Carson Carlisle Brittain, son of Dr. and Mrs. J. M. Brittain, was born at Griffin, Tex., and spent his early life in Jacksonville, where he attended Alexander Collegiate Institute (now Lon Morris College).

He m. Nonnie Dunnam Sept. 4, 1904. After their marriage, they moved to Ironton where he bought a grocery store from J. W. Patton and was appointed postmaster Nov. 23, 1917. He held the position until he sold the store to H. E. Friend in May, 1926.

Children of Carson Carlisle Brittain (b. Sept. 3, 1881, d. June 2, 1951) and Nonnie Dunnam Brittain (b. Oct. 11, 1885, d. April 11, 1918): (1) Edgar Willis, b. July 14, 1905, m. Florence Esther Fink, had Richard Terry; (2) Mary Oleta, b. Nov. 9, 1909, d. Feb. 18, 1911; (3 and 4) Vera Dorothy and Veta Doris, twins, b. April 9, 1912. Vera Dorothy m. F. L. Mims in 1937, had three children, and after his death in a train wreck she m. Charles Herrington in 1956. Veta Doris m. Leon Moody in 1948, d. April 24, 1983, no children.

Children of F. L. and Vera Dorothy Brittain Mims: (1) Gary, b. 1938; (2) Barbara, b. 1939; (3) a son, stillborn in 1944. Carson Carlisle married Ida Hibbard (d. May, 1926) Dec. 22, 1920. Children of that marriage: (1) Josie Louise, b. Oct. 29, 1921, m. George Inman in 1943, three children; (2) Mary Carlyle, b. Nov. 21, 1922 m. Arthur O’Connor in 1947, seven children, d. Aug. 3, 1971, Fort Worth. After he sold his store in 1926, he moved to Earle’s Chapel and built another, which he operated until about 1948, when he sold it to Charles Grimes. Then he moved back to Ironton and built a home on one acre of land bought from J. E. Patton   adjoining  his son, Edgar’s, property. He lived there until his death.

During his time in Ironton he was a school trustee and an ardent worker in the Methodist Church. He was a member of the Woodmen of the World and the Mason Lodge.

He installed one of the first gasoline  pumps – one  gallon per stroke of the handle –in the country about 1920. Until then, gasoline came in five and 10-gallon  “milk cans.” A funnel was used to pour gasoline into the automobiles, Carson  Brittain’s  one-stroke which was pretty messy. He installed gasoline pump, first in this area, installed the first electric light system in the area, a 32-volt Delco system, which he used for his home and store and also ran a line to the Methodist Church. – Edgar Willis Brittain

Citation

Cherokee County Historical Commission (Tex.). Cherokee County History, book, 2001; Jacksonville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth354360/: accessed October 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Cherokee County Historical Commission.