Red River Co TX - Biographies - Jacob Blanton This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Sharon Black Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *************************************************************** Jacob Blanton By Sharon Stephens Black Jacob Blanton was a single man when he first came to Red River County from Alabama. Several other Blanton men accompanied Jacob to Red River County but his degree of kinship to them is uncertain. These other Blantons eventually moved on to other areas of Texas but Jacob remained here for the rest of his life. Jacob received a 2nd class headright land grant of 640 acres which marks his early arrival in Texas. When Captain William Becknall organized a military group called the Minute Men to serve the Republic of Texas in 1835, Jacob volunteered. A quote from his Republic of Texas pension application says, “I served in Capt. William Becknall’s first company in 1835 and in his two companies in 1836, also 37, 8, 9, 40, up to 42 and can make said proof.” Jacob received 1,280 acres of land in 1885 as compensation for his military service to the Republic of Texas. When the civil war began, Jacob volunteered for service but was soon discharged as over age. Jacob married first to Jane McAnear who mothered all of his nine children and who died Feb. 14, 1870. His second wife, Mary Ann Bellar, reared the younger children. A tombstone found in the Forbes (Fobbs) Cemetery located in the southern edge of Bagwell on Brooks family land shows that Jacob was born March 25, 1806 and died Feb. 17, 1891. Many of Jacob’s descendants still live in Red River County. His children were: (1) Mary Elizabeth Blanton Toombs Hoffman Suggs (1845-1889) (Died Red River County) (2) Daniel Butler Blanton (1847-1932) Married Mary Jane Hastings. (Died California) (3) Julia Ann Blanton Hastings (1850-1932) (Blanton Creek Cemetery) (4) Sarah Louisa Blanton Hastings Lipp (1852-1900) (Blanton Creek Cemetery) (5) William P. Blanton (1853-1883) Married E.C. Gordon. Constable of Pct. 4 in 1882. (Died Red River County) (6) Benjamin Blanton (1854- ?) (7) John Lewis Blanton (1855 -?) Married Mary Ellen Malloy. (Unmarked grave at Blanton Creek Cemetery) (8) Melissa Jane Blanton Webb Lay (1862-1944) (Young’s Chapel Cemetery) (9) Edward A. Blanton (1868-?) Married first Venus Taylor and second, Docia Keyes. The Blanton Community, north of Bagwell, bore Jacob’s family name. In 1886, Jacob and Mary Blanton donated one acre of land on which the first Blanton Creek School/Church was built near the banks of Blanton Creek. Jacob always signed documents with an x, but this land donation testifies that he wanted his descendants to have the educational opportunities that he never had. His son-in-law, William H. Hastings, was a member of the first school board. Jacob stipulated that when the building was used as a church, it was to be open to all denominations of Christians. This first Blanton Creek school/church building was sold in 1919 and the proceeds applied toward construction of a new school located about a half-mile away and adjacent to the already existing Blanton Creek Cemetery. The cemetery is all that remains of the Blanton Community today.