Dr. J. D. Windham

While on his way to Texas he called to treat a passenger on a river boat on the Mississippi. It was there that he met Frances (Fannie), his second wife. Frances was the daughter of Robert and Mary Ann Roberson Montieth, who had been married in 1812. Frances was born in Ray County, Tennessee on February 10, 1816. The Montieth family moved to Texas in 1837, living in Angelina and Nacogdoches Counties. Frances and Dr. Windham were married in East Texas on July 8, 1841, and lived in Angelina County for several years. The couple had nine children.

Jim (Dr. Windham's son by his first marriage), Samuel and Eli served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War; first with Sibley in New Mexico and then with Tom Green. The boys were in New Mexico when the War ended and Dr. Windham went in a hack to meet them and bring them home. Eli, Willis and Mary Ann died shortly after the War.

At some point in time Dr. Windham and several other men had traveled to Brown County in search of some horses that had been stolen from them. Dr. Windham like the looks of that area and said he would like to live there. In 1866 he and Fannie, with their children, moved to Brown County, location 18 miles North of Brownwood near Byrd's Store. They had trouble with Indians stealing their horses, sometimes in broad daylight and within fifty yards of the house. One time all the horses were taken except one which was blind. On one occasion Indians stole the clothing that had been left on the clothesline overnight to dry. A neighboring home, that of the Williams family, was attacked by Indians and Mrs. Williams was killed, their infant burned to death and another child was taken captive.

In 1874 Dr. Windham and three sons, Cal, Todd and Tom, established their ranch in the Southwestern part of Callahan County near Tecumseh Peak. The first camp house was a picket house with buffalo hides for a roof. Later they built a log house in which the family lived. In 1878 or 1879 Dr. Windham constructed a two-story rock house at Tecumseh. There were five rooms downstairs and a large upstairs with no petitions. The Windham home, for forty years or more, was noted for its generous, open-handed hospitality. Probably few homes in Texas entertained more people than the home of Dr. and Mrs. Windham. Strangers, as well as friends, were made welcome; none were turned away who sought shelter there. Soon after moving into the rock house the Windhams planted the first orchard in the county, growing many different kinds of fruit.

They also established a general store at the foot of Tecumseh Peak. In February, 1886 a post office was established in the store, with W.E. Gilliland, a son-in-law of the Windhams, appointed as the first Post Master.

In 1883, a Presbyterian church was organized at Tecumseh under the leadership of B.C. McClelland. Dr. and Mrs. Windham were charter members, with Dr. Windham serving as an Elder. There was no church building, so they often held services in the Windham home. After the organization of a school at Tecumseh services were held in the school house. Early records indicate that this church was, in later years, absorbed by the Methodist Church and moved to Oplin.

Dr. Windham was the first physician to practice his profession in Callahan County. In those early days he had little to aid him other than primitive methods and materials. He once amputated a man's leg out on the range, using whiskey as an antiseptic and a sedative. He prepared the medicines he used from herbs and plants which he brought from Mississippi in the summer months. When the wagons arrived with the plants Mrs. Windham and the women who helped her (the Windhams had brought Caroline Clements, a slave, and her children with them to Callahan County) would scrub and boil them in big wash pots which were kept for that purpose. The brew was then strained and sealed for future use.

Dr. Windham died March 30, 1898 at the age of eighty-two. Mrs. Fannie Windham died January 11, 1901 at the age of eighty-five. Both are buried at the Tecumseh Cemetery.