Individual Details
Israel Mathias "Tise" HARKEY
(9 Jun 1797 - 3 Nov 1896)
Family moved to Arkansas with their 8 children. In 1854, they moved to San Saba County, Texas. There is a very small town in San Saba County today named Harkeyville.
In an article by Jon McConal Fort Worth Star-Telegram called "Team spirits linger at field with buried past. " He speaks of how the football team of San Saba , the Armadillos on friday night when they play on Rogan Field do so over the grave of Israel M. Harkey who died in 1896 It gives the date November 3 1896. It seems that they moved Catherine Furr Harkey's grave in 1935 but left Mr. Harkey in his unmarked grave and the ball field was put over him. I agree that the census report says that Catherine Harkey was a widow age 79 born in NC which would indicate that she was Catherine Furr widow of Israel Mathias Harkey Sr. BUT like everyone else I have him alive for that 1880 census.
I found the following information today in some of the old papers I received from O. B. Harkey in 1975: "Israel Mathias Harkey born at Ashville near the present site of Charlotte North Carolina on June 9, 1797 and died March 3, 1876 at his home in what is Harkeyville in San Saba County, TX and is buried at the current site of Rogan Field (where the high school plays football). Mathias Harkey owned and operated a general merchandising store at Pleasant Valley, Arkansas after moving there in 1848 from Stanley County, NC. He married on March 6, 1821 to Catherine Furr. She was born on October 9, 1891 in Cabarrus Co., NC and died on July 20, 1895 at her daughter's, Catherine McDaniel, home in TX.".
HARKEYVILLE, TEXAS. Harkeyville is north of U.S. Highway 190 two miles west of San Saba in central San Saba County. It was founded by Levi, Billy, Israel, and Riley Harkey, who settled beside Wallace Creek in 1856 with their parents, Mathias and Catherine, and four sisters, Catherine, Caroline, Adeline, and Polly Ann. Eventually the family purchased additional land, which became the location of Harkeyville. After the county was established, Harkeyville was in contention with San Saba to be the county seat but lost the election. At one time the community had a school, a general store, a blacksmith shop, a cotton gin, a grocery store, a barbershop, a dry-goods store, a farm-supply store, a millinery shop, a cattle auction, and a racetrack. A school was erected in 1879 on property donated by Martin and Jim Dixon; Israel M. and Cansadie Gunter Harkey also donated land for a school at some time. In 1904 Riley and Israel Harkey operated a store near the town. The racetrack closed after a new one was built in San Saba. The cotton gin was destroyed by fire in 1920, and the school was consolidated with that of San Saba in 1929. After U.S. Highway 190 bypassed the town in 1953, most of the shops that had survived the Great Depressionqv closed. The population of the community rose from thirty in 1909 to forty in 1949. It was estimated at twelve from 1968 to 1990. The cattle auction closed in the early 1970s. A new community building was constructed in 1973, and the following year a historical marker honoring the town was erected at Harkeyville.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Alma Ward Hamrick, The Call of the San Saba: A History of San Saba County (San Antonio: Naylor, 1941; 2d ed., Austin: Jenkins, 1969). San Saba County History (San Saba, Texas: San Saba County Historical Commission, 1983).
Karen Yancy
The Handbook of Texas Online
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/HH/hnh10.html
In an article by Jon McConal Fort Worth Star-Telegram called "Team spirits linger at field with buried past. " He speaks of how the football team of San Saba , the Armadillos on friday night when they play on Rogan Field do so over the grave of Israel M. Harkey who died in 1896 It gives the date November 3 1896. It seems that they moved Catherine Furr Harkey's grave in 1935 but left Mr. Harkey in his unmarked grave and the ball field was put over him. I agree that the census report says that Catherine Harkey was a widow age 79 born in NC which would indicate that she was Catherine Furr widow of Israel Mathias Harkey Sr. BUT like everyone else I have him alive for that 1880 census.
I found the following information today in some of the old papers I received from O. B. Harkey in 1975: "Israel Mathias Harkey born at Ashville near the present site of Charlotte North Carolina on June 9, 1797 and died March 3, 1876 at his home in what is Harkeyville in San Saba County, TX and is buried at the current site of Rogan Field (where the high school plays football). Mathias Harkey owned and operated a general merchandising store at Pleasant Valley, Arkansas after moving there in 1848 from Stanley County, NC. He married on March 6, 1821 to Catherine Furr. She was born on October 9, 1891 in Cabarrus Co., NC and died on July 20, 1895 at her daughter's, Catherine McDaniel, home in TX.".
HARKEYVILLE, TEXAS. Harkeyville is north of U.S. Highway 190 two miles west of San Saba in central San Saba County. It was founded by Levi, Billy, Israel, and Riley Harkey, who settled beside Wallace Creek in 1856 with their parents, Mathias and Catherine, and four sisters, Catherine, Caroline, Adeline, and Polly Ann. Eventually the family purchased additional land, which became the location of Harkeyville. After the county was established, Harkeyville was in contention with San Saba to be the county seat but lost the election. At one time the community had a school, a general store, a blacksmith shop, a cotton gin, a grocery store, a barbershop, a dry-goods store, a farm-supply store, a millinery shop, a cattle auction, and a racetrack. A school was erected in 1879 on property donated by Martin and Jim Dixon; Israel M. and Cansadie Gunter Harkey also donated land for a school at some time. In 1904 Riley and Israel Harkey operated a store near the town. The racetrack closed after a new one was built in San Saba. The cotton gin was destroyed by fire in 1920, and the school was consolidated with that of San Saba in 1929. After U.S. Highway 190 bypassed the town in 1953, most of the shops that had survived the Great Depressionqv closed. The population of the community rose from thirty in 1909 to forty in 1949. It was estimated at twelve from 1968 to 1990. The cattle auction closed in the early 1970s. A new community building was constructed in 1973, and the following year a historical marker honoring the town was erected at Harkeyville.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Alma Ward Hamrick, The Call of the San Saba: A History of San Saba County (San Antonio: Naylor, 1941; 2d ed., Austin: Jenkins, 1969). San Saba County History (San Saba, Texas: San Saba County Historical Commission, 1983).
Karen Yancy
The Handbook of Texas Online
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/HH/hnh10.html
Events
| Birth | 9 Jun 1797 | Mount Pleasant, Cabarrus County, NC | |||
| Marriage | 6 Mar 1821 | North Carolina - Catherine "Kate" FURR | |||
| Death | 3 Nov 1896 | Harkeyville, San Saba County, TX | |||
| Burial | San Saba City Cemetery, San Saba County, TX |  |  |
Families
| Spouse | Catherine "Kate" FURR (1801 - 1894) |
| Child | Sarah Caroline HARKEY (1821 - 1884) |
| Child | William Jacob HARKEY (1824 - 1910) |
| Child | Mary Ann HARKEY (1825 - 1921) |
| Child | Levi John HARKEY (1827 - 1864) |
| Child | Riley HARKEY (1832 - 1920) |
| Child | Israel Mathias HARKEY Jr. (1835 - 1914) |
| Child | Catherine M. HARKEY (1838 - 1914) |
| Child | Adeline Matilda HARKEY (1843 - 1913) |
| Father | Jacob HARKEY (1768 - 1847) |
| Mother | Katherine TEETER (1774 - 1842) |
Notes
Burial
The original cemetery where he was buried (Odd Fellows Cemetery) was moved to this location so the city could build a new park complex. His body was not found so they put this stone for him.Endnotes
1. findagrave.com.