| |
Johnathan Blevins, born July 17, 1817, and his wife, Emily Maxwell, both natives of Georgia, came to Texas in 1869. They were the parents of thirteen children. Near the close of the Civil War, the entire family decided to seek a home farther west. Letters from a former neighbor, Penn Cross, who had settled in Texas years earlier, urged them to come and gave accurate descriptions of a trail that would lead them to Tarrant County, Texas. By 1869, preparations were complete and the family began the long journey to an area destined to be their home for generations to come.
Seven of the thirteen sons and daughters were married and had children of their own. Twenty seven wagons were required to carry a family of this size. Each wagon had two teams. A valuable stallion was also included. Because of his unruly disposition, he was kept at the rear of the wagon train, was ridden by eleven year old Gaines and was always the last to board the ferry at river crossings. The young rider enjoyed boasting that he drove his family to Texas.
As was true with many wagon trains, all who began the journey were not privileged to complete it. Tragedy struck the family of Will and Louisa Tittle Blevins. Their third child died and was buried by the trail. A stranger who lived near, comforted the parents with her promise to care for the small grave.
The selection of a campsite was important. It was to the travelers’ advantage if the topography of the land offered some protection from wind and weather. Men took turns at night keeping watch for horse thieves. A nearby stream of water offered a chance for a welcome bath. Whatever the natural advantages, early settlers, even the children, became adept in the art of making do with what they had. It was everyone’s responsibility to be on the lookout for water moccasins, rattlers and copperheads. Poisonous snakes were killed often. On one moonlit night, the Blevins family was alerted by the terrifying cries of one of their teenage boys, who was sure he had been bitten by a snake. A search revealed that he had been pecked by an irate wild turkey hen defending her nest of eggs.
Prayers of thanksgiving and songs of praise were an important part of each day at the breakfast hour, all heads were bowed while the leader of this clan repeated the morning prayer, which has been handed down to present day descendents.
“Great and indulgent parent, smile on us. Give us humble and thankful hearts. For these and all other blessings we give praise to the Lord. Amen”
At the end of the day, group singing was the favorite recreation. Settlers who lived near the camp site often came to join the singing and to exchange news of the trail.
When the wagon train reached the small village of Grapevine, the drivers checked Penn Cross’s instructions and knew that one more day would bring them near their destination. On the evening of the following day, they camped at White’s Chapel and cooked supper. After the meal, Johnathan Blevins looked toward a two room log house not far away and recognized his good friend, Penn Cross. This marked the journey’s end and the beginning of a new life.
The season was mid summer, but there was still time to plant late crops, build houses and prepare for the coming winter. Land was plentiful here, and could be bought for as little as fifty-cents per acre. One son, Louis, bought land now partially included in the Buchanan addition south of present day Keller. All other men in the group bought farms in the vicinity of White’s Chapel.
Emerson, the oldest of the four unmarried children, returned to Georgia, married Paralee Smith and brought her back to Texas. They were the parents of two children.
Gaines Tatum was married in Tarrant County, Texas to Mary Bird, an orphan who came to Texas at the ate of eighteen with her brother-in-law and sister, Dr. and Mrs. Si Massey, who settled in Fort Worth. Mary Bird made her wedding dress form sixteen yards of five cent calico. Having no sewing machine, she made it by hand, even hemming the top and bottom of four ruffles on the skirt. On the wedding day, young Gaines rode one horse and led another for his bride. They went to the home of a Primitive Baptist preacher named Thornsberry, where the ceremony was performed. They were parents of ten children
Johnathan Blevins served his community as a good neighbor. To his family he was an ample provider. Some of his descendants have vivid memories of his large apple orchard. He and his wife, Emily, spent the remainder of their lives on their farm. She died on May 1, 1878, and was buried in White’s Chapel Cemetery.
Johnathan Blevins’ second marriage was to Mrs. M.L. Curre, on October 30, 1879. The date of her death is not known. His third marriage was to Mrs. M.E. Thrantam on February 27, 1884. He died on October 22, 1911 and was buried in White’s Chapel Cemetery beside the mother of his thirteen children.
Information and statistics on the family of Johnathan and Emily Blevins: 1. Nancy Blevins was born in Alabama on July 9, 1838. She died on August 16, 1916, and was buried in White’s Chapel Cemetery. She came to Texas as the wife of David Satterwhite. They became the parents of six children, four of whom died and were buried in Georgia. The two surviving were Emily and Anna. A sixth child, William A., was born in Tarrant County, Texas, on October 10, 1875. Emily married Will Thompson; Anna married Andy Bourland; William A. married Emma Hodge. 2. Mary Blevins, born on December 27, 1839, died in October, 1841, and was buried in Alabama. 3. Richard Blevins, born in Alabama on May 18, 1841, died on January 15, 1907. His wife, Mary Elizabeth Killian, was born on February 15, 1848. She died on March 1, 1929. Both are buried in White’s Chapel Cemetery. Two of their children, Nannie Elizabeth and James Nelson, were born before the family came to Texas. Six more children were born in Texas. They were Malvina, Johnathan F., Henry, Robert, Gains C. and William. Elizabeth married Will Davis; James Nelson (Jimmy) married Lou Ladd and Emma Weaver; Malvina married Joe Orr; Johnthan F. married Minnie Jarvies; Henry married Avada Smith; Robert died in childhood; Gains married Hattie Biggs; William married Hattie Alexander. 4. Lewis Blevins born in Alabama on January 20, 1843, died in Tarrant County, Texas, on January 4, 1921. He was buried in Bourland Cemetery. His first wife was Elvina Tatum, born on February 12, 1838. She died on September 15, 1877, less than four years after coming to Texas. She was buried in White’s Chapel Cemetery. Their children were Mary Elizabeth, William, Marion Joshua (Jocky), Jenny and John Willard. The last two were born in Tarrant County. The second wife of Lewis Blevins was a widow, Mrs. Mary Lou Gillham, born on February 4, 1838. She died on December 3. 1898, and was buried in Bourland Cemetery. Two children born to this marriage were Albert and Annie Belle. Lewis Blevins’ third marriage was to Sarah Ann Thomas Sanson, born in 1841. She died in 1929, and was buried in the Smithfield Cemetery. Children of the first and second marriages married as follows: Mary Elizabeth married John Dill; William married Hallie Higgins; Joshua (Jocky) married Telitha Thompson; Jenny married Wade Davis; John Willard married Fanny Cayce; Albert married Josie White; Annie Belle married Alvin McCain. 5. William Blevins, born in Alabama on January 18, 1845, died in Tarrant County, Texas, on June 24, 1927. His wife, Louisa Tittle, born on August 28, 1841, died on January 13, 1929. Both are buried in White’s Chapel Cemetery. Their children were: John A.; Sally E. married T.C. Scruggs and Roy Rodgers; George Lewis married Laura Ann Johnson; Richard C. married Amanda Johnson; Archel D. born. July 30, 1872; died November 13, 1873; Irene Olivia (Ollie) married William E. Harding; James m. died in infancy; Henry died at age seventeen years. 6. Sarah Elizabeth Blevins, born in Alabama on September 19, 1847, died in Tarrant County, Texas, on March 1, 1918. Her husband William Henry Taylor Blevins was born in Alabama in 1849. He died on March 15, 1918. Both are buried in White’s Chapel Cemetery. Three of their children, Arminda, Emily, Johnathan Henry were born in Alabama. Three more, Mary Jane, Nannie Genette and Benjamin Franklin, were born in Tarrant County. Arminda married Eugene Carney; Emily married Jasper Harding; Johnathan Henry died in infancy; Mary Jane; Nannie Genette married George S. Webb; Benjamin Franklin married Eula Willey. 7. Robert Paris Blevins was born in Alabama on March 6, 1848. He was married in Alabama to Rufina Cansada Cagle, born on October 9, 1849. They were the parents of eleven children: Louisa Elizabeth, William Richard, Mary Malvina, Noah Lee, Johnathan, Gilbert Eugene, Rhoda Jane, Charles Albert, Sara Francis, Robert Calvin and Rena Belle. The first three of these children were born in Alabama, the next five in Tarrant County, Texas, and the last three in Violet Hill, Arkansas, where the parents established a permanent home in the mid 1880s. Robert Paris Blevins died on February 7, 1921. His wife, Rufina, died on June 8, 1918. Both were buried in Fairview Cemetery in Violet Hill, Arkansas. 8. Malvina married Albert Forrester. 9. John Calvin Blevins, born January 13, 1853, married Nancy Blevins. They were the parents of seven children: Maggie, Gaines, a child who died, Nettie, Minnie, Albert and Gene. Maggie married Will Connally. Gaines married Bertie Hurley. Nettie married Tom Fuller. Minnie married John Forrester. Albert married Alice Sawyer and Decie Greer. Gene married Virgie Weaver. 10. Emerson born August 31, 1854, married Paralee Smith. They were parents of Jimmie and Beulah. 11. Gaines Tatum born November 25, 1857, married Mary Bird. They were the parents of ten children; Tommy, Evolene, Johnathan, Ida, who died at 2 ½ years, Emerson, Bryan, Della, Arminda, Delphur, and Gaines. Tommy married Stella McNutt and Myrtie Keeton. Evolene married John Travis. Johnathan married Ruth Houston. Emerson married Esther White. Bryan married Minnie Stewart. Della married Joe Tates. Amninda married Ed Orr. Delphur married Neta Wallace. Gaines married Lorane Pipkin. 12. Martha Jane, born January 25, 1862, married George Kelley. No children survived. 13. Rhoda, born March 11, 1865, married Ed Higgins. One daughter, Rena, is Mrs. Woodson Morrow, who lives near White’s Chapel.
|
