History of Isaacks Family, Cherokee County, Texas *********************************************************** Submitted by: Peggy Brock Date: 29 Jan 2010 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** I tried to transcribe this document exactly as it was written except for the width of the page and two comments I have placed inside [brackets]. Scans of the original document are located at http://www.usgwarchives.net/tx/cherokee/documents/history/isaaks-1.jpg http://www.usgwarchives.net/tx/cherokee/documents/history/isaaks-2.jpg Gina HISTORY OF ISAACKS FAMILY Written by W H Isaaks, October 14, 1938. For the benefit of the Isaacks family in general, as well as quite a bunch of my old friends, who have asked me questions about my parents and grandparents and my dad's boyhood days, as well as mother's, will try to give a brief note in a crude way of same. Will start by saying that in the year 1800, in or near the town of Edgefield District, South Caolina, my dad's father was born and in 1805 my father's mother, Sallie Glass, was born born in or near Hancock Ga. Will say that dad's father was W. H, Isaacks, and dad's name bore the same W. W. and mine is W.H. so you see the first W. is meant for William, generally dubbed as Bill, so in 1824 grandad Bill and grandma Sallie were married and in a few years moved to Texas, and located near Milam, Sabine County, Texas and lived there until 1844, and raised a family of nine children. In 1844 they moved to and settled a 33 acre tract of land 5 miles south of Jacksonville,Texas which in later years became part of the acres owned by my father or in other words the Isaacks old home place. My grandfather Isaacks was the Isaacks Mrs Roach mentioned in the book she wrote a few years ago. In the early days of Old Cherokee, Grandad Bill No. 2 was born December 3, 1836 and was about 8 years old when they moved to Cherokee with one wagon, with 4 yoke of oxens, two ponies, one of the ponies being old Ball, a little bald-faced pony, an Indian pony that grandad gave a league and labore (which is 4840 acres) of land for even, and was well pleased with his trade. They also bought about 100 head of cattle, besides hogs, sheep and goats. If not mistaken in 1849 gold was discovered in California. Dad was only 13 years old, but wanted to go and his parents were not willing, so they promised if the boom stayed on until he was 18, they would give their consent, so in 1855 the boom seemed to still be on, and he and 9 other young men went on foot from old Jacksonville to Alexander, La. took the steamboat to New Orleans, thence to Panama, by steamer crossed the Ishmus of Panama, thence by steamship to San Francisco, Calif. Tosome of the late educated this may seem somewhat scattered, but if you will be real patient, I will get there just the same and won't cut my stove wood off at both ends to make it go in the stove. Will now give a list of the names of those who went with dad on this California trip: Tom Rodgers, Frank Manuel, John Manasco [this name is hard to read], Willam Croft, and dad's brother, Fred Isaacks, Devereaux Jarrette, C.W. Tull, Cal Menasco and one other I have forgotten. Dad and his brother, and Uncle Frank Manuel were I think all that ever came back. Dad came back late in 59 and early in the strife between the States he tangled with Capt. Hood and served in the Hood's Brigade through the war and was discharged at the old stockade 3 1/2 miles north east of Tyler, where he was guarding Northern prisoners for about a year and where he met my mother, Rachel Butler. They were married about a year after his discharge, and their flock of kids numbered ten, myself being No. 4. All of dad's and mother's family are living except ??? [I can't quite make this out]. page 2 Back in my kid days the schools were different to now, my first school was in a log room 20 x 20 feet. The cracks daubed with mud, dirt floors, with punching seats and hard they were, and my first book was a blue back speller, my first promotion was to first reader, then second, then third, then fourth, then fifth, then Texas History. Yes, I forgot, old Davies Arithmetic, and if I had gotten United States History, would have been teaching school yet. Dad got 6 weeks of schooling and his dad didn't get any, so they told me. I was born in May 1873, and am proud of lots of changes that have be made since that time. My mother's people came from Mississippi in 1845. Settled seven miles from Tyler, where mother was married and she still has a brother on part of the old place in his 87th year, never lived anywhere else, his name is Hudson Butler. This league and labore of land I mentioned they told me the deed was written on a piece of dressed shepp skin and written with a goode quill pen with Black Jack ink, Ball ink, so you see there has been some changes on that line. I have heard that dad and his brother, John, who died a few years ago in California at the age of 92, tell of the first lamp, a little brass lamp that came in their neighborhood, I think about 1875. Uncle John had gotten it somewhere and asked all of his neighbors in to see it tried out, so they got them a long fishing pole, tied a piece of pine to xx the little end of it, put the lamp on a stump, and the oil burned out out and John went out, touched it off and in about 24 hours and got his lamp and in a few months all his neighbors had a lamp. Will mention that on this California trip and the four years of war dad carried a 38 cap and Ball colts six gun on each hip and a rifle on his shoulders. He let Captain Hood have one of the six-shooters, and I have the other, also the bullet molds. I also have a little three-quart tea kettle that made all these rounds. I live 4 miles north of Rusk. I am writing this mainly for such as Grandma Chesher, John Meeks, Ben Pryer, Rufe Earl, John Barnes and Cal Henderson and dozens of my dads and my old friends. Especially a cousin of mine, Arthur Rose of Alto and an old friend, Jim Fleming of Alto. Hope this can be read by lots of my old friends. With much love to all. W. H. Isaacks.