MAPPY MONDAY

During the years in Texas, my great-grandfather and his family lived in Valley View, Cooke county where my Papa Harvey H Pickens was born, Sanger Texas in Denton county and then to Purcell, McClain county Oklahoma.

Arkansas to Texas to Oklahoma

It seems they took a straight path to Oklahoma. Previous to this, Harvey H the g-g grandfather lived in Lamar Texas as well. I found them in the 1880 census there with wife and several children. Although, before they came to Texas, they were in Arkansas, a strange route to take. All I can figure is there was family in southern Texas. I have yet to find who that would be. They lived in both Bradley and Columbia counties Arkansas, which are closer to the northeast corner of Texas. Another mystery to solve. Ancestor William Pickens died in Bradley county Arkansas in 1860. No record in a cemetery though, at last I tried. Only the mortality index. Harvey H and Sarah F Smith must have married between the two counties in Arkansas during the years 1862-1865 . Their first child was born in 1865. I can find no marriage record online. Time to ask for some volunteers in Arkansas!!

KIRKPATRICK AND PICKENS UNION

1790 CENSUS MECKLENBURG NORTH CAROLINA

In my records, I have that William Pickens married Nancy Craig. Their son, Capt. Samuel Pickens married Eleanor Kirkpatrick. Both families can be found in the 1790 census of Mecklenburg North Carolina. Eleanor was the daughter of Valentine Kirkpatrick and Martha McMurray. There is a book on the descendants of Valentine Kirkpatrick. 

It appears that in 1850, Captain Samuel Pickens and Eleanor were living in Lowndes county, Alabama. They had three children, James Valentine, William H and Lloyd Allison. William would be my 3rd great-grandfather. He married Julie Ann Brown in Lowndes county in 1841.  All I have on William is that he died in Bradley Arkansas in 1860. I can find no record of his family with him in 1850. It is possible they were in route to Arkansas at this time, through Mississippi.

Name:	Eleanor Kirkpatrick
Spouse:	Samuel Pickens
Marriage Date:	4 Feb 1803
Marriage County:	Cabarrus
Marriage State:	North Carolina
Source Vendor:	County Court Records at Concord, NC
Source:	County Court Records at Concord, NC

SURNAME SATURDAY

SMITH

Such a common name.

English: occupational name for a worker in metal, from Middle English smith (Old English , probably a derivative of smitan ‘to strike, hammer’). Metal-working was one of the earliest occupations for which specialist skills were required, and its importance ensured that this term and its equivalents were perhaps the most widespread of all occupational surnames in Europe.

My ancestor that was Smith, was Sarah F Smith of Georgia. She married Harvey H Pickens. Her father was William Pinkney Smith and mother Mary Ann Berry. Sarah was born in Oglethorpe county Georgia in 1845. They travelled west through Arkansas. Somewhere along the way, she met my great great grandfather, married in Arkansas, ended up in Texas. They were shown in the 1870 census in Smith, Columbia county Arkansas. Children were Leonidas, Mary A and Josephine. Later in the 1880 census, they were in Lamar county Texas. At that time, there were living with them, children Agnes, James Harvey ( my g grandfather ) Julie E and Tommie. Josephine ( Josie ) is still with them, Leonidas has moved on and Mary A is no longer there with them in 1880. I have  death date of 1880, need to research that some more.

Sarah F Smith’s father, William Pinkney Smith died in 1888.

WILLIAM PINKNEY SMITH

I have Mary Ann Berry Smith living with Sarah and Harvey H. in 1900 Cooke county Texas. I can not find a record of Mary Berry Smith’s death in Texas. She was 76 at the time of the 1900 census.

TEXAS THURSDAY

Everyone went to Texas….

Or so it seems. Many of my ancestors made their way west, to north Texas. Some family began in Georgia, though probably not originally, others from Alabama, by way of Tennessee. In a round about way, they ended up there, and I ended up in Alabama, where my 2nd great grandfather Harvey H Pickens was born. I am much interested in going to north Texas, Fannin county and Cooke county. I found found many headstones and death certificates that traces my ancestors to that region. I posted once, “Go West Young Man.” . Many of the people who migrated did do for the land and the fact that Texas was a republic. Several ethnic groups found themselves in Texas. The first would be of Asiatic descent down to the Irish and Scottish. That’s where I come into the picture. My family is predominantly Irish and Scottish.                                                                 Harvey Pickens was born in Alabama in 1845. He married Sarah F Smith from Georgia. They married in Texas somewhere I think. Stick with me here…..their son James Harvey married Alice LIndell Davidson, daughter of Mary Lumnia Sullivan of Texas ( parents came in through Alabama, Perry county ) and Hiram Isaac Davidson of , yes, Alabama. So, as you can see, they all went through Alabama, and henceforth, here I am , in Alabama. My ancestors came from Alabama, to Arkansas to the Red River in north Texas. There they moved around, some to Oklahoma and a few married and moved to Arkansas. But, it always come back to Alabama.

I have little of those times in the way of photographs, but, I do have photos of the headstones of many, thanks to some willing volunteers.

PICKENS IN OKLAHOMA

Where is My Next Adventure?

Looking for some help on where I should go next. Like I have said before, you go on one trip, you want another. I have a few fairly local choices…..

Lauderdale county, to look into the Davidson family. They came to Alabama from Tennessee, then migrated to , of course, Texas. Didn’t everyone. Davison married into Pickens in Texas.

Then , I have Lowndes County Alabama, to search fro Pickens. This would be to get whatever information I could on William H. Pickens and Julie Ann Brown, married in Lowndes Feb 28, 1841. I have William H ( I am guessing the H stands for Harvey, it’s all around our family) and family moving to Arkansas, in both Columbia and Bradley counties. Then , they moved to Texas. Surprise! William H son is Harvey H, whom I have found as living in Texas several years, then moving to Oklahoma. The 1850-1860 years seem to be misplaced. I can’t find any of them, but, Wiliam H dies 1860 in Arkaknsas.

And the next location, is back to Georgia, to Irwin and Dougherty counties. Still some gaps to be filled on Mamie. The first Mamie. Wife of John R McCall, mother of Mary Alva, Clifford Riley, Annie Clyde, Labert, Carl H, Yvonne, Joseph and Blanch. This family was a little confused on male and female names! The missing children, Labert, Carl H and Joseph, well, I am not sure where they ended living their last days. I heard Carl H was in Texas.

Texas, sounds like another trip to me!

Pickens from a Different Patch

For the longest time, I have heard we are related to General Andrew Pickens of the revolutionary War. I have tried to directly link him to our family, but, once you get to the early 1800’s, it is difficult. In my finding, my ancestors moved from North Carolina to Alabama. This was William Pickens and wife, and their three sons. Lloyd Allison , James Valentine and William H Pickens. William H Pickens being my 3rd great grandfather. The records I have of WIliam H Pickens are mostly in Alabama, showing he married Julie Ann Brown in Lowndes county, in 1841. No record of the 1850 census for him, and he died in Arkansas in 1860. I do find later records of J A Pickens ( Julie Ann Brown ) and the children having lived in Arkansas, possibly Louisiana and Fannin county Texas.

Someone was kind enough to post a picture of the headstone for Julie Ann Pickens, buried in Oakwood cemetery, Honey Grove, Fannin county Texas. She was ninety five years of age. Thanks goodness for the Texas vital records. They have one of the most complete list of death records which I found on Family Search.

Julie Ann Pickens

Go West Young Man

If your family is like everyone else, some part of your tree migrated to or from Texas or other parts west. Coincidentally, my ancestors on my father’s side all were in Texas at some point. There were many reasons people were drawn to western areas. A large part was due to the land they was undeveloped and free for the taking. The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed you to file a claim for land, plow it, dig a well live there and farm it for five years, It became yours. Other reasons to move west were the movement of railroads, cattle drives, gold mining and lack of farmland in the east. I am not certain the reasons for my ancestors going to Texas. I do know they left Alabama, went through Arkansas and Louisiana and ended up in the north Texas region known as Fannin county. And, I ended up in Alabama, go figure.