A letter was written by Terrell Little Bryan Biggs of Morgan Mill in Erath County, Texas to her childhood friend, Erie Ontario Nix Bryan of Ringgold, Bienville Parish, Louisiana.
This letter was found in the collection of Marguerite Cook Clark, a Bryan family descendant.[1] Spacing, some punctuation marks, and capital letters were added to make this letter easier to read. Spelling errors remain as written. Note that a version of this story was first published in the Erath County Genealogical Society Journal in April of 2020.[2]
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| Terrell Little “Bunch” Bryan Biggs [3] and Erie Ontario Nix Bryan [4] |
Terrell Little “Bunch” Bryan Biggs
Terrell Little “Bunch” Bryan, the daughter of Terrell Bryan and Harriet Louisa Albritton, was born on 13 July 1861 in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. Her family left Louisiana for Texas sometime in 1876 or 1877 and lived in Eastland County before moving to Erath County in 1878. Terrell Little Bryan married James Daniel “Jim” Biggs on 16 May 1880 in Erath County where they had eight children; Margaret “Maggie” Lizina, Willie Allen, Terrell Bryan, James Frederick, James Ely, Harry Tracy, Ina Lou, and Charles Calvin. In the 1920s, Terrell Little and her husband moved to Wheeler, Texas to live with their daughter Margaret Gunter. James Biggs died in 1925. Terrell Little Bryan Biggs died in 1939. They are buried in the Wheeler Cemetery.[5]
Erie Ontario Nix Bryan
Erie Ontario Nix, the daughter of George Washington Nix and Telitha Garrett, was born on 4 July 1856 in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. Her family lived near the Bryan family in Bienville Parish. Erie married Terrell Little Bryan’s first cousin, Augustus Reddick Bryan, on 14 May 1874. Erie and Augustus had three daughters; Tulette, Alma, and Alice. They also raised Albert Bryan, son of Augustus’ brother, James Anderson Bryan, and Erie’s niece, Sarah Frances Nix. Erie died in 1934 and Augustus in 1917. They are buried in the Wimberly Cemetery in Bienville Parish.[6]
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The Biggs family home - Morgan Mill
On the back of the photo, Terrell Little Bryan Biggs wrote, to Mrs. E. O. Bryan
from Mrs. J. D. Biggs. My Home Sweet Home. Morgan Mill Tex [7] |
Morgan Mill to Ringgold
I haven’t the stamps this time will send the amount next time for the Postage on the flowers. [This was written along the top edge of the letter.]
Morgan Mill, Tex
May 3/13
Mrs. E. O. Bryan
My dear cousin, I will answer your kind letter, glad you were all well. We are the same. We had a fine rain last night we sure did appreciate it, was the first good season we have had in so long a time. We texas people have had a sege of dry years. I do hope the drouth is broken. Have you had plenty of rain? Everything is so backwordy here on account of cold and dry winds. So much dirt. We would have light rains would soon dry out, and dust would soon be as bad as ever, but we sure had a ground soaker this time.
Was so proud of my flowers, Jacobs Laders died and the Stargrass Hawthorn also. All of my café jessimins are living or they look that way. If you can ever get any of the kind you spoke of please send them to me.
Do you have gerraniums and Olianders. I have several colors of gerraniums. Pink, white, and red. White, red, and pink Olianders. I have Phlox, petunias, Larkspurs, Cosmos, poppys and several other kind in my years. I have several kind of roses all ever Blooming. I do wish you could see my yard now after the rain. It’s so pretty, it will be a beauty.
After this my [illegible] are so pretty. I have a pretty Crape Mertle. I have a longer front yard it takes more work than my garden.
I hoe it like a garden. I have some pretty Phlox. Such bright colors. I do love flowers so much. I work with them lots. Most all of my neighbors comes every day after some kind of flowers.
My door neighbor little girl wanted some larkspurs this morning to sit out. I said no today is Sunday. Come in the morning. They all want flowers. We have a flower tower at the Mill. The ground is just adapted to flowers anyone that trys can have flowers.
I live rite at the church or so near not more than a quarter of a mile
3 churches, Mishionary Baptist, Montainites [Martinite] Baptist, Methodist Presbyterian preach at the Meth house. Preaching every Sunday.
Have a large Tabbernacle will seat five hundred people. So you see we have a duke’s mixture. The comutity holds a protracted meeting every year, here, and the Seven days adventist preaches sometimes.
We have a nice School Building 6 rooms. Nice stage and auditorium. So you see we are up to date folks. Masonic Hall, and Odd Fellows Hall too. My husband is a mason and odd fellow too.
Are a Woodman Loge here. They haven’t any Hall as yet, but our Town is just a wide place in the road. 6 stores and grocery houses. 2 Blacksmith Shops, one Bank.
We live 12 miles north of Stephenville. Our farm and pasture is five or six miles north west of here.
I was glad to hear all from all of my old friends back there. It made me so sad to here of Bittie’s death. Tell Singgie my P.O. is Morgan Mill. That I would be more than glad to get a few words from her. I write to so many but I do love to get letters from La.
It just seemed to me that I had talked with Jim when I read Albert’s letter. It brought him right back to my mind. I cant see you all as you are now, but I can see you all as I did when we left La. When I look at Aunt Alices picture she sent me I just say it cant be her surely and then I look at my self and say how much I have changed since I came to Tex.
I am looking for Ina in any time. She was at Wheeler Tex Maggie Gunter her sister. She may go by Fairfax Okla to see her sister Willie Delavan. She has gone back on her feller. Her school was out 26 of April. I am so anxious for her to come home. She came home Xmas. Just stayed 4 days. Her Bro Jimmie came with her. He may come home with her as his school will soon be out.
And you all have phones all over your country. We have them here most everyone has a phone. Automobiles are common here. Do you all have them. Or is the country to rough. Lots buying that don’t know what they are doing. Just a fade [fad] with the people, but still they are nice. I would love to have one. We may get one sometime. I cant go any where in the Buggie. Our horse is afraid of them. So you see I don’t drive much.
Well I must sing off for this time I know you are tired of this. Give my best love to all inquiring friends and Kinfolk.
Love to your family and Self. Write soon to your cousin. T. L. Biggs
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This additional piece, found with the letter, may have been written after
the completion of the letter. |
Some Family Mentioned in the Letter
The identity of "Bittie" is not known.
Singgie was Alice Bryan Wimberly, sister to Erie Ontario’s husband and Terrell Littles' first cousin. She married John Lawson Wimberly Jr. Her parents were Joseph B. Bryan and Sarah Margaret Wimberly of Bienville Parish, Louisiana.[8]
Albert Bryan of Bienville Parish was the son of Augustus Reddick Bryan’s brother, James Anderson Bryan, and Erie Ontario Nix’s niece, Sarah Frances Nix. His parents died when he was just two years old. Augustus Reddick and Erie Ontario raised him as their son.[9]
Aunt Alice was Alice Mary Wimberly Bryan, wife of James Bryan. James Bryan was uncle to Terrell Little Bryan Biggs and Erie Ontario's husband, Augustus Reddick Bryan.[10]
Ina Lou Biggs was the youngest daughter of Terrell Little and James D. Biggs. She was born on 26 September 1896 in Morgan Mill. She was married first to Frank Blackwell and second to Robert L. Chapman. She died in Tyler, Smith County, Texas.[11]
Maggie Gunter was Margaret Lizina Biggs, the first child born to Terrell Little Bryan and James D. Biggs. She was born on 11 March 1881 in Erath County. She married Malcolm Lee Gunter on 1 February 1900. Maggie died in Wheeler, Texas in 1951.[12]
Willie DeLavan formerly Willie Allen Biggs was the second child of Terrell Little Bryan and James D. Biggs. She was born on 24 August 1882 in Erath County, Texas. She married James Edwin DeLavan on 30 April 1902.[13]
Jimmie was James Eli Biggs, born in Morgan Mill on 17 June 1890 to Terrell Little Bryan and James Daniel Biggs.[14]
Other Biggs Family Posts
Friday's Photo: The Biggs Family + One in Erath County, Texas
Diana
© 2022
1. Letter from Terrell Little "Bunch" Biggs (Morgan Mill, Erath County, Texas) to Erie Ontario Bryan (Ringgold, Bienville Parish, Louisiana), 3 May 1913; original copy held in 2022 by D. Quinn.
2. Diana Bryan Quinn, "A Letter from Morgan Mill - May 3, 1913" The ECGS Journal (April 2002), 23-27.
3. Terrell Little Bryan Biggs, photograph, ca.1880; scanned image, from the privately held photo collection of Patricia Pierce Waas, TX, 2006.
4. Erie Ontario Nix Bryan photograph, n.d.; digital images, from the privately held photo collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), Waynesville, North Carolina, 2022. Photos were accessed and scanned at the home of Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter in Alpine, Texas on April 28, 2014, September 14, 2014, and November 9 to 11, 2016. 5. Sue Blackwell Pierce, "Birth Record of Biggs Family," 1847 - 1939; supplied by Sue Blackwell Pierce, Texas, 2006.
6. Vera Meeks Wimberly, Wimberly Family History, Ancestors, Relatives, and Descendants of William Wimberly, Pioneer from Georgia to Louisiana 1837 (Houston Texas: D. Anderson, 1979).
7. The Biggs family home at Morgan Mill, photograph, n.d.; digital images, from the privately held photo collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), Waynesville, North Carolina, 2022. Photos were accessed and scanned at the home of Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter in Alpine, Texas on April 28, 2014, September 14, 2014, and November 9 to 11, 2016.
8. Vera Meeks Wimberly, Wimberly Family History, Ancestors, Relatives, and Descendants of William Wimberly, Pioneer from Georgia to Louisiana 1837 (Houston Texas: D. Anderson, 1979).
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. Sue Blackwell Pierce, "Birth Record of Biggs Family," 1847 - 1939; supplied by Sue Blackwell Pierce, Texas, 2006.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
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