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WHY
DID THEY NAME IT THAT?
by Archie P. McDonald
CUT AND SHOOT, TEXAS |
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| Whenever
the wondering starts about the origin or meaning of place names, we have two valuable
sources to provide the desired information. One such source is Fred Tarpley's
1001 Texas Place Names, published by the University of Texas Press in 1980, and
the New Handbook of Texas, published by the Texas State Historical Association
in 1996 and also available with updates online at: http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/
And one of the first places about which most wonder is Cut And Shoot, located
in eastern Montgomery County approximately forty miles north of Houston,
near Conroe. |
Cut
And Shoot Post Office
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/ |
Says
oracle Tarpley, this community drew its name from an incident in which a preacher
female members of the congregation. When members confronted the errant minister
in church, some ran to their wagons to obtain knives and guns to...cut and shoot...either
each other or the preacher.
Tarpley also says that another version claims
that the dispute was over the shape of a new steeple for the church. Robin Montgomery,
writing for the New Handbook, confirms both stories as possible explanations,
says that the incident occurred in 1912, and adds a land dispute between members
of the congregation as a third possibility of cause.
Montgomery also
says that some believe that the name of their community was sparked when a small
boy running from the melee was heard to say, "I¹m going to cut around the corner
and shoot through the bushes in a minute!" This last story reminds me of Judy's
reaction to some of my other historical explanations. Says the skeptic, "Now is
that true or is it history according to McDonald?"
Likely few of us would
have ever wondered about Cut And Shoot had it not been the home-town headquarters
a half century past of a prominent boxer named Roy Harris. Harris' time
near the top of his profession brought international attention to the small community.
Cut And Shoot should not be confused with Cut, a farming community
located south of Crockett in Houston County.
Paso originally known as
Enterprise.
Wonder why they named them that?
©
Archie P. McDonald
All
Things Historical March
6-12, 2005 column
A syndicated column in over 40 East Texas newspapers
Provided as a public service by the East Texas Historical Association. Archie
P. McDonald is director of the Association and author of more than 20 books on
Texas. | |
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