Friday's Photo: Texas Governor James Stephen Hogg and Another Family Story

This limestone capital building was completed in 1888. With it's Goddess of Liberty, the
Texas State Capitol Building is 14 feet taller  than the United States capitol building.
Click here to see and read more about the Texas capitol building. 

I had the opportunity to visit Austin, Texas in May and while visiting, spent a morning at the beautiful state capital building. Inside the rotunda, portraits of Texas governors line the walls of the first floor and spiral up all the way to the fourth floor where the portraits of the presidents of the Republic can be found. There I found the portrait of Governor James Stephen Hogg, governor of Texas from January 20, 1891 to January 15, 1895.

Dad once said we were related to Governor Hogg, but he didn't know the connection. In 2000, while reviewing the Hairston family research of Carl Forrest Greenway, I found a letter Mr. Greenway wrote, in 1963, to Miss Ima Hogg of Houston, Texas. Miss Hogg was the daughter of Governor James Stephen Hogg. She was a well educated philanthropist and community leader.

From the letter, written by Mr. Greenway, I could see it was in response to an inquiry from Miss Hogg. It appears she was trying to find a Hairston connection to her Hogg family. Mr. Greenway wasn't able to answer her question, but gave some possibilities. 

I have not connected my Hairston family to the Hogg family, but suspect there is a very distant connection. I seem to find some truth in most family stories. 

James Stephan Hogg
1851-1906

To learn more about Governor Hogg and Miss Ima Hogg check out the links below. 

Ima Hogg - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hogg Foundation for Mental Health

Jim Hogg - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If you would like a copy of the letter by Carl Forrest Greenway, comment below or comment to this link on my Facebook page. 

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

© 2017

Sources

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn

Greenway, Carl (New York, New York) to "Dear Miss Hogg" [Miss Ima Hogg]. Letter. 23 July 1963. Greenway Miscellany [Manuscript]. New York Public Library, NYC, NY.

Ima Hogg.  Retrieved June 30, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ima_Hogg

Jim Hogg. Retrieved June 30, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Hogg

Beyond 52 Ancestors: #53 Carl Forrest Greenway

The solid lines indicate that the connection to the family is documented while
the dotted lines indicate that direct evidence has not yet been found to
make the connection. Click on the family tree to see a larger image.

Carl Forrest Greenway
(1917-1974)

Carl Forrest Greenway died in 1974, but I feel as if I have been collaborating with him about the Hairston family for the last fifteen years. Some of his letters, found in the Georgia State Archives were sent to me in 1999. On a visit to the New York Public Library in 2000, I copied some of his letters and notes found in four very large binders. That same year, another researcher sent a copy of a letter found in the Bassett Historical Center.

Carl F. Greenway researched the early Hairstons of Virginia and pointed out information in other research that did and did not make sense. He did not have the advantage of the Internet so traveled throughout the south and to Salt Lake City to find family. He often spent time talking to and writing to distant cousins. From those interviews and letters about his mother's Hairston family, I found clues to help me further my research.

I know that I need to go back to the NYPL and maybe to the Bassett Historical Center and the Georgia State Archives. At the New York Pubic Library, I only copied what I thought was pertinent. However, I now know so much more about this branch of the Hairston family. Names such as McBurnett, McKain, Stallings, Simonton, White, and McCauley meant nothing to me in 2000. Did I miss something? I need to know. 

Carl's letters indicate that he sent research to the North Carolina State Archives. Recently, I found one item in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. That's two additional places to search. Were there more documents to find? Did he spread his research around according to state and family? Or, did he make copies to send to various repositories? Did those binders at the NYPL contain all of his research?