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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe High Prairie Place 1842 • • t • • • THE HIGH PRAIRIE PLACE 1842 • by Dan Williams • • • The land which is called the High Prairie Place has always been called that. This particular tract of land which I now own having inherited it from my mother, George Earl Dunlap, a direct descendent of Robert Hemphill Millican who with his wife Nancy came with Austin's First Colony in 1821. They brought with them two married sons with their families, six other sons and a daughter 41 10 / 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's name was Mary. They reached Washington on the Brazos on December 21st and had to wait for Austin to arrive on Christmas Day 1821. They did their part opening farms, raising stock, building school houses, where also on the Lord's day they could have Sunday school and preaching when a IL , preacher could be had. Robert Hemphill Millican was born in Ireland in 1750 and came to the United States in 1773. Family lore says that while on board ship, he met Nancy McNeil, a Scottish lass, and they married upon arrival in South Carolina. Robert Hemphill Millican was given a large plot of land because of the size of his family. He put in a grist mill which brought him even more land. The General Land Office in Austin shows on July 16, 1824 the Millicans received 4 1/2 leagues of land, the largest grant made to individuals. (1 league equals 4,428 acres) He first settled at Holland's Creek in Grimes County living there two years and then moved to the present site of Millican, Texas. The Millicans at this time were located the fartherest outpost of all of Austin's colonists. They were the first Anglo- American family to make a permanent home in Brazos County. At the time of the beginning of the hostilities with Mexico, there was a reward offered by the Mexican government for Robert Hemphill Millican, dead or 1 alive. He and several others came upon some Mexican men butchering one of his cattle, so they jumped on their horses and rode to Fort Tenoxtitlan after the e Mexican soldiers. Fort Tenoxtitlan was about seven miles south of present day College Station. The Mexican soldiers fled for their lives. All of the Millicans participated in the Runaway Scrape which 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. The tract of land, the High Prairie Place, was a grant to William Templeton Millican by Sam Houston, president of the Republic of Texas for services in the Texas Army during the Texas Revolution April 25, 1836 to July 25, 1836. He was a member of the army that helped guard the frontier, known now as the Texas Ran3ers. He participated in the Mier Expedition, contracted a disease and came home to die. Two other people who took care of him also died of the diease. He was a pioneer, attorney and public official. 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 1E35 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 Justice of Peace in Navasota County March 1, 1841. His mother, Nancy McNeil Millican received a land warrant for his services from Sam Houston, which is the High Prairie Place located 3 miles north of Millican. When I went to inquire about records on this land, I was given a long yellow folder by Mary Ann Ward from a lady to Sam Houston. The folder is 85 -A in the Brazos County Courthouse regarding this land. Lucinda Millican was a small girl of 5 or 6 years old at this time. She 2 is Dan Williams' great - great - grandmother and married William H. Dunlap on "`ay 15, 1847. Her father was Elliott McNeil Millican, a son of Robert Hemphill Millican. He was born in 1808 in South Carolina and arrived in Texas at the age of 14 years in 1821. He was a farmer, pioneer Texas congressman and legislator. He represented Brazos County in the House of 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 and Brazos counties were together at this time. After annexation, he was the Brazos County representative in the House of the first state legislature (1846- 47 -50). He was a member of the 5th and 6th Senate from 1854 to 1856. As a doctor and • surgeon with a large practice and a great deal of sickness at home, he resigned from the seventh Senate. From much practice he was noted as a very quick and expert shot. 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 also killed a savage. 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. He was severely wounded by an arrow driven with such force into his left thigh that the spike penetrated the bone, and when he jerked the arrow out, the spike was left sticking in the bone. The Indians made several attempts to recover their dead but failed, getting several more wounded. After the fight, E. M. Millican's wound had to be cut larger so that an old fashioned 3 bullet mold could be inserted to clamp the spike and pull it out. 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. Located between the Brazos and Navasota Rivers in Southeast Texas, the county of 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 area was part of both Robertson and Washington counties, but remote from both county seats. In January 1841 Congress was asked to consider a new county, lessening the insurmountable 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. • Boonville was established by John Millican, John H. Jones, J. Ferguson and Mordecai Boon, who lent his name. It was located on John Austin's league. The town prospered until about 1860 when the railroad ignored it and built on rights- of-way donated by William Joel Bryan, who had inherited large land tracts from his uncle Stephen F. Austin. Realizing the handicap of bypass, in 1866 Boonville joined in voting to move the county seat three miles west to the newly organized terminus of Bryan. Today all that remains of the original seat is a cemetery and a centennial marker. L. R. "Lallie" Millican, son of Elliot McNeil Millican was born August 27, 1853 in Brazos County where the town of Millican now stands. In his book "Sermon and Very Short Life Sketch of L. R. Millican Over Fifty Years a Missionary in West Texas" he writes, "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 years old when the Civil War came on. With all the men folks 4:1. 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 IIII 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 prayer - ful 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 re- fused to help hang anyone." IL "During the winter of 1868 and 1P69 I carried the mail from Lampasas to Austin, on a little Spanish mule. I usually went cow driving in Spring and Summer." III III III 5 0 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 happen - ings that were told to me. On February 6, 1870, William Millican went to Myers Saloon and was killed by Myers. They were fueding over politics and radical tendencies. A Negro man had been hanged by a mob in Millican. Then, John Earl Millican went to Bryan and killed Myers because Myers had killed his brother William (5 -5- 1871). Later, Myers' children arranged to have John Millican killed. Pet Millican was known as a bad man and was killed by Charlie Campbell. However, two other men Poker and Zeke Curd, arranged the murder. This was arranged so they could not be placed at the scene of the murder. Pet was con- stable at the time. Charlie Campbell later turned states evidence, but the real murderers were found not guilty. T Will Millican killed a Curd in front of the saloon because the Curds had killed his brother Pet. 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 at Allen Farm over the convicts. South slipped up from behind and pulled Will's gun from his holster and shot and killed him. Kent Dunlap of Millican still owns the gun which as a hair trigger that was used by most law officers in that day. IL. 6 Nerna's House 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 old. 11: This would be in the year of 1938 or 39. Nerna's house was built in the early 1860's by my great great grandfather William H. Dunlap just before the Civil War and was considered to be the head quarters for the Dunlap family. 11: 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 is located past the Methodist Church and cemetery. The Lee Thompsons were the only neighbors as Nerna's house was at the end of the road, now labelled Henderson Road. My mother, George Earl Dunlap, road a horse to school until she was about 12 years old, at which time, Nerna said "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 Verna 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 buggy when it was rainy- weather because of muddy roads. The car would get stuck. Now the road is gravelled. • I can remember the house had no electricity so 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 and 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 7 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 drum stick and head for the porch to get a sample to be sure she had done a good job. Verna lived to be 97 years and 2 days and had lived most of her life in this house except for the last few years with her son in Navasota. At her death, m mother had already died at an early age, so I inherited my Mother's portion Y which is the High Prairie Place. The Dunlap family used the High Prairie Place for a cattle operation and farming cotton. Most of the place is heavy timber and not much open space or g livin on the place that helped with many of grass. There was a black family the needs as well as working at Nerna's house. I have fenced and bulldozed rights -of -way for access to the property. Many improvements have been made in barns, shops and ponds. I have also erty and have a Brang us cattle operation. moved a house on the p ro P In conclusion, the record shows where the Millicans were deeded 4.5 leagues of land and today, January 1, 2000, the family still owns just under 2,000 acres of the original grants. This land has been passed from one generation to the • next and is still owned by the Millican descendants. • • 8 • • REFERENCES • Books and Manuscripts Brazos County History Rich Past -- Bright Future. Family History Foundation, 1986. A Short Sketch of L. R. Millican Research of Family History, 1946. Helen Ruth Dunlap Glover Resource Persons Helen Ruth Dunlap Glover Samuel M. Dunlap Dora Langford Raymond Day, Retired Brazos County Constable (40+ years) Mary Ann Ward, Brazos County Clerk Periodicals C ir Bryan Daily Eagle, February 10, 1991 General Land Office, Austin, Texas I would like to dedicate this paper to my Aunt Helen Ruth Dunlap Glover for her work and help in preparing the family history. c • • 9