Family Notes from Erath County, Texas - Bryan, Biggs, Keith, Latta, and Hairston

Terrell Little Bryan and her husband, James D. Biggs

Stephenville Empire

1 August 1885 

A Serious Accident

Last Sunday a few minutes after J.D. Biggs and family left Terrell Bryan's, his wife met with a very serious accident. The horses were somewhat playful, and Mr. Biggs suggested that his wife get out and walk. The wagon was stopped, and she put her foot on the hind wheel to get out. As she was getting down the wheel turned, throwing her to the ground and under the wheel. The cap of her knee was badly injured, and she was generally bruised up, and, up to last Monday evening, was in a critical condition, not being able to move. Her delicate condition makes the accident quite serious.

Note: Terrell "Bunch" Bryan was the wife of J. D. Biggs.  The Terrell Bryan mentioned was her father. Her son, Terrell Bryan Biggs was born shortly after this accident, on 3 September 1885.

Dallas Morning News    

5 Jul, 1891   

JAIL DELIVERY.  The Acting Jailer Overpowered by Two Outside Men. 

STEPHENVILLE, Erath Co., Tex., 4 Jul

Terrell Bryan (1836-1920)

Four prisoners escaped from the county jail about 1 o’clock this afternoon.  Sheriff
Shands and his deputy attended the celebration at Huckaby today and left R. Dunn in charge.  When Dunn went up to give the prisoners their dinner he was seized just as he entered the corridor by two strong men who had secreted themselves and had been laying for him since breakfast.  One of them held him secure while the other opened the cell,  They then told all the inmates who desired to celebrate independence day to vacate quickly.  Four prisoners walked out and four remained in their cells.  Mr. Dunn was then incarcerated, the lock thrown on and the four men ran down stairs, jumped the fence and were at liberty.

About 2 o’clock Mr. Terrell Bryant’s [Bryan] attention was attracted to the jail by Dunn’s loud cries for help, and going there he learned the facts.  After releasing Dunn they raised the alarm and soon every man that could muster a gun and horse was in pursuit.  T. M. Creswell brought in a pair of the boys this evening and the other two, Phil Roberts, wanted in Tennessee for assault to murder, and Jack Kimball, charged with horse theft here, are still at large.  A strong posse still pursues them.  The prisoners have with them a Winchester, and it is thought will make a fight when overtaken.

Stephenville Tribune

24 July 1896

R. E. Bryan will teach at the school at Center Grove this year.

Erath Appeal

Redic E. Bryan and J. Myrtie Hairston

21 Jul, 1898

Redic Bryan had the misfortune Monday night to have a wagon run over his leg
below the knee, fracturing the larger bone.

26 Feb, 1903

Harve Keith and his wife will soon move to Fort Worth where Mr. Keith has a position.

29 Sept, 1904

Mrs. Terrell Bryan went down to Fort Worth Sunday for a fortnight’s visit to her daughters, Mrs. Lon Latta and Mrs. Harvey Keith.

Stephenville Tribune

21 Jul 1905

Reddick Bryan will go to San Angelo to prospect and also to

visit relatives.

18 Aug 1905

Reddick Bryan and wife have returned from their visit to

Robert Lee, San Angelo and other points west. He reports lands out there as

higher than the same class can be bought for in Erath county.

Note: Redic was probably visiting his sister, Dollie Wylie, and her husband, Tom, in Robert E. Lee, Coke County.

11 Nov, 1905

Reddick Bryan and P.A. Hairston, who recently disposed of their property in Erath County, are nicely located on a fine piece of property they paid $20 per acre. They bought all the corn on the farm at 25 cents. They have already taken possession of their new homes.

1 Dec, 1905

Rev. R.A. Cox who recently purchased the Phil Hairston place will preach at Sylvan Saturday and Sunday. Mr. Cox has been in the ministry a good many years.

Note: P. A. Hairston was Redic's father-in-law. Redic, his wife, Myrtie, and their children along with Philip and Lodema Hairston, Myrtie's parents moved to the Levelview community of Baylor County in 1905.

15 Nov, 1909

Judge Terrell Bryan celebrated his seventy-third birthday on 17 Nov, and is receiving congratulations galore.  He served in the Confederate army and was desperately wounded, and has suffered untold torture from then up to the present time.  He has four children living and all are married.

Stephenville Tribune

March 4, 1910

During the serious illness of Mrs. T. L. Biggs  Mr. B. was unable to attend to his farming operations, but his neighbors evidenced the true christian spirit and he will not suffer from a loss of crops.  The came and broke his land, hauled wood, and did other neighborly acts for all of which he is deeply grateful.  And the dear, good women did their part nobly. 

It is now believed that Mrs. Biggs will recover.  She suffered from blood poisoning.

Note: Terrell Little"Bunch" Bryan was the daughter of Terrell Bryan and Harriet Albritton and the wife of J. D. Biggs.  

These excerpts were recorded on my web pages almost twenty years ago. Those web pages have not been updated since about 2012 but can still be found at my Rootsweb Freepages site. However, Ancestry, who now owns Rootsweb, is retiring the pages in 2024, and when and if they are returned, the pages will be static (I will not be able to make changes). 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2023 

"A Serious Accident," Stephenville Empire, Stephenville, Texas, 1 August 1895. Transcribed by C. Shipman and shared with Diana Quinn before 2011.

"Jail Delivery. The Acting Jailer Overpowered by Two Outside Men," Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas, 5 August 1891. Transcribed by C. Shipman and shared with Diana Quinn before 2011.

Redic Bryan at Center Grove, Stephenville Tribune, Stephenville, Texas, 24 July 1896. Transcribed by C. Shipman and shared with Diana Quinn before 2011.

Reddick Bryan, Stephenville Tribune, Stephenville, Texas, 21 July 1905. Transcribed by C. Shipman and shared with Diana Quinn before 2011.

Reddick Bryan, Stephenville Tribune, Stephenville, Texas, 18 August 1905. Transcribed by C. Shipman and shared with Diana Quinn before 2011.

Reddick Bryan, Stephenville Tribune, Stephenville, Texas, 11 November 1905. Transcribed by C. Shipman and shared with Diana Quinn before 2011.

The Phil Hairston place, Stephenville Tribune, Stephenville, Texas, 1 December 1905. Transcribed by C. Shipman and shared with Diana Quinn before 2011.

Redic Bryan fractured leg, Erath Appeal, Stephenville, Texas, 21 July 1898; Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, 2005. 

Harve Keith and wife, Erath Appeal, Stephenville, Texas, 26 February 1903; Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, 2005. 

Mrs. Terrell Bryan, Erath Appeal, Stephenville, Texas, 29 September 1904; Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, 2005. 

Terrell Little Bryan and James D. Biggs, photograph, ca.1880; scanned image, from the privately held photo collection of Patricia Pierce Waas, TX, 2006. 

Redic E. Bryan and J. Myrtie Hairston, photograph, 1900; scanned image, original in the privately held photo collection of D.B. Quinn, 2023.

Terrell Bryan, photograph, ca. 1900; scanned image, original in the privately held photo collection of D.B. Quinn, 2023.