Biographical Sketch of Robert W. Thurston

ROBERT W. THURSTON. One of Madison County’s youngest stockmen, Robert W. Thurston has grown up in this County, and from his boyhood days was familiar with the town and the stock industry, He believes in farming as one of the greatest industries to which man can apply his energies, and his success is almost a matter of course, since he was trained to the business in the same way that other young men are trained to enter professions or commercial lines, Mr. Thurston has the management of his father’s large farm of three hundred and sixty seven acres in Monroe … Read more

History of Fort Bend County Texas

Fort Bend County Texas Map

This collection contains 42 biographies and various historical references from the manuscript History of Fort Bend County by W. M. Morrison. Included with the history are articles on the Meir Expedition, Billy Bowlegs, Terry Rangers, and a list of early land titles.

Terry Rangers, Company A.

(Enlisted by Lieutenant J. W. Sparks.) Thomas Harrison, Captain, Waco, Texas, elected Major at the organization. Rufus Y. King, 1stLieutenant, Burleson County, elected Captain at organization, wounded at Shiloh and resigned. W. H. Jones, Falls County, Texas, elected Lieutenant at organization, wounded in East Tennessee, January 12th, 1864, retired. M. L. Gordon, Jr., 2nd Lieutenant, Bosque County, Texas, promoted 2nd Lieutenant, wounded at Shiloh, and subsequently Captain of Wharton’sscouts. T. C. Freeman, 1st Sergeant, Bell County, Texas, wounded gat Shiloh and discharged. Dan Neel, 2nd Sergeant. Rufus Beavers, 3rd Sergeant, Coryell County, wounded at Shiloh and discharged. G. Thompson, 4th … Read more

Biography of Robert E. Webster

ROBERT E. WEBSTER, Near Summitville in Van Buren Township is one of the fine country homes of Madison County, a place which for years has given a distinctive character of prosperity and well ordered enterprise to the country life of this section of the County, It is the farm occupied and owned by Robert E. Webster who was born on the place and has been identified with agricultural activities in this section all his life, In his home place he has eighty acres and also owns another farm of seventy acres east of Summitville about two miles. Robert E. Webster … Read more

Biography of Jones, Henry

Henry Jones, one of the “Old Three Hundred” of Austin’s colony was born in Madison County, Virginia, near the “Blue Ridge,” in 1798. In 1817, when but nineteen years of age, he left home in company with his brother, John, and went on a trip of adventure. They came down the Mississippi in a. flat boat to New Orleans, and there laid in supplies and ammunition and returned to the mouth of White River and was here joined by Martin Varner, Creason and two other young men of like temperament as themselves. They now laid their plans -to explore strange … Read more

Biography of Wilkinson, W. M., Gen.

General William M. Wilkinson, the father of Mrs. Jane Long, was a distinguished officer in the United States Army of the war of 1812. When. Aaron Burr, in 1806, was contemplating the conquest and revolutionizing of Northern Mexico, which then included Texas, his base of operations being Blennerhassetts Island, General Wilkinson was ordered with a part of the United States Army to watch his movements, and also the Spanish army who were coming toward the Sabine River to meet Burr’s invasion. Thomas Jefferson was President at this time, and it was the policy of the United States Government to prevent … Read more

Biography of John C. Yule

JOHN C. YULE. A resident of Alexandria since 1899, when he came to this city to enter the employ of the Alexandria Paper Company, John C. Yule has been closely identified with the business interests of this flourishing commercial center during the past fifteen years and has fairly won the right to be named among those who have aided in this locality ‘s advancement. As sales manager for these mills, Mr. Yule has greatly extended the scope of the company’s business and as a citizen his adopted community has found in him one who has had its best interests at … Read more

Biography of Edgar W. Farmer

EDGAR W. FARMER, a railway postal clerk on the New York Central Lines between Cleveland, Ohio, and St, Louis, Missouri, lives on Indiana Avenue, North Anderson, He was born here February 23, 1868. The Farmer family is better known, probably, than any other family in Anderson Township outside of the city of Anderson and ranks among the older ones in the County, Charles M. Farmer (April 16, 1846-June 27, 1910) and Mary L. Cummins Farmer (Nov. 27, 1848- Nov, 16, 1900), the parents of Edgar, moved from Henry County, Indiana, immediately after their marriage and bought two acres of land … Read more

Biographical Sketch of McKnabb, John

Santa Fe Prisoner John McKnabb, one more of those unfortunate ones who accompanied the disastrous Santa Fe expedition in 1841, was a native of Scotland, and came to Fort Bend County in 1837. He was at Austin during the early building of that place, when the Indians harassed the few settlers almost continually. In 1841, when the expedition to Santa Fe was inaugurated, John McKnabb was there, and volunteered, as many other young men did, for the perilous trip, and suffered all the hardships of the long march across the plains and sandy deserts; want of water and provisions being … Read more

Biography of Charles H. Allman

CHARLES H. ALLMAN. An enterprising and highly successful farmer of Van Buren Township, Charles Allman is a fine representative of the native-born citizens of Madison County, his birth having occurred, September 16, 1883, on a farm lying two miles west of his present place of residence, which is located four miles southeast of Summitville, His father, John Allman, for many years a prominent agriculturist of Madison County, was born and reared in Tipton County, Indiana, 1838. He married Leaner Perry, who bore him ten children, as follows Asbury, Phoebe J., Maggie, Edna, William, John, Cora, Lorenzo, Charles, and Myrtle. Brought … Read more

Biography of Lewis F. Mobley, M. D.

LEWIS F. MOBLEY, M. D. For twelve years in the successful practice of his profession at Summitville, Dr. Mobley is one of the able doctors in the northern part of Madison County, and has built up a splendid practice both in and about the town of Summitville. L. F. Mobley was born August 6, 1875, in Hartsville, Bartholomew County, Indiana, a son of Warren W. and Mary (Ryan) Mobley. The maternal grandfather Ryan was a physician, one of the early members of the profession in this state, and was also a Methodist minister, an old-time circuit rider, who exercised a … Read more

Biography of Bert Mann

BERT MANN. One of the young men of progressive enterprise whose energies are contributed to the Welfare of the community as well as to the accumulation of a goodly share of material prosperity for themselves, is Bert Mann, of Boone Township. Mr. Mann is owner and occupies a fine place of one hundred and forty acres, located about 61/2 miles west of Summitville. There he carries on the solid industry which in Indiana brings good crops, and a satisfying degree of prosperity, and is not only providing well for his family, but is regarded as one of the men of … Read more

Terry Rangers, Company F

L. M. Stroble, Captain, Fort Bend County, resigned December 1st, 1861; died at LaGrange, Texas, in 1872. W. R.. John, 1st Lieutenant, Fayette County, promoted to Captain June, 1862, wounded September 17th, 1863, at Gorsbyville, Ga., and Bentonville, N. C., in November, 1865. Phoecian Tate, 2nd Lieutenant, Fayette County, resigned in May, 1862. W. N. Tate, 3rd Lieutenant, Fayette County, resigned in December, 1861. A. J. Murray, 1st Sergeant, Fayette County, promoted to Lieutenant July, 1862, absent at close of war. V. T. Coop; 2nd Sergeant, Fayette County, discharged December, 1861. C. D. Barnett, 3rd Sergeant, Fayette County, promoted to … Read more

Biography of Daniel Marcus Johnson

DANIEL MARCUS JOHNSON. One of the attractive and valuable farms of Van Buren Township is the place of Daniel Marcus Johnson, comprising one hundred acres of fine land located about four miles northeast of Summitville and on the Johnson road. Mr. Johnson began his career as a renter, by thrift and good management saved sufficient means to make his first purchase of land, and is now one of the substantial agriculturists of the County. He brought a thorough experience and ability to the improvement of his place, according to his standards of what he wanted this farm to be, It … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Baker, Mosley, Captain

Captain Baker, being closely identified with the people of Fort Bend County during the passage of the Mexican army, through what is now Fort Bend, but then Austin County, where he made such a heroic stand at San Felipe as to cause the Mexican army to abandon the attempt there and come on down the river to Fort Bend and make the passage, we add this notice of him in our history: He came from Alabama to Texas in 1834, and, becoming prominent in the affairs .of the country, and so opposed to Mexican aggression, that he was on the … Read more

Biography of George W. Brown

GEORGE W. BROWN. A prominent and successful agriculturist and stock-raiser of Madison County, George W. Brown is the owner of a well- appointed and well-managed farm in Van Buren Township, his native place, where he holds a position of note among the substantial farmers of his community, his farms being on the G. W. Brown road, about four miles from Summitville. His father, the late John G. Brown, was born in Rush County, but as a boy came with his parents to Madison County, where he grew to man’s estate, Subsequently purchasing land in Van Buren Township, he carried on … Read more

Biography of Homer E. Howard

HOMER E. HOWARD. A substantial and prosperous citizen of Madison County, Homer E. Howard, now engaged in farming in Van Buren Township, was for many years identified with the mercantile interests of this part of the County, having been one of the leading druggists of Summitville, He was born September 16, 1872, in Ross County, Ohio, which was likewise the birthplace of his father, Robert C. Howard. At the age of twenty-five years Robert C. Howard migrated from his Ohio home to Indiana, locating first in Delaware County, where for five years he was engaged in business as a general … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Hodge, Robert

Mr. Hodge is now a resident of Richmond, Fort Bend County, and has been for nearly sixty-six years; was born on Galveston Island on the 18th of May 1836. His parents were colonists of Stephen F. Austin, and settled near Damon’s Mound. When the Mexicans came in 1836 the people around the mound fled before them, and took refuge at Galveston, except those who went with Houston’s army. This disagreeable flight caused the birthplace of Mr. Hodge to be on the famous island. After the battle of San Jacinto the family removed to Fort Bend County, and their descendants have … Read more

Company H

Colonel Frank Terry, commanding, killed at Woodsonville, Kentucky. Second Lieutenant-Robert J. Calder, killed at Moss Creek, East Tennessee. Third Lieutenant W. D. Adams, died on the way home, after resigning his commission in the service. Gustave Cook, promoted to Captain from Sergeant, January, 1862; to Major December, 1862; to Lieutenant Colonel May, 1863; to Colonel May, 1865; Wounded at Farmington, Griswoldville, Bentonville and Shiloh. Robert Hodges wounded at Decatur, Alabama. E. Griffin, captured, but escaped and died in 1869. Jack Adams wounded at Washington, Georgia, in 1864. Addie Autrey killed at Shiloh, April 8th, 1861. Clem Bassett, wounded at Eagleville … Read more

Biography of James M. Hundley

JAMES M. HUNDLEY. When a boy James M. Hundley was a Union soldier. His early experiences and associations were with a farm, and he had his full share of farm life, He was a railroader and also a street car driver, finally finished his education, was a school teacher, was admitted to the Indiana bar about forty years ago, and was for many years one of the leading, lawyers in the north half of Madison County, and at the same time active in official affairs, Mr. Hundley is now retired and enjoys the activities and atmosphere of country life, devoting … Read more