Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutWilliam Templeton Millican~i i ~llicc~ ~unl~ Cv'~lll~~ W IS~2 1901 ~ ~~~s Texas Historical Commission staff (FR), 4/8/02 27" x 42" Official Texas Historical Marker with post Brazos County (Job #06502) Location: 3 mi. NW of Millican on FM 2154, then 1 mi. W on High Prairie Rd. Subject codes: Pl, ML UTM ref.: 14 763422E 3373222N WILLIAM TEMPLETON MILLICAN OLD THREE HUNDRED COLONIST WILLIAM T. MILLICAN WAS BORN IN SOUTH CAROLINA ABOUT 1780 AND CAME TO TEXAS WITH HIS PARENTS AND SIBLINGS IN 1821. THEY JOINED STEPHEN F. AUSTIN'S FIRST COLONY AND WERE GRANTED LAND IN THIS AREA ON WHICH TO MAKE THEIR HOME. THE COMMUNITY THAT GREW UP AROUND THEIR LAND BECAME KNOWN AS MILLICAN. W. T. MILLICAN'S PROPERTY WAS GRANTED IN 1824, AND IN THE 1826 CENSUS HE WAS LISTED AS A FARMER AND STOCK RAISER. JUST PRIOR TO THE OUTBREAK OF THE TEXAS REVOLUTION, HE SERVED AS A DELEGATE TO THE CONSULTATION AT SAN FELIPE IN 1835, WHICH ENDORSED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE COLONISTS. THE MILLICAN FAMILY FLED THEIR HOME IN 1836 AS PART OF THE RUNAWAY SCRAPE, AS NEWS SPREAD OF SAM HOUSTON'S RETREAT EASTWARD FROM MEXICAN GENERAL SANTA ANNA. MILLICAN'S FATHER, ROBERT HEMPHILL MILLICAN, DIED DURING THE FLIGHT. BY THE TIME THE REST OF THE FAMILY REACHED LIBERTY, VICTORY HAD BEEN WON AT SAN JACINTO AND THEY RETURNED TO THEIR HOME. FROM APRIL UNTIL JULY 1836, W. T. MILLICAN SERVED IN THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS ARMY TO GUARD THE FRONTIER AND POSTHUMOUSLY WAS AWARDED LAND AT THIS SITE FROM SAM HOUSTON FOR HIS SERVICE. DURING THE YEARS OF THE REPUBLIC, MILLICAN SERVED AS A PUBLIC OFFICIAL IN SEVERAL CAPACITIES, INCLUDING JUSTICE OF THE PEACE AND A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO SELECT A COUNTY SEAT FOR BRAZOS COUNTY (FIRST CALLED NAVASOTA COUNTY) UPON ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN 1841. HE DIED TWO YEARS LATER AND WAS BURIED IN TH 1LLICAN A. t~l/'P•¢ Ve Y~ t~P/~t? ~i~~'Y ~~~( (2002) Please check one and sign: -P~ I approve this text as written. Please consider the revisions as noted on this cop . ~ w Signed: ~~, Memoriam Page 1 of 2 In Memoriam ELIJAH ALLCORN /MARTIN ALLEN /JOHN ALLEY / RAWSON ALLEY /THOMAS ALLEY /WILLIAM ALLEY / CHARLES GRUNDISON ALSBURY / HARVEY A. ALSBURY /THOMAS ALSBURY / SIMEON ASA ANDERSON ! JOHN ANDREWS /WILLIAM ANDREWS !SAMUEL T. ANGIER /JOHN AUSTIN /JAMES ELIJAH BROWN AUSTIN /STEPHEN FULLER AUSTIN /JAMES BRITON BAILEY /DANIEL E. BALIS / WH.LL4M BARRETT / THOMAS BARNETT /MILLS M. BATTLE /JAMES BEARD /BENJAMIN BEASON /CHARLES BELKNAP / JOSIAH H. BELL 1 HANDERS BERRY /ISAAC BEST I JACOB BETTS /WILLIAM BLOODGOOD /THOMAS BOATWRIGHT ~ THOMAS HENRY BORDEN / CALEB R BOSTIC /JOHN T. BOWMAN / EDWARD R BRADLEY /JOHN BRADLEY ! THOMAS BRADLEY /CHARLES BREEN /WILLIAM B. BRIDGES /DAVID BRIGHT / ENOCH BRINSON /ROBERT BROTHERTON /GEORGE BROWN /JOHN BROWN /WILLIAM S. BROWN / AYLETT C. BUCKNER / PUMPHREY BURNET /JESSE BURNAM / MICAJAH BYRD /MOSES A. CALLIHAN /ALEXANDER CALVIT /DAVID' CARPENTER / WILLLAM C. CARSON /SAMUEL C. CARTER /JESSE H. CARTWRIGHT /THOMAS CARTWRIGHT / SYLVANUS CASTLEMAN /SAMUEL CHANCE / HORATIO CHRIESMAN /ANTHONY R CLARKS /JOHN C. CLARK /MERIT M. COATS /JOHN P. COLES /JAMES COOK /WILLIAM COW COOPER / WII.LLAIVi SAWMILL COOPER /JOHN CRIER /JOHN CROWNOVER /JAMES CUMIGS /JOHN CUMIGS / REBEKAH CUMMGS /WILLIAM CUMMGS /JAMES CUMMINS / HINTON CURTIS /JAMES CURTIS, SR /JAMES CURTIS, JR /SAMUEL DAVII)SON !THOMAS DAVI5 /DANIEL DECROW J CHARLES DeMOSS 1 PETER DeMOSS 1 WILLIAM B. DEWEES / JOHN R DICKINSON /NICHOLAS DILLARD /THOMAS MARSHALL DUKE /GEORGE DUTY /JOSEPH DUTY /CLEMENT C. DYER /THOMAS EARLS / GUSTAVUS E. EDWARDS /ROBERT ELDER / CHARLES FALENASH /DAVID FENTON /JOHN F. FIELDS /JAMES FISHER /DAVID FTTZGERALD / ISAIAH FLANAKIN / ELISHA FLOWERS /ISAAC FOSTERS /JOHN FOSTER / RANDOLF FOSTER /JAMES FRAZIER / CHURCHILL FULSHEAR, SR /CHARLES GARRETT !SAMUEL GATES /WILLIAM GATES /FREEMAN GEORGE PRESTON GILBERT /SARAH GILBERT /DANIEL GILLELAND /CHESTER SPALDING GOBBET /MICHAEL GOULDRICH /THOMAS GRAY /JARED ELLISON GROCE, II /ROBERT GUTHRIE /JOHN HADDON /SAMUEL C. HADY !GEORGE E. HALL /JOHN W. HALL I WILLIAM J. HALL /DAVID HAMILTON / ABNER HARRIS / IfSAVID HARRIS /JOHN RICHARDSON HARRIS /WILLIAM HARRIS /WILLIAM J. HARRIS /GEORGE HARRISON / WILLIAM HARVEY /THOMAS S. HAYNES /JAMES > HENSLEY !ALEXANDER HODGE !FRANCIS HOLLAND 1 WILLIAM HOLLAND /JAMES HOPE /CHARLES S. HUDSON /GEORGE HUFF /JOHN HUFF /ELI HUNTER / JOHNSON CALHOUN HUNTER /JOHN IIAMS, SR !IRA INGRAM /SETH INGRAM /JOHN IRONS / SAMUEI, ISAACKS J ALEXANDER JACKSON / HUMPHREY JACKSON I ISAAC JACKSON /THOMAS JAMISON /HENRY W. JOHNSON /HENRY JONES /JAMES WALLES JONES / OLIVER JONES / RANDALL JONES ! IMLA KEEP !JOHN KELLER /JOHN KELLY /SAMUEL KENNEDY /ALFRED KENNON /JAMES KERB /PETER KERB / WILLLAM KERB /WILLIAM KINCHELOE /WILLIAM KINGSTON /JAMES KMGHT / ABNER KUYKENDALL / BARZILLAE KUYKENDALL /JOSEPH KUI'KENDALL /ROBERT H. KUYIOrNDALL / HOSEA H. LEAGUE /JOEL LEAKEY / JOHN LITTLE /WILLIAM LTI"rLE I JANE HERBERT WILKINSON LONG 1 JAMES LYNCH I NATHANIEL LYNCH t JOHN McCROSKEY /ARTHUR McCORMICK /DAVID McCORMICK /JOHN McCORMICK / THOMAL McCOY / ACHILLES McFARLAND /JOHN McFARLAN /THOMAS F. McKINNEY / IiUGH McKINSEY / A. W. McCLAIN / JAMES McNAIR / DAMEL McNEEL !GEORGE W. McNEEL /JOHN G. McNEEL /PLEASANT D. McNEEL / STERLING McNEEL /ELIZABETH McNUTT /WILLIAM McWILLIAMS / SHUBAEL MARSH / WYLIE MARTIN / WILLLAM MATTHEWS /DAVID MILLBURN / SAMUEL R MILLER / SIMON MILLER /JAMES D. MILLICAN / -^ ROBERT MILLICAN /WILLIAM T. MILLICAN !JOSEPH MIMS /ASA MITCHELL /JOHN HENRY MOORS, SR / LUKE MOORS /MOSES MORRISON /WILLIAM MORTON /DAVID MOUSER /JAMES NELSON /JOSEPH NEWMAN /MILTON B. NUCKOLS /JAMES ORRICK /NATHAN OSBORN /WILLIAM PARKS !JOSHUA PARKER / WILLIAM PARKER /ISAAC M. PENNINGTON /GEORGE SAMUEL PENTECOST /FREEMAN PETTUS /WILLIAM PETTUS /JOHN PETTY / JOHNATHAN C. PEYTON / JAMES AENEAS E. PHELPS / ISHAM B. PHILLIPS / ZENO PHILIPS /PAMELA PICKET /JOSEPH HENRY POLLEY / PETER POWELL /PLEASANT PRUIT /WILLIAM PRYOR /ANDREW RABB /JOHN RABB /THOMAS J. RABB /WILLIAM RABB /WILLIAM RALEIGH /LAWRENCE RAMEY /DAVID RANDON /JOHN RANDON 1 FREDERICK HARRISON RANKIN / AMOS BAWLS /BENJAMIN BAWLS /DANIEL BAWLS /PATRICK REELS /STEPHEN RICHARDSON / ELIJAH ROARK /EARLS BOBBINS / WILLIAM BOBBINS /ANDREW ROBERTS /NOEL F. ROBERTS /WILLIAM ROBERTS !EDWARD ROBERTSON / ANDREW ROBINSON /GEORGE ROBINSON /JAMES J. ROSS /JOSEPH SAN PIERRE /ROBERT SCOBEY /JAMES COTT / WILIAM SCOTT /WILLIAM SELKIRK! DAVID 5HELBY /DANIEL SHIPMAN /MOSES SHIPMAN / BARTLETT SIMS /GEORGE WASHINGTON 5INGLF~ON /PHILIP SINGLETON I CHRISTIAN SMITH / `Www.bchm.org/Austin/pane113.html 11/O1/2000 a oP 85 ~>r5 p. , P >a~QS ~~~~~` a~ I,5 srP~,a, 2 0 ~ ~ ~ s~iih ~~ ~ 0~ ~~ E9 JcJ M /as. ,y, 5Q ~ d5 ~ ~cir~r° B°rrero 'Q c~ ~• ~^ ~' ^' ate. N <~ 5~ph 21 ~°I`s r~, s ~ig f Apb.~~SOn `~ s ~ ~ O ~Qti ~ . t 5 ot~ o urn/ ~. W ~ ~ ~ h+ 9y ~ ~~~`4 ~ 'Qo6e/fs ~ a`° i E ~ ~ h e o, q, Z ~~ >o~o Oarekr W C be 2O O~ ~~ s ~~ v ~~~ ~. ~ ~• ~ V< tiv Springs s BRAZOS OUNTY ABSTRACT O.A~PAl~ Y'S ~~ O F 0~~~~ ~~~~t~ CALF ~".4000 vRS, MILES P~ ~,.,c` I1Gr+ Q`4~G~ r® p.• ~IF~;•~ v~~_ IKeg~;;a ~ ~ oN~~ = . ~~ F: .a o m C v~o~ p0~ Igq ~` ._ ,~ °C C5v ~10'~,g 0.50 w .~ d ~ 5 G t~~ >~iLK~S a _ dope ~ .E 5 5~ ~ r qo~b ~g~s ~g e'~0 ~~ 5 • 0 .T fl 26~ r n ~ <°~ P III N`~ -% ~ for e ~e ° ~i 5~ a° F~.q..,o~ Q 1. r o cn:,:.~ ~ ~ , as ~diy`i'` R fps -'.. a 5 ~ + 2 ~ a 5 I VA RA x 33%3 IN• ~O~VARAS = 1 M 1 Ll= BRYAN, TEXAS. ~~ `t`tih Yu/n c •~i ~ `/OJ~Mi%/ice 4/ ~a Q r, ~® ~a6Y ~~/icgn~_ . ~ ,~;:: '_ RA ZO WASH t1V GTOIV GO. Fa° C~0 z _req~hCree ~ oys a isi ~ S~ ryBroohs d ° ~a ~ Jo/n'~~ ~-',ors S'nod to h A ,vj,~a~ro/l ~ R .'r~r, ~~ ~ CZmi ~s ~~ ~ ~h ~ ~ ~ t ~.Nella -, r~ 4`~c°~ G~TILBER ASi-LLEY (47ILL) MILLICA~d BOR1i - 8-25-1858 DIED - 11-15-1906 AGE - 48 YEAPdS REGISTERED AS A TEXAS P.ANGER IN T~~E TEx_AS RANGER MUSEUM IN WACO, TEXAS. STATIOPiED IDI ALICE, TEXAS - COI'•1-PANY "B" CAPTAIN WAS 4J. J, TiCD0i1ALD BURIED IN WEAVER CEMETERY,MILLICAN, TEXAS THE HIGH PRAIRIE PLACE 1842-2000 by Dan Williams The land called the High Prairie Place has been known by that name since Sam Houston granted the 369-acre tract to William Templeton Millican in 1842 after Texas won its independence from Mexico. Dan Earl Williams is the current owner of land on which the marker is to be placed. He inherited it from his mother, George Eazl Dunlap, a direct descendent of Robert Hemphill Millican. William Templeton Millican (1799-1843) and his wife Letitia had three sons and four daughters, one of whom appears to have been born in Texas. What little is known of the wife or children follows. One son, Robert G. Millican (b. ca.1800) was born in Spartanburg County, South Carolina from which his family migrated in 1821. He was listed in the 1846 census in Goliad County, Texas and he received a bounty warrant for, 320 acres of land from the Secretary of Waz for service from Mazch 26-July 25, 1836. That land was patented to him in Williamson County on October 1, 1850. In the March 1826 census William T. Millican was reported to be a farmer and stock raiser and owned one slave. The 1841 tax rolls for Navasota County record that he still owned one slave. His brand is recorded in 1836 in the Washington County Deed Records, A 1, pp.247-248. He was elected as a delegate from the Washington district to the Consultation of 1835. In 1841 he was elected justice of the peace for Navasota County. He was given a bounty warrant for 320 acres of land from the Secretary of War 1 for service from Apri125-July 25, 1836, but the land was not patented to him until 1845. Since he died in 1843 his mother Nancy Millican received title to the 320 acres of land as she was his only heir at law even though his wife and seven children were still alive. His of the 369 acres granted by San Houston was not documented in Brazos County records until 1873. The history of the ownership of the 369 acres known as the High Prairie Place is as follows. According to family tradition and records in the Brazos County Courthouse, his niece Lucinda J. Millican (1831-1901), who married William H. Dunlap (1814-1879) in 1847, obtained quitclaim deeds in1894 from other relatives who might have had a claim to the property. She then became the sole owner. Her sons E. M. (Mack) Dunlap (1855-1910) and G. W. Dunlap (1960-1936) received the property by declaring they were her only living heirs at law. E. M. (Mack) was first married to Addie Baker (1856-1892). --y- Their son Sam E. Dunlap (1884-1945) and his wife Verna Seely (1885-1982) were the next owners. Their daughter George Eazl Dunlap (1911-1977) married Thelston O. Williams (1909-1968) in1927 and have received title to the property in 1945. Her son Dan Eazl Williams (b.1934) became the owner of the land upon her death in 1977. None of the owners prior to Dan Earl Williams ever lived on the property. The only known prior residents were members of a black family who farmed a few acres. Robert H. Millican came to Texas with his wife Nancy and their children as part of Austin's First Colony in 1821. They brought with them two married sons and their families, six other sons, and a daughter with her family. The two married sons were William Templeton and James D. The other six sons were Diadem, Elliot McNeil, Robert, Andrew, Lytle, and Daniel. The daughter was Mary Millican. She was married 2 to her cousin William Millican. The Millicans reached Washington on the Brazos in December 1821 but had to wait for Stephen F. Austin to arrive on Christmas Day 1821. They did their part opening farms, raising stock, building schoolhouses, where also on the Lord's day they could have Sunday school and preaching when a preacher could be had.2 Robert Hemphill Millican was born in Ireland in 1750 and came to the United States in 1773. Family lore says that while he was on board ship sailing to his new home in America, he met Nancy McNeil, a Scottish lass, and they married soon after their arrival in South Carolina. About five decades later he moved his entire family to what is now known as Texas but was then part of Mexico and was being settled by Stephen F. Austin under a contract with the Mexican government. The Robert Hemphill Millican family was given a large plot of land because of its large size. When R. H. Millican constructed a gristmill on his original plot of land, he was given additional land. Records in the General Land Office in Austin show that on July 16, 1824 the Millicans received 4 1/2 leagues of land, the largest grant made to individuals. He first settled on Holland's Creek in what later became Grimes County. Two years later the Millicans moved to the present site of Millican, Texas where they were then located at the farthermost outpost of all of Austin's colonists. They were the first Anglo-American family to make a permanent home in what was later to become BIaZOS COUnty.3 At the time of the beginning of the hostilities with Mexico about 1835, there was a reward offered by the Mexican government for Robert Hemphill Millican, dead or alive. He and several others came upon some Mexican men butchering one of his cattle. The settlers mounted their horses and rode to Fort Tenoxtitlan after the Mexican soldiers. Fort Tenoxtitlan was about seven miles south of present-day College Station. The Mexican soldiers fled for their lives.4 All of the Millicans participated in the Runaway Scrape that followed the Goliad Massacre. The Millican group got as far as Liberty, Texas and learned Sam Houston had won at San Jacinto. Robert Hemphill Millican became ill with measles and pneumonia while on the trip and died. He was buried on the bank of the Trinity River just north of Trinity, Texas.5 The tract of land of 2,083,333.3 square varas (by current measurement 396 acres) ------ =- --- and long known as the High Prairie Place was granted to William Templeton Millican on Februaryl6, 1842 by Sam Houston, President of the Republic of Texas. The land was for services in the Texas Army during the Texas Revolution. Millican also participated in the Mier Expedition during which he contracted a disease. He came home where he died on August 28, 1843. Two other people who took care of him also died of the disease. He was a pioneer, an attorney and a public official.6 William Templeton Millican, a son of Robert Hemphill Millican, came to Texas from South Carolina in 1821 at the age of 22 years. He was a delegate in 1835 to the consultation held at San Felipe and sold corn to Captain John P. Gillis' company on its homeward march through Washington in November 1839. He was chosen Justice of Peace in Navasota County March 1, 1841. His mother, Nancy McNeil Millican received a land warrant for his services from Sam Houston. That land is the High Prairie Place located 3 miles north of Millican. Elliott McNeil Millican, a son of Robert Hemphill Millican was born in 1808 in South Carolina and arrived in Texas at the age of 14 in 1821. He was a farmer who was 4 also a physician and an elected official. He served in the Texas Congress during the Republic and in the Texas Legislature after Texas became a part of the United States. He represented Brazos County in the Texas House of Representatives during the 9th Congress that brought Texas into the United States in 1844-45. He was one of the signers of the resolution protesting the removal of the seat of government from Washington-on-the-Brazos to Austin, Texas. He served the Republic as constable in Washington County in 1839 and as sheriff of Navasota County in 1841. Navasota County was created from Washington County in 1841 but was renamed Brazos Countyin1842. After the annexation of Texas by the United States, he was the Brazos County representative in the Texas legislature between 1846 and 1850. He was a member of the Sth and 6th Senate from 1854 to 1856. He resigned from the 7~' Senate to follow his profession of a doctor and surgeon who had a large practice and a great deal of sickness at home.8 Elliot McNeil Millican was noted as a very quick and expert shot because of many hours of practice. He had a number of conflicts with the Indians. Once he and three companions were attacked by a large band of Indians. They took refuge in a thicket. He was delegated to do the shooting while the others would keep the flint lock rifles loaded. The Indians made several charges before they came near enough for him to feel sure of a shot. The first shot killed the leader. The second and third shots also killed more Indians. The fourth shot caused an Indian to reel and clutch the mane of his pony and would have fallen off but was held on by two other Indians as they retreated. Millican was severely wounded by an arrow driven with such force into his left thigh that the spike penetrated the bone. When he jerked the arrow out, the spike was left sticking 5 in the bone. The Indians made several attempts to recover their dead but failed. Several more Indians were wounded. After the fight, E. M. Millican's wound had to be cut larger so that anold-fashioned bullet mold could be inserted to clamp the spike and pull it out. With night coming on, they retreated down the timbered gully leaving the battlefield with the Indians. He served as the first sheriff of Brazos County organized under the laws of the Texas Republic in 1841 or 1842. He died in 1860.9 Located between the Brazos and Navasota Rivers in Southeast Texas, Brazos County with its rolling prairie and woodland began as pioneer territory under Mexican control in Stephen F. Austin's first colony. During the first half of the Republic the present-day Brazos County was predominantly part of Washington County with a small part of Robertson County included. Both county seats were quite distant for the early settlers. In January 1841 the Texas Congress was asked to consider a new county, lessening the extreme difficulties of distance and natural barriers. Congress responded by creating Navasota County and naming commissioners to locate a seat to be called Boonville. The next year Congress changed the name to Brazos for the Brazos River.10 John Millican, John H. Jones, J. Ferguson, Harvey Mitchell, and Mordecai Boon, who lent his name, established Boonville. It was located on John Austin's league. The town prospered until about 1860 when the railroad passed it by and built on rights-of--way d onated by William Joel Bryan, who had inhented large land tracts from lus uncle Stephen F. Austin. Realizing the handicap of being bypassed by the railroad, the citizens i of Boonville joined in voting to move the county seat three miles west to the newly organized terminus of Bryan in 1866. Today all that remains of the original seat is a cemetery with a Texas Historical Marker and a Texas centennial marker. In recent years 6 some automobile dealerships have been opened on ground that was originally part of Boonville. ~ ~ L. R. "Lallie" Millican, son of Elliot McNeil Millican, was born August 27, 1853 in Brazos County where the town of Millican now stands. He noted in his autobiography "I remember Sam Houston and other early Texas leaders who used to visit our home, both before and after father's death. I was a lad of 8 yeass old when the Civil Waz came on. With all the men folks in the war, I had to carry documents for record and other business matters to Boonville, then county seat of Brazos County; to Anderson, county seat of Grimes County, and over into Washington County, crossing the Brazos River one time when very high, all being helpful as it gave me self confidence." "Mother and my stepfather, J. W. Weaver, died of yellow fever in the fall of 1867. I then went to live with an uncle, L. D. Nichols, who had married mother's oldest sister, and was living in Lampasas, Texas. Indians raided every light moon. Lampasas was headquarters for gamblers and noted gunmen. While I never drank or gambled, I was much in saloons--grew up indifferent to all religion--not often attending church though mother was a very devoted and prayerful Christian. I was always, however, on the side of law and order. I joined the Anti-horse Thief League at seventeen years of age, though I absolutely refused to help hang anyone." "During the winter of 1868 and 1869 I carried the mail from Lampasas to Austin, on a little Spanish mule. I usually went cow driving in spring and summer."iz During early 1870 a bitter feud developed between the Millican and Myers families. William H. Millican was a deputy sheriff and had several individuals under arrest for serious crimes. During the night early in February 1870 a group of men, 7 supposedly with the acquiescence of the deputy sheriff, took the prisoners out of jail and hanged one black prisoner and released all of the white ones. Robert C. Myers insisted there be an inquiry. William Millican and some members of the lynch mob debated what they should do. Millican went to Robert C. Myers Saloon supposedly with a pistol in hand and was killed by Myers. Robert C. Myers, David Myers, and G.W. Grady were charged with murdering Millican. They were convicted in the District Court in Bryan and sentenced to prison for six years at hard labor. The three convicted men appealed to the Texas Supreme Court where their convictions were overturned, and they were set free. On May 27, 1871 John Earl Millican went to Bryan and assassinated Robert C. Myers supposedly Myers had assaulted a black man in Myers' saloon. In September1871 John Earl Millican was shot nine times while on his way home from a temperance meeting. He died shortly after the shooting but before accusing Allen Myers and Mrs. B. F. Balderidge, children of Robert C. Myers. They were later acquited.13 M. R. (Pet) Millican, a constable in Brazos County, was known as a bad man and was murdered in January 1890. Charles "Charlie" Campbell, Poker Curd, and Zeke Curd were accused of the murder but were acquitted in court. Six months later W. A. "Will" Millican killed Zeke Curd. Family tradition holds that one of the Millicans told the Curds to leave town and not return or he would kill them also. They did leave for a while, but later Zeke Curd returned to Millican and "liquored up." George Dunlap went to Will Millican and told him Zeke was at the saloon. Will saddled his horse and went to the saloon and killed Zeke Curd in the saloon. Later Will Millican worked as a guard with a man named Ham South, and they did not get along. Ham was afraid of Will. They were guards over convicts working at Allen Farm. South slipped up from behind and pulled 8 Will's gun from his holster and shot and killed him. Kent Dunlap of Millican still owns the gun (which has a hair trigger). Guns of this type were used by most law officers in that day.la I have sat many hours listening to family stories of events that took place involving the Millican family members. I am listing some of the happenings that were told to me. Verna Seely Dunlap, or better known as Nerna, was my grandmother. My earliest memories of Nerna's house would be at the age of 4 or 5 years of age in about 1938 or 1939. Nerna's house was built in Millican the early 1860's by my great-great-grandfather William H. Dunlap just before the Civil War and was considered to be the headquarters for the Dunlap family. My grandfather, Sam Dunlap, died in 1945 leaving my grandmother Verna and son, Samuel M. Dunlap, to manage the house and business. I can remember going on Sunday to the house for lunch many times. The house still stands although in not in the best of condition. It is located past the Methodist Church and the Weaver cemetery in Millican. The Lee Thompsons were the only neighbors as Nerna's house was at the end of the road which is now called Henderson Road. My mother, George Earl Dunlap, road a horse to school until she was about 12 years old. Nerna then told her husband "Sam I'm not putting another one on a horse. Either buy me a house in town or a car so I can drive the children to school." He bought a 1923 Ford, the first sedan in town. Everyone said, "Nerna aren't you afraid to have all this glass around your children." The car was parked in the "car house" which is what they called the garage. There was also a "buggy house" where the buggy was kept. It was necessary to use the 9 buggy when it was rainy-weather because of muddy roads. The car would get stuck in the dirt road. Now the road is graveled. I can remember the house had no electricity. Thus we had to carry the kerosene lamps from one part of the house to the other. There was no running water and a cedar bucket with a dipper for drinking. A pan for washing hands was kept on a table on the porch. Of course, Nerna cooked on a wood stove. One of my chores when I was there was to pick up wood chips so she could get a fire started early in the morning. For Sunday dinner, Nerna would get a cup filled with grain and a long, heavy wire with a hook in the end and catch two chickens. She would wring their necks and my mother would prepare the chickens for cooking. I can still smell the chicken frying in a big iron skillet filled with lard. As soon as possible, I would get a drumstick and head for the porch to get a sample to be sure she had done a good job. Nerna lived to be 97 years and 2 days and had lived all of her adult life in this house except for the last few years during which she resided with her son in Navasota. By the time she died my mother had already died. Consequently, I inherited my mother's portion. This is the land for which I seek a marker for the High Prairie Place. The Dunlap family used the High Prairie Place for a cattle operation and farming cotton. Most of the place is covered with heavy timber so there is not much open space for grass. For many years a black family lived on the place and helped with many of the agricultural chores and also worked at Nerna's house in Millican. The High Prairie Place is approximately three miles from Millican. 10 I have fenced and bulldozed rights-of--way for access to the property and have made many improvements to barns, shops, and ponds. I have also moved a house on the property and run a heard of Brangus cattle on the property.is In summary then, the extended family of Robert Hemphill Millican was granted several plots of land totaling nearly 20,000 acres in 1821 and afterwards. Some of the land was granted to them as early settlers as members of Austin's Old Three Hundred. Other portions were granted for service in the Texas Army during the Revolution and for providing other services to the original settlement and to Texas. Today, various members of the family own approximately 2,000 acres (or about 10 percent) of the original grants. This land has been passed from one generation to the next and is still owned by direct descendants of Robert Hemphill Millican. The High Prairie Place marker will honor this pioneering family and the land on which the family settled and helped develop modern Brazos County. 11 R ~,~~ ~ K d ttl ?~ V .~ N ~ I ~ v ~ ._ ~x^ N V ~ ~ C V' r" ~ . ~ ~ O T v ~ ~ ~ _ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ O R a ~ ~ ~ G ti C .~ U L' a ~ V d ~= ~~ ~' e : F ~ A ¢ ~ C5 °' ~ 3 c~ N M ~p2$ ~,a~ ~~ ~~ m ~ ~~a ~~ n ~s~~ ~~a ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~: ~~a ~a a~~ ~ - .~= W ~ ~ ~~ d ~~ a ~'~ a ~~z ~~~ ~~a a ~ ~~w~ ~a ~ ~ a~ .~ a~ V a ~eo°o~ rn _~ ~ ~ o~ a~ d A~~ ~ C ~ E N~ ~ y ~ pp ~ C O ~ O C ~ N GQ A ,_ ~ ~ 3 iA `- ~ C ~ a 0 a a ¢ ^o ~ ~ ~ s r ~ °° i ~ ~~ "aPUA O A a1A ~ c~ O ~ ~~ ^~ 3 M~ ~, ~~~ a ~ A u ~~ '~~ ~ ~ ~ a i ~ ooC~ as - . = ~~\ A °~ ~ d C7 ~ ~Q ~ ~ `^ O ~ ~ ~ d o~ • om ~ N a~ H~ ~ ~ ~ ! ~D Y a~ r ° F''° D ` ~ ~ A cn '~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ A ~ ,~ c ~' w aiA A ca ~ v s, °' o °i ~ ,°.° ~ ~ o ca ~ v ~ '" ~ ~ ~ U .~ C ~ ` y O O O ~ ~ ~. E ° °O ~ b `"r~aAH G ~ ~y ~' 00 00 a1 d ~~ ~ ~ •-~ •--~ ~ _ CC ~' ~ G ~ ~ 3 3 ~ ~A~~ {~, O ~ ~ ~ nn G ~ ~ ,o ~ N Ga A q p d oo ~ ~ ~ vii 'r' N ~ rn ~ ~ N ~ 3 °°~ R d ^' ca ~~ ~- ts~Ll eA~ 0 A c ~ A u ~ ~1 ~ /~ ~O ~ Y~j O~ M ~ 00 ~ v CC 01 Q~ ii ~' ~ cNr I N ~ O ~A ~i. . .~+ c v ~ al A v~ W A ~ '" ~ ~ v, A ~ W ~' N a~ ~~~ oc73aa 3 0 ,~ .-. Q ~ ~ ~ .--. O ~ ti ~ N N HmA ' Entry on Robert G. Millican in Handbook of Texas Online by Lon F. Curbello, Jr. 2 Glover, Helen Ruth Dunlap, "The Millicans in Early Texas" an unpublished family history written in 1946 and currently in the possession of Dan Williams. Also "William Templeton Millican" by Lon F. Curbello, Jr. in the Handbook of Texas Online and New Handbook of Texas published by the Texas Historical Association, vol. 4, pp. 745-747. See also the genealogical chart "Descendants of Robert Hemphill Millican" at the end of this narrative. The arrival date is traditionally given as1821, but the brothers John Millican, William T. Millican, and Andrew A. Millican each testified in 1837 and 1838 in lawsuits over land held by their father Robert that they arrived in Texas in 1823, Washington County Final Record Civil District Court, vol. A, pp. 115, 121-122, and 122- 124, reel 1787992 of microfilm of Washington County Records filmed by the Mormon Church. Entry on Robert G. Millican in the Handbook of Texas Online. Since they were part of Austin's colony, that 1821 date is undoubtedly correct. Helen Ruth Dunlap Glover (b. 1917) is the daughter of Sam E. Dunlap and Verna Seely Dunlap and sister of George Earl Dunlap. She is thus an aunt of Dan Earl Williams. The several deeds are recorded as follows: The original grant of 2,083,333.3 square varas was recorded in Brazos County deed record book O, p. 201. The conveyances to Lucinda J. Millican Dunlap are recorded in volume 14, pp. 26, 30, 130, 131, and 132 of Brazos County deed records. The transfer to E. M. and G. W. Dunlap in 1902 after the death of their mother Lucinda Millican Dunlap is recorded in volume 27 pages 50 and 295 of the Brazos County deed records. A transfer from George W. Dunlap to Sam E. Dunlap is recorded in volume 78, page 381 of the Brazos County deed records. In 1945 Helen Ruth Golver, George Williams, S. M. Dunlap, and Verna Seely Dunlap transferred the property to George Earl Dunlap Williams, Brazos County deed records volume 120, p. 120. Dan Williams acquired the property upon the death of his mother in 1977. 31bid. 41bid.; Robert Grady Marshall, History of Brazos County, Texas, MA Thesis, University of Texas, 1937, pp. 24-25; and Record Book, District Court Brazos County, Microfilm reel 10200043 by the Mormon Church, p. 158. A copy of the microfilm is in the University Library at Texas A&M University. ' Ibid. See also Brazos County Deed Records, volume O page 201. Although the warrant was issued by President Houston in 1842, it was not recorded in the Brazos County deed records until September 27, 1873. A statement exists in the Brazos County Record Book, District Court, p. 173 that affirms that his death on August 28, 1843. 6 Glover and entry on William Templeton Millican in the Handbook of Texas, and Brazos County History--Rich Past-Bright Future, 23 and 336. ~ Glover. Also see the genealogical chart "Descendants of Robert Hemphill Millican." Lucinda, one of Elliott McNeil Millican's daughters, was a little girl of five or six during 12 the Texas Revolution. On May 15, 1847 she married William H. Dunlap. Lucinda was the great-great-grandmother of Dan Williams. s Glover; Brazos County History-Rich Past-Bright Future, 27, 267-268, 334, and 338; and entry on E. M. Millican in the Handbook of Texas Online. 9 Glover; Brazos County History-Rich Past-Bright Future, 21-21; and Mazgazet Lips Van Bavel, Birth and Death of Boonville, 41-49. 10 Glover. 1 ~ L. R. Millican, Sermon and Very Short Life Sketch of L. R Millican over F~ years a Missionary in West Texas privately printed in El Paso, nd. " Paul R. Scott,'~From Dilapidated Community to Banner County: The CivilWar and Reconstruction," Brazos Couinty History~Rlch Past-Bright Futare, 1986, p. 98 quoting a letter from C. C. Gillespie to Governor Edmund Davis in the Davis Papers at the Texas State Archives; Ga/veston Week/y News, February 11, April 20, July 22, 1870, August 31 and September 31, 1872 and August 6,7, and 8, 1875; (Austin) Dai/y State Journa/, July 6 and 7, 1870; and C/eburne Chronic%, September 7, 1872. 'a Brazos County History-Rich Past-Bright Future, 275-276; Brenham Daily Banner, January 16, 1890; Bryan Eagle (Weekly), Decembverl9 and 26, 1889 and January 2 and 9, 1990; and EI Paso Daily Herald, June 24, 1890. For general information on the Millican family see Bill Page, "Notes on the Millican Family," Brazos Genealogist,l4: (Summer 1993): 83-88 and (Fall 1993): 123-130. is Personal recollections of Dan Williams as told him by Helen Ruth Dunlap Glover, Samuel M. Dunlap, and Dora Langford. 13 BIBLIOGRAPHY ~ Glover, Helen Ruth Dulap, "The Millicans in Eazly Texas" unpublished family history written in 1945 and currently in the possession of Dan Williams. Millican, L. R. Sermon and Very Short Life Sketch of L. R. Millican over F~ Years a Missionary in West Texas privately published in El Paso, Texas, nd. A History of Brazos County, Texas: Rich Past-Bright Future, Bryan, Texas: Family History Foundation, 1986. - Brazos County, Deed Records, Volumes O, 14, 27, 78, and 120. Williams Dan Personal Rec 1 o lections of his grandmother. ~ General Land Office, deed records of Austin Colony land grants. Van Bavel, Mazgazet Lips, Birth and Death of Boonville Austin, Texas, Nortex Press, 1986. Bryan-College Station Eagle, February 10, 1991. Glover, Helen Ruth Dunlap. Conversations with Dan Williams. v Dunlap, Samuel M. Conversations with Dan Williams. Langford, Dora. Conversations with Dan Williams. Handbook of Texas Online, entries for William Templeton Millican, Robert Hemphill Millican, Elliott McNeill Millican, and Robert G.Millican.. Scott, Paul R., "From Dilapidated Community to Banner County: The Civil Waz and Reconstruction," in Brazos County History-RichPast-Bright Future. Galveston Daily News, 1870, 1872, and 1875. Daily State Journal (Austin), 1870. Cleburne Chronicle, 1872. Page, Bill, "Notes on the Millican Family," Brazos Genealogist, 14 (Summer 1993):83- 88 and (Fa111993): 123-130. 14 Maps to accompany application for historical marker for High Prairie Place "1. This is from the Brazos County Abstract Company's map of the county showing the southernmost portion of the county. All of the various pieces of property owned by members of the Millican family are colored yellow. The property for which the mazker is sought is outlined in red and black and is identified as W.T. [William Templeton] Millican and is item163. This is the 369 acres of land granted to him by Sam Houston for his service in the war for Texas independence. This land was never the home of by W. T. Millican. Rather it was used in raising cattle and producing agricultural commodities. This farming occurred primarily in the 20a' century and was done by an African American family. The house in which they resided was the only structure on the land and was torn down by the present owner, Dan Williams. ~`2. This print from the record book of the Brazos County Appraisal District volume of February 2000 shows the entire 369-acre plot granted by Sam Houston. Note it identified as the High Prairie Ranch dating from 1842. Note the lower right comer of the piece of property is identified as being on High Prairie Road. These 369 acres aze currently owned by Dan Williams. Mr. Williams is the sixth generation to own this land. It was granted to William Templeton Millican by Sam Houston in 1842. William T. Millican was the uncle of Mr. Williams' great-great grandmother Lucinda J. Millican Dunlap. ~3. This is the Gay Hill Quadrangle a 1949 reprint of the 1914 edition of the 1911 Survey by the U. S. Corps of Engineers. The High Prairie Place is located in the upper right portion of the map where the yellow mark appeazs almost midway between the tracks of the Houston & Texas Central and the International and Great Northern Railroads. This map provides some indication of to topography of the azea surrounding the High Prairie Place. ~4. This is the Clay Quadrangle of the1959 map of the Texas Board of Water Engineers. The approximate boundaries of the High Prairie Place are outlined by the yellow squaze at the right edge of the map. The line that is identified only as the old raikoad grade but is actually the former roadbed of the International and Great Northern Railroad. This map also provides some indication of the topography of the High Prairie Place. The highest point appears to be 301 feet with slightly lower points being at 281 and 250 feet. There appeazs to be a branch of some sort that connects with French Creek that runs just west of the property. ~5. This is a modern printing of a commercially produced modern map of the county. High Prairie Road is mazked in yellow. The southeast corner of the High Prairie Place is located at the 90-degree corner of High Prairie Road. ''6. This is the current map prepazed by the Brazos County Road and Bridge Engineering Department. The point at which High Prairie Road intersects with Wellborn Road [FM 2154] is marked with yellow. This map includes the major roads and all of the creeks in Brazos County. Note that there is a High Prairie Creek, but it does not flow through the High Prairie Place. Descriptions of photographs to accompany appGcation.for historical marker for High Prairie Place Note: Photographs 2 and 4-9 were taken during August and September 2000. Photograph 3 was taken in November 1996. 1. This aerial photograph of the High Prairie Place was taken about 1980-1981. The compass directions have been indicated to make it easier to understand the following descriptive matters. One can see that a great majority of the property appears to be covered with trees and brush. A small tract of about 50 acres has been cleared at the SE comer and improved grass has been planted on that portion of the property. At some fime after this photograph was taken, the owner of the property contracted with a dozer operator to cleaz a path along the entire perimeter of the property so that the owner could patrol the fence line and make repairs if necessary. There are two entrances to the property. One is along the east border at about the middle of the property. This is the original gate and is now referred to by Dan Williams as Gate 1. The other gate is located along the south boundary at about the corner of the cleazed and improved pasture. It was built by Mr. Williams and is known as Gate 2. It is at this gate where the historical mazker will be placed. An azea that appeazs cleared in the southwest corner is actually athree-acre pond that has been on the property for many years. A bit to the northeast of that pond (where LAKE has been written on the photo) is where Mr. Williams has had a second lake made since the photograph was made. High Prairie Road, an unpaved gravel road, runs along slightly less than half of the eastern boundary and along about a third of the southern boundary. The road turns south at this point. Mr. Williams' house (photograph 3) is located about 100 yards inside Gate 2. His bam, cattle pen, and workshop aze located about 300 yazds from the house and are adjacent to the cleazed and improved pasture. Note that the approximately 50 acres are divided into three small pastures. This allows rotation of animals from one area to another. It also allows for sepazating some animals from other animals at certain periods of time. 2. This photograph is of Gate 2. It is a recent entrance created by Mr. Williams. The mazker will be located at this gate. 3. This photograph is of the residence of Mr. Williams. The house was moved to the High Prairie Place from its original location in College Station on what is now called Harvey Mitchell Parkway. That street has had several other names in the past. This is the first house of an owner of the property to ever have been located on the High Prairie Place. Many years ago there was a house on the property that was occupied by a black family who farmed a few acres and assisted with whatever cattle operations in which previous owners of the property were engaged. Mr. Williams is unawaze of any barns or pens that existed. No photographs exist for the house occupied by the tenants or for any other structures that might have been on the property between 1842 and 2000. 4. This photograph shows some of Mr. Williams' small heazd of brangus cattle grazing in his improved pasture. The metal containers along the fence (One animal is drinking from one of them.) contain drinking water for the animals. The water comes from wells drilled by Mr. Williams. The lazger of the buildings in the background is a workshop. The other structure is the barn with adjacent cattle pen. 5. This photograph is along the eastern boundary and shows the path cleared along the fence line as well as High Prairie Road approaching the property and continuing along the side of it. It appears to have been taken from just outside the northern fence line of the cleazed and improved pasture. 6. This photograph shows the side of the barn with the cattle pen behind it and the workshop in the background. 7. This photograph shows the back of the barn with the cattle pen in front of it and the workshop in the background. 8. This photograph shows the three-acre pond of uncertain date that has been on the property for many years. 9. This photograph shows the interior of the workshop constructed by Mr. Williams.