Salado, Bell County
Alabama native James Ferguson (1824-1876) became a Methodist preacher in Arkansas before moving to Texas in 1847. As a circuit rider for the next 20 years, he served Methodists in numerous parts of central and southeast Texas. Ferguson wed native Texan Fannie Fitzpatrick (1839-1915) in Houston in 1855 and, following his service in the Civil War, the couple settled in Salado, where they farmed and operated a mill. Fannie ran the farm when James began preaching again and continued to successfully manage the farm and the family after his death at the age of 52. Their son James Edward Ferguson was elected governor of Texas in 1914 and again in 1916. (2001)