Texas... who'da believed it

the wild world of the internet have led me to the wilds of a 19th century Northeast TX colony. I mean really? But it just seems like people were willing to try and risk ALOT in those days. I also suspect they often were sold fools gold and made the best of it too, but hey. So I was hunting around old posts on Rootsweb under one or the other Counties in MO that we had family in and I came across a post about the Andersons. My families Andersons. So I fired off an e-mail to the poster. She told me quite a story. In point of reference... if you look at my last post with pictures of James Campbell, you see his first wife Rebecca. She's the stern looking one ;) Rebecca was an Anderson.

The story she told me goes as follows. Rebecca's Uncle and shortly thereafter her Grandparents went down to settle TX around 1846. This was during the time Texas was the Republic of Texas, and they settled in a place called the Peters Colony. TX was eager to bring in settlement, and offered 320 acres to a family or 160 to a single male. This was doled out by the colony 'empresarios' who were under contract to encourage the settlment. The land of the Peters Colony was good, but the Comanche weren't real welcoming (and who can blame them).

Later, back in MO during the civil war, a serious riff developed in the family between those who favored the Union and those who favored the South. Well, Rebeccas father Andrew (who would be my GGG Grandfather) was one of the latter, and according to the story things got so hot he had to run from a Unionist posse called by one of his daughters (could it have been Rebecca? Don't know) and left to join his brother and parents in TX. Obviously this is a family story thats hard to corroberate but wow.

There is a large contingent of Andersons that lived in and remain in Dallas County.



So I've some reading to do on this part of TX and this family, I've already ordered a family genealogy I should be receiving soon. But the world gets even smaller... this woman who told me all this married a Campbell, who may very well also be related, he is checking on some of the names I mentioned LOL.

Road Trip

Road Trip

so Minda and I took a road trip to MT. Part of the goal was to pick up some family photos that have been in a chest for quite some time. The trip was great. We had an awesome time visiting family, seeing Glacier park, ect. And wow... the pictures. I've started scanning some. Not only was it wonderful to see faces...it also felt like a confirmation of what I'd been digging up. Yes... I was right that James Campbell was my Great Great Grandpa. Wow there is his second wife (whom I just happened to stumble across) and their son Clay (whom was born when James was 72, hey if Tony Randall could do it why couldn't James Campbell, but as a point of reference Clay was born 7 years after his half-nephew, my Grandpa Charlie). Look at my Grandma and her sisters... and much more.

I do not have everything scanned but I'd like to share some.

Returning to James Campbell I thought I'd throw this out.
you tell me... I think there are three different women in these photos, and if thats the case I missed a wife LOL. What do you think?

love the old pictures so much.

I think my favorite find was this one of my Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Elsie.



I would say they were pretty stylin for Great Falls, MT

I looked and looked at these pics and I THINK I've figured out a pic of Grandpas parents, Marion and Anna.



and I also THINK I've figured out a pic of Grandmas parents (actually there are several), Fred and Bertha.



I think its quite instructive about our family that my Grandpa kept pictures of his schools ... and even a favorite teacher (which I'm not including)

first Green City, MO



then Blaine, MT



There is much more. But I'll leave it at this for now.