EARLY HISTORY of GRIMES COUNTY By E. L. BLAIR, M.A. Superintendent of Schools, Trinity, Texas Copyright, 1930 lt L. Bl.AIR Dear Valued Customer, Please note that the images in the original volume of this book are of poor quality, and reproduced herein as best as possible. While we are dedicated to make available products of the highest quality, some circumstances are beyond our control. We apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you for your support and we look forward to serving you again with all your history and genealogy needs Best Regards Rodrigue Maindron Your # 1 source for rare and out-of-print book on genealogy and history (800) 319-8434 file:///F|/Documents and Settings/Owner/My Documents/My Web Pages/disclaimer.htm [12/11/2006 10:46:52 AM] - ,...,____, - ... ...-..-..- I I I I I Crrata I On pages 196, 197 and 198 the columns headed .:'County Clerks" and "County Judges" are transposed. The names of the County· Judges appear in the second column and the names of the County Clerks are in the third column. THE PUBLISHER. ft:ft ftflt~-~ ----- -~-=-- -- :wire•• rftpft :_.ftft _., ::e:r:w,rtw..., .,., ·--- DEDICATION This book is aflectionatelJ1 dedicated to my 111-other MRS. SALLIE (BLAIR) ROGERS Preface It has been the ai1n of the \\'fiter to gather and preserve all available data concerning the sixty-£ our persons ,vho, as mem­ bers of Stephen F. Austin's several colonial enterprises, secured land grants in the section of Texas territory that no,v con-­ stitutes Grimes county. By far the greater part of this essay will therefore be biographical in nature. 1vlany of the persons dealt with are unknown to history. Their lives, for the most part, were absorbed in local and domestic affairs. Some few of them, however, were prominent in the political life of the period. Others offered, and some gave, their lives for the freedom of Texas ,vhen the revolutionary struggle came. They all contributed to the establish1nent of Texas as an Anglo-American state. It is hoped that this effort to record their services and trace their descendants, ,vill prove of interest and value to students of Texas history and to the many hun­ dreds of Texans in ,vhose veins today flows the blood of these sixty-four pioneers. The ,vriter is fully conscious of the fact that rnany of Grin1es county's most prominent families do nor come ,vithin the scope of this "'ork. An effort has been n1ade to give some recognition to many of such fan1ilies in foot­ notes. Concerning 1nany of these families the ,vriter has on hand much interesting infonnation, and it is hoped that it will be possible to incorporate it in a later essay. The ,vriter is not unmindful of the probability that 1nany minor errors will be found. ScHne such are inevitable in a work of chis kind because of the great variety of sources f rotn which the data is dra,vn. An earnest effort has been made, ho,vever, to distinguish clearly ,vhat has been given as facts f ron1 ,vhat is based upon ru1nor. Very scant infonnarion is given about several of the sixty-four original grantees. In s01ne such instances it has been in1possible to locate anyone ,vho could give the information desired; in some few cases, however, this scarcity is due to the lack of interest, or co-operation, on the part of people who could have given assistance. On the whole the writer has received the most vvhole-hearted co­ operation and assistance from the people of Grimes county and elsewhere. Especially grateful is the writer to the follow­ ing persons: Judge James Green McDonald of Anderson, Texas; Mr. L. H. Barry of Navasota, Texas; Mrs. W. E. Black­ shear of Navasota, Texas; Mr. W. T. Neblett of Anderson, Texas; the late l\,frs. Margaret Harrison of Bedias, Texas; Robert E. Greenwood, Junior, of Navasota, Texas; Superin­ tendent L. G. Andrews of Navasota, Texas; Miss Harriet Smither of the State Library at Austin, Texas; Mr. E. W. Winkler, librarian of the University of Texas; and Honorable Daniel E. Garrett, Congressman f ro1n the Eighth District of Texas. Most of all the writer is indebted to Dr. E. C. Barker for his patience and kindly assistance. By way of an approach to the biographical study of the original grantees, there is given a brief historical survey in which an atrern]pt has been made co trace the various steps in tlae organization of the territory and government of Texas with especial attention always given to that unit of which the present territory of Grimes county constituted a part. CONTENTS PART I. GOVERN~fENT, POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS AND SUBDIVISIONS CHAPTER PAGE I. Political Organizations, 1821-1836........................................................ 11 Population of Texas about 1821..... .................... ... ...... ........... ............. 11 Political Divisions of Texas about 1821............................................ 12 Local Government; Executive.............................................................. 15 Legislative ..... .. .... .... .. ... .. ...... .. .. .. .. ... ... .... .. ... .. .. 15 The Ayuntamiento............................................................................ 15 Judiciary .............................................................................................. 17 Manner of Selecting Jurors.................................................................. 18 Militia ...................................................................................................... 18 11. Origin, Organization, and Subdivision of Washington Municipality.... 21 Origin and Organization of Washington Municipalit)'.................... 21 Creation of Montgomery County.......................................................... 26 Creation of Grimes County.................................................................. 28 Creation of ?.fadison County................................................................ 30 Creation of Waller County.................................................................. 31 PART II. INDIAN POPULATION OF GRIMES COUNTY TERRITORY. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF THE SIXTY.FOUR ORIGINAL GRANTEES IN GRIMES COUNTY III. Indian Population of Grimes County and Its Vicinity.......................... 33 Bedias .................................................................................................. 33 Kickapoos . ...... ................................... .................... .............................. 36 Cushattees ............................................................................................ 36 Relations Between Indians and Whites.............................................. 37 Local Indian Stories as Told by Pioneer Settlers................................ 38 Indians Visit the T. P. Plaster Home.............................................. 38 VHJ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE Indians Kill ~Irs. Taylor.................................................................. 39 Indians Kill Kennard's Calves.......................................................... 41 1'-fethods of Precaution Against Indian Night Attacks.................... 41 Indians Kill Man on Wallace Prairie.............................................. 42 Indian Expedition of 1839........................................... ................... 42 Military Preparedness against Indians............................................ 43 Indians Removed from Grimes County.......................................... 44 IV. Biographical Sketches of the Sixty.four Original Grantees in Grimes County ................ ..... .. .... ...... .. ....................... ... .. ..... ........ ... ...... ......... 4 5 Robert Armour.................................................................................. 45 Daniel Arnold.................................................................................. 46 Benjamin Babbitt.............................................................................. 47 James Bell........................................................................................ 47 John S. Black.................................................................................... 48 1\-larcus D. Black................................................................................ 52 John Bowman................................................................. .. 53 Samuel Bo,vman................................................................................ 55 Alexander Brown.............................................................................. 55 William Burney................................................................................ 56 Cyrus Campbell................................................................................ 56 )<>hn C. Conner................................................................................ S7 James Cox.......................................................................................... 60 Hanna Cornaugh......................... ... ......... .. .. ................ .... ... ........... .. 61 William FitzGibbons........................................................................ 61 Samuel Fulton.................................................................................. 62 Claiborne Garrett.............................................................................. 62 Heirs of J. Gillett............................................................................ 63 Franklin Jarvis Grtenwood.. ...................... ... ...... ............................. 63 CONTENTS CHAPTER p AGE Joe1 Grcen,vood....... ....... ......... ........ .. ..... .. .......... ...... .. ... ... .. ... .. ~ 1 Darius Gregg...................................................................................