Last home of World’s tallest man (Henry Clay Thouston) to be restored
From East Texas Journal, October 1994
By PAT HAMILTON, Journal Correspondent
In his circus appearances. Colonel Henry Clay Thouston billed himself as the tallest man in the world.
The first written record of his move to Titus County is found in deed records. He bought 160 acres from Mary Hunt in 1874. When Camp, Franklin and Morris Counties were carved from Titus County the following year, the Colonel became a Franklin County resident.
He developed a friendship with early Franklin County Judge R. T. Wilkinson.
“Colonel Thouston was a vain old man, and proud of his height,” the judge told historian Traylor Russell. “He was always ready and willing to recount events of the Civil War and of his life.
“His hands were as big as hams and he had to have his boots specially made.”
He toured with circuses after the war, donning a tall beaver hat, hightop boots and a long frock coat The outfit made him look 10 feet tall.
He led the circus parades coming through towns, bearing a Confederate flag in Confederate states. In Northern States, he dressed as Uncle Sam, and carried both the United States and Confederate flags.
His family came from South Carolina, settling in Morgan County, Missouri in 1832. The family was known for the physical stature of its men. Five sons ranged in height from 6-feet, 6-inches to 7-feet, 7 1/2-inches.
It was the spring of 1861 that George Butler, who married a Miss Thouston, organized the Morgan County Rangers. Two Thoustons were “elected” as officers — Henry Clay Thouston was a private.
A nephew, Joe, died in the battle of Pea Ridge, later, the Missouri troops were ordered east of the Mississippi.
Colonel Thouston, a rank the world’s tallest man possibly acquired after the war, recalled being well in advance of a charge during which he shot a Union major.
The major, it was told, lived long enough to say that he saw the man who shot him “standing on a stump.”
At 7-feet, 7 1/2-inches, the Colonel would have made an excellent target — he was wounded in the side at Poison Springs, Arkansas, and a bullet grazed his head in Price’s Raid on Cape Giradeau.
He finally put together several hundred acres in his farm here, before moving into Mt. Vernon to live at the home of his son, Henry.
Franklin County’s Guthrie family heirs pass on a tale of the day Will Guthrie stopped on the town square to visit with the Colonel.
He’d come driving up in a high wheeled wagon, pulled by a matched team of pinto Shetland ponies.
No doubt, the colonel enjoyed towering over the small ponies.
Rather than resting a boot on the hub of the wagon wheel — like a modern day cowboy might rest his feet on the bumper of his pickup — the colonel set his big foot over in the back of the wagon as he called to his friend, Will. Knowing the Guthrie penchant for horses, the Colonel figured to bait Will, who’d brought his young son Hubert to town that day.
“Will,” the colonel allowed, “Id trade you either one of these ponies for that boy.” the colonel allowed.
Will grinned.
“They’re fine animals, Colonel,” he said, “but we’re partial to this boy, so I’ll have to pass.” 0n the way home, Hubert couldn’t contain a blooming strategy. “Pa,” he said, “if you wanna go back and trade for one of those ponies, I promise, I’ll come back home.”
