Panola Co., TX - Bios - The Johnathan Anderson Family *********************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: East Texas Genealogical Society P O Box 6967, Tyler, TX 75711 7 October 2002 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************** PANOLA COUNTY, TX HERITAGE Originally published in the East Texas Family Records, Volume 5, Number 1, Spring, 1981, by East Texas Genealogical Society. PANOLA COUNTY HERITAGE By Leila B. LaGrone, Panola County Representative for E.T.G.S. 512 Stadium St., Carthage, TX 75633 THE JOHNATHAN ANDERSON FAMILY Jonathan Anderson, son of Wyatt Anderson, was the grandson of Bailey Ander- son, Sr., who settled near San Augustine. According to G. L. Crocket, he arrived in 1819, but returned to Arkansas Territory during the trouble over the Long Expe- dition in Texas. He came back in 1821 and settled about four miles from San Aug- ustine. His wife had died on the journey and "was buried on the Mississippi River shore in a coffin of a cottonwood log hollowed out, the upper part serving as a lid." The sons of Bailey Anderson, Sr. were Wyatt Anderson and Bailey Anderson, Jr. Apparently, both came with their father to East Texas and were active in the early history of the area. Land deeds show that much of Jonathan Anderson's property was from the Wyatt Anderson HR Survey. It is fully established that Jonathan Anderson was a nephew of Bailey Anderson, Jr., who was commander of a company of volunteers under Col. Bullock in the Nacogdoches Campaign of 1832. Beyond a doubt, Jonathan Anderson had a large family. Descendants have been unable to trace that family accurately. Confusion results from the fact that (old) Jonathan Anderson and Jonathan Hadley Anderson (usually signed J. Hadley) were prominent in county affairs at the same time. The "First Census of Teneha District, 1835" shows a large household for Jona- than Anderson, as follows: Jonathan, age 36; Hannah, 36; John, 20; Matthew, 18; Wiett, 16; Perry, 12; Abraham, 10; Mahalee, 14; Rudney, 8; James, 6; Archibald, 4. It seems unlikely that any except the last four were actually his children. The other five could have been brothers or nephews. Shelby county Tax Roll for 1840 shows Jonathan Anderson as one poll tax (Male over 21) with 4,605 acres of land, 10 cattle, 3 horses and one wood clock. By the way, a clock was rare and was very valuable, thus taxable. The Anderson land was in Shelby County until Panola County was established in 1846. Panola County U.S. Census for 1850 gave the family as follows: Jonathan, age 50; Hannah, 53; Mahala, 25; Pink, 22; James, 19; Arch, 16; Elizabeth 14; Eliza, 12; and Bailey J., 9. One can quickly detect conflict between the 1835 and 1850 census, which often occurs in such records. This is why the searcher must look in many sources and finally make a judgment as the evidence most likely. The boy called Rudney in 1835 must have been called "Pink" by 1850 and most ages were not the same. For another household on the same 1850 census was: Jonathan H. Anderson, County Clerk, age 30; Sarah, 49; Martin, 13; Alvin, 11; and Clara, 8. The Panola County census for 1860 gives: Jonathan Anderson, age 62; Hannah, 63; Mahala, 35 and Bailey, 19. Evidently, all children except Mahala and Bailey had established homes of their own. Dr. Joe E. Ericson gives Jonathan's first wife as Nancy Wetmore, but that may not be true. His mother, Mrs. Wyatt Anderson, was Mrs. Nancy McFaddin, a widow. She could have been the Nancy Wetmore mentioned by Dr. Ericson. All local sources give Hannah English Payne, a widow, as Jonathan's first wife, and she is given on the Census Records of 1835, 1850 and 1860. Three wives are buried at Anderson Cemetery and Hannah English Payne Anderson is given as wife, number one. Land deeds show that Hannah died before 1867, and County Marriage Records give his marriage to Sarah A. Biggers on February 10, 1864. It is not known if there were children from this marriage; probably not. The second and third wives are not identified by given names in the cemetery. The third wife does not show up in county marriage records, but record could be in an adjoining county. Jonathan Anderson, after donating land for the County Seat, accepted election as County Sheriff for the 1848 to 1850 term, while J. Hadley Anderson served as County Clerk. Then, again in 1852 to 1854, he served as Tax Assessor/Collector for the county. This was the last public office held by Jonathan. Jonathan Hadley Anderson was either an uncle or a cousin. Proof of which has not yet been established. Jonathan Anderson died at the age of 91. He was buried in Anderson Cemetery. No dates are readable on his old decaying gravestone. Early descriptions of him said he was tall and large with unusual characteristics. One unusual thing was his request to be buried crossway at the foot of his three wives; and that wish was granted. When the old Panola County Courthouse was removed from the town square in 1956, the plot was landscaped and named Anderson Park in his memory. It is there that Panola County Historical Commission desires to place a Veteran of the Texas Revolution marker. * * * * * * Note from Leila b. LaGrone: Mrs. Wash Cromwell (Dolly) once shared with me the heritage dates in her father's Bible. Her father, W. W. ANDERSON, was the son of SAM W. ANDERSON; and that Bible record may be of interest to many people: S. W. (Sam) ANDERSON, married M. Z. ANDERSON (Marana Elizabeth), Mar 18, 1858. Marana E. Anderson, died October 3, 1862 W. W. Anderson (William Wyatt), born July 30, 1859 W. W. Anderson married twice; Elsie Nora Williams, Sep 30, 1877 and Nora Anderson, Oct 8, 1896. Nora Anderson died Jan 3, 1912 W. W. Anderson died June 13, 1934 Jonathan Anderson, born Aug 22, 1801 (this date is questioned by other records which say "Jonathan Anderson was twenty-one in 1819," and that "he died in 1889 at age ninety-one." Ernest Finklea, born Nov 18, 1904 Sadie A. Anderson, born Aug 30, 1909 Daniels Anderson, born Jan 21, 1911