Gateway to Texas: The History of Orange and Orange County Page: 31
This book is part of the collection entitled: Texas History Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the UNT Libraries.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Gilbert Stephenson
Gilbert Stephenson was born December 24,
1809. Judge T. J. Russell stated that Stephenson
told him that he arrived on the east bank of the
Neches River on Christmas Eve, 1824, and
camped for the night. His camping place was
about a hundred yards from where his house af-
terwards stood. He had been born and reared in
east Louisiana, and when he started west to hunt
a new home he crossed the Sabine River above
where the city of Orange now flourishes, at a
place subsequently known as "LeDue's Farry"
(or Ballew's). He came in afoot to his camping
place, crossing the northern part of both Adams
Bayou and Cow Bayou. He claimed that there
was not a single white man or Indian living in
the territory now known as Orange County.
There were no cattle or other stock. It was a
primitive wilderness. He later petitioned for and
received a league of land from the Republic ofANGLO-AMERICAN SETTLEMENT
Texas on December II, ISI. The 1840 census of
Jefferson County stated he had 4,428 acres of
land, 25 cattle and one horse.
Florence Stratton, in her book, The Story of
Beaumont (1925), stated that Beaumont's first ro-
mance and marriage was between Miss Mary
Tevis, oldest daughter of Noah and Nancy Tevis,
and Gilbert Stephenson. They married Novem-
ber 27, 1837, in the old Tevis home located just
above what is now the Southern Pacific bridge.
Stratton describes the scene:
The log house with mud chimney was the setting
for Beaumont's first marriage. Huge logs blazed on
the hearth dispelling the November chill and throwing
into relief the rugged features and horny hands of the
pioneer men and women assembled to wish the young
couple happiness. Homespun frocks and sunbonnet,
long hickory shirt and coonskin cap were the features
of the wedding costumes of bride and groom, and
their wedding guests were similarly attired, as pio-31
neering permitted little variety in dress. Afterwards,
there was a feast and the Tevis table groaned under the
weight of venison, bear steak, wild turkey, (and) ducks
right out of Mr. Tevis's own back yard. The health of
the bride was pledged in Neches River water. They
were married by bond and later by priest and license
on December i6, 1837.
The i8so Census revealed that Gilbert was 39;
Mary, his wife, was 32. His grant of land was
bounded on the west by the Neches River and
on the south by his brother William's land. To
the east lay his father John's plot. Mary died on
April Io, i88o. Gilbert had previously expired on
August I9, 1878. His will (probated in Orange
County) disclosed that he had also inherited ap-
proximately a fourth of his father's headright.
This property was distributed equally to his sur-
viving wife and children.
Dr. Howard C. Williams
Dorothy Meadows
Loren LeBlanc
Dorothy Couser
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
Williams, Howard C. Gateway to Texas: The History of Orange and Orange County, book, 1988; Orange, Tex.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth39146/m1/49/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .