W. D. Callaway

1862 - 1863

Wharton County Sheriff

William Daniel Callaway was sheriff from when he was elected on August 4, 1862 until August 1863 when he resigned This from a History of Lawson written by seventh graders in the 1960's Lemuel Callaway bought some of the Hunter League from Freeman George in 1851. M.M. Callaway bought land in 1857. George Callaway settled here early and William D. Callaway bought land in 1869. There are two sets of Callaways, unrelated. One was known as the "dark" Callaways; the other the "blonde's". William D. Callaway married Nawey (?) of the other set. Miss Bennie Callaway married G.R. Pickard and lived in the community and died there in 1902. Mrs. Lena Merrill and Mrs. Willie Moore of Wharton are her children. William Callaway gave a plantation bell to the Baptist church of Wharton; he used it in slavery times to call in the slaves from the field. Miss Fannie Callaway married Mr. Still. After her husbands death a few years later she married Terrell Whitten. Mrs. Still lived in a two story house near the present Everett Rogers home. She had a daughter named Bettie. There was a Miss Lulu and Miss Mitt Callaway. Miss Amy Callaway married Ben Lee and lived north of Peach Creek. They had slaves; lived there before the Civil War. There was no school at that time and the Callaway children went to school to the Harrison governess. I did not find any Callaways on the 1850 census, so they must have came to Wharton county between 1850 and 1860 where they do appear. The 1860 Slaves census shows: Milton Callaway 15 slaves. Lemuel Callaway 58 slaves. Milton Calloway [?Jr.?] 14 slaves. Mrs. S.D. Callaway 23 slaves No. 973 in the Criminal Courts of Wharton County show that Wm. D. Callaway was charged with Theft of a watch valued at $15.00 on December 8, 1881 and the charge was dismissed.

This page researched and written by Janet Barrett Hobizal in June 2007, From records found at the Wharton County Historical Museum

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