Family Genealogy Research
Please find my collection of genealogy materials organized by family surname in the following pages. Some of the research I inherited from my grandmother, Carrie Jean Goodman Ferguson and other materials I have found either in courthouses, old houses, books, or on the Internet. The surnames I research are: Anderson, Cockerham, Evans, Ferguson, Goodman, Potter, Thomas, and Wood. I have other families that I research who are closely related to mine. They are Ward, Patterson, Frazier, and Davis. Enjoy! And let me know if you have something to add or correct!
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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…
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Lillias Park Ferguson Letter to Jeanette Wood Ward July 28, 1869
Background Lillias Park was orphaned when her parents, William and Frances Park died in Leon County on the journey to Ft. Graham. Lillias and her brother, Archibald, raised by the Woods and their other siblings, William and David were raised by the Ridgeway family. Lillias married R. A. Ferguson‘s nephew, John Ferguson. When Lillie speaks of Aunt Isabella, she is referring to her adoptive sister Isabella who married John Ferguson’s uncle R.A. Sorry if this is confusing, I didn’t do the matchmaking. The Letter July 28, 1869 Dear Jeannette or Jennette, I will commence an answer to your letter which I received on the 18th of this month. We…
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Archibald Park (adopted son of James and Isabella Wood) to Isabella Wood 22 Jan 1864
Background Archibald Park emigrated to Texas with his parents, William and Frances Park and his two brothers: David and William, and sister, Lillias. Unfortunately, his parents became ill in Leon County at the same time that the Wood family became ill. William and Frances Park died along with three of the Wood’s children. Mrs. Isabella Wood wrote a letter back to Mrs. Frances Park’s parents in Scotland letting them know what had happened and asking for direction on what should be done with the children. Ultimately, David and William Park were adopted by the Ridgeway family. The Woods raised Archie and Lillias. Archie died in the Civil War. Lillias married…
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James “Squire Jim” Ferguson’s Account of Their Trip to California
Background We’ve all heard about Robert Andrew Ferguson’s exploits as a cowboy. He helped tame the wild West, had more horses under brand than any man in the world, and was one of the wealthiest men in Hill County. Before all of that, he was a young man in Gaston County, North Carolina when opportunity in the way of a gold rush in California came knocking. Gold was discovered on January 24, 1848 at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California. The news of the discovery of gold was first announced in San Francisco by a newspaper publisher in March of 1848. Evidently, he walked through the streets with a vial of gold…
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Ferguson Men and the California Gold Rush – George P. Ferguson Account
Background Four Ferguson men left Gaston County, NC for the California gold fields in 1849. They were James “Squire Jim” Ferguson, his son William; Squire Jim’s nephew, Robert Andrew Ferguson, and Alfred Hall Ferguson, son of George W. Ferguson. The following was written by Alfred H. Ferguson’s brother George Porter Ferguson. He lived in Hillsboro, Hill County, Texas for a number of years and certainly knew R.A. Ferguson as they did not live far apart. It is interesting that George P. Ferguson states that his brother, Alfred, died in California. This is not true. Alfred remained in California until his death in January of 1909. A quick search for our…