Mr. Wade, known to many as "Judge" Wade, opened his eyes to Lafayette, Alabama, in 1864, when history was in the making. The Confederates had surrendered their ships and the fort at Mobile, Alabama to Admiral Farragut, and in the spring of the next year the nation was staggered by the news of Abraham Lincoln's assassination.
When little Luther was only ten years old, his widowed mother passed away. On account of his sturdiness, reliability and the force of circumstances, he was awarded the contract to carry the mail by pony from Buffalo Wallow to Alexander, a distance of sixty miles.
His "pony" was only a pet mule who followed Luther wherever he went. His mule was especially fond of swimming behind the small ferry boats across the Coosa and the Tallapoosa Rivers, while Luther stood at the rear of the ferry and called to him (see picture in file of Fants Ferry). By the time Mr. Wade was 21, he had sublet contracts to several of his friends, and together they operated a mail route from Montgomery to Gadsden, Alabama.
On December 24, 1885, one of the most important events of his life took place. He went with some friends to a party in Rhome, Georgia, given for a young man and the girl that he was to marry, Miss Ellie Louise Axon. This young man was named Thomas Woodrow Wilson, the same Wilson who later became president of the United States!
This party was what Mr. Wade has termed "the swellest shin-dig that I ever attended."
When the state of Georgia was unable to pay for the mail route service, Mr. Wade turned to Texas, the glorious state which his brother George was continually writing him about.
On January 1, 1886, he settled in Bell County, Texas, then moved to Colorado County at June 9 of the same year. One the train to LaGrange, where his brother had pre-empted land, he met a tall young man named Ellis, who was congenial but club-footed. Another occupant of the train was the sheriff from Galveston, who was looking for two young men, one of them tall and club-footed, who were wanted in Galveston.
Ellis finally succeeded in convincing the sheriff that he was not a criminal,but every attempt that Mr. Wade made to contact his brother failed. Finally the sheriff went with him to "old man" English's place, where George had worked; George wasn't there, but he and Mr. English would soon be back.
In the meantime, Mrs. English invited them to stay for breakfast. When her daughter Rophila came in with the coffee, Luther Wade forgot his dilemma and the sheriff forgot his manners, and before either of them could speak, Mr. English and George Wade walked in. Such was the meeting of Luther Wade and Miss Rophila English. They were married December 18, 1888, at the old Hawkins Hotel in Hallettsville.
In 1887 Mr. Wade moved to Colorado County and built the first gin in Shiner. Following his marriage, he and Mrs. Wade moved to Colorado County near Oakland, where they farmed for fifteen years.
In 1903 the Wade family moved to the Yoakum rural area, lived on a farm for some time, then moved into town so the children could go to school.
*****************
Hampton Luther Wade
Hampton Luther Wade, of 716 West Street, passed away in Huth Memorial Hospital at 4:15 AM on Friday, May 29, 1953. He had been in failing health for a considerable time, and had been a patient in Huth Memorial Hospital for some six weeks, prior to his passing. He was one of the older citizens of this community, and would have been 89 years of age, if he would have lived until August 1, his birthday.
Mr. Wade was born on August 1, 1864, at Lafayette, Chambers County, Alabama. His mother’s surname, before marriage, was Adams, and she was a relative of John Adams, who was the second president of the United States.
Mr. Wade’s father was a leatherworker. Mr. Wade started out making his living at an early age, and while a young teenager, he was employed for several years carrying the US mails over Star Routes between various communities in Alabama, and he had many tales to tell about the wild and jungle like areas in places, through which he went—he had to swim rivers, and ride horses or ponies, and similar hardships of travel in that pioneer day and time, but he kept up the tradition that “the mail must go through” and he always did get the mail to its destination, no matter how rough the journey.
After having tried some other occupations, including farming, in 1885 he followed his older brother, who previously had migrated to Texas. He liked Texas, and never left it. At first he came to Temple, but soon afterward came to south Texas, where he lived at different places in Gonzales, Colorado, Lavaca and DeWitt Counties. In the spring of 1888 he constructed the first gin to be built in Shiner, where he lived a while. Later he lived on a farm at the rural community of Oakland, in Colorado County, for some time. While there he was married to Rophila English, in a ceremony which took place in Hallettsville, on December 20, 1888. In 1903, Mr. Wade, his wife and children moved to a farm they bought in the Terryville-Tonqua rural community area, in southeast DeWitt County, near Yoakum. In 1908, in the belief that by attending city schools his children could do better than life than by attending the country schools of that day and time, Mr. Wade moved, with his family to the town of Yoakum. In 1913 they built a home at 716 West St., where he has lived since that time.
During his younger life in south Texas, Mr. Wade was noted for being very active in community affairs, politics, etc., and had very many acquaintances over a wide area, especially including Gonzales, Colorado, Lavaca and DeWitt Counties. For instance, Mr. Wade and the late J. J. Mansfield, Congressman from the ninth district, were very close and dear friends in younger life; and as a matter of actual fact, it was Mr. Wade directed a vigorous election campaign in the behalf of Mr. Mansfield; and as everybody knows, Mr. Mansfield won that election, and became such a tremendous success in his Congressional office, that nobody ever could win from him.
Mr. Wade was a member of the First Baptist Church and the Masonic Lodge. Survivors are: Rophila Wade, wife; and: five sons: Forest E. Wade, of Corpus Christi; Leonard G. Wade, of Yoakum; Aubrey H. Wade, of Asheville, North Carolina; and three daughters: Mrs. Virginia Beard, Mrs. Lillian Tuffly and Mildred Kelly, all of Houston; and thirteen grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren. Funeral services were conducted in Buffington Chapel, at 2 PM Sunday, May 31, with Rev. E. C. McDonald, of the First Baptist Church, officiating; and assisted by Rev. Lloyd Nixon, of the First Presbyterian Church. Interment in Oak Grove Cemetery.
Note: Many people addressed and referred to Mr. Wade as “Judge Wade”. He acquired this sort of nickname by reason of the fact that at one time during the 1920’s he was a justice of the peace in Yoakum, in DeWitt County; and during that period many of his acquaintances got into the habit of referring to him as “Judge Wade”, and they continued to do so, since that time.
When little Luther was only ten years old, his widowed mother passed away. On account of his sturdiness, reliability and the force of circumstances, he was awarded the contract to carry the mail by pony from Buffalo Wallow to Alexander, a distance of sixty miles.
His "pony" was only a pet mule who followed Luther wherever he went. His mule was especially fond of swimming behind the small ferry boats across the Coosa and the Tallapoosa Rivers, while Luther stood at the rear of the ferry and called to him (see picture in file of Fants Ferry). By the time Mr. Wade was 21, he had sublet contracts to several of his friends, and together they operated a mail route from Montgomery to Gadsden, Alabama.
On December 24, 1885, one of the most important events of his life took place. He went with some friends to a party in Rhome, Georgia, given for a young man and the girl that he was to marry, Miss Ellie Louise Axon. This young man was named Thomas Woodrow Wilson, the same Wilson who later became president of the United States!
This party was what Mr. Wade has termed "the swellest shin-dig that I ever attended."
When the state of Georgia was unable to pay for the mail route service, Mr. Wade turned to Texas, the glorious state which his brother George was continually writing him about.
On January 1, 1886, he settled in Bell County, Texas, then moved to Colorado County at June 9 of the same year. One the train to LaGrange, where his brother had pre-empted land, he met a tall young man named Ellis, who was congenial but club-footed. Another occupant of the train was the sheriff from Galveston, who was looking for two young men, one of them tall and club-footed, who were wanted in Galveston.
Ellis finally succeeded in convincing the sheriff that he was not a criminal,but every attempt that Mr. Wade made to contact his brother failed. Finally the sheriff went with him to "old man" English's place, where George had worked; George wasn't there, but he and Mr. English would soon be back.
In the meantime, Mrs. English invited them to stay for breakfast. When her daughter Rophila came in with the coffee, Luther Wade forgot his dilemma and the sheriff forgot his manners, and before either of them could speak, Mr. English and George Wade walked in. Such was the meeting of Luther Wade and Miss Rophila English. They were married December 18, 1888, at the old Hawkins Hotel in Hallettsville.
In 1887 Mr. Wade moved to Colorado County and built the first gin in Shiner. Following his marriage, he and Mrs. Wade moved to Colorado County near Oakland, where they farmed for fifteen years.
In 1903 the Wade family moved to the Yoakum rural area, lived on a farm for some time, then moved into town so the children could go to school.
*****************
Hampton Luther Wade
Hampton Luther Wade, of 716 West Street, passed away in Huth Memorial Hospital at 4:15 AM on Friday, May 29, 1953. He had been in failing health for a considerable time, and had been a patient in Huth Memorial Hospital for some six weeks, prior to his passing. He was one of the older citizens of this community, and would have been 89 years of age, if he would have lived until August 1, his birthday.
Mr. Wade was born on August 1, 1864, at Lafayette, Chambers County, Alabama. His mother’s surname, before marriage, was Adams, and she was a relative of John Adams, who was the second president of the United States.
Mr. Wade’s father was a leatherworker. Mr. Wade started out making his living at an early age, and while a young teenager, he was employed for several years carrying the US mails over Star Routes between various communities in Alabama, and he had many tales to tell about the wild and jungle like areas in places, through which he went—he had to swim rivers, and ride horses or ponies, and similar hardships of travel in that pioneer day and time, but he kept up the tradition that “the mail must go through” and he always did get the mail to its destination, no matter how rough the journey.
After having tried some other occupations, including farming, in 1885 he followed his older brother, who previously had migrated to Texas. He liked Texas, and never left it. At first he came to Temple, but soon afterward came to south Texas, where he lived at different places in Gonzales, Colorado, Lavaca and DeWitt Counties. In the spring of 1888 he constructed the first gin to be built in Shiner, where he lived a while. Later he lived on a farm at the rural community of Oakland, in Colorado County, for some time. While there he was married to Rophila English, in a ceremony which took place in Hallettsville, on December 20, 1888. In 1903, Mr. Wade, his wife and children moved to a farm they bought in the Terryville-Tonqua rural community area, in southeast DeWitt County, near Yoakum. In 1908, in the belief that by attending city schools his children could do better than life than by attending the country schools of that day and time, Mr. Wade moved, with his family to the town of Yoakum. In 1913 they built a home at 716 West St., where he has lived since that time.
During his younger life in south Texas, Mr. Wade was noted for being very active in community affairs, politics, etc., and had very many acquaintances over a wide area, especially including Gonzales, Colorado, Lavaca and DeWitt Counties. For instance, Mr. Wade and the late J. J. Mansfield, Congressman from the ninth district, were very close and dear friends in younger life; and as a matter of actual fact, it was Mr. Wade directed a vigorous election campaign in the behalf of Mr. Mansfield; and as everybody knows, Mr. Mansfield won that election, and became such a tremendous success in his Congressional office, that nobody ever could win from him.
Mr. Wade was a member of the First Baptist Church and the Masonic Lodge. Survivors are: Rophila Wade, wife; and: five sons: Forest E. Wade, of Corpus Christi; Leonard G. Wade, of Yoakum; Aubrey H. Wade, of Asheville, North Carolina; and three daughters: Mrs. Virginia Beard, Mrs. Lillian Tuffly and Mildred Kelly, all of Houston; and thirteen grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren. Funeral services were conducted in Buffington Chapel, at 2 PM Sunday, May 31, with Rev. E. C. McDonald, of the First Baptist Church, officiating; and assisted by Rev. Lloyd Nixon, of the First Presbyterian Church. Interment in Oak Grove Cemetery.
Note: Many people addressed and referred to Mr. Wade as “Judge Wade”. He acquired this sort of nickname by reason of the fact that at one time during the 1920’s he was a justice of the peace in Yoakum, in DeWitt County; and during that period many of his acquaintances got into the habit of referring to him as “Judge Wade”, and they continued to do so, since that time.
Mr. Wade, known to many as "Judge" Wade, opened his eyes to Lafayette, Alabama, in 1864, when history was in the making. The Confederates had surrendered their ships and the fort at Mobile, Alabama to Admiral Farragut, and in the spring of the next year the nation was staggered by the news of Abraham Lincoln's assassination.
When little Luther was only ten years old, his widowed mother passed away. On account of his sturdiness, reliability and the force of circumstances, he was awarded the contract to carry the mail by pony from Buffalo Wallow to Alexander, a distance of sixty miles.
His "pony" was only a pet mule who followed Luther wherever he went. His mule was especially fond of swimming behind the small ferry boats across the Coosa and the Tallapoosa Rivers, while Luther stood at the rear of the ferry and called to him (see picture in file of Fants Ferry). By the time Mr. Wade was 21, he had sublet contracts to several of his friends, and together they operated a mail route from Montgomery to Gadsden, Alabama.
On December 24, 1885, one of the most important events of his life took place. He went with some friends to a party in Rhome, Georgia, given for a young man and the girl that he was to marry, Miss Ellie Louise Axon. This young man was named Thomas Woodrow Wilson, the same Wilson who later became president of the United States!
This party was what Mr. Wade has termed "the swellest shin-dig that I ever attended."
When the state of Georgia was unable to pay for the mail route service, Mr. Wade turned to Texas, the glorious state which his brother George was continually writing him about.
On January 1, 1886, he settled in Bell County, Texas, then moved to Colorado County at June 9 of the same year. One the train to LaGrange, where his brother had pre-empted land, he met a tall young man named Ellis, who was congenial but club-footed. Another occupant of the train was the sheriff from Galveston, who was looking for two young men, one of them tall and club-footed, who were wanted in Galveston.
Ellis finally succeeded in convincing the sheriff that he was not a criminal,but every attempt that Mr. Wade made to contact his brother failed. Finally the sheriff went with him to "old man" English's place, where George had worked; George wasn't there, but he and Mr. English would soon be back.
In the meantime, Mrs. English invited them to stay for breakfast. When her daughter Rophila came in with the coffee, Luther Wade forgot his dilemma and the sheriff forgot his manners, and before either of them could speak, Mr. English and George Wade walked in. Such was the meeting of Luther Wade and Miss Rophila English. They were married December 18, 1888, at the old Hawkins Hotel in Hallettsville.
In 1887 Mr. Wade moved to Colorado County and built the first gin in Shiner. Following his marriage, he and Mrs. Wade moved to Colorado County near Oakland, where they farmed for fifteen years.
In 1903 the Wade family moved to the Yoakum rural area, lived on a farm for some time, then moved into town so the children could go to school.
*****************
Hampton Luther Wade
Hampton Luther Wade, of 716 West Street, passed away in Huth Memorial Hospital at 4:15 AM on Friday, May 29, 1953. He had been in failing health for a considerable time, and had been a patient in Huth Memorial Hospital for some six weeks, prior to his passing. He was one of the older citizens of this community, and would have been 89 years of age, if he would have lived until August 1, his birthday.
Mr. Wade was born on August 1, 1864, at Lafayette, Chambers County, Alabama. His mother’s surname, before marriage, was Adams, and she was a relative of John Adams, who was the second president of the United States.
Mr. Wade’s father was a leatherworker. Mr. Wade started out making his living at an early age, and while a young teenager, he was employed for several years carrying the US mails over Star Routes between various communities in Alabama, and he had many tales to tell about the wild and jungle like areas in places, through which he went—he had to swim rivers, and ride horses or ponies, and similar hardships of travel in that pioneer day and time, but he kept up the tradition that “the mail must go through” and he always did get the mail to its destination, no matter how rough the journey.
After having tried some other occupations, including farming, in 1885 he followed his older brother, who previously had migrated to Texas. He liked Texas, and never left it. At first he came to Temple, but soon afterward came to south Texas, where he lived at different places in Gonzales, Colorado, Lavaca and DeWitt Counties. In the spring of 1888 he constructed the first gin to be built in Shiner, where he lived a while. Later he lived on a farm at the rural community of Oakland, in Colorado County, for some time. While there he was married to Rophila English, in a ceremony which took place in Hallettsville, on December 20, 1888. In 1903, Mr. Wade, his wife and children moved to a farm they bought in the Terryville-Tonqua rural community area, in southeast DeWitt County, near Yoakum. In 1908, in the belief that by attending city schools his children could do better than life than by attending the country schools of that day and time, Mr. Wade moved, with his family to the town of Yoakum. In 1913 they built a home at 716 West St., where he has lived since that time.
During his younger life in south Texas, Mr. Wade was noted for being very active in community affairs, politics, etc., and had very many acquaintances over a wide area, especially including Gonzales, Colorado, Lavaca and DeWitt Counties. For instance, Mr. Wade and the late J. J. Mansfield, Congressman from the ninth district, were very close and dear friends in younger life; and as a matter of actual fact, it was Mr. Wade directed a vigorous election campaign in the behalf of Mr. Mansfield; and as everybody knows, Mr. Mansfield won that election, and became such a tremendous success in his Congressional office, that nobody ever could win from him.
Mr. Wade was a member of the First Baptist Church and the Masonic Lodge. Survivors are: Rophila Wade, wife; and: five sons: Forest E. Wade, of Corpus Christi; Leonard G. Wade, of Yoakum; Aubrey H. Wade, of Asheville, North Carolina; and three daughters: Mrs. Virginia Beard, Mrs. Lillian Tuffly and Mildred Kelly, all of Houston; and thirteen grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren. Funeral services were conducted in Buffington Chapel, at 2 PM Sunday, May 31, with Rev. E. C. McDonald, of the First Baptist Church, officiating; and assisted by Rev. Lloyd Nixon, of the First Presbyterian Church. Interment in Oak Grove Cemetery.
Note: Many people addressed and referred to Mr. Wade as “Judge Wade”. He acquired this sort of nickname by reason of the fact that at one time during the 1920’s he was a justice of the peace in Yoakum, in DeWitt County; and during that period many of his acquaintances got into the habit of referring to him as “Judge Wade”, and they continued to do so, since that time.
When little Luther was only ten years old, his widowed mother passed away. On account of his sturdiness, reliability and the force of circumstances, he was awarded the contract to carry the mail by pony from Buffalo Wallow to Alexander, a distance of sixty miles.
His "pony" was only a pet mule who followed Luther wherever he went. His mule was especially fond of swimming behind the small ferry boats across the Coosa and the Tallapoosa Rivers, while Luther stood at the rear of the ferry and called to him (see picture in file of Fants Ferry). By the time Mr. Wade was 21, he had sublet contracts to several of his friends, and together they operated a mail route from Montgomery to Gadsden, Alabama.
On December 24, 1885, one of the most important events of his life took place. He went with some friends to a party in Rhome, Georgia, given for a young man and the girl that he was to marry, Miss Ellie Louise Axon. This young man was named Thomas Woodrow Wilson, the same Wilson who later became president of the United States!
This party was what Mr. Wade has termed "the swellest shin-dig that I ever attended."
When the state of Georgia was unable to pay for the mail route service, Mr. Wade turned to Texas, the glorious state which his brother George was continually writing him about.
On January 1, 1886, he settled in Bell County, Texas, then moved to Colorado County at June 9 of the same year. One the train to LaGrange, where his brother had pre-empted land, he met a tall young man named Ellis, who was congenial but club-footed. Another occupant of the train was the sheriff from Galveston, who was looking for two young men, one of them tall and club-footed, who were wanted in Galveston.
Ellis finally succeeded in convincing the sheriff that he was not a criminal,but every attempt that Mr. Wade made to contact his brother failed. Finally the sheriff went with him to "old man" English's place, where George had worked; George wasn't there, but he and Mr. English would soon be back.
In the meantime, Mrs. English invited them to stay for breakfast. When her daughter Rophila came in with the coffee, Luther Wade forgot his dilemma and the sheriff forgot his manners, and before either of them could speak, Mr. English and George Wade walked in. Such was the meeting of Luther Wade and Miss Rophila English. They were married December 18, 1888, at the old Hawkins Hotel in Hallettsville.
In 1887 Mr. Wade moved to Colorado County and built the first gin in Shiner. Following his marriage, he and Mrs. Wade moved to Colorado County near Oakland, where they farmed for fifteen years.
In 1903 the Wade family moved to the Yoakum rural area, lived on a farm for some time, then moved into town so the children could go to school.
*****************
Hampton Luther Wade
Hampton Luther Wade, of 716 West Street, passed away in Huth Memorial Hospital at 4:15 AM on Friday, May 29, 1953. He had been in failing health for a considerable time, and had been a patient in Huth Memorial Hospital for some six weeks, prior to his passing. He was one of the older citizens of this community, and would have been 89 years of age, if he would have lived until August 1, his birthday.
Mr. Wade was born on August 1, 1864, at Lafayette, Chambers County, Alabama. His mother’s surname, before marriage, was Adams, and she was a relative of John Adams, who was the second president of the United States.
Mr. Wade’s father was a leatherworker. Mr. Wade started out making his living at an early age, and while a young teenager, he was employed for several years carrying the US mails over Star Routes between various communities in Alabama, and he had many tales to tell about the wild and jungle like areas in places, through which he went—he had to swim rivers, and ride horses or ponies, and similar hardships of travel in that pioneer day and time, but he kept up the tradition that “the mail must go through” and he always did get the mail to its destination, no matter how rough the journey.
After having tried some other occupations, including farming, in 1885 he followed his older brother, who previously had migrated to Texas. He liked Texas, and never left it. At first he came to Temple, but soon afterward came to south Texas, where he lived at different places in Gonzales, Colorado, Lavaca and DeWitt Counties. In the spring of 1888 he constructed the first gin to be built in Shiner, where he lived a while. Later he lived on a farm at the rural community of Oakland, in Colorado County, for some time. While there he was married to Rophila English, in a ceremony which took place in Hallettsville, on December 20, 1888. In 1903, Mr. Wade, his wife and children moved to a farm they bought in the Terryville-Tonqua rural community area, in southeast DeWitt County, near Yoakum. In 1908, in the belief that by attending city schools his children could do better than life than by attending the country schools of that day and time, Mr. Wade moved, with his family to the town of Yoakum. In 1913 they built a home at 716 West St., where he has lived since that time.
During his younger life in south Texas, Mr. Wade was noted for being very active in community affairs, politics, etc., and had very many acquaintances over a wide area, especially including Gonzales, Colorado, Lavaca and DeWitt Counties. For instance, Mr. Wade and the late J. J. Mansfield, Congressman from the ninth district, were very close and dear friends in younger life; and as a matter of actual fact, it was Mr. Wade directed a vigorous election campaign in the behalf of Mr. Mansfield; and as everybody knows, Mr. Mansfield won that election, and became such a tremendous success in his Congressional office, that nobody ever could win from him.
Mr. Wade was a member of the First Baptist Church and the Masonic Lodge. Survivors are: Rophila Wade, wife; and: five sons: Forest E. Wade, of Corpus Christi; Leonard G. Wade, of Yoakum; Aubrey H. Wade, of Asheville, North Carolina; and three daughters: Mrs. Virginia Beard, Mrs. Lillian Tuffly and Mildred Kelly, all of Houston; and thirteen grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren. Funeral services were conducted in Buffington Chapel, at 2 PM Sunday, May 31, with Rev. E. C. McDonald, of the First Baptist Church, officiating; and assisted by Rev. Lloyd Nixon, of the First Presbyterian Church. Interment in Oak Grove Cemetery.
Note: Many people addressed and referred to Mr. Wade as “Judge Wade”. He acquired this sort of nickname by reason of the fact that at one time during the 1920’s he was a justice of the peace in Yoakum, in DeWitt County; and during that period many of his acquaintances got into the habit of referring to him as “Judge Wade”, and they continued to do so, since that time.
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