Chasing Our Tales - Queries

Letters, I get letters! Actually I get snail mail and email, and today, I would like to do follow ups on mail I have received over the summer.

The first two come from members of the Wilson family of Palo Pinto County:

"My grandfather was Milton Wilson, one of the seven sons of Matt and Molly Wilson of Palo Pinto County. In about 1916 Grandpa moved with his new wife's family, J.M. and Sarah Miller, of Erath County to Wheeler County, Texas. The Millers were horse ranchers and moved a pretty good herd to that area via railroad. One of my uncles says they basically unloaded the horses in the middle of Shamrock and then drove them on up toward Wheeler. The winter of 1916 was bitter cold, and they lost all of the horses. The Millers and Wilsons would be a significant part of Wheeler County until about 1970 or so.

"Grandpa bought some undeveloped prairie just west of Briscoe, fronting on the road that ran between Briscoe and Mobeetie with the railroad between their house and the main road. His wife, Winnie Miller, was sister to Annie Miller. Annie Miller married Louis Sivage. Louis and Annie Sivage had the farm next door. Jack Miller, Winnie and Annie's brother, I believe owned or worked for the International Harvester dealer in Mobeetie. There were four Miller brothers, and I'm not sure where the others are. J.M. and Sarah Miller, Milton and Winnie Wilson, Louis and Annie Sivage are all buried in the main Wheeler cemetery. Jack and Imogene Miller are probably in the New Mobeetie cemetery.

"One thing I have is a photo of a class of Gageby School No. 2 dated approximately 1930 in Wheeler County. The year is a guess. My dad, Dow Wilson, is in the second row, fourth from right. My Uncle Bernard is in row three, second from left. Aunt Faye is in row three, center. My dad marked the back of the picture to say that there are five of the Sivage family in the picture, also. Dad passed away in April so I am not able to identify things any closer. All of the Wilson and Sivage children graduated from Briscoe High School.

"Matt and Molly Wilson moved to Palo Pinto Co. in 1890 from Russell County, Kentucky. Two of Matt's brothers moved on up and settled just west of Ada, Oklahoma, at about the same time."

Thanks, Craig Wilson, craig.wilson@comcast.net, Mead, WA (near Spokane)

The second Wilson message comes from Charley Wilson, charley.wilson@att.net , of Wichita, Kansas, who has a question I hope someone can answer:

"I've driven by the Wilson Cemetery near Elgin in Chautauqua County, Kansas. After seeing your article "Chasing the Wilson Clan Tale", I checked the Wilson Cemetery on the Internet and that's where J. R. Wilson is buried.

"The Kansas Division "Sons of Confederate Veterans" (SCV) is locating the graves of Confederate veterans. You have indicated that J. R. Wilson served in the Texas Home Guard during the Civil War. Do you have the unit and company that he served?

"By the way, I'm not related to J. R. Wilson as far as I know. My Confederate great-grandfather came to Kansas from Tennessee in 1877 and settled about 25 miles north of this area. I can tell you that the Wilson cemetery is back in the hill,s and it is very close to the Caney River. It's small, with 10 or so graves."

Now comes a message regarding the Smith family. The first bit is a quote from a previous Chasing Our Tales column:

"Our Elmwood Cemetery Saul (Smith) had a brother named Aaron Smith and another named Samuel. Samuel married Mary Jarrett Smith, and they had ten children. However, Samuel could have been Saul and Aaron's father as I have found a Samuel Smith, born 1765, in Virginia. He married Mary Jarrett in North Carolina. Perhaps some of your Mineral Wells descendants of this Smith line can shed light on this."

This answer came:

"Saul had a brother Samuel G. Smith who also lived in Smith and Rusk Counties. He was born in 1810 and married Jane Gaut in Texas.

"Saul's father Samuel is who married Mary Jarrett in North Carolina. Their son Bennett A. Smith came to Texas first and convinced most of the rest of the Smith family to also come to Texas. Samuel was 82, and Mary was 72 when they led a wagon train from Asheville, North Carolina, to Rusk County, Texas. The trip took 46 traveling days and lasted 8 weeks in all. Samuel would not travel on the Lord's day, is why it took as long as it did.

"Samuel Smith and Mary Jarrett are buried in Pleasant Hills Cemetery just south of New London in Rusk County, Texas. His grave has a Sons of the American Revolution marker in addition to his and Mary's tombstone.

"Saul's son Lucious Drayton Smith, who is buried in Marystown Cemetery, Somervell County, Texas, is my great grandfather. His daughter, Jessie Reagan Smith of Parker County, married William Oscar Glasscock in Caddo Grove, Johnson County, Texas, in 1882. They later moved to McCulloch County, then to Alvin, Brazoria County, Texas.

"On another subject, I understand their are some Barber's buried in Elmwood Cemetery. Are their only two of them? Are they George P. Barber, Jr. and Sonora Barber?"

Regards, Jack M. Glasscock, JMGandBJS@aol.com , Houston, Texas. If you can help Jack, please email him, and please let me know, too!

And, then I had a message about the Powell/Lewis family of Palo Pinto County:

"I understand you write a column for the Mineral Wells Index about pioneering families from Mineral Wells and Palo Pinto County. I would like to tell you about my younger sister and the family history.

"My sister, Maurie Powell, delivers mail along what is called the 'star route'. It runs from Mineral Wells to Palo Pinto to Lone Camp/Santo and back. I know you are wondering what is so unique about that. Well.......the mail route is family history. My grandfather, Amos Davis Lewis, delivered from Mineral Wells to Palo Pinto by mule and hack. An uncle, Oliver Lewis, had the contract for years. When his health started failing, my mother, Cora Jean Lewis Powell got the contract. My step-father, Maurice C. Powell, delivered during that period until his health prevented him from doing so. Then Maurie took over about 10 years ago and has been the carrier for several years now. Numerous miles have been added since my grandfather's time. The route now includes Palo Pinto Lake and off both sides of Highway 180 between Mineral Wells and Palo Pinto.

"My mother, Cora Jean Lewis Powell, my grand-mother Fanny Lewis, and my aunt, Wynnell Lewis King ran the old telephone exchange at Palo Pinto. This was back in the days of 'Hello Central' and hand cranked telephones. The old 'switchboard' they used is in the Palo Pinto Museum. You are welcome to tell our story. There is some history in the 'big black' history book that was printed several years back."

This was signed Merry Baugh Kasparek, Vernon, Texas, kasparek@chipshot.net .

I am so excited to have heard so many tales of the county this summer. I hope as you read this column you will have something to share with all of us. You can contact me at P. O. Box 61, Mineral Wells TX 76068-0061 or siouxcitysue@cox-internet.com .

I'll see you next time when we will look into the genealogical tale of a 1960's metroplex TV icon who was born in Mineral Wells.