East Texas farm's heritage honored
Van Zandt County's Hamburg Farm sees over 154 years of ag production

By KRISTY HEMMINGSEN | East Texas Edition

Current farm owner Col Bryce Cason grew up on the farm that was purchased in the 1800s by his great-great-grandfather James Coltharp. Cason has framed the original receipts and tax records for the land's purchase. -Staff photo by Hemmingsen

June 5, 2003 -- America in the 1800s is a time period we only read about in today's history books. It is remembered as a time when the horse-drawn buggy was considered prime transportation, and U.S. citizens were experiencing the historical presidencies of Adams, Jefferson, and Lincoln.

Yet, on a smaller scale, and around this same time, (in the 1840s) a young man by the name of James Coltharp had moved from Tennessee to East Texas where he purchased 476 acres in Van Zandt County, near the Smith County line, for 50 cents an acre.

(Many residents that currently live in the area claim the location is the first original site for the small town of Edom, yet it was dubbed as the Hamburg Community at the time.)

Today, Edom's Hamburg Farm has been in existence and in continuous agricultural production for over 154 years. As a result, current Coltharp family members recently had the honor of accepting the farm's second Family Land Heritage Award from the Texas Department of Agriculture. The farm was recognized when it had reached the 100-year mark, and in March 2003 for 150 years or more.

When Coltharp bought the land, he used it for raising crops and livestock - wheat, corn, oats, hay, cattle, hogs, and horses.

He later married Joanna McSpadden, and the couple had seven children.

In 1849, Coltharp built a small log house for his family, which was later dubbed "the old Coltharp-Beall homeplace." The structure still stands on the farm.

Later, Coltharp added a second cabin and eventually a two-story living facility. The two-story structure was also used as a Pony Express relay station, and Coltharp served as the first postmaster for Van Zandt County.

Above, Col (center) and his brother "work" with some yard tools as their aunt watches. - Courtessy photo

Coltharp also owned and operated the first sawmill in the county, and he and his wife became charter members of the original County Line Baptist Church. The church's first service was held in the farm's original log cabin. (The couple also became charter members of the Concord Baptist Church in 1872.)

The house/post office was also a resting stop for travelers because of its location - in the center of the Hamburg Community. The structure was a stop on the stagecoach route from Vicksburg, Miss., to Hillsboro, Texas. Here, the drivers and horses would change over, and the passengers got to rest through the night.

As the Coltharps grew older, and work and upkeep of the farm grew, they chose to hand over the acreage to their daughter Charlotte Elizabeth and husband Augustus (A.C.) Beall.

Charlotte and A.C. and their 11 children put all their efforts into maintaining the farm for several years. A.C. ran the family-based branch of the U.S. Post Office from 1874 until 1881.

In 1903, two sons of Charlotte and A.C., Jefferson and J.C. Beall, acquired 146 acres of the original 476. J.C. never married, but Jefferson married Sarah Green and they had eight children. One of their daughters, Nobie, gave birth to the farm's current owner - Col Bryce Cason - the second son born to she and husband Alvie Cason. (Col's name was derived from the original Coltharp name.)

While in labor with her third child, Col's mom, Nobie, died; but the child, a girl, lived.

Col, along with his brother and sister, grew up on the farm and was raised by their father, grandfather, and Aunt Annie, their mother's sister.

Col's dad remarried, giving his children a stepmother, but Col said it was Aunt Annie that was considered their second mother. "She was always there for us, making sure we were raised in the best way possible," recalled Col.

Aunt Annie had acquired some of the farm's acreage - 79 acres from her father, Jefferson, and 62.5 acres at the time of her mother's death, for a total of 142 acres. In 1955, she sold all of it to Col.

Col remembers many good times growing up on the farm, and he shared some of the funnier stories that related to the weather - something farmers even then had to contend with. He said he will never forget the time his cousin got caught up in a lightning storm while plowing the field with their old mule "Jack." Basically, according to Col, it was quite a sight to see.

He also remembers when hail from a storm stayed on the ground for 10 days.

But, Col said he also remembers many sweet memories of he and his wife, Oneta Geddie, raising their own family of four children.

Today, Col Bryce and Oneta continue living on the farm, yet are not able to completely take care of the vast acreage. Thankfully, their children are always willing to lend a hand, the couple cited. Their grandson, Brad Osborne, owns seven acres of the original land, and helps with day-to-day operations of the entire place. Currently, Brad raises cattle and harvests hay on the farm.

In addition to four children, Col and Oneta also have nine grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and there are two on the way - just more prospects to carry on the family heritage and take care of the land.