Fort Bend County TX Genealogy

Biography of Weldon B. Gorden

WELDON B. GORDEN. Since 1894, Weldon B. Gorden has been a resident of section 3, Monroe Township, where he is the owner of an excellent property of two hundred acres, lying on the Gorden Grove road, about five miles north of Alexandria, During this time he has been connected with various enterprises of an agricultural nature, and has fairly earned the leading position which he occupies among the farmers of his locality, Mr. Gorden was born half a mile east of his present farm, October 18, 1859, and is a son of James and Susan (LaRue) Gorden. Anderson Gorden, the … Read more

History of Fort Bend County Texas

This collection contains 42 biographies and various historical references from the manuscript History of Fort Bend County by W. M. Morrison.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.

Biography of James C. Hull

JAMES C. HULL. On the Hull gravel road about five miles northwest of Summitville, is a farm which represents the sturdy industry and good management of one of the best known farmer citizens of Madison County, Mr. Hull has lived in this County for more than forty years as a farmer and stock raiser, and beginning his career as a renter, and as a young man completely dependent upon his own resources for advancement he has made a success that might well be envied by his neighbors, At the present time he is the owner of one hundred acres of … Read more

Biography of Newton Burke

NEWTON BURKE was born in Connersville, Fayette County, Indiana, and died in July, 1907, He was a contractor, a vocation he continued to follow during the best years of his life, A veteran of the Civil war, he participated actively in a number of important engagements, and was honorably discharged at the close of his term of enlistment, after which he took up his abode in Anderson and here plied his trade up to the close of his long and useful life, His widow, who survives him, still resides in Anderson, and is now in the sixty-second year of her … Read more

Billy Bowlegs and His Raid on Dr. Braden’s Farm

“Billy Bowlegs” was a Seminole chief, and lived in the swamps and Everglades of Florida, and some might ask, what had, he to do with the history of Fort Bend County. Personally, nothing, but Fort Bend has an old Negro woman living at Old Arcola (Lucinda Lawson), who has some interesting reminiscences connected with the exploits of this famous chief. She belonged to Dr. Braden in Florida, who had a fine plantation not a great distance from the stronghold of Chief Bowlegs, who often made raids on the planters and carried off their stock, and even Negroes. United States troops … Read more

Terry Rangers, Company B

John A. Wharton, Captain, Brazoria, County, Texas, elected Colonel of the regiment January, 1862, promoted Brigadier General, October, 1862, Major General, and transferred, wounded twice, transferred to Mississippi Department, and killed in private altercation at Houston, Texas, by Colonel Geo. W. Baylor. Geo. M. McNeil, 1st Lieutenant, Brazoria County, resigned at Oakland, Ky., in 1862. William Henry Shark, 2nd Lieutenant, Brazoria County, promoted. T. J. Bennett, 3rd Lieutenant, Brazoria County, promoted. J. C. Herndon, 1st Sergeant, Brazzoria County. William Groce, 2nd Sergeant, Austin County, Texas, elected 1st Lieutenant January 1st, 1862, resigned April, 1862. E. A. Herndon, Harris County, Texas, … Read more

Men Of Company F, 24th Texas

Jasper Pharr, died at Arkansas Post. Henry McGaw, died at Arkansas Post. Kit Janes, died at Shreveport, La. Thomas Cary, died at Shreveport, La. Jake Roper, died at Shreveport, La. Ed. Walker, died in prison at Camp Butler, Ill. J. C. Williams, died in prison at Camp Butler, Ill. Joe and Johnston Williams, brothers, died in prison at Camp Butler, Ill. J. T. Corbett, died in prison at Camp Butler, Ill Lewis Lum, died in prison at Camp Butler, Ill. Killough, died. in prison at Camp Butler, Ill. Childress, died in prison at Camp Butler, 111. Wm. Latourny, killed at … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dyer, J. E.

Son of Judge C. C. Dyer, was born at “Stafford’s Point,” Fort Bend County, July 11th, 1832, and was reared and educated in the town of Richmond, to which place his parents moved when he was but seven years of age. When he arrived at the age of manhood he engaged in stock-raising and merchandising, and in the banking business in Richmond, and in all branches of trade was a successful business man. He served as county treasurer of Fort Bend County from 1852 two 1859, a period of seven years, and at various times filled positions of honor and … Read more

Biography of Austin, Moses

For the information of our readers who are not familiar with the early colonial scheme of settling Texas with American colonists when it was a province of Spain, we will give a short sketch of the man in whose brain it originated and the various causes which led to it. Moses Austin was a native of Connecticut, born at the village of Durham in 1767. When a boy he went to Philadelphia, and in 1787 he married Miss Maria Brown. His brother, Stephen, was then at the head of an important house in Philadelphia, and Moses Austin soon after his … Read more

Biography of Jesse Rothrock

JESSE ROTHROCK, An industry which during the past several decades has grown and flourished in eastern Indiana, is the operation of farm lands for the production of dairy goods, Ever since the necessity for pure milk has been recognized, many of the most progressive farmers and business men have devoted their activities to dairying, One of the best sources of good milk in the city of Anderson is supplied by Jesse Rothrock, who has a thoroughly equipped modern dairy farm in north Anderson. Jesse Rothrock was born on a farm six miles south of Columbus in Bartholomew County, Indiana, April … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Long, Jane H., Mrs.

The Mother Of Texas Mrs. Jane Herbert Long, called “The Mother of Texas,” was born on the 23rd day of July 1798, in Clark County, the State of Maryland . Her father was General William McCall Wilkinson, of the United States Army, and her mother was Annie Herbert Dent. They were married February the 24th, 1774, and Jane Herbert was their tenth child. One of her sisters, Barbara, was born in June 1784, and she married a Mr. Wood. He died and she married Alexander Calvitt, December 18th, 1814, and she died December 19th, 1858, in Brazoria County, Texas, where … Read more

Terry Rangers, Company C

M. L. Evans, Captain, Gonzales: County, died of wounds at Perryville, Ky., October 18th, 1862; acting Major at the time. A. M. Shannon, 1st Lieutenant, Karnes County, promoted to Captain October 18th, 1862; afterwards commanded efficient scouts; promoted to Colonel, commanding special scouts and secret service February 8th, 1865. James M. Dunn, 2nd Lieutenant, Karnes County, resigned and died at Decatur, Alabama, February, 1863. J. W. Baylor, Jr., 2nd Lieutenant, Karnes County, promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, in 1863, now dead. B. F. Batchelor, 1st Sergeant, Gonzales County, promoted to 1st Lieutenant, and killed at Tome, Ga., October 13th, 1862. Daniel … Read more

Terry Rangers, Original Field Staff

Benjamin Franklin Terry, elected Colonel at the organizaltion, October 28th, 1861; killed at Woodsonvil1e, Kentucky (better known as Rowlett’s Station), in battle, December 17th, 1861. Thomas S. Lubbock, Harris County, elected Lieutenant Colonel October 28th, 1861; died at Nashville, Tennessee, January 9th, 1862. Thomas Harrison, Waco, Texas, elected Major at the organization, promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and Brigadier General, and wounded at Johnsonville, North Carolina, March 10th, 1865. Martin H. Royston, Galveston, appointed Adjutant by Colonel Terry, and subsequently appointed Captain and Major in Adjutant General’s Department. Benjamin H. Botts, Houston, Texas, appointed Assistant Quartermaster by Colonel Terry, and subsequently … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Wessendorff, T. B.

Fort Bend County, Treasure Tony B. Wessendorff, present County Treasurer, was born in Richmond, Fort Bend County, on the 19th day of November 1872. His father, Anton Wessendorff, came to this County from Hamburg, Germany, when but eighteen years of age and made Fort Bend his permanent home. Here, in the course of time, he married Miss Johanna Janske, was industrious in his habits and made a worthy citizen. When the great civil war broke out between the North and South, he served the Confederacy under Gen. John B. Hood in the famous Fourth Texas Regiment, his captain being Thomas … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Pearson, E. A. Major

Fort Bend County, Sheriff Edward, Adolphus Peareson, present Sheriff of Fort Bend County, was born in Matagorda County, Texas, on the 2nd day of September 1867. His father, P. E. Peareson, was a native of Alabama, but came to, Texas when a child at a very early day and first settled with his parents in Victoria County; married Miss Minnie Rugely in Matagardo County, and came to Fort Bend County in 1867. The Peareson family have had representatives in every war in which the United States has been engaged from the Revolution of 1776 to that with Spain in 1898. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jones, Julia, Mrs.

Mrs. Julia Jones, daughter of Judge C. C. Dyer, was born in Fort Bend County in 1839. Her father was a native of Tennessee and was born at Dyersburg January 29, 1799, and came to Texas with William Stafford in 1824. In this same year he married Sarah Stafford, who was born February 5, 1809, near Raleigh, North Carolina, Judge Dyer had twelve in family six boys and six girls. He lived to quite an old age, served as county judge of Fort Bend County, and died in 1864 on his farm on the east side of the Brazos River, … Read more

Escaped at the time of the Surrender at Mier

Whitfield Clark Caleb St. Clair Left wounded at Mier, and escaped. Robert Beale* John Videler Lewis Hays Geo. W. Piland* Nathan Mollen William Rupley Henry D. Weeks Escaped at the village of Salado, and reached Texas. John R, Alexander John Blackburn Rev. Thomas W. Cox William Oldham Escaped from Perote dungeon, July 2d, 1843. Daniel D. Henry Charles R. Reese Killed at Mier. James Austin R. P. Bassett Joseph Berry Dickson Wm. H. Hannon A. Jackson John E. Jones Dr. Isaac W. Towers Calvin White William Hopson Died of wounds received at Mier. Lynn Bobo Hanks Kuykendall* Stanley Locherman Wm. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of McElroy, Charles S.

Mr. McElroy Is one of the old settlers of Fort Bend County who still survives those days of pioneer life, fraught with so much danger and hardships, danger from Indian raids and Mexican invasion, and hardships incident to a new and undeveloped country, where the wilderness had to be subdued, far removed from the necessaries of life, except as they could carve them out in their new homes with the ax and, rude agricultural implements. Sometimes the sole dependence for food was the ripe as the long months went by, waiting for the maturity of some primitive crop, which was … Read more

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

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