From the beginning Beckville always
had plenty of doctors. At some times there were as many as five in town. Doctors had to
travel to people’s houses on horses or in buggies because there were no hospitals or
fast cars for patients that were hurt.
One of the first doctors to settle in Beckville was Dr. Alexander Sugars Wall and his wife Caroline Mason Wall, who moved here in 1853. He settled near a creek that is named Wall Branch for Dr. Wall. Dr. Wall’s father and five brothers were doctors. James Edgar Wall, Dr. Wall’s oldest son, made a doctor and practiced medicine in Carthage.
Dr. A.S. Wall was appointed to the County Board of Health in 1867, during a yellow fever epidemic. He later moved to Carthage and lived there until he died on April 27, 1907, and was buried in the old Carthage cemetery.
Dr. John Stone and his wife, Orra Janet Orr Stone, both natives of Georgia, arrived in what is now Panola County, Texas in 1842. John and Orra Stone settled on the Old Grand-Bluff road, about two miles from Old Beckville. Not far away, on the same road was Dr. William H. Beers son-in-law of Dr. Stone. Dr Stone died suddenly in 1854.
Dr. Thomas Jefferson Reagan came to Beckville in 1856. He married Rebecca Neely. Their home became a foster home for many children orphaned, or without a mother. Dr. Reagan owned a carriage built during slave times and a black servant drove him. Dr. Reagan died in 1887.
Dr. J.E. Kirkley lived in Old Beckville and when the town was moved to its new location he had his house torn down and moved to a site north of the depot. His daughters made history as early teachers because in those days most teachers were men. He died in 1903.
Dr. Hornsburger soon appeared in the town and was saddle-bag doctor at Beckville.
Dr Major Dowell Sterrett moved to Beckville in 1889, which at that time was a new village on the recently completed railroad. Dr. Sterrett was a well education man. He was also a crippled confederate veteran. His wife's name was Sarah Julia Vawter. He died in 1919.
Dr. John Rosseau was located in Beckville in the early years of the twentieth century.
These early doctors lived a hard life. They had no regular office hours, no nurses, or office assistants. They visited the homes of their patients carrying medicines in saddle bags. The roads were rough and often became impassable. They served the pioneers as best they could.
Malaria caused more sickness than all other diseases. Quinine had not come into use. The early settlers finally realized that the mosquito caused that illness.
Yellow Fever began to appear in the south in 1867 and steps were taken to help protect Panola County of its spread to this area. In 1873 this terrible epidemic did come to East Texas and many people died. The disease raged from july 1873 until the weather turned cold that fall. Mosquitoes also spread Yellow Fever.
In 1908 an epidemic of Smallpox hit the country. The disease spread to the west side of the county by 1909, and farmers almost lost their crops because they were sick so long.
Dr. Stanley Johnson was one of the later doctors in Beckville. He moved here about 1918 and left around 1927 or 1928.
The last doctor to live in Beckville was Dr. Robert Woodard Barnet. He came here in 1927 and was a very good doctor. He continued to serve Beckville until his death in 1951, in spite of the fact that most doctors practiced near hospitals.