The entire population of the south was only one fourth of the population of the United States. Texas produced very little in 1860, and the south amounted to about one tenth of the total essential manufactured goods.

In early 1862, a military board was established with the primary duty of promoting manufactured goods. The Texas prison system was first considered for the manufacture of textiles and weaving. The prisoners became very efficient as the textiles manufactured in Texas were 1.5 million yards of fabric. The fabric was made available to the soldiers of the Civil War, next to the soldiers’ families and any remaining was sold on the open market if the public could afford the expensive fabrics.

The rich and fertile lands of east Texas near Jefferson and Rusk had been ordered to be vacated by the Cherokees who had made their homes in this area twenty years earlier. By 1860, and the period of the Civil War, the Cherokees that remained in Texas had made their heritage secret. These people were learning new trades and were involved in the manufacturing of products that were demanded by the Civil War.

The iron foundries that had begun during this period in East Texas made the cooking utensils, farm equipment, wagons, furniture, shoes, tents and other goods. The leather business produced the saddles and harnesses.

On January 18, 1890, J.D. Pugh set up a brick kiln south of Aubrey and was producing excellent bricks. I have tried to find out a little more about this kiln from several of his descendants. I am almost certain that cooking utensils were also produced by the kiln and perhaps as we go along we will learn more about this kiln and what it meant to the area’s manufactured products.

I have some information relating to the high quality of leather that was produced by the local natives. These leather talents were passed down from generation to generation from the many years of traveling from one location to another. It seems to me that the leather industry would always fit into the local economy.

I remember my great-grandmother possessing a spinning wheel, my grandmother would visit with my great-grandmother and together they would spin yarns that they used for mending worn clothes.

Earthenware dishes plates and cups were in demand for the Civil War soldiers. The largest sources of manufacturing remained at home at the local blacksmith shops that I mentioned earlier, which were a part of the Onega economy.

All the public production of supplies became the government’s responsibility as the details of men were ordered to continue the production of goods on a sixty-day basis. This industrial weakness was no doubt a contributing factor in the defeat of the Confederacy, since the union supremacy dominated the entire country at the close of this great war.

Governor Throckmorton was a very intelligent and able minded man as governor, but he was faced with the ignorant demands of the Federals. Governor Throckmorton’s father was a medical doctor and early day farmer in the Collin County area near the Weston community where George Key came from when he settled the Key Settlement here that was later known as Onega.

The governor met much opposition from the federals and unionists, even though he opposed the State’s secession from the union. His conservative style of politics and his ability as a leader makes us be minded to have a leader with this political genius in our lives today. One of the leading factors causing the governor to be relieved from his office was his opposition to releasing 223 criminals from the penitentiary because of his oath to defend the constitution of Texas.

During this period, trade had been a very popular endeavor, as Texas was receiving military supplies, medicine, coffee, wagons, iron, and even cash. In 1863, at the mouth of the Rio Grande, there were at one time 180 to 200 ships from all nations waiting to unload their cargo and then load up with cotton from the Mexican side of Matamoros. By the year 1865, there was a total of 40,000 slaves in Texas and the Texas government was establishing 16 black schools which had a total enrollment of 1,041. Within a six-month period, 100 black schools had been established with an enrolment of 4,447 students.

The free school system was in operation at the Key Settlement in 1867 even though the state had appropriated legislation to fund many of the free schools. The Onega school system only operated a few months each year. The students of this day were required to spend up to nine months a year helping their families make provisions for the year.

It was during the time that Governor Throckmorton lost his job that he published a report of the conditions of the state. There were only 150 copies of this report distributed. Somehow the ex-governor managed to see that the community of Onega received a copy of this statistical report. At about this time the Indian depredations were taking place in the western half of the state of Texas and the plains tribes knew that their time was coming to an end also.

On October 4, 1890, the barber, W.J. Slaton bought a lot from L.N. Edwards and may build a house on it.

W.P. Parker, of Sandtown, bought a corner lot of L.N. Edwards and is erecting a business house on it.

W.L. Zumwalt, an Aubrey lumberman, lives at Sandtown but has bought the Methodist parsonage and will move his family here soon.

Mary Tatum will teach at Martin’s school house this winter.

Crawford Brothers have added drawers to the shelves in their business.

Mr. Parker is having a store house built

Crawford Brothers and J.L. Parker are putting brick pavement in front of their business.

My expansion of the above newsprint reveals some new facts as follows: W.J. Slaton was the son of Civil War Veteran Sanford Slaton. The Slaton family lived in the community during the late fifties and early 1860's. Sanford served in the Virginia area during the Civil War and his letters describe how the conditions were during and after the war ended. (I have several letters that Sanford wrote during this period.)

I have little or no information about W.P. Parker of Sandtown, however, we know that the Sandtown settlement where the J.H. Byrom farm is now located did have a gin, a saloon and other businesses. J.H. elaborates on what he has learned from the Byroms (they were early day – 1850 – settlers in this area.)

W.L. Zumwalt, was the lumber man. He built a house during this period. The house is still in good condition and his lumber yard was across the street and later became Lipstreu Lumber. Mr. Zumwalt bought the Methodist parsonage according to this newspaper. I don’t know which parsonage this is talking about. About 20 years ago I purchased the Methodist parsonage and restored and sold it. The parsonage however, had never been transferred out of the church’s name since 1886.

It also mentions that the Parkers placed brick pavement down in front of their business. I can’t expand on this too much, however, I have dug up some brick pavers around and close to the present hardware store.

The photo that I gave The Town Charter last week was in very poor condition. I commend them on the art work that the operator uses in restoring the old photo to better than its existing condition.

The photo this week is of the saloon as it appeared in the new section of Onega after a fire destroyed an entire row of wooden buildings some time in the early 1880's. I have no way of knowing the pedestrian’s identification.