MILLICAN FAMILIES CELEBRATE 175TH YEAR, 1999, Coke County, TX

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Submitted by Mary Love Berryman - marylove@tyler.net
13 October 2001
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The Observer/Enterprise, 22 October 1999, Robert Lee, TX

MILLICAN FAMILIES CELEBRATE 175TH YEAR OF THE CONNECTION WITH THE 
STATE OF TEXAS

Bunyon Millican of Silver, Texas, Jim and Sharon Millican of Abilene, 
Texas, and John Millican of Amarillo, Texas traveled to the small
town of Millican, Texas on October 10th.  The reason was a families
celebration of the 175th year of the Millican families connection
with the State of Texas.

On July 26, 1824, the first Spanish land grant was given to the 
Millican family and the Millican community was born.  A Millican 
reunion was held to celebrate this fact with many branches of the 
family tree coming together with old photographs and stories about
the Millicans.

A researcher from Texas A & M was on hand to explain details of the 
importance of the family and Millican community to the history of
Texas.  He explained that during the Civil War the Millican community
was the only railhead in Texas and supplied the southern states with 
Texas troops and materials to help fight for the Confederacy.

The Confederate States at one time had troops stationed at Millican and
had a shoe factory to keep the troops well supplied with shoes.  At its 
height, Millican had a population of six thousand people.

The Millicans owned a ferry that would transport legislators to 
Washington on the Brazos from accross the Brazos River.  This ferry 
was also transporting supplies in our fight for independence against
the Mexican government.  It was noted that our family has had a long 
history of law enforcement with the State of Texas with various
Millicans providing the first attempt at enforcing law in Texas.

It was noted that Eliot M. Millican was the first sheriff of Brazos
County and the first doctor in the area.  He went on to serve in the
first, second, and third Texas Legislature.

Another important Millican was Robert Hemphill Millican who was in
Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred Colony.  Robert stood at seven
feet tall, weighing three hundred pounds.  It is said that he struck
fear into the Mexicans after attacking a Mexican fortress on horseback.
Robert died in the runaway scrape during Texas' fight for independence.

Time was spent with various branches of the family trying to gain more 
information in order to continue research into the Coke County 
Connections.  With all genealogy researh only time will tell.