. Calhoun Related to One Branch.
McKinney Daily Courier, August 16, 1903
The group picture accompanying this article is composed of the six surviving members of one of Collin county’s oldest, most influential and respected families—the Horns. The parents, W. H. Horn Sr. and wife, both deceased, were early settlers, the impress of whose sturdy, honest lives, is reflected in the high character of citizenship exemplified in the lives of their offspring.
Mrs. A. E. Douglas of Van Alstyne recently paid her five brothers, R. C, J. R., W. H., E. S. and E. G. Horn, a visit. She is the oldest of a family of twelve children born to W. H. and M. E. Horn, six of whom with their parents are dead. Ten lived to be grown and to marry. Mrs. Douglas was born in Middle Tennessee 65 years ago and was married to J. G. Douglas in 1865 and moved with him to a house on the Capt Patties farm near Van Alstyne. In a couple of years Mr. Douglas purchased land about one mile northeast from town. The occasion of her visit suggested this article and the family history related therein, no doubt, will prove of general interest to our readers on account of the prominence of this pioneer family and the insight to early days that it may give to the young generation, which should cultivate a familiarity and pride in the history of our magnificent county.
William Henderson Horn, father of the family, was born in North Carolina on December 10, 1815, and when one year old his father moved with him to Wilson county Tennessee, where he was raised and where he wooed and won for his wife Martha E. Carruth, only daughter of Elder James Craighead Carruth and wife. The Carruths were Scotch-Irish, having descended from the Scotch family of Craigheads and from the Irish through the Sim(?) family. John Craighead Calhoun was related to his family of Craigheads. Elder Carruth was a local preacher in the Christian church. The Horns are of Dutch Irish descent. When W. H. Horn Sr. was married he had little money and no home, but by industry and economy he soon purchased a tract of land on Cumberland river in Sumner county, Tennessee where he farmed until 1857, when he sold, and in 1858 moved to Texas with over $4,000 and several head of good horses and stock. He reached grayson county on the first day of October, 1858, and soon began to look out a home. He came to Collin and purchased 400 acres of land from John Henry and wife out of the William Rice survey, and on November 1, 1858, moved into the house with Henry and family. The house was a log house about 16x18 feet, with porch and bed room on the front and a side room in the rear. It was floored with plank, except the side room, which was floored with slabs split out of logs and hewed and notched down level. In this side room was the cook stove, table and one bed, thus serving as bed room, dining room and cook room. The family to occupy this mansion were as follows: Mr. Henry and wife and two sons, W. H. Horn, and wife and nine children. This house accommodated the fifteen persons with their visitors from November until the latter part of December, when the Henrys moved to a farm a mile away. The log house above mentioned had a chimney made of rock which had become unsafe and was taken down to be rebuilt. In the meantime lightning struck the house in the gable and ran down the studding to the body and then through a large silver pitcher sitting on the mantel, making a hole like a bullet hole, then down the mantel into the rock hearth, while most of the family and some visitors were sleeping in the room. No one was hurt.
W. H. Horn and wife were the parents of twelve children—eight sons and four daughters. Six sons lived to manhood and married. One died in infancy and one with about 12 years old. The daughters all lived to marry. Annie E. married J. G. Douglas and raised nine children to be grown, eight living at present. Minerva E. married B. A. O’Brien, brother of D. W. O’Brien of McKinney, and was the mother of two sons and one daughter, all living but the parents are dead. Elder R. C. Horn married Miss Mildren C. Franklin of Hartsville, Tenn. They have lived to see five of their six children grown—one having died at birth—and three married. Their oldest, Mary Stella, was married to John W. Thomas of McKinney, the second Mattie E. to Ben H. Oates, and Jennie T. their third daughter, to Elder Eugene Holmes, now minister for the Christian church at Whitesbo, Tex. Willie F., only son, and Helen O. are with their parents.
James R. Horn married Miss Betta Scott, daughter of John Scott, one of the old settlers of Collin, They have five children, two sons and three daughters. One daughter, Lizzy is wife of Kerby Howard of Vineland, Texas.
W. H. Horn, Jr., married Miss Susan A. Davis, who came to Texas from Mississippi. They have two children living and two dead. Their son, T. H. Horn, lives in Dallas. He married a daughter of Eld C. M. Wilmeth, who died while a missionary to Mexico.
George N. Horn married Miss C. A. Waters, daughter of John Waters, deceased, and sister to J. A. Waters of McKinney. He moved to Missouri and while engaged in the grocery business at Carthage was murdered, leaving a wife and six children, five of whom are living and grown. Two of the five are married.
Mildren J. Horn was married to A. C. Weeks of Vineland, Texas. They had ten children born, but only five are living, one the wife of Ollie Hall and another of wife of Lem Vernon, Carl, the second son, married the daughter of Dr. O. I. Law of Roland, Texas.
Eli S. Horn married Miss Eddie Stiff, daughter of the later Capt. E. R. Stiff. They have had seven children, six of them living and their only daughter, Miss Hattie married Thornt Dysart of Anna.
Ellen, the youngest daughter of W. H. Horn Sr. and wife was married to H. D. Andrews, uncle of Esquire T. C Andrews of McKinney. They had one son who died about thirteen years after their deaths which were about forty-eight hours apart. Edward Gano Horn married Miss Lula Davis, only daughter of N. W. and Annie Davis, and grand-daughter of Eld J. B. Wilmeth, another Collin county pioneer. Gano and wife have four sons and two daughters, all living with them.
The living descendants of W. H. Horn and wife number as follows: Children, 6; grand-children, 45; great grand-children, 30; great-great grandchildren, 1, making a total of 82. W. H. Horn, Sr. died May 1, 1887, and his wife June 27, 1886. Their descendants who are dead number 23 making in all 105. the five sons all live in the same community in which they were raised, while Mrs. Douglas has resided at Van Alstyne for about 40 years.
One noticeable feature in their family history is that each generation contains a preacher. Eld. R. C. Horn is one of the best known ministers of the Christian church in the state. He is the present corresponding secretary and superintendent of Missions for his church in Collin county. His son-in-law, Eugene Holmes, is a young preacher for bright promise, as above stated now in charge of the Christian church at Whitesboro. The farms of the five Horn brothers are all in the Vineland community where they were reared and are rearing their families. No better citizens can be found in any section of any state. Such families are the salt of the earth, and their name is indissolubly written in the annals and story of the development of Collin county into the richest county agriculturally in the whole United States.
Picture of W. H. Horn Sr. and Wife and Surviving Children.
CAME TO COLLIN IN 1858
Numerous Posterity—Early Times—John C. Calhoun Related to One Branch.
McKinney Daily Courier, August 16, 1903
The group picture accompanying this article is composed of the six surviving members of one of Collin county’s oldest, most influential and respected families—the Horns. The parents, W. H. Horn Sr. and wife, both deceased, were early settlers, the impress of whose sturdy, honest lives, is reflected in the high character of citizenship exemplified in the lives of their offspring.
Mrs. A. E. Douglas of Van Alstyne recently paid her five brothers, R. C, J. R., W. H., E. S. and E. G. Horn, a visit. She is the oldest of a family of twelve children born to W. H. and M. E. Horn, six of whom with their parents are dead. Ten lived to be grown and to marry. Mrs. Douglas was born in Middle Tennessee 65 years ago and was married to J. G. Douglas in 1865 and moved with him to a house on the Capt Patties farm near Van Alstyne. In a couple of years Mr. Douglas purchased land about one mile northeast from town. The occasion of her visit suggested this article and the family history related therein, no doubt, will prove of general interest to our readers on account of the prominence of this pioneer family and the insight to early days that it may give to the young generation, which should cultivate a familiarity and pride in the history of our magnificent county.
William Henderson Horn, father of the family, was born in North Carolina on December 10, 1815, and when one year old his father moved with him to Wilson county Tennessee, where he was raised and where he wooed and won for his wife Martha E. Carruth, only daughter of Elder James Craighead Carruth and wife. The Carruths were Scotch-Irish, having descended from the Scotch family of Craigheads and from the Irish through the Sim(?) family. John Craighead Calhoun was related to his family of Craigheads. Elder Carruth was a local preacher in the Christian church. The Horns are of Dutch Irish descent. When W. H. Horn Sr. was married he had little money and no home, but by industry and economy he soon purchased a tract of land on Cumberland river in Sumner county, Tennessee where he farmed until 1857, when he sold, and in 1858 moved to Texas with over $4,000 and several head of good horses and stock. He reached grayson county on the first day of October, 1858, and soon began to look out a home. He came to Collin and purchased 400 acres of land from John Henry and wife out of the William Rice survey, and on November 1, 1858, moved into the house with Henry and family. The house was a log house about 16x18 feet, with porch and bed room on the front and a side room in the rear. It was floored with plank, except the side room, which was floored with slabs split out of logs and hewed and notched down level. In this side room was the cook stove, table and one bed, thus serving as bed room, dining room and cook room. The family to occupy this mansion were as follows: Mr. Henry and wife and two sons, W. H. Horn, and wife and nine children. This house accommodated the fifteen persons with their visitors from November until the latter part of December, when the Henrys moved to a farm a mile away. The log house above mentioned had a chimney made of rock which had become unsafe and was taken down to be rebuilt. In the meantime lightning struck the house in the gable and ran down the studding to the body and then through a large silver pitcher sitting on the mantel, making a hole like a bullet hole, then down the mantel into the rock hearth, while most of the family and some visitors were sleeping in the room. No one was hurt.
W. H. Horn and wife were the parents of twelve children—eight sons and four daughters. Six sons lived to manhood and married. One died in infancy and one with about 12 years old. The daughters all lived to marry. Annie E. married J. G. Douglas and raised nine children to be grown, eight living at present. Minerva E. married B. A. O’Brien, brother of D. W. O’Brien of McKinney, and was the mother of two sons and one daughter, all living but the parents are dead. Elder R. C. Horn married Miss Mildren C. Franklin of Hartsville, Tenn. They have lived to see five of their six children grown—one having died at birth—and three married. Their oldest, Mary Stella, was married to John W. Thomas of McKinney, the second Mattie E. to Ben H. Oates, and Jennie T. their third daughter, to Elder Eugene Holmes, now minister for the Christian church at Whitesbo, Tex. Willie F., only son, and Helen O. are with their parents.
James R. Horn married Miss Betta Scott, daughter of John Scott, one of the old settlers of Collin, They have five children, two sons and three daughters. One daughter, Lizzy is wife of Kerby Howard of Vineland, Texas.
W. H. Horn, Jr., married Miss Susan A. Davis, who came to Texas from Mississippi. They have two children living and two dead. Their son, T. H. Horn, lives in Dallas. He married a daughter of Eld C. M. Wilmeth, who died while a missionary to Mexico.
George N. Horn married Miss C. A. Waters, daughter of John Waters, deceased, and sister to J. A. Waters of McKinney. He moved to Missouri and while engaged in the grocery business at Carthage was murdered, leaving a wife and six children, five of whom are living and grown. Two of the five are married.
Mildren J. Horn was married to A. C. Weeks of Vineland, Texas. They had ten children born, but only five are living, one the wife of Ollie Hall and another of wife of Lem Vernon, Carl, the second son, married the daughter of Dr. O. I. Law of Roland, Texas.
Eli S. Horn married Miss Eddie Stiff, daughter of the later Capt. E. R. Stiff. They have had seven children, six of them living and their only daughter, Miss Hattie married Thornt Dysart of Anna.
Ellen, the youngest daughter of W. H. Horn Sr. and wife was married to H. D. Andrews, uncle of Esquire T. C Andrews of McKinney. They had one son who died about thirteen years after their deaths which were about forty-eight hours apart. Edward Gano Horn married Miss Lula Davis, only daughter of N. W. and Annie Davis, and grand-daughter of Eld J. B. Wilmeth, another Collin county pioneer. Gano and wife have four sons and two daughters, all living with them.
The living descendants of W. H. Horn and wife number as follows: Children, 6; grand-children, 45; great grand-children, 30; great-great grandchildren, 1, making a total of 82. W. H. Horn, Sr. died May 1, 1887, and his wife June 27, 1886. Their descendants who are dead number 23 making in all 105. the five sons all live in the same community in which they were raised, while Mrs. Douglas has resided at Van Alstyne for about 40 years.
One noticeable feature in their family history is that each generation contains a preacher. Eld. R. C. Horn is one of the best known ministers of the Christian church in the state. He is the present corresponding secretary and superintendent of Missions for his church in Collin county. His son-in-law, Eugene Holmes, is a young preacher for bright promise, as above stated now in charge of the Christian church at Whitesboro. The farms of the five Horn brothers are all in the Vineland community where they were reared and are rearing their families. No better citizens can be found in any section of any state. Such families are the salt of the earth, and their name is indissolubly written in the annals and story of the development of Collin county into the richest county agriculturally in the whole United States.
