USA > Texas > Bastrop County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 52
USA > Texas > Travis County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 52
USA > Texas > Burleson County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 52
USA > Texas > Lee County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 52
USA > Texas > Williamson County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 52
USA > Texas > Milam County > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson counties. Pt.1 > Part 52
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IIe is a Democrat in politics, and is iden- tified with the different farmers' organiza- tions of the county. He is a Steward in the Methodist Church. In political, social and religious circles he takes a leading part, and is highly esteemed by all who know him.
OHIN E. FLINN .- It is safe to say that there is not an intelligent, patriotic American of to-day whose ancestry runs back into the early settled families of this country, but regrets the meagerness of his knowledge tonching his ancestral history, and
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who has not frequently expressed the wish that his forefathers had taken the time, even in the midst of their pressing duties as pio- neers, to set down for the benefit of posterity some facts relative to their settlement on this continent. With most of us the history of our people is shrouded in the impenetrable mists of the past, what little that has de- scended to ns being only a matter of tradi- tion. Speaking from this source the follow- ing statement, preliminary to what is said of Mr. Flinn personally, may be made:
The stock from which he descended came originally from Scotland, Ireland and En- gland, or, broadly speaking, from the British isles. His father, Alexander Fiinn, was born in Mecklenburg county, North Carolina, in 1809, and was a son of Alexander Flinn, who was born in Maryland in the latter half of the last century. The elder Flinn migrated when a young man to North Carolina, where he married, settled on a farm and became a planter of considerable means. He served in the early wars of the country, and as tradi- tion has it was an industrious, public-spirited, patriotic gentleman. He had four sons and two daughters, all but one of whom became grown, married and raised families. The re- ligious connection of the family was with the Presbyterian Church, and, as was the custom half to three-quarters of a century ago, the sons and daughters of this family were reared to a strict observance of all the ordinances and practices of the church. One of the sons, William, became a minister of this church, and was known at Milledgeville, Georgia, and in later life in Lonisiana, in connection with his work in the ministry in these States.
Alexander Flinn, the father of John E., of this article, was reared in his native State, North Carolina, and at about the age of
twenty-one emigrated to Alabama, taking up his residence in Dallas county, where he married Jane War, and having accumulated some means settled down to farming, at which he was moderately successful through- ont life. Ile was the owner of a few slaves, and lived in the pleasant, comfortable style of the respectable, well-to-do planters of ante- bellum days. IIe died in 1864. His wife died in 1850. Both were of a quiet, domes- tie turn, greatly devoted to their home and their children, and perforined their various duties acceptably and died in the esteem and good will of those among whom they had lived. Their six children were: Margaret, who now makes her home with her brother; John E., of this article; Robert L., who is now a farmer of Montgomery county, Ala- bama; Mary, who married Ira Beeman, and resides in Ilunt county, this State; James L., who died at the age of twenty; and Helen, who died in infancy.
John E. Flinn, of this article, was born in Butler county, Alabama, August 15, 1840, in which county he was also reared. His early years were spent in felling timber, hewing and chopping, grubbing and splitting rails, flailing wheat and husking corn, attend- ing apple-cuttings, spelling bees, and in other rustic labors and diversions. Opportunities for education in the local schools were then not so attractive or valnable as now, but such as they were it was his privilege to avail himself of them, and after mastering the rudiments of the common branches in the little, old, log schoolhouse, he was placed at Orion Academy, in Pike county, where he had completed about half the course when his scholastic training was brought to an ab- rnpt and emphatic close by the opening of the late war. He entered the Confederate army carly in 1861, enlisting in Company K,
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Twenty-second Alabama Infantry. With this ; siding at Bryan. this State, bnt originally command he entered Withers' division, and from Louisiana, where Mrs. Flinn was born, her parents moving to Texas in 1866. Mr. and Mrs. Flinn had four children: Bertha, who is now the wife of Dr. Morris Brewer, of Clarkson, Milam county; Edward A., Glen and Thomas, --- the last named dying in 1881, in which year Mrs. Flin also died. was in active field service until after the bat- tle of Shiloh, when he was transferred to the Quartermaster's department, and served in this department during the remainder of the war. He was with his command at the gen- eral surrender at Greensboro, North Carolina, in April, 1865, and thus witnessed the last of that great and sanguinary conflict.
Returning to Montgomery county, Ala- bama, he spent about eighteen months there, when, in the winter of 1866, he came to Texas. Ile made his first stop in this State in Robertson county, and being still ummar- ried and the possessor of but small means, he took employment as overseer for C. P. Salter, who then, as now, owned large planting iu- terests in the Brazos bottoms. He remained in Robertson county and in the employ of Mr. Salter for twelve years, when, having saved his earnings and increased them very materially by judicious investment in stock, le came to Milam county and purchased 500 acres of land, on which he settled three years later and has there since resided. Ile has added 400 acres to his original purchase, and now has his entire holdings fenced and 300 acres in cultivation. In this farm Mr. Flinn has one of the most desirable places in the connty. It lies in the famous " black waxy belt," and yields in accordance with the well- known productiveness of that belt. The yield of this place in 1891 was 143 bales of cotton, and in 1892 165 bales, besides sufficient small grain to run the farm. The feeding of beef cattle has been one of the items of revenue on this farm for three or four years past, and a profitable business has been done in this line.
In 1869 Mr. Flinn married Miss Catherine Ails, a daughter of Thomas Ails, then re-
D AVID JONES, Justice of the Peace of Precinct No. 1, Travis county, was born in Greenville county, Southi Carolin :, March 25, 1826, a son of William and Nancy (McNeely) Jones, of Welsh aud Irish descent. The family came to this country early in the seventeenth century, locating first near Petersburg, Virginia. The great-grand- father of our subject moved to Mecklenburg, North Carolina and later to Greenville county, South Carolina, where he lived during the Revolutionary war. The grandfather, Rich- ard Jones, was a boy at the time of that war, and carried provisions to his father in the army. He married and raised his family in Greenville county, as did also the father of our subject, and the old homestead still remains in the Jones family, owned by a nephew of Mr. Jones. William Jones was born in 1801, and was married in his native county, March 25, 1825, to the mother of our subject, who was born and raised by Irish parents in Greenville county. Her father, Sims MeNeely, married a Miss Simms. Mr. and Mrs. Jones had five children: David, our subject; Richard M., deceased; Sarah E., wife of Peter Baldwin, of Kerr county, Texas; Elvira, deceased; and John W., of Woodruff, South Carolina. The parents both died in South Carolina, the mother in 1877, and the father in 1883.
IN. Stiles
HISTORY OF TEXAS.
David Jones was raised in his native place, and at the age of twenty-two years, in 1847, went to Fayette county, Mississippi, where he was engaged in farming and teaching school five years. Ile then returned to Sonth Carolina, and two years later, in 1855, came on a prospecting tour to Texas, but at the end of the following two years, again re- turned to his native State, In 1857 he located on his present farm in Travis county, . on the Colorado river, twelve miles from Austin, where he has since resided. Mr. Jones first purchased 653 acres of land, but has since sold 100 acres of that tract, and now has 250 acres of his place under culti- vation.
March 8, 1858, in Travis county, our sub- ject was united in marriage with Jaretta C. Gilbert, and they had several children, only one of whom still survives, N. Y., who re- sides near his father. The wife and mother died October 14, 1869. Mr. Jones was again married, March 7, 1871, to Fannie Millwee, who was born and raised in Anderson, South Carolina, a daughter of Samuel and Sophia (Brewster) Millwee, of Scotch-Irish descent. Both parents are now deceased. Our subject and wife had one child, Millwee, who died at the age of eighteen months. Mr. Jones votes with the Democratic party; is a Royal Arch Mason, and King of the Chapter; and a member of the Baptist Church. Mrs. Jones is of member of the Presbyterian Church.
F N. STILES, a farmer and stock-raiser of Williamson county, was born in Tennessee, in 1841, a son of Seaborn Stiles, a native also of that State. The father
subsequently moved to Missouri, and in 1849 came to Brushy creek, Texas, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was a consistent member of the Methodist Church, Mr. Stiles married Rebecca New- ton, a native of North Carolina, and they had five children, viz .: Jane, J. E., Edward, deceased when young, F. N. and Margaret. For his second wife, the father married Rebecca C. Moore, daughter of Asa Moore. They had three children: J. L., Asa and Rebecca Clementine. Mr. Stiles died in 1874.
F. N. Stiles, the subject of this sketch, was taken by his parents to Missouri when one year old. At the age of seven years, in December, 1849, he landed in Brushy, Milam county, Texas, where he grew to years of maturity. He subsequently engaged in the cattle trade with his brother, J. E., and in 1859 they moved their stoek to Coleman county. At the breaking out of the late war they were compelled to enter the service to protect the frontier, served through the en- tire struggle, and afterward assisted in pro- tecting property from Indians and Mexicans. In May, 1869, Mr. Stiles started to California with the remnant of their stock, also buying a number of head on credit, and they then had 2,238 head of beef cattle. He spent eighteen months on the trip, and during that time was also engaged in looking for a loca- tion to rebuild his fortune. After traveling over thirteen States he concluded to return to Texas. In company with his brother, Mr. Stiles now owns 10,000 acres of land, 500 acres of which is cultivated, has 1,100 head of graded cattle and a number of horses and mnles. Each brother has a homestead in- dependent of the company business. They also own about 900 acres in other parts of the country.
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
Mr. Stiles was married February 24, 1875, to Miss Marina F. Thomas, a daughter of James Thomas, a native of Alabama, where he also died. Mrs. Stiles came to Texas . with her grandmother and uncle. Our sub- ject and wife have six children: Francis E., Villa, Regina, Lois, James Oran and Cecil. Politically, Mr. Stiles affiliates with the Democratic party, and religiously, both he and his wife are members of the Christian Church.
W ILLIAM DANIEL EDWARDS, a successful farmer of Travis county, is a son of Joseph E. Edwards, who was born in Guilford county, North Caro- lina, in 1792. He was a farmer by occupa- tion, a member of the Quaker Church, and his death occurred in his native county May 11, 1871. His parents, Joshua and Mary (Bond) Edwards, were natives of Ireland, and came to America with a colony of Friends, locating in North Carolina. The mother of our subject, nee Mary Ann Edwards, was also a native of North Carolina, and a daughter of Thomas and Susana (Andres) Edwards, of Scotch and Irish descent. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Edwards were married in 1820, and were the parents of six chil- dren: Bishop, deceased, was a resident of North Carolina; Jolin E., a farmer in that State; Thomas, of the same place; James, who was killed at the battle of Lookout Mountain, in the Confederate Army; Joseph E., a resident of North Carolina.
William D. Edwards, the subject of this sketch, was born in North Carolina, in 1833. At the age of fourteen years he was em- ployed as salesman for Dowler & Co., for six years, where he remained until the breaking out of the late war; went thence to Greens-
boro, and there enlisted in the Second North Carolina Cavalry, under Colonel Andus and Captain Nelson. He served in Lee's army, participating in all its hard-fought battles. After the close of the struggle he engaged in the stock business in Texas, and in 1869 located in Travis county, on Gilliland's creek, three miles west of Manor. In November, 1892, he located on his present place, where he now owns 2,000 acres of land, 500 acres of which is cultivated. Mr. Edwards also owns large tracts of town property.
In 1870 onr subject was united in mar- riage with Susanna Jester, a daughter of Jehu and Catie (Huff) Jester, natives of East Ten- nessee, but both now deceased. The father was a farmer by occupation, and a Deacon in the Baptist Church. His parents, Isaac and Susanna (Stockley) Jester, were also na- tives of Tennessee. Mr. and Mrs. Jehu Jes- ter had three children: Joseph, who died in eastern Texas; Stephen, who was killed in the Confederate army, in east Tennessee; and Susanna, born in 1828, is the wife of our subject. Mr. Edwards affiliates with the Democratic party, and is a member of the Masonic order. Mrs. Edwards is a member of the Baptist Church.
E L. ANTONY .- The subject of this sketch is a native of Georgia, of which State his parents, Milton and Margaret F. Davis, were also natives. The father was born in the city of Augusta, September 26, 1824, and the mother in Morgan county, August 11, 1833. The parents were married in Morgan county, Georgia, February 6, 1849. Milton Antony was a son of Milton Antony, and both were physicians. The elder Antony was an eminent member of his profession,
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being for years editor of the Southern Medi- cal Journal of Augusta and dean of the fac- ulty of the Georgia Medical Journal of An- gusta, of which he was one of the founders. He died in 1839, of yellow fever, making his life the last offering to a profession which he had long adorned. He left a scholarship to each of his sons in the institution with which he was eonneeted, six of whom availed them- selves of the privilege and beeamne regular practicing physicians. Milton, after taking a literary course in Mereer University, then at Penfield, gradated in medieine at the Georgia Medical College in 1845, and from that date until 1859 practiced his profession in Burke connty, his native State. He eamne to Texas in the last named year and was a resident first of Colninbia, Brazoria county, then of Cameron, and later Rockdale, Milam county, nntil his death, whichi occurred Jan- nary 25, 1885. His life was devoted to the practice of medicine, in which he met with reasonable financial success and did a vast amount of good for his fellow man, being ae- counted among his neighbors and associates in the profession an excellent physician. His widow is still living, an estimable lady, a de- scendant of an old and honorable family of iniddle Georgia, dangliter of Milton Grant Davis, who was a prosperous planter of ante- bellum days and cousin of ex-Governor Hubbard of this State.
Edwin Le Roy Antony, the subject of this sketch, is the only surviving child of Milton and Margaret F. Antony, and was born in Burke county, Georgia, January 5, 1852. Ilis boyhood and youth were passed at Cohun- bia, this State, in the schools of which place he received his early education. He attended Anstin College at Huntsville and the old military institution at Bastrop, finishing at the University of Georgia, at which he grad-
uated in 1873, after a four years' conrse. . Ile read law, and Jannary 8, 1874, was admitted to the bar at Cameron, where he at once took up the practice and has since steadily fol- lowed it.
Mr. Antony has won some distinction in - his profession, having shown an aptitnde for it far beyond that possessed by the average practitioner. Ile has been busy also in poli- ties and has been honored several times with office. Ile was elected County Attorney of Milam county, in February, 1876, which position he hield until November, 1878, dis- charging the duties acceptably to the people. At the spring terin of the Milam County Distriet Court in 1876, Hon. W. E. Collard being absent from his conrt on account of serious illness, Mr. Antony was elected by the members of the bar as Special District Judge and held the term of court. More than sixty eases, eivil and criminal, were disposed of, with many trials, and so satisfactory were the proceedings to the people and the bar tliat only one appeal was taken, and that case was affirmed by the Supreme Court. In June, 1892 Mr. Antony received the Demo- cratie nomination for Congress from Roger Q. Mills' old district and was elected to tlie seat in the Lower House made vacaut by that distinguished gentleman's promotion to tlie Senate. Mr. Antony's term in this position was too short to enable him to make much reputation, but, so far as he enjoyed oppor- tunity, he showed to the satisfaction of liis constituents and associates in Con- gress that, due allowance being made for for the difference in age and experience, he was a worthy successor of Texas' great con- moner.
Mr. Antony is a stanch Democrat and has done his party good service both in eonneil and on the public platform. He is a ready
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debater, clear, calin, strong and forcible, and well grounded in the political history of the country, and, an earnest believer in the prin- ciples of his party, he is a formidable antag- onist in the discussion of political issues be- fore the people. He possesses in a fair measure the acumen of the politician, the ready genins for combining dissimilar forces, reconciling opposing ones and accomplishing, through the cementing of these, " results " in politics.
As a lawyer he is courteous to adverse counsel, circumspect to the court, logical, clear, compact and convincing to the jury. In the discussion of questions of law before the court he is sound, forcible and cogent, possessing that skillful generalization which readily seizes npon the strong points of a case, that happy condensation of thought which at once extracts the substance of an opponent's argument, that clear foresight and comprehension which immediately grasps the angularities of an intricate legal problem and enables him to place it in a light that renders it at once easy of understanding and makes it stick in the memory. In all things he is plain, making manner subservient to matter and subduing it to pleasant speechi.
September 20, 1876, Mr. Antony married Angusta Honghton, daughter of Judge Joel A. Houghton, for many years a prominent lawyer of Georgetown, this State. Mrs. Antony is a native of Texas and an excellent type of one of this great State's best prod- nct, an intelligent and refined lady. They have two children, both daughters: Alice Augusta and Beryl Panline.
In personal appearance Mr. Antony in- herits, in a considerable measure, the phy- sique of lis father, possessing a large frame which carries its due proportion of flesh, a swarthy complexion, dark hair and eyes, and
a remarkably strong cast of features. His physical make-npis of that kind that would at- tract attention in an assembly of a hundred inen, and is no bad index to his character; for on closer observation and more intimate ac- quaintance he is found to be an even more interesting man than his striking figure in- dicates.
W B. JACKSON, an early settler and prominent farmer of Burleson conn- ty, Texas, was born in North Caro- lina, February 7, 1824. His parents, James and Sarah (Bryan) Jackson, were natives of the Old North State. Of his paternal ances- tors little is known, except that his grand- father was of Irish descent. His maternal grandfather was Turner Bryan, of South Carolina. At the time of the Revolutionary war he was a child and was left at home with his mother, who nsed to carry him on her back while she plowed. With such brave women, what wonder that America gained her freedom ! This child grew to manhood's estate and be- came a prosperons planter. He served as Ordinary of his county for many years, or as long as he would accept the office, and died at his home in .the Palmetto State. Mr. Jackson's parents moved from North Caro- lina to South Carolina when he was a child, in 1837 to Alabama, and in 1846 to Mis- sissippi, where in 1848 he married. After this event his parents lived with him, remov- ing with him to Texas in 1852, in which State they both died, the father in November, 1863, the mother, January 15, 1877. Ilis parents and grandparents were all worthy members of the Baptist Church. This deserving conple had three children: Eliza- beth, who married J. W. Bristin and came to Texas in 1852, where both have since died;
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
Frances B., married A. Dallas and removed to Texas in 1867, after the death of her hus- band, whence she returned to Alabama ten years later. where she died; and W. B., the subject of this sketch.
Mr. Jackson of this biography was reared to farm life and resided at home until his marriage. In 1852 lie emigrated to Texas, settling first in what was called Navarro territory, whence he afterward removed to Hill and Johnson counties. About this time the Civil war broke ont and Mr. Jackson en- tered the Confederate army, enlisting in April, 1862, in the Fifteenth Texas Cavalry, and was consigned to the Trans- Mississippi De- partment, which included Louisiana and Ar- kansas. His healthı becoming impaired, he seenred his discharge and returned to his home. He afterward served in the Home Guards for home protection and was a mem- ber of the State militia. On the close of the war he resumed his farming operations. In 1865 he moved to Burleson county, where he bought 177 acres of partly improved land, on which he has made his home ever since. He has bought and sold considerable land since then, but still owns the original tract, all of which is under fence with about 160 acres in a good state of cultivation. Herents most of the land and gives his attention principally to the raising of stock, sufficient for the support of the farm only.
dren, of whom three died young, five attain- ing to maturity: G. T., a prosperous farmer of Burleson county, was elected a member of the Legislature in 1892; James B. is a prac- ticing physician at Tunis, in the same county; John A. is a well-to-do farmer of the same connty: Laura married Stephen A. Martin, also,a thrifty farmer of this county, who in connection with his farming interests oper- ates a cotton gin; Margaret V., unmarried, resides at home.
After a union of forty-five years, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson are both hale and hearty and in full enjoyment of life, surrounded by their children who are all doing well.
Politically, Mr. Jackson is a strong Demo- crat and takes an active interest in public affairs. He has been a delegate to many con- ventions, principally to those of the district and State. He served several terms as Jus- tice of the Peace in Hill and Johnson coun- ties and in Burleson county acted two terms as County Commissioner.
Fraternaily, he is a Royal Arch Mason. Religiously both he and his worthy wife are useful members of the Baptist Church, to which he has belonged since he was eighteen years of age. Both are well-known and re- spected, and have the best wishes of the com- munity for their future happiness.
October 5. 1848, Mr. Jackson was married in Mississippi, to Miss Virginia C. Keahey. who was born in that State, Jannary 1, 1829, B F. STIDHAM .- The subject of this sketch is an energetic and progres- sive farmer of Milam county and a grandsou of the sturdy and courageous pio- neer, J. P. Jones, in honor of whom Jones Prairie was named. and was a daughter of George J. Kealicy. He was reared in North Carolina, and his parents were natives of the Emerald isle. Ile was well posted on all political matters and was a strong advocate of Democracy. Ile served as County Judge for many years. J. P. Jones was raised in Illinois. After Mr. and Mrs. Jackson have bad eight chil- attaining his majority he married and settled
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in Edgar county, that State, and resided there engaged in farming till his removal to Texas in 1833. He came South mainly on account of the condition of his wife's health. The trip was made overland in a wagon, as was the enstom of those days, and occupied six weeks. The first stop was at Indepen- denec, Washington county, then supposed to be the garden spot of Texas. Mr. Jones ob- tained a grant of a league of land, which he located in what is now the castern part of Milam county, but then an unbroken wilder- ness. His elaim was located on the prairie which now bears his name. He did not at- tempt to make a permanent settlement, as the Indians were then too bad to permit of his residing for any length of time in one plaec. He camped about in the timbers with his family and supported himself and them with the aid of his gun and dog for about two years, in the meantime taking sneh work as he could get to do at a dis- tanec. The chief reliance for a living, how. ever, was on game. Houston was the general supply point, but facilities for reach- ing that place were so poor and means with which to buy so meager in the Jones lionse- hold that very little was obtained in the way of food and elothing save what was furnished by the chase. In 1838 Mr. Jones joined a surveying party which was going on an expedition toward the Trinity river, on which expedition he lost his life, being killed by the Indians in the celebrated Bat- tle Creek fight in Navarro county. This is one of the most noted Indian figlits that ever occurred in Texas. It is related that after sustaining the attack of the Indians all day, Mr. Jones and one of his comrades mounted a horse late in the evening and at- tempted to make their escape, but that the Indians killed their horse, and then, closing
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