Pioneers: Wasson, Milam, Stinson, Hasson, Morris Families, Winn Parish, LA Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** From: Winn Parish Enterprise News-American: August 23, 30; September 20, 27, 1989 Winn Parish Past Tense Articles 220, 221, 224, 225 by Staff Historians No. 220 Names of these six Wassons (shown in photo) not identified in order are: Ida Emelia, Nelly Ruby, Laura DeWare, Kate Marie, Eula Mae, and Lydia Avis. No. 221 This article concerns more Wasson family history sent by Mrs. Patricia Wasson McCain, daughter of Winn Parish natives, the late George W. "Peaches" and Opal Prince Wasson. Pat McCain sent copy of Harley B. Bozeman's Article No. 89 (date unknown) in which Mr. Bozeman interestingly wrote, under a heading:"The John Milam and John M. Wasson Families-Came To Winn Parish More Than 100 Years Ago-From Rocky Red Hills of Talladega County, Alabama-West of Dodson, On Big Creek-They Found The Promised Land of Their Dreams. "Recently I received a letter from Miss Ruth Haigler of Jonesboro...Miss Haigler said she was attempting to collect data about her family's history, and asked me if I could be of assistance in giving certain information concerning her grandfather, John M. Wasson, and about what mail route road passed his old home place on the high bluffs of Big Creek about 2 « miles southwest of Dodson. "About half mile north of the old Wasson home, the Winnfield-Gansville public road crossed Big Creek. The crossing was known as the Wasson Ford or Wasson Crossing. "Since getting Miss Haigler's letter, I recall several conversations I had with J. B. "Bude" Milam, Sr., in 1935 about the Milam and Wasson families moving overland from Talladega County, Alabama to Big Creek west of Dodson about 1854-56. "...He said back in Alabama an aunt of his named Nancy Milam married a mahn named Sam Dean. That this young couple got the 'Texas Fever' and headed west. Coming down the old Monroe-Natchitoches Road in the Big Creek area of the newly created parish of Winn, they found a country that looked like paradise to them. Here they stopped. "He said the Deans were so impressed that they wrote relatives back in Alabama saying they had found a real 'Promised Land' here in Winn Parish, and invited all their Talladega County friends to come join them. "Among the first to heed the Deans' call were J. B. "Bude" Milam's parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Milam, and his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. John M. Wasson. According to Mr. Bude Milam, they loaded up their 'household plunder onto their wagons,' said goodbye to the poor rocky red hills of Talladega County, Alabama, and headed for Winn Parish. "Mr. Bude Milam said after the John Milam and John M. Wasson families got to Winn Parish, and 'stuck camp' his father, John Milam, and his uncle, John M. Wasson, scouted the country for home site locations. John Milam chose a location for his home site on the high bluff of Big Creek about a mile west of where Dodson now is. A little over a mile downstream, on another high Big Creek bluff, John M. Wasson built his home place." As Mrs. McCain had suggested, Mrs. Bertha Mixon Stovall of Dodson, a cousin of the six Wasson daughters pictured in last week's photo (Past Tense Article No. 220), Mrs. Stovall could readily identify the Wasson sisters. They are: 1) Ida Wasson (Mrs. John T. Finley), 2) Ruby Wasson (Mrs. Ed Norgress), 3) Laura Wasson (Mrs. Darnell/Mrs. David Henderson), 4) Kate Wasson (Mrs. M. L. Meador), 5) Eula Wasson (Mrs. Joe Ford/Mrs. W. W. Curry), 6) Avis Wasson (Mrs. Steve Norris). Staff historians have more to share on this pioneer Wasson family of Winn Parish. Remember, if anyone can add to Mrs. McCain's collection of memorabilia, please contact her: Mrs. Pat McCain, 100 Northgate Court, Hot Springs, Ark. 71013 Article No. 224 As Staff Historians previously mentioned in this column, Mrs. Louise Stinson of Dallas, Texas wrote concerning the Milam and Wasson family connections. She sent along with her letter of September 7 a copy of Harley B. Bozeman's Winn Parish As I Have Known It, his article 290, printed in this newspaper on September 27, 1962 in which he published in full a letter he had received (dated September 14, 1962) from Mrs. Louise Wasson Walker of Monroe, La. The letter to Mr. Bozeman read in part: "I am writing in behalf of my brother and myself. We are Stanley E. Wasson and Louise Wasson Walker, both natives of Winn Parish, but now living in Monroe, Louisiana. We are the son and daughter of Silas E. Wasson and Annie Stinson Wasson. We are the grandson and granddaughter of John Mills Wasson and John Stinson, both of Ward Four, Winn Parish, as you know. "You listed the names of those who were granted United States Land Patents in Township 13 North, Range 3 West, and Range 4 West, Winn Parish, Louisiana, before the Civil War, in Article 287. The names of several members of our family appear on the list, one grandfather, one great grandfather, and other members of the family. "Our grandfather listed is John Mills Wasson. Also listed is the name John T. Milam. The wife of John T. Milam, Elizabeth K. Wasson Milam, was the sister of John Mills Wasson. "On the Stinson side of the house we found the name of Alphonso Stinson, father of John Stinson. We also found the names of Alexander T. Stinson, brother of Alphonso T. Stinson, and William Tanner, whose wife was Harriet Stinson Tanner, sister of Alphonso and Alexander Stinson. "The father of Alphonso Stinson, Alexander T. Stinson, and Harriett Stinson Tanner was Archibald Stinson, Sr., who moved to Louisville (Gansville) with his sons some time in the late 1840s or early 1850s. He lived there with them until his death. He was born in Virginia on July 13, 1773, during the American Revolution, and died at Louisville, Louisville on April 28, 1864 during the Civil War at the age of ninety years. He is buried in the Siloam Baptist Church Cemetery there. His tomb can be seen giving dates of his birth and death. He was a citizen and resident there for a number of years, but his name is not listed as one of those who received land grants. We have no family record of him ever having acquired land there. He had reached an advanced age before he moved to Louisiana,, and must have been content to let the land in the family be acquired in the names of his children. "The wife of John Stinson was Mary Julia Hasson Stinson, born near Old Vernon in what is now Jackson Parish, Louisiana, on October 17, 1848. She was the daughter of Adam H. Hasson and Annis Isabel Spear Hasson. Adam M. Hasson was the uncle of Caroline Hasson, the first wife of John Oliver Morris and the mother of William H. Morris. The name of John O. Morris is also on the list. "Several others listed were friends of our people, and some who were listed were connected with our family by marriage. So you see we will have more than a casual interest in the series of articles which you plan to publish in the near future about these pioneer families and their descendants. "Silas Edward Wasson and Annis Stinson Wasson, our parents, left a small collection of family documents which they kept through the years. We have the collection just as they left it. It consists of several United States Land Patents. Patent receipts, handwritten copies of deeds, and Tax Receipt. We have the appointments of John Mills Wasson to the Winn Parish School Board and of John Stinson to the Winn Parish Police Jury. We also have the obituaries of John Mills Wasson and of John Stinson, as published in the Dodson Times and Winnfield News-American. We have the handwritten original Family Record of John Mills Wasson and Elizabeth Holmes Wasson. "Our father also left a map which may be more than ordinary interest. It is a Soil Survey Map of Winn Parish. It has printed in the top margin, 'U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau of Soils, Milton Whitney, Chief, Soil Map, Louisiana, Winn Parish Sheet.' In the bottom margin is printed, 'Soils Surveyed by Thomas A. Caine, H. L. Belden, L. L. Lee, and J. W. Hall, Base Map from U. S. Geological Survey Sheet, Field Operations, Bureau of Soils, 1907.' The Soil Profile is given in the left margin and the Map Legend in the right. "We treasure this map for our father's sake, but after reading one of your earlier articles, No. 34, we wonder if it might be of interest to others outside the family. We would like to ask your opinion about it." Article No. 225 As stated in previous recent articles, Staff Historians received from Mrs. Patricia Wasson McCain (110 Northgate Circle, Hot Springs, Ark., 71913) a considerable amount of information on her Winn Parish connections. Included was a brief biological sketch concerning her father, George Wasson, from which we quote, as follows: "Biographical Sketch: George Wasson was born in Winnfield, Louisiana on August 14, 1908. He was graduated from Winnfield High School in 1926. "For three years, 1926-1929, he traveled over Louisiana and East and South Texas working with a seismographic crew in early oil exploration. "From 1929 to 1932 George attended Texas A & M and Texas A & I. While at Texas A & I he lived with the Mayfield family at the Mayfield Hotel in El Campo, working at the hotel to pay his expenses. "In July of 1933, he entered the CCC Camp two and one-half miles north of Sikes. After the CCC Camp disbanded, George remained in Sikes, working as a rural mail carrier for three years. On December 27, 1936, he and Opal Prince married. "In 1940, he returned to Louisiana Tech and finished his degree. He taught 6th grade, high school science and math, and coached girls' basketball until he joined the army in 1943. During the war, he served in the Army Air Corps where he was trained as a weather technician. At the end of the war, he continued his career with the U. S. Weather Bureau, serving as weather observer at Adams Field in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Wassons had two daughters after moving to Little Rock. They now have three grandchildren." Pat McCain added that her parents resided at Riley's Oak Hill Manor in Little Rock and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on December 27, 1986 before their deaths. In a postscript, she mentions that their celebration was with a trip to visit Opal's sister and brother in law, Loyce and Pete Arledge, whose wedding was mentioned in the journal, and Opal's sister, Jewel Wiggins. The Arledge celebrated their 50th anniversary in December 1987 but were killed in a car-train crash in January, 1988. Opal Wasson died quietly in her sleep October 25, 1987. George suffered a stroke in December 1987 and died of pneumonia February 22, 1988. Quoted herewith are two entries from George Wasson's daily "Diary" kept while living in Sikes. "1/1/37-was married on Dec. 27th at Bro. Stokes' Church. Pete (Arledge), Jewel (Opal's sister), witnessed. Went to Monroe and came back Monday. Saw a show and purchased furniture at Wards, $ 187. Came home and waited until Wednesday night before things came. Moved in Thursday (in a small house abandoned by the C. C. Camp site) and spent the first night at home Dec. 31st. Round today (Jan. 1st mail route) had a flat and gave out of gas. Ate first meal at home tonite. Went down to Melvin's (neighbor) and hear that LSU had lost to Santa Clara 21-7. Pitt beat Washington 21-0. Cow got out and went to Simons. Shall go after her tomorrow. Roads were wet today but made it OK." "«/37-Saturday. Rained last night hard but roads were not bad. Had lots of mail today-catalogs. Bud Talbot told me that the pickets around the house were not paid for. Moved today and went after the cow. Colder tonight. Opal stayed home and sewed today. Made curtains. The radio is good tonight. Went to Melvin's tonight and got milk and butter." Staff historians and Mrs. McCain hope readers will be interested in George Wasson's daily journal which reflects daily living during the time covered. Mrs. McCain further states that she continues to be interested in life in Winn and Jackson Parishes and will welcome correspondence from anyone sharing her interest.