Tuesday, September 11th, 1860

To day I left the hotel and carried the buggy & mules to James Wrigley's & Sam Sharp went down to the ware house. expenses at the hotel $1.75. weather clear & very warm.

Monday, September 10th, 1860

To day we left Grand Cane and arrived at Liberty & stoped at the City hotel. expenses of day $4.00. weather clear & warm.

Sunday, September 9th, 1860

To day we left Livingston and after traveling over a bad road 32 miles we arrived at Grand Cane. expenses $4.50. weather clear & warm.

Saturday, September 8th, 1860

To day we left Sumpter and after traveling over a very bad and muddy road for 24 miles we arrived at Livingston & stoped at Andress Hotel. expenses of the day $4.50. weather clear & very warm.



Livingston, Texas Hotels. The first hotels in the county were located at Swartwout and Drew's Landing, and the Andress Hotel in Livingston had the distinction of being the third. It was established around 1848, and was a combination restaurant, saloon, grocery store, livery stable, bank, post office, stage station, and frequently the only office for the town's businessmen. James Andress built his hotel south of the present courthouse, where Pedigo's Furniture Store is now located. It was a center of bustling activity for many years, and Sam Houston attended dances there. The hotel records for the years 1851-1856 are available today.

Andress Inn customers, August 1851: Wm. Fields, Charley Cleveland, Arthur P. Garner, Wm. Agee, John Perrins, John P. Kale, Samuel Rowe, K.B. DeWalt, James H. McCardell, M. Darby, J. W. Knight, Oliver Garner, D.D. Moore, Robert Williamson, James Hickman, John H. Jones, John Victory, Wm. L. Gates. J. L. Neyland, Wiley I. Peace, John English, Wiley Harper, Alex Weathers, W. H. Gee, G. W. Nelson, W. L. Knight, Elby Curtis, J. M. Williams, John Culp, Jackson Long, Enoch Jones, Jack Jones, E. T. Wingate, Isaac Williams, W. H. Carter, James Butler, E. A. Burrell, Col. Buckner.

The story of the old Keys Hotel as told by Mrs. W. T. Epperson (from POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE, October 13, 1938) "It was in the year of 1860 when I was a child of four years, we arrived at the Andress' Inn by way of stage coach. The Inn, situated on the south side of the present courthouse of Polk County, was the only hostelry in town.

"It consisted of two large rooms and a hall downstairs, two rooms upstairs, and a kitchen out in the back yard. Here the meals were prepared on A huge fireplace. The large dinner bell that could be heard all over the town, is now owned by the Masonic Lodge of Livingston.

"The bedsteads for the guests were hand carved and laced together with ropes that served as springs. Sills of the Inn were hand hewed logs about 12 x 12. As the county prospered, a new courthouse was built and the old courthouse of one large room was purchased by Mr. Andress. This he attached to the Inn and used it as a dining room. In this room square dances were enjoyed.

"The passing of Mr. and Mrs. Andress left the Inn to their only heir and daughter, Mrs. H. C. Keys, who as proprietress, added several rooms and discarded the kitchen in the yard for a "modern" attached kitchen with a cook stove.

"The name of the house was then known as the Keys Hotel. In later years, Mrs. Epperson, granddaughter-in-law of Mrs. Keys, took charge of the hotel and remained its proprietress until 1907, when the property was sold for building purposes."

Friday, September 7th, 1860

To day we left Crockett with George F. Numson in Company and arrived at Sumpter at 7 P.M. & stoped at the Eureka Hotel. expenses 4$ weather cloudy & drizzling rain.

Thursday, September 6th, 1860

To day Sam Sharp & myself left home together in the buggy for Liberty & arrived in Crockett at 1 P.M. were [sic] we remained the balance of the day to have the mules shod. expenses of day $4.50 weather clear & warm.

August 18th, 1860

The Keeper of the Journal -- James Madison Hall (1819-1866) -- is taking a break from writing of the daily happenings in his life . . . he will take up his pen again in a few weeks . . . on the 6th day of September . . . in 1860 . . . but in the meantime, elsewhere in Texas on this date . . . the 18th day of August . . .

ALAMO EXPRESS [San Antonio, TX], August 18, 1860, p. 2, c. 1. To the Reading Public. — For many reasons we consider good, we present to you the Alamo Express for your inspection and, we hope, approval. We commence this little enterprise under almost the same auspices we did the present Herald of our city some five years ago. In this connection we would say, that the Herald has fallen into speculating hands, has deserted the ways of righteousness and political honesty, and turned down the broad road of political sin. It has turned a complete flip flop into the extreme little end of democracy.

Politically, we are in favor of an opposition to secession and disunion whether headed by Lincoln or Breckinridge. We are for the "Constitution, the Union and the enforcement of the laws," a platform broad enough to hold every American citizen within the borders of our great Republic.

Aside from politics we will advocate everything we think will benefit our State, county and city; education, internal improvements, &c.

We start the "Express" because we believe another paper is needed in this city and surrounding country.

Because there is a sentiment in the country, of no mean pretensions, which we sympathise with, that needs an expression — a medium — the Conservative Union sentiment.

And lastly, because we are a practical printer. It is our legitimate business and we consider we have a right to set up in the community; as much so as any other tradesman.

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BELLVILLE [TX] COUNTRYMAN, August 18, 1860, p. 2, c. 4. Letter from Dallas. [Special Correspondence of the Telegraph.] Dallas, July 25. Ed. Telegraph.—Three negro men, the leaders in the insurrectionary plot, were executed at this place last Tuesday evening. One of them, Pat. Jennings, was the man who applied the torch to the town of Dallas, and one of the most prominent of those who were engaged in the work. Sam. Smith, another and a preacher, was a hardened old scoundrel, and the third — old Cato — has always borne a bad character in this county. They were taken out of jail, escorted to the place of execution by the military, and, in the presence of a large concourse of people, expiated their crimes as justice demanded. They betrayed no discomposure in view of the awful fate before them. Pat positively refused to say anything, and died with as much indifference as if he had been about his ordinary occupation. With unparalleled nonchalance, he retained his chew of tobacco in his mouth, and died with it there. They hung about twenty minutes, Pat dying very hard, and the other two without a struggle — the former by asphyxia and the two latter by dislocation of the cervical vertebrae.

This is a fearful warning to the rest, who yet may share the same fate. In Waxahachie, many important developments have been made, and a large amount of poison found in the possession of negroes. The whole affair will have the most important results. The dangerous sentiments entertained by some people will be shown up in their naked deformity, stripped of all adventitious coloring. Men in high places will find a practical interpretation of their political dogmas in the view taken of them by deluded negroes. The plot to devastate northern Texas is dated from a certain time, and based upon facts calculated to mislead a people no better informed than our negro population. The danger of suffering negroes to go out to celebrations, to hear political speeches and to hold meetings of their own, is rendered apparent by the developments connected with this matter. We have learned a lesson, and will profit by it.

BELLVILLE [TX] COUNTRYMAN, August 18, 1860, p. 3, c. 1. We hear by Ed Tucker who is just from Houston, that it is reported there that the towns of Tyler and McKinney have been burnt up.