Freestone County, Texas Biographies Dewitt Kimble Compton ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.org/ *********************************************************************** Freestone Co. TX - Bio for Dewitt Kimble Compton Book - Biographical Sketches from Limestone, Freestone, and Leon Counties, Texas. Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1893. p. 103. "DEWITT K. COMPTON is a merchant and farmer of Dew, Freestone County. He is the son of WILLIAM SCOTT COMPTON, a native of Tennessee. The latter grew up there and, at the age of seventeen, was given both a literary and law education by a law firm and admitted to the bar at the age of twenty years. He moved to Decatur, Morgan County, Alabama, where after practicing for a short time, was made Circuit Judge and served two terms. After this he served two terms in the State Senate. After his retirement from politics he became a teller in a Decatur bank. The bank suffered from some embarrassment and a receiver became needed and he was appointed to fill that position. He eventually came to Texas and located on the farm where our subject now resides, and lived there until his death in June 1882. Early in life he entered the local ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church and remained active in the church until his death. For years he was prominently identified with the Masonic order. WILLIAM SCOTT COMPTON was the son of WILLIAM and --- COMPTON, natives of Viriginia. The father was a carpenter and a farmer. The Compton family are of Scotch descent, and our subject's grandparents were first to come to America. The mother of our subject was ANGELINE (GUN) COMPTON and became the widow of a Mr. BURKE. Here were sixteen children, fourteen of whom grew to maturity: MARY L., was first married to Dr. JAMES JOHNSON; she is now the wife of J. W. HUMPHRIES of Mexia; ROBERT M. is now County Clerk of Freestone County; WILLIS W., a farmer of Avanat Prarie, and now serving as Justice of Peace of Precinct No. 8. The following died: RICHARD R., who was a farmer in Freestone County and a soldier in the Confederate service, was home on a furlough and died; THOMAS E., was a commission merchant of Galveston; WILLIAM F., was in the ministry for twenty years and served four years in Parsons' Regiment. JAMES E., died in 1877; BETTY B., was the wife of ROBERT T. JOHNSON of Freestone County. NANCY died in her seventeenth year. HENRY M., was a doctor, a surgeon in the Confederate Army and for a number of years an instructor and demonstrator of anatomy at Nashville Medical College. DEWITT K. COMPTON was born August 2, 1853 in Freestone County, within three-quarters of a mile from where he now lives. He remained with his parents until 1870 and then began a course in an institution at Owensville, where he remained for two years. From 1872 until 1877 he traveled through a number of states, with the exception of two years spent in the employ of a real estate firm in Tennessee. In 1878 he returned to Texas and married the following year, Mrs. STROWHER, who was the widow of JOHN STROWHER. Her maiden name was NANCY T. JONES and she was the daughter of L. C. and C. A. (REYNOLDS) JONES, natives of Alabama. Mr. Compton farmed until 1888 when he went into the merchantile business at which he still continues. He now owns 358 acres, 140 of which is under cultivation and has about fifty head of stock. He carries a stock of goods worth $2,000. Mr. and Mrs. Compton are the parents of five children: ANGELINA, LOUIS B., SMITH D. (deceased); MARY B., and JOSEPH JOHN W. In 1888 Mr. Compton entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church and has since been continually engaged in the work in addition to his other duties. He affiliates with the Democratic party and is now serving as Postmaster of Dew."