Published in the Garland Daily News in 1980 as part of a series by Betty Roberts

WILLIAM SACHSE

William Sachse was born in Herford, Prussia, December 16, 1820.  After the death of his parents he migrated to the United States.  When he arrived in New York in 1840, he had practically no money and knew only a few words of English.

He went from New York to Pittsburg and then further west to Missouri.  During this time he married Elizabeth McCullough.

In 1845 William moved to Texas.  He settled briefly in Collin County but moved because of hostile Indian tribes.  He was back within a year.

When William returned to Collin County, he homestead where Sachse now stands.  At this time he had three neighbors: Collin McKinney, whose name was used for city and county; a Mr. Huffines; and John Neely Bryan, first settler in Dallas.

Sachse started with a homestead of 640 acres, and in a short time he owned 5000 acres.  He was a successful farmer, rancher, trader, and businessman.  He built the first mill and cotton gin, a combined mill run by ox power.  After the first mill burned, he built a steam powered mill.

In 1882, Sachse suffered financial losses caused by posting bond for a dishonest county treasurer of Collin county.  In spite of this, Sachse continued to prosper, and at the time of his death owned most of the land around Sachse.

Sachse died at the age of 79 on December 23, 1899.  Sixty-two of his descendants, children and grandchildren, were all present except for one granddaughter.  A short time before his death he had donated land for a neighborhood cemetery.  He was the first one buried in it.

Elizabeth Sachse had died in 1852.  James was the only remaining child of the four children of William and Elizabeth.  James, born in 1849 and died in 1949, was the father of two children.  He farmed the land his father had claimed as a headright.

William had married Martha Ann Frost in 1855, and they had ten children.  One had died as a baby.  Six of the remaining nine lived in the area.

The oldest child Boone was born in 1856.  He had seven children, most of these born and raised in the Texas Panhandle.  John William, the second son, was born in 1857 and died in 1873 at the age of 16.  The fourth son Dewitte Clinton was born in 1866 and died in 1931.  He had lived in New Mexico most of his adult life.  He had four children.

Jake K. was born in 1869.  He married Mollie Herring, a member of another pioneer family.  Jake K. died in Sachse in 1937.  Jasper N was born in 1872 and died in 1952.  He was the last of William’s children.  He had a wife and thirteen children.  Francis Marion, the youngest child, was born in 1877 and died in 1946.  He and his wife Norak Meek lived in West Texas.  They had seven children.

The third child and oldest daughter was Arizona Emily born in 1859.  She was married to Joseph S. Billingsly, and they had two children.  She died in 1881.  Missouri Ann was born in 1863.  She married W. Ingram, and they had twelve children.  Alabama Elizabeth was born in 1874.  She married A. R. Brand, and they had twelve children.  She died in 1947.

When William Sachse died, the Garland News described him:  “He was loved by all his neighbors for his kindness, his integrity and his worth as a good citizen, a pure man and a kind and ever helping neighbor.”

William Sachse left his name to a town and many descendants.