The Paris Morning News (Paris, Texas) issue of October 19, 1916 carried an article with this headline “Uncle Buck Hughes Near Death’s Door.”
The article read, “Rev. Hughes, better known to thousands of of Dallas county people as Uncle “Buck” Hughes, is near death at his home, corner of Oak avenue and Brown street. For several months Uncle Buck has been gradually growing weaker. His condition in the last few days has become so serious that relatives from distant points have been called to Dallas. One son, H. B. Hughes, of Hampshire, Tenn., has arrived in Dallas to be with his father. Two other sons and one daughter make their homes in Dallas.
Uncle Buck Hughes is better known than any other man in Dallas county. He was one of the first Methodist ministers to make their homes in Dallas county and in the early days he rode from one end of the county to the other and into adjoining counties attending to the spiritual wants of the rather scattered settlers of those pioneer days.
The Rev. Hughes is now nearly ninety years of age, and should he live until January he will have passed the ninetieth milestone in life’s journey. His relatives, however, been told by physicians that there is but slight chance for the aged minister to last more than a few days. His throat has become paralyzed and for several weeks he has been to speak.”
Uncle “Buck” was Reverend William H. Hughes. He passed away a few days later. It was said of him that he preached on Sundays and was a farmer the rest of the week. He was credited with being the founder of Cochran Chapel Methodist Church. Reverend Hughes resided in Dallas County for around seventy years and was a witness to many events and changes. He was living in the county during the great flood of 1866. This was the flood that reached Ross Avenue and people had to go miles out of their normal route to get to town. Reverend Hughes was known to have a great memory and had vivid recollections of weather events and other milestones that happened during his lifetime.
Reverend Hughes and was one of seven siblings to settle in Dallas county. The other six were Nancy Hughes Cochran, Mary Hughes Webb, Aisley Amanda Hughes Record, Serena Hughes Knight, Margaret Hughes Bachman and Sarah Hughes Williams. They and several others who settled elsewhere were all the children of William M. Hughes, Sr. (1785 – 1871) and Aisley Carr Hughes (1791 – 1870) of Tennessee. Those children of the couple who came to Texas were early residents in the area. The names of a number of them were given to streets, neighborhoods and other locations in the area.
William M. Cochran and Nancy Jane Hughes Cochran settled in what is now North Dallas in 1843. William was a farmer and served as the first clerk of Dallas County. He died of typhoid fever in 1853. Nancy lived until 1877. This family established Cochran Chapel Cemetery and their infant daughter was the first person buried there. Nancy Hughes Cochran also donated the land for the Cochran Chapel Methodist Church, which is still in existence.
Isaac B. and Mary Hughes Webb were also early residents of what became Dallas County. Isaac is noted for encouraging the rest of the Hughes family to make their homes in Texas. Webb Chapel was the name of the Methodist congregation that they were part of and helped establish. Their daughter was the first person buried in the cemetery that they created. The various roads and locations with Webbs Chapel in their names go back to this family.
Others were John B. and Margaret Hughes Bachman (Bachman Lake), T. C. and Sarah Hughes Williams, George Washington and Amanda Hughes Record (Record Crossing), Obediah and Serena Hughes Knight. George Washington Record had previously married an older sister, Elizabeth Hughes, who died in Tennessee before Record came to Texas.
Margaret Bachman, Nancy Cochran, Serena Knight, Amanda Record, Sarah Williams are all buried in Cochran Chapel Cemetery. Mary Webb is buried in Webb Chapel Cemetery and Reverend Hughes is buried in Greenwood Cemetery.
By Mike Magers
