JAMES ELIJAH BYNUM

The following bio was taken from page 139 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Shirley Koym

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

James Elijah (Lige) Bynum was born in Rusk County near Henderson on July 27, 1894. His parents were James Elijah Bynum and Mattie Virginia Waggoner Bynum, both of whom were also natives of Rusk County. Lige was the oldest of their eleven children.

Lige grew up helping operate the family farm where were grown cotton and corn and later on strawberries and sugar cane. In the fall they made ribbon cane syrup on an old mule powered mill. The family also owned a cotton gin which Lige helped to operate. One year, when he was about half grown, the family decided to try their hand at farming in West Texas. They loaded furniture and farm equipment on a boxcar and went out to a farm near Electra. They planted several acres of potatoes, which were flourishing until a late freeze in May wiped them out. They again loaded on the boxcar and came back to Rusk County. The neighbors all pitched in and helped so that they were still able to make a crop that year.

When he was grown, Lige went to work for Teller’s Machine Shop in Henderson. Here he spent most of his time working on cars which required lots of machine work in those days, spare parts being hard to come by.

Lige married Mary Katherine Pool on November 18, 1917. She was fifteen at that time and the oldest of eleven children that were eventually born to her parents, Louis Pool and Ida Mae Allen Pool. Her parents migrated to Texas from Georgia.

Shortly after his marriage, Lige went into the Army. He served about a year, mostly as an auto repair crew leader in San Francisco.

Upon Lige’s return, he and Mary decided to try farming. They rented some land and planted several acres of corn. Something happened that the corn all died; they gave up farming and he returned to Tellers. Not long after that, Henderson decided to install a water system, and the mayor hired him to operate it. He continued as a water plant operator until he retired in 1959. To supplement his modest income, he started an ice delivery service. He and Mary also raised a garden, chickens, rabbits, and pigs. They also kept cows and bees from which they sold the surplus milk and honey.

During World War II, Mary worked several years as an upholsterer for Dixie Mattress Company. Eventually she opened her own upholstery shop which she, with Lige’s help, operated until 1964. They are both retired now and lead a quiet life in their home at 2102 East Main Street.

The Bynums have three children – James Louis Bynum of Henderson, Ira Lavern Bynum of Irving, Texas, and Mary Viola Bellamy, who lives in Arlington, Texas. They also have ten grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. (See James Louis Bynum Story)

Submitted by James L. Bynum