Navigating the History of Erath's Old Poor Farm with New Technologies

Terrell Bryan and his wife, Harriet Albritton

In 2018, I wrote the blog post Terrell Bryan Managed a Poor Farm in Erath County, Texas. I learned much about Terrell Bryan and the poor farm from old newspapers and a few county court records. Records showed that Terrell, my great-grandfather, managed a poor farm from about 1883 to 1887. In 1888, the old poor farm was sold, and a new poor farm was established. Little is known about the old poor farm, and its location was only seen in newspaper ads as "about a mile from the college" and "southwest of Stephenville." 

Six years ago, locating the site would have required a lengthy examination of deed records. However, recently developed technological advancements have enabled me to perform searches and transcriptions in minutes. Simply entering +"poor farm" + Erath into the new Full-Text Search at FamilySearch.org resulted in two deeds describing Erath's "old poor farm."

From these two deeds, I learned that on 9 November 1877, J. B. Hill purchased land from Matilda Duprey, widow of J. B. Duprey. At the time, C. H. Walker was the administrator of the J. B. Duprey estate. 

J. B. Hill sold part or all of this land to Erath County on 10 August 1880. 

On 20 February 1889, J.L. Humphries, serving as the County Judge of Erath, sold the land known as the Old Poor Farm to J.W. Ferguson for $300 and the further consideration of two promissory notes. 

These dates line up perfectly with the accounts found in old newspapers. On 28 November 1880, the Brenham Daily Banner announced that Erath County was going to establish a poor farm. Eight years later, on 20 December 1888, sealed bids for the sale of the old poor farm were being considered. 

The location of the "old poor farm" can be seen in the deeds. I used ChatGPT, an Artificial Intelligence system, to make the transcriptions found at FamilySearch easier to read. I also asked ChatGPT to explain the deeds to me in a timeline manner to better understand the past transactions described in the deeds. Transcriptions of the deeds can be seen below. 

Found in Deed Book 27, Pages 211-212

The State of Texas, County of Erath

Know all men by these presents that I  J.L. Humphries County Judge of the County of Erath and State aforesaid in consideration of the sum of 300.00 Three hundred Dollars to me in hand paid by J.W. Ferguson and the further consideration of two promissory notes bearing even date herewith and bearing 10% interest from date until paid for the sum of one hundred and fifty Dollars each have Granted sold and conveyed and by these presents do Grant Sell and Convey unto the said J.W. Ferguson of the County of Erath and State of Texas all that certain tract or parcel of land to wit. Sixty-three acres of land more or less situated about one half mile South of Stephenville, Erath County, Texas, being the same land purchased by J.B. Hill and J.F. Hill from Mrs. Matilda Duprey and from C.H. Walker, administrator of J.B. Duprey deceased. For a more particular description of which, reference is hereby made to the deeds of said Matilda Duprey and Walker to the said J.B. Hill except those parts of said land sold by the said J.B. & J.F. Hill to Mrs. E. Hazlewood and to W.W. Hickey and by said J.B. Hill to J.H. Parr but including in this conveyance Seven and a half acres of land bought by said J.B. Hill from Mrs Hazlewood by deed dated 9th day of November 1877 to which reference is hereby made for a more particular description of said Seven and a half acres this Deed intended to convey Fifty three acres more or less the same as known as the old Poor Farm of Erath County and deeded by J B Hill to Erath County on the 10th day of August A D 1880. To have and to hold the above described premises together with all and singular the rights and appurtenances thereto belonging unto the said James W. Ferguson his heirs and assigns forever and I  J.L. Humphries Co Judge as aforesaid hereby bind Erath County to warrant and forever Defend all and singular the said premises unto the said James W Ferguson his heirs and assigns against every person whomsoever lawfully claiming or to claim the same or any part there of in as full and ample a manner as I can convey or aught to convey the same

Witness my hand at Stephenville this 20th day of February A D 1889.

J.L. Humphries

County Judge

Erath County, Texas

Found in Deed Book 28, Pages 105-107

The State of Texas, County of Erath

Know all men by these presents that I, J.L. Humphries County Judge of the County of Erath and State aforesaid for and in consideration of the sum of Three hundred ($300) Dollars to me in hand paid by J.W. Helm Ferguson and the further consideration of two promissory notes of even date herewith and bearing 10 percent interest per annum from date until paid for the sum one hundred and fifty Dollars each retaining a vendor's lien for the payment of same have granted sold and conveyed and by these presents do grant sell and convey unto the said J.W. Ferguson of the County of Erath and State of Texas all that certain tract or parcel of land lying and situated about one half a mile South of the town of Stephenville on the Bosque River in the County of Erath and the State of Texas and known as the Old poor farm of Erath County and more particularly described as follows, to wit

A part of the John B. Duprey Survey being the same land purchased by J.B. Hill and J.F. Hill from Mrs Matilda Duprey and from C.H. Walker, administrator of J.B. Duprey deceased. Beginning at the S.E. Corner of a seven and one half acre survey deeded by Mrs. E. Hazlewood to J.H. Hill for S.E. Corner of this an a live oak tree marked J H: 

Thence N. 36° W. passing N.E. Corner of Said Seven and one half acres tract 554 varas  a corner in bed of branch from which a rock Boulder on north bank of Branch marked X bears N 43 W. 4 vrs: Thence up and with the meanderings of said branch to a corner of a 27 acre Survey of land deeded by J.B. Hill to W. W. Hickey, a post oak marked H on Side of branch bears S.W. 1 vara

Thence westwardly 317 varas to a corner in the east line of a survey deeded by J.B. Hill and wife to J.H. Parr.

Thence S. 7° E with east line of the Said Parr Survey 655 varas to a rock pile for a corner from which a Black Jack tree 2 ½ inches in diameter bears S. 55 W. 12 ½ varas and a Live Oak marked X bears S. 9° E. 17 ½ varas: 

Thence N. 60° E. 535 varas to N.W. corner of said seven and one half acres. Survey a Rock pile for corner from which a live oak marked H bears S. 7° E. 15 varas 

Thence S. 63° E 185 varas to a rock pile, on prairie for S.W. corner of Same.

Thence N. 60° E. 216 Varas to the place of beginning containing 53 acres of land more or less

to have and to hold the above described premises together with all and singular the rights and appurtenances thereto in any wise belonging unto the said J.W. Ferguson   I  J.L. Humphries County Judge as aforesaid heirs and assigns forever and do hereby bind Erath County to warrant and forever defend all and singular the said premises unto the said J.W. Ferguson his heirs and assigns against every person whomsoever lawfully claiming or to claim the same or any part thereof in as full and ample a manner as can convey or aught to convey the same witness my hand at Stephenville this 20 day of February, A.D. 1889

J.C. Humphries 

County Judge

Erath County Texas

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Diana

© 2024 

"#52ancestors Post Thirty-Nine: Terrell Bryan Managed a Poor Farm in Erath County" blog entry, 25 October 2018, Moments in Time: A Genealogy Blog (https://momentsintimeagenealogyblog.blogspot.com/2018/10/52ancestors-post-thirty-nineterrell.html : accessed 24 March 2024).

"Erath County is to have a poor farm," The Daily Banner (Brenham, Texas), 28 Nov 1880,  p.1, col. 3; database and images, The Portal to Texas History (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth478713/ : accessed 24 Mar 2024). 

Erath County, Texas, Deed Book 27: 211-212, Deed, 20 Feb 1889; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3WM-9SR4-M? : accessed 18 March 2024), image 109. 

Erath County, Texas, Deed Book 28: 105-107, Deed, 20 Feb 1889; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3WM-9SGH-C? : accessed 18 March 2024), image 56. 

"Old Poor Farm for Sale," The Stephenville Empire (Stephenville, Texas), 15 Dec 1888,  p.1, col. 4; database and images, The Portal to Texas History  (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth857540/m1/1/zoom/?resolution=4&lat=3804.5&lon=3019.5 : accessed 24 Mar 2024).