History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 336
[7], iv-vii, [2], 10-826, [2] p., [56] leaves of plates : ill., ports. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this book.
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
of that year brought his family out and i
settled 'them. Four years later-1846-he t
died, in the sixty-fourth year of his age. His 1
life was thus spent on the frontier, and he ]
was a typical pioneer, impatient of the l
restraints of society, fond of adventure, bold, l
active, alert, a great hunter, skilled in woodcraft,
generous and hospitable. His widow
survived him many years, dying in 1871, in
the eighty-first year of her age. She was a
woman of many excellent qualities of head
and heart, and left a lasting impress upon
the lives and character of her children. Of
these there were eight who reached maturity:
William Suel Goodhue, whose name heads
this sketch; Temperance who -was twice married,
first to John Waites, of Tennessee, and
secondly to William Eichelberger, of this
State; Margaret, who married L. P. Standifer;
Greenberry J.; Cary, the wife of John
McLennan; John T.; Thomas Benton; and
Nancy, who was first the wife of James
Sampson, and then of B. F. Ackerman.
The only one of these now living is William
Snel Goodhue Wilson, the subject of
this sketch. He was reared in Morgan
county, Alabama, being brought up on the
farm. He was in his twenty-second year
when his parents moved to Texas. He
accompanied them, and being the eldest son
a large share of the responsibilities of the removal
fell on his shoulders. What those
responsibilities were the average person of
this day can hardly understand. A journey
of 600 or 700 miles through a practically
unbroken wilderness was not to be undertaken
without some thoughtful preparation,
.nor successfully performed without many
vicissitudes and trying experiences. The trip
occupied six weeks, and Mr. Wilson relates
as one of the most cheerless recollections of
it that the weather was wretched, rain fallingincessantly from the day they started until
they reached their destination. For a week
the sun was never seen, and the roads in
places became impassable with frozen mud
and slush. Upon one occasion a treacherous
bridge over which they were crossing a
swollen stream gave way, and he with a fivehorse
team and wagon was precipitated into
the waters and narrowly escaped drowning.
Similar mishaps and hardships were of daily
occurrence.
After the family was settled in Robertson
county Mr. Wilson was busily employed
looking after the stock, crop and negroes.
He came with the family to Milam county
in 1842, and settled on the homestead which
his father had selected. The death of his
father soon afterward threw upon him the
exclusive management of the place with the
additional task of assisting his mother in the
rearing of his younger brothers and sisters.
He met his obligations in this capacity in a
most becoming manner, denying himself
many pleasures which were natural and
proper for his age in order that he might the
more faithfully discharge his duties to those
around him and dependent on him.
August 9, 1859, he 'married, taking an
helpmate in the person of Lizzie Ledbetter, a
daughter of Isaac and Julia Ledbetter, then
of Milam county but originally from Rutherford
county, Tennessee. Mrs. Wilson's parents
moved to Texas in 1853, and took up
their residence in this county. She was born
in Rutherford county, Tennessee, as were
also her parents,-her father in 1814, and
her mother in 1824. These died in Milam
county, the father on March 14, 1861, and
the mother on July 20, 1863. Mrs. Wilson
is one of eleven children, seven of whom became
grown, she being the eldest of the
number. Her eldest brother, Henry C.,
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History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. (Book)
Book containing a brief overview of the state of Texas and more specific focus on six specific counties, with extensive biographical sketches about persons related to the history of those places. An alphabetical index of persons who are included follows the table of contents at the front of the book.
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Lewis Publishing Company. History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties., book, 1893; Chicago, Illinois. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29785/m1/356/?rotate=180: accessed April 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.