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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…
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Jane Patterson Letter to Mr. Doak March 19, 1878
Background Poor Jane! She finds herself widowed for the second time and is writing to Mr. Doak for help locating his brother. S.C. Doak was teaching school in the area and was boarding with Jane and John Patterson. He left his trunk with all his books and papers and Jane has lost track of him. She is urgently looking for him as he did not pay her the money for his room and board and Jane is in need of the money. I have another letter that John Patterson wrote to Mr. Doak on the same subject. The Letter Brandon, Hill Co. March 19th 1878 Mr. Doak, Dear Sir,…
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Renick and Frazier Document October 15, 1872
Background This is the Renick and Frazier business. George Renick and James C. Frazier are the owners. James C. Frazier is Monroe Frazier’s brother. The original document has all of the blanks you see below. The information isn’t filled out so this may have been a preliminary document that needed to be filled out. The Document RENICK & FRAZIER Oct. 15, 1872 __________ of R.A. Ferguson and J.R. Davis a note for the balance of the purchase money for a tract of land sold for the heirs of James Wood ___________________ in Paluxy in Erath County said note ________ on the ______ day of 1872 due _____________my with per…
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Isabella Ferguson Letter to George Renick 9 September 1878
Background I believe that George Renick is the business partner of James C. Frazier. These men ran Renick and Frazier and seem to do land transactions. I don’t know if they were real estate agents or surveyors or lawyers who specialized in land transactions. I am sure if we lay all of their documents out, we could maybe tell. James C. Frazier is the brother to Monroe Frazier, husband of Jane Wood Frazier (by this time, Patterson), the sister of Isabella Ferguson. In this letter we see that R.A. is “out west” and won’t be home for three months. The boys, Robert and Jimmie, are most likely Isabella and R.A.’s…
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John M. Patterson Loyalty Statement to the United States of America 1869
Background John M. Patterson emigrated in the same group as the Wood and Park families from Scotland to Texas in 1851. John Patterson served in the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy. After the War, John married Jane M. Wood Frazier, a daughter of James and Isabella Wood. Jane’s first husband was Monroe Frazier, but he enlisted in the Confederate Army, became ill, and died all in a matter of months. John M. Patterson is buried in the Milford Cemetery near James and Isabella Wood, his mother and father-in-law. The Document United States of America The State of Texas, County of Hill I, John Patterson, do solemnly…