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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. |
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 East Texas 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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