Texas History Hunters

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Comment by Gen Story Girl on July 21, 2009 at 11:35am

My Texas family roots go back to DeWitt Colony Texas. My 4th great-grandfather was Moses BAKER. His son Isaac BAKER was a Gonzales Ranger and member of the Gonzales Alamo Relief Force who died in the Alamo on 6 Mar 1836.

Comment by Barbara Cunningham on July 20, 2009 at 9:50am

Each County Clerk in Texas is responsible for his own document preservation/restoration. When one files a document in the records of the county clerk in Texas, a portion of the filing fee goes into the document restoration fund. It is the responsibility of the county clerk to see that his documents are maintained. Some county clerks care more than others, and it really depends upon how much the county clerk cares. Some are passionate about their records; others are totally disinterested. The last time I was in the County Clerk's office in Parker County, one of the deputy clerks informed me that they had FINALLY begun to do something about document preservation/restoration, but that it was going to take a long time. Hopefully, the records will survive long enough for them to actually do the restoration/preservation.

Comment by Khathu on July 20, 2009 at 9:40am

My oldest Texas line goes back to an enslaved woman named Jane (ggg grandmother) who was born ca. 1828. Her last slave holding familiy was Robert Franklin Whitaker I who acquired her sometime between 1837-1839. Robert arrived in Shelby County, Texas in 1838 from Greene County, Illinois. He would eventually moved from Shelby in 1839 to Bastrop County. He was a resident of Bastrop County until 1845. His finally move would be to Red River County, Texas.

The earliest doucment I have on my enslaved ancestor is Robert Whitaker I's inventory of his estate dated 1848. I am still trying to locate documentation to determine when, where and how he acquired my ggg grandmother Jane.

Comment by Debbie Levine on July 19, 2009 at 7:40pm

Barbara, that is a shame to hear about Parker County. I have submitted a bio on one of my relatives, a obit on my grandfather. I wish that I lived there so I could help in preserving these documents.

Comment by Barbara Cunningham on July 19, 2009 at 7:28pm

Membership in the Daughters or Sons of the Republic of Texas is limited to people whose ancestors were residents of Texas prior to statehood. I am not sure if it includes ancestors who left Texas prior to the Texas Revolution as I am not a member. I've never felt the need to join societies based upon who your ancestors were or where they were at a particular point in time.

Comment by Barbara Cunningham on July 19, 2009 at 7:00pm

You have to be very careful with Parker County records online. I did a runsheet there two years ago and since we had a very limited amount of time in which to complete the work, I resorted to online indexing. I discovered the hard way that there is a period of six (6) years missing from the online indices, so that if you did not already know the volume and page, you could not find the instrument. Additionally, there is one volume which does not exist in the electronic data at all.

I realize that one is looking mostly at birth, death, marriage and probate records, but I still would be extremely careful. When I was working in that county, there had been no document preservation and the indices and documents were in extremely poor condition. As much activity as Parker County had at the time, we landmen stated that in five years the records would no longer exist.

I seriously doubt much has changed in the ensuing two years.

Comment by Debbie Levine on July 19, 2009 at 6:56pm

Khattu, I have never heard of the Daughters or Sons of the Republic of Texas. I have checked into the DAR but it's too expensive for me right now.

Comment by Debbie Levine on July 19, 2009 at 6:52pm

I was able to get the Civil War service files for two of my ancestors from the Texas State Archieves for a modest fee. I couldn't believe it.

Also, Parker County's website is pretty good. Footnote is okay, though they are missing alot of documents. I don't know if they are missing or not available yet. I was looking for marriage records for Jessie Matilda Barnett who married Ray Woodbridge Oliver and George Franklin Barnett who married Florence Arzilla Crouch.

Comment by Carolyn Carter on July 19, 2009 at 4:31pm

My ancestors in Texas go back to early 1830s in Jasper, Tx. Benjamin Richardson ran a ferry and a blacksmith shop. Just now finding documents and relatives. Hope I can connect with more of both. I am interested in joining the DRT hope this will help too.

Comment by Jon A. Edens on July 19, 2009 at 2:55pm

I am a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (Granbury's Texas Brigade, Camp 1479) in Conroe, Texas. I have been doing some research on a camp that existed in Montgomery County during the civil war where volunteers form the area would join and ship out from. The name of the camp was Camp San Jacinto. I am looking for any documentation or mention of this camp in documents, letters, memoirs, et ceterea in an attempt to locate it. I am afraid it may be under Lake Conroe but would still like ot attempt to locate it. May even have an archeological team willing to dig if we can get a good location.

Again, any help would be greatly appreciated.

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