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| Leaving Liz's in Tucson, AZ in my new RV shirt |
Come
along with me, a fellow California
Genealogical Society member, and read excerpts from my blog as I begin a
genealogy adventure focused on Texas, Virginia, Tennessee and Illinois. Along the trail I plan to visit state and
national parks too. Ready? Let’s go!
The
Why and the How
Inspired by my mom and dad’s camper
trips when I was a kid, I’ve got my own small motorhome now, so I’m hitting the
road. For many years I’ve wanted to spend time where my ancestors lived and to
learn more about what they did, where they lived and what their lives were
like. Now that I’ve recently retired, I can spend time seeing these places and
doing research at local history libraries, state archives, courthouses and
other places where historic records are kept.
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| In 1971 my parents Lottie and Ed bought a Ford pickup and a new camper |
Texas: My Ancestor Trail Begins
I’ve heard that people in Texas are friendly. Today I
experienced the truth to that statement, and I would add they are helpful and
generous. This morning I drove from Snyder, Texas to Albany, Texas (Shackelford
County) and I started the genealogy part of this trip.
My great grandfather James William Pattillo left Mecklenburg,
Virginia after the Civil War and migrated to Tarrant County, Texas. The
earliest record I have for his being in the county is his marriage to Carrie
Brooks Stover on 5 April 1879. On the 1880 Tarrant County census James was
identified as a cattle dealer living in Handley just west of Fort Worth. By
1887 James and Carrie were living in Los Angeles, California but Carrie’s
brother David Gaines Stover remained in Texas.
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| Saw this map in the Dawson County Courthouse. At top center are Shackelford, Stephens and Tarrant Counties |
There are footprints of this branch of my family in three
counties all west of Fort Worth – Tarrant, Stephens and Shackelford. I started
in Shackelford because I knew where Carrie’s brother, his wife and two of his
sons are buried in the Albany Cemetery.
Saundra Nobles had surveyed the Albany cemetery and uploaded
all her data and photos onto the Find-A-Grave
site. The section, block and lot numbers were all listed on the site, so I
figured finding them would be easy. It’s a large cemetery with very clearly labeled
street names, but I didn’t see any section, block or lot numbers. I was
stumped...for Chris’ complete story, click
here.
Everyone I encountered today was
warm, friendly, helpful and remarkably generous. Thank you Albany, Texas – a
great town. Stay tuned for my next
genealogy adventure!
Photos courtesy of Chris Pattillo
Copyright © 2017 by California Genealogical Society
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