SAMUEL M. HORRELL. – This venerable and esteemed citizen and intrepid pioneer of different sections is descended from the stanch blood that first wrested this new continent from the thralldom of savagery. His ancestors were among the colonists that settled in the wilds of America and her fostered that spirit of freedom and independence that later gave us our free institutions, and his grandfather on his father’s side fought through the entire Revolution under General Washington, and our subject has inherited the same courage and energy and has manifested through a life of adventure and incident the qualities that have ever marked the typical American.
Samuel M. was born at Montgomery, Arkansas, on December 23, 1836, to Samuel and Elizabeth (Wells) Horrell. The father was a native of Ohio. In 1848 the family removed to Texas and engaged in raising stock, where they were attended with success, but in 1876 the father started with a drove of cattle into Mexico and was then killed by the Indians. Our subject had continued with his father until this time, and then he bought a farm in the western part of Texas and gave his attention to raising cattle and also to farming. He had the distinction of being a member of that noted body known everywhere as the Texas Rangers. It was in 1882 that Mr. Horrell sold his property in Texas and made his way overland to Union county. He soon selected his present place four and one-half miles north from Elgin, purchasing the same and settling down to farming and stock raising. He has a good farm of one-half section, which is well handled and improved.
On February 14, 1861, Mr. Horrell married Miss Martha A., daughter of Sands and Nancy Stanley, natives of Tennessee. To crown the happy union there have been born to them seven children: William, Sarah A., John, Texanna, Frank, Gus, and Meriet. Mr. Horrell has spent many years on the frontier, where he has braved the dangers incident to that region, and his life is filled with stirring adventure, and be it said to his credit that his courage and intrepidity and valor have done credit to the stock whence he sprang, and today he is one of the substantial men of this community, and is esteemed both for his abilities and stanch qualities of worth.