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Jane Patterson 1910 “Early Reminiscences” Hillsboro Mirror
Background Jane Wood Frazier Patterson was interviewed in the spring of 1910, and gave her memories of her life. There are some errors in the letter. A few include the story about the family in Leon County. I refer you to the letter written by Isabella Riddell Wood about their journey to Ft. Graham. This articles also states that brother Hugh left for the Gold Fields of California was never heard from since. We have letters from Hugh so…I don’t know about the “never hearing from him again” unless he went to California almost a decade after the Gold Rush. Our letters stop before the start of the Civil War. …
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Hugh Wood’s Letter to his Mother, Isabella Wood 13 May 1857 New Orleans, LA
Background Hugh was the oldest of the Wood’s son and was the first to leave home in search of his fortune. Hugh’s letters show that he was desperately trying to find a place for himself. There was an economic disaster in the United States during this time period and that may account for why he had so much trouble finding work. He talks about his desire to come home in almost every letter and also of his love of his family. I keep wondering why he left in the first place and why he didn’t come home when he had the opportunities to do so. While reading the letters of…
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John Wood Letter to His Mother, Isabella Wood, 21 March (no year given)
Background John Wood was born in 1841 in Scotland. He joined the CSA and wrote back to his family until his death. This letter is incomplete and the year date is missing. The Letter March the 21 Dear Mother, I received your letter the other day. I was very glad to hear from home and to hear that you was well. We have got to___________________________ (Junebluff?) now and will be ordered away before long. I don’t now where too. I got in here yesterday. There was a man shot for deserting. I went out and saw him. It was a dreadful sight. Had to kneel down in front…
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Confederate Soldier Letter Home to Mother in Texas – 1863
Background John Wood was born in Scotland in 1841 and was about 10 years old when they emigrated to Texas. He became a soldier when he enlisted in the Confederate army (along with his brothers-in-law in Hill County, Texas) and went off to war. These men joined the Confederate Army on March 28, 1862, a few days before conscription went into effect. Conscription would have seen all eligible men who were not in the army arrested. There is no written evidence of their opinion about the war, but the very late enlistment date of all of the family members may indicate a reluctance to join a fight they didn’t feel…
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The Ugliest Kitchen in the World: How We Turned This Room Around
Good Bones When we bought this sweet rancher, we thought that it had “good bones”. We loved the backyard and the location was perfect. The house had undergone a fire-induced renovation back in the 1980s, but this little gem was in need of some updating. Updating is a lot easier than making significant structural changes like knocking out walls or building an addition. We weren’t ready to take on anything quiet that large, but we were ready to do a few basic projects in order to move the rooms in the right direction. In the photo below, we had already updated the linoleum flooring with new tile. That helped a…
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Crossing the Atlantic: What Happened to the Ships John Ganon and Olympus?
Emigration by Sea When James and Isabella Wood emigrated to Texas in 1851, they set sail from Liverpool, England bound for New Orleans, Louisiana. They traveled on the John Ganon, ship’s captain was Hamilton. This information is found on the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website. I found a great account of emigration from Scotland to the United States that was written by members of the Church of Latter Day Saints. Their first hand descriptions make me thankful that I didn’t cross the Atlantic by ship back in the 1800s. The Mormon saints traveling to Texas were on board the ship Olympus. There is a rendering of that ship in the…
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A. Y. Kirkpatrick Book “The Early Settlers Life in Texas”
A.Y. Kirkpatrick took the time to write a book about the early settlers life in Texas. And we are so glad he did. This book is an absolute gem! A.Y. Kirkpatrick came to what is now Hill County with his father and siblings in the late 1840s. In the book, he mentions E.S.Wyman (builder of the homestead), James and Isabella Wood, James Ransom Davis, Charles Davis, several Fraziers and many events that happened in the early years. The digital book is searchable. You are welcome! A.Y.Kirkpatrick THE EARLY SETTLERS LIFE IN TEXAS
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Laying the Ground Work for the Addition
A Solid Foundation Before we got to the point of pouring the slab, we had dirt work done, and were were still wondering if there would be a step up or a step down between the addition and the old house. We decided on a slab foundation. It is a “floating” slab, which made no sense to me. The premise is that 30+ holes would be drilled down to bedrock, rebar inserted and then the holes would be filled with concrete. On top of all that, the slab would float. Okay. There was a steady stream of cement trucks arriving on 21 June to deliver the concrete needed for the…
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Early Baptists in Texas 1884
Background Religion was an important part of the lives of early Texan settlers. When my great, great, great grandparents immigrated, they brought with them their staunch Scots Presbyterian beliefs. They joined the Presbyterian church in Milford and were buried in the Milford Cemetery…a strong indication of their affiliation with that church even until the time of their deaths. Of course, other churches moved into the area as population increased. When the Baptists traveled through, they visited Isabella and R.A. Ferguson. R.A. admittedly never joined a church, but he did refer the visitors to his wife. Isabella had been raised Presbyterian by her parents James and Isabella. However, with new churches…
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Ben Ward Purchases Land from Mr. Patton 1870s
Background This is undated and not completely filled out. Benjamin Ward was the son-in-law of James and Isabella Wood. He and his wife, Jeanette Wood Ward, bought the other siblings’ share of the homestead. Their descendants lived in the homestead until the last Ward owner, Glenn Ward, passed away in May of 2014. Jana and Jerry Burch purchased the property in January 2018. The Document State of Texas County of Hill Know All Men By These Presents: That I, J.S. Patton of the county of Morris and State of Texas for and I consideration for the sum of seventeen 50/100 dollars, to me in hand paid by Benjamin Ward…