Texas Historical Commission – Marker Research Workshop

Join the Texas Historical Commission (THC) and learn to research and apply for an Official Texas Historical Marker for your community. This free workshop will provide an overview of important historical research fundamentals, as participants walk through a sample historical marker application and a sample narrative. The presentation encourages consideration of the elements which comprise successful marker applications. Topics include historical significance and integrity, conducting research, primary vs. secondary sources, research tools, writing the narrative, and the roles of the THC and county historical commissions (CHCs) in the application process.
This FREE Official Texas Historical Marker research workshop will be conducted by: Sarah McCleskey, Historian, Historical Markers Program, History Programs Division, Texas Historical Commission, P.O. Box 12276, Austin, Texas 78711-2276, (512) 463-4149, http://www.thc.state.tx.us,
When: Sat Jun 8, 2013 1pm – 3:30pm Central Time
Where: Quitman Public Library, Quitman TX

Thanks to members Delene Allen and Dorothy Harbin for sharing this information with us.

Query: Price

I am looking for any information your library might have on my GG Grandparents :

James Berry PRICE – Son of Gerry David Price and Phoebe PUTNAM
born: 7 March 1851 in Cowetta County, Georgia died: 4 Aug 1921 in Wood County, Texas
and he married –

Ellen Catherine BANKS – daughter of Ezekiel M Banks and Thursa BENTON
born: 17 Oct 1853 in Cowetta County, Georgia
died: 24 July 1896 in Wood County, Texas

I know they are buried in the PRICE CEMETERY. I had heard there is a Price house (historical maybe)Any information on their family would be greatly appreciated. Obituaries, marriage, birth information..anything.

Their children were:
James Robert Price 1878 – 1879
Georgia Odella Price 1879 – 1879
Mittie Bartha Price – she is my Great Grandmother who married 21 Feb 1897 Belford Eldrige THOMPSON (Bud or B E) 6 March 1880 – 31 May 1951
Henry Virgle Price 1882 – 1885
Mary Addie Price 1887 – 1965
Martha Ellen Mattie Price 1889 – 1912
David Fowler Price 1894 – 1895
Charlie Leath Price 1894 – 1957

Thank you very much for your time and efforts in this search.
Karla HARDY (kocean4@yahoo.com)

Query: Siceluff

My name is David Hull, and I am affiliated with the Kirkpatrick Family Archive in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. We are doing research on Mary Julia Siceluff whose mother, Sarah (Ritchie) Siceluff (later Hedrick) was married to Samuel Siceluff. Apparently, the Siceluff family was familiar with the Haines family as well in the area.

I am going to be visiting Quitman with the hope of researching the various outlets available for ascertaining as much genealogical information as possible in a couple of days. Would you advise me regarding court records, land grants, and locating other historical documents? Any other locations you might recommend? I appreciate your time and assistance greatly.

Burnam Reunion

Anyone interested in the Burnam family reunion in June at Holman, Texas can contact kenburnam@yahoo.com for details.

FREE Confederate Record Access in April

Thanks to Upfront With NGS, a publication by the National Genealogical Society, and its Diane Richard, for the reminder that Fold3.com is making all its Confederate military records free to access during the month of April.

Re: Queries Allison & Rushing & Hood

Member Mark Reid shared this research on three recent queries:

Query: Allison
A J. B. Allison m. Juanita L. Harris 6 Nov 1933.
Query: Rushing
No Horn female married to a male Rushing in our marriage records.
Query: Hood
No appropriately named HOOD persons in our cemetery books.
All I could find quickly.
Mark Reid

Member-only Pages Moving to a New Private Site

The member-only WCGSTX pages which have been accessed are being moved to a new site because our old host (Posterous) is closing April 30, 2013. All new member-only posts will be available at http://wcgstxarchives.wordpress.com/. This is a private site for members-only which will not require a password. ( However, you will need to set up a WordPress .com username.) (NOTE: you will have to have a wordpress user name, but you DO NOT HAVE TO SET UP YOUR  OWN BLOG.) Only members who receive an invitation email from our private page (sent from WordPress) will have access to the page. Some of the older Posterous-hosted items which were imported to the new WordPress page will display normally. Some may require to click the link to that item. Some may require you to press first a READ MORE button and then the link. Newer items should display normally. Probably, we will find some more differences, please let us know at wcgstx@gmail.com if you find one.

Genealogy Road Show Help at Quitman Tuesday, April 2

The final session of the 2013 spring genealogy Road Show by the Wood County Genealogical Society (WCGSTX) is Tuesday, April 2 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Quitman Public Library. This free session to help those new to family tree searching or those stuck on family tree brick walls has previously been held at the Mineola, Winnsboro, Hawkins, and Alba libraries.

WCGSTX members help with research tips, local book resources, and online researching of free and for pay sites and services such as Ancestry.com, HeritageQuest, and FamilySearch.com.

Below are some pictures of members helping researchers from the Winnsboro road show earlier in March.

Back row (L-R)
(WCGS) Deason Hunt, (WCGS) Ronnie Vance, (WCGS) Shirley Bates, Michael Alford, Bill Jones, Vickie Friday Martin
Seated left table: Bob Maushardt, Mary Kae Maushardt,
Seated middle table: Lewis Lamb, (WCGS) Shirley Patrick
Seated right table: Sherry Gibson, Alethea Philips

Query: Montgomery

My name is Regina Montgomery. I am doing research on the Montgomery family. Do you have access to probate records or death certificates on microfiche for Jack and Hester Montgomery?

According to the 1880 Federal Census Jack and Hester Montgomery settled in Precinct 1, Wood County, with their seven children. Jack owned his farm.

I believe Jack died between 1900 and 1910 because Hester is noted as a widow on the 1910 Federal Census. She is accounted for on the 1920 Census (age 77).

Thank you,

Regina Montgomery <regmontr@aol.com>

Query: Allison

We are searching for the family of our great grandfather, John R. Allison b. 1844 or 45 in PA by his account on the 1880 US census). John R. seems to have been consistent in the use of the middle initial R.
John R. probably came to Texas sometime after 1870. According to 1880 US census he’s living in Precinct 5 of Wood Co., Texas with wife Mary Catherine (Evans) and baby, Annie B. Allison. His occupation is “sawyer”. In the same year we find John R. in an agricultural census, same neighborhood.
According to the US Appointment of Postmasters he is postmaster in Hawkins, Wood County in 1892.We have found no record of him after this. His wife appears to have died in 1884 and his children are living with maternal aunts in Alvord, Wise Co. in 1900 (US census).
What we would like to find is confirmation of his life previous to this and to know who his parents were. We have found a John R. Allison with a matching birthdate in the 1850 and 1870 US censuses of Greencastle, Franklin, PA and some military records indicating he was at Big Wichita, Texas.
What we are wondering is if Wood County might hold some records that can help us flesh out his life and help us locate him and his family in Pennsylvania with some certainty. A big break through would be great and every little bit helps flesh out the picture.
Thanks so much,
Stella Allison <stellaallison@yahoo.com>