Joseph Henry Langhorne

The following bio was taken from pages 279-280 of the book entitled "Rusk County History" 
compiled and edited by Rusk County Historical Commission
Used by permission of the Rusk County Historical Society

Rusk Co. TXGenWeb, Gloria B. Mayfield, CC


Joseph Henry Langhorne (1854-1916) was the son of James Madison Langhorne of Virginia 
and Margaret Gladney Langhorne, early settlers of Rusk County in the Harmony Hill Community. 
he married Mary Gilchrist McKay ( 1863-1944), daughter of Archibald and Martha McKay and 
sister of Sue Welch, Minden; Agnes Boren, Carthage; Buie Knight, Tenaha; Minnie Wylie, 
Dr. A. McKay, and Miss Lydia McKay of Henderson; and H.T. McKay, Gladewater.

J.H. Langhorne had one brother, James Beveraly of Timpson and three sisters---Sadie, 
Margaret, and Sudie. Sadie married Jim Reedy of Davis, Ok; Margaret married Dr. Zep 
Shaw, and after his death she and er sister, who never married operated the post office 
at Harmony Hill for a number of Years. 

The J.H. Langhornes lived in Harmony Hill before moving to Henderson to continue in the 
mercantile business. he later served as tax assessor for Rusk County, campaigning for 
office by horseback. They had eight children, two of whom died in infancy.
Their eldest daughter, Corinne, married J. Ware Walker. Montgomery, Alabama, and they 
had four children; James Ware, Jr. Joseph Langhorne, Hall Tabb, and Corinne Walker 
(Mrs. Wm. V. Moore). Corinne Langhorne, a school teacher, drove the gold spike 
celebrating completion of the T & H Railroad (Timpson-Henderson).

The Langhornes' second child, Joseph Henry, Jr was in the drug stored and later the 
insurance business in Henderson for many years. He married Ammie Lee Hightower and 
they had three children: Martha, Lee (Mrs Homer Armstrong), and Joseph H. III.
Another daughter, Margaret, a school teacher, married Earl G. Alexander of Plainview, 
TX, and they had four daughters; Margaret (Mrs. Hughes Jackson), Kathleen (Mrs Doss Buntin), 
Mary Earl (Mrs Eugene Blair), and Joann (Mrs. Byron Dunn). 

Agnes Langhorne (born Sept 28 1898 the third daughter and sole susrvivor of the J.H. 
Langhorne family, taught school in the Bethel Community before she worked for two local 
banks. She married Garland R. Farmer, an assistant postmaster in Henderson, who served 
as the first manaager of the local Chamber of Commerce before purchasing. 
"The Henderson Times" in 1927. mrs. Farmer served as Home service chairman, Rusk County 
Red Cross during world War II and was owner and publisher of "The henderson Times" 
followintg her husband's death in 1956.

The Farmers had four sons; Garland, Jr. Tom L. and twins, Jack and Gene.
Madison Gilchrist Lanaghorne, the second son of J.H. Langhorne, was in the oil business 
and operated an auatomobile dealership in Henderson prior to his death in 1924. His 
wife was the former Pauline Wood. They had two children, Madison Gilchrist, Jr. and 
Pauline Langhorne (Mrs Bruce Reynolds).

The youngest daughter was Lucile, who taught school prior to her marriage to Victor 
A. Smith, attorney and district attorney for Rusk County. Following Victor's death, 
she married W. R. Mehner of Henderson. The Smiths had two Children, Vesta 
(Mrs. J. W. Cotton) and Victor A. Smith, Jr. 

Submitted by G. R. Farmer, Jr.