Massillon Farley arrived in Texas about 1835 and as a member of the Roberson's
Colony, joined the Texas Army and his company was assigned the important task of
guarding the baggage, equipment, wagons, sick and wounded at Harrisburg during
the Battle of San Jacinto. This was a key responsibility because if the Mexican
Army had prevailed, they would have been headed straight for these 30 or so men
at Harrisburg who would have had little or no defense from such a massive
attack.
Farley graduated from Harvard in 1831 and studied to be an attorney in Lowell,
MA in 1832. His parents were the Rev. Stephen Farley, Jr. and Lucy Saunders
Farley. The Rev. Farley's father was a soldier in the American Revolution.
Massillon traveled south overland through Virginia, Alabama and Mississippi
before reaching Texas in 1835.
In 1836, Milam County became one of 23 counties in the Republic of Texas and
encompassed one-six of the land of the country. The First Congress of the
Republic of Texas appointed Massillon Farley to be the Chief Justice. What an
undertaking to establish a county seat, county courthouse, and hold the first
elections of all other county officials. He accomplished this all under the age
of 30.
Massillon did have his share of ups and downs in life however, because in
December 1852, he was convicted of rape in Williamson County and sentenced to
the State Penitentiary at Huntsville. He was Convict Number 91 at the prison
thereby establishing himself with the unique distinction of being one of the
first 100 prisoners at Huntsville.
In November 1853, Gov. Bell gave Farley a full pardon and restored all rights of
citizenship. However, Massillon never again entered public life and lived the
remainder of his time at Port Sullivan until his death in 1887 at the home of F.
M. Adams. Judge Farley is buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Cameron and has an
1936 Centennial Texas Historical Marker on his grave.
**NOTE** . I am writing a report about the history of Milam County, Texas - where Farley was an early county leader. I was just reviewing some information about Farley and realized that he was alive in 1885 - while the Centennial Marker indicates that he died in 1882. Your Memorial has TWO different death dates: 1882 in the summary at the beginning of the Memorial and 1887 in the interesting biographical sketch. Based on my reading, 1882 is definitely wrong. Curtis Chubb.
-------------------------
Colony, joined the Texas Army and his company was assigned the important task of
guarding the baggage, equipment, wagons, sick and wounded at Harrisburg during
the Battle of San Jacinto. This was a key responsibility because if the Mexican
Army had prevailed, they would have been headed straight for these 30 or so men
at Harrisburg who would have had little or no defense from such a massive
attack.
Farley graduated from Harvard in 1831 and studied to be an attorney in Lowell,
MA in 1832. His parents were the Rev. Stephen Farley, Jr. and Lucy Saunders
Farley. The Rev. Farley's father was a soldier in the American Revolution.
Massillon traveled south overland through Virginia, Alabama and Mississippi
before reaching Texas in 1835.
In 1836, Milam County became one of 23 counties in the Republic of Texas and
encompassed one-six of the land of the country. The First Congress of the
Republic of Texas appointed Massillon Farley to be the Chief Justice. What an
undertaking to establish a county seat, county courthouse, and hold the first
elections of all other county officials. He accomplished this all under the age
of 30.
Massillon did have his share of ups and downs in life however, because in
December 1852, he was convicted of rape in Williamson County and sentenced to
the State Penitentiary at Huntsville. He was Convict Number 91 at the prison
thereby establishing himself with the unique distinction of being one of the
first 100 prisoners at Huntsville.
In November 1853, Gov. Bell gave Farley a full pardon and restored all rights of
citizenship. However, Massillon never again entered public life and lived the
remainder of his time at Port Sullivan until his death in 1887 at the home of F.
M. Adams. Judge Farley is buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Cameron and has an
1936 Centennial Texas Historical Marker on his grave.
**NOTE** . I am writing a report about the history of Milam County, Texas - where Farley was an early county leader. I was just reviewing some information about Farley and realized that he was alive in 1885 - while the Centennial Marker indicates that he died in 1882. Your Memorial has TWO different death dates: 1882 in the summary at the beginning of the Memorial and 1887 in the interesting biographical sketch. Based on my reading, 1882 is definitely wrong. Curtis Chubb.
-------------------------
Massillon Farley arrived in Texas about 1835 and as a member of the Roberson's
Colony, joined the Texas Army and his company was assigned the important task of
guarding the baggage, equipment, wagons, sick and wounded at Harrisburg during
the Battle of San Jacinto. This was a key responsibility because if the Mexican
Army had prevailed, they would have been headed straight for these 30 or so men
at Harrisburg who would have had little or no defense from such a massive
attack.
Farley graduated from Harvard in 1831 and studied to be an attorney in Lowell,
MA in 1832. His parents were the Rev. Stephen Farley, Jr. and Lucy Saunders
Farley. The Rev. Farley's father was a soldier in the American Revolution.
Massillon traveled south overland through Virginia, Alabama and Mississippi
before reaching Texas in 1835.
In 1836, Milam County became one of 23 counties in the Republic of Texas and
encompassed one-six of the land of the country. The First Congress of the
Republic of Texas appointed Massillon Farley to be the Chief Justice. What an
undertaking to establish a county seat, county courthouse, and hold the first
elections of all other county officials. He accomplished this all under the age
of 30.
Massillon did have his share of ups and downs in life however, because in
December 1852, he was convicted of rape in Williamson County and sentenced to
the State Penitentiary at Huntsville. He was Convict Number 91 at the prison
thereby establishing himself with the unique distinction of being one of the
first 100 prisoners at Huntsville.
In November 1853, Gov. Bell gave Farley a full pardon and restored all rights of
citizenship. However, Massillon never again entered public life and lived the
remainder of his time at Port Sullivan until his death in 1887 at the home of F.
M. Adams. Judge Farley is buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Cameron and has an
1936 Centennial Texas Historical Marker on his grave.
**NOTE** . I am writing a report about the history of Milam County, Texas - where Farley was an early county leader. I was just reviewing some information about Farley and realized that he was alive in 1885 - while the Centennial Marker indicates that he died in 1882. Your Memorial has TWO different death dates: 1882 in the summary at the beginning of the Memorial and 1887 in the interesting biographical sketch. Based on my reading, 1882 is definitely wrong. Curtis Chubb.
-------------------------
Colony, joined the Texas Army and his company was assigned the important task of
guarding the baggage, equipment, wagons, sick and wounded at Harrisburg during
the Battle of San Jacinto. This was a key responsibility because if the Mexican
Army had prevailed, they would have been headed straight for these 30 or so men
at Harrisburg who would have had little or no defense from such a massive
attack.
Farley graduated from Harvard in 1831 and studied to be an attorney in Lowell,
MA in 1832. His parents were the Rev. Stephen Farley, Jr. and Lucy Saunders
Farley. The Rev. Farley's father was a soldier in the American Revolution.
Massillon traveled south overland through Virginia, Alabama and Mississippi
before reaching Texas in 1835.
In 1836, Milam County became one of 23 counties in the Republic of Texas and
encompassed one-six of the land of the country. The First Congress of the
Republic of Texas appointed Massillon Farley to be the Chief Justice. What an
undertaking to establish a county seat, county courthouse, and hold the first
elections of all other county officials. He accomplished this all under the age
of 30.
Massillon did have his share of ups and downs in life however, because in
December 1852, he was convicted of rape in Williamson County and sentenced to
the State Penitentiary at Huntsville. He was Convict Number 91 at the prison
thereby establishing himself with the unique distinction of being one of the
first 100 prisoners at Huntsville.
In November 1853, Gov. Bell gave Farley a full pardon and restored all rights of
citizenship. However, Massillon never again entered public life and lived the
remainder of his time at Port Sullivan until his death in 1887 at the home of F.
M. Adams. Judge Farley is buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Cameron and has an
1936 Centennial Texas Historical Marker on his grave.
**NOTE** . I am writing a report about the history of Milam County, Texas - where Farley was an early county leader. I was just reviewing some information about Farley and realized that he was alive in 1885 - while the Centennial Marker indicates that he died in 1882. Your Memorial has TWO different death dates: 1882 in the summary at the beginning of the Memorial and 1887 in the interesting biographical sketch. Based on my reading, 1882 is definitely wrong. Curtis Chubb.
-------------------------
Gravesite Details
Stone Reads--A soldier of the Texas Army stationed at the Camp at Harrisburg April 21, 1836. First Chief Justice (County Judge) of Milam Co. Died in 1882. Erected by the State of Texas 1936.
Family Members
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