William – Page 6 – Paschal – Paschall Genealogy

Polly Paschall’s Ghost

By Linda Stewart, 9 June 2019

I have not been able to discover the year the story was written, or if Patience Oriel was the author of “Polly Paschall’s Ghost”. The story seems to have first appeared in The Times (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Monday, December 2, 1889, Page 3, and was reprinted in newspapers throughout America for the next four years.

POLLY PASCHALL’S GHOST

by Patience Oriel

A ROMANTIC TALE OF THE OLD MANSION’S SECRET ROOM.

A SPIRIT AS CO-WORKER

How a Young Girl Discovered a Hidden Spring and What Befell Her there.

Pretty Polly Paschall sat bolt upright, her red-brown curls falling in rich confusion about her bare white throat, her brown eyes as wide as if she had not been in bed and asleep for hours. The lamp was turned low, as she had left it, and shone with a dim, soft radiance over all the richly furnished room.

Polly stared about her. The chairs, the tables, the little quaintly carved stand by the window, and which held her precious pilgrim bottle, were all just as she had left them. What could the noise have been? Suddenly her eyes fell upon the little square door in the wall high up above the book-case.

“My ghost at last!” said Polly, clasping her pretty little palms together. She waited a moment in breathless silence, but hearing no repetition of the noise which had awakened her, she sprang out of bed, put on her slippers and dressing gown, threw some bits of wood upon the still growing embers, and turning out the lamp she sat down before the fire to await the ghost, whose coming she had been expecting for lo these many days.

The Paschall’s, father, mother and daughter, had moved into their present abode to await the erection of their own house, and upon the very first day of their coming Polly had spied the little “secret door,” as she called it, and selected this for her room.

“Just think of the possibilities for a romance,” she said to her father, and he had gotten upon the house cleaner’s step-ladder and found the door fastened hard and fast.

“It is all safe,” he said. “O, I want it to be safe from mortal hands,” Polly said; “but ghosts stand not back for bolts and bars.”

“If it is a ghost you want,” said her father, “you may get it. This house belongs to one of the oldest, and at one time the wealthiest, families in the State. It has stood here for years, and has known many changes, and I presume could tell many stories and perhaps give up a good many ghosts. I rented it from a sweet-faced, grand-looking old lady, who lives somehow and somewhere in those dark apartments next door to us. I think she is the only surviving member of the noble family whose glory and wealth have departed. No, I believe she told me that there was a boy, her grandson, who is working at — she told me what he does, but I don’t remember.”

“How interesting!” exclaimed Polly. “I am sure I shall find a ghost.”

But so many uneventful months had passed since she ensconced herself in the rooms that she had almost forgotten to expect a ghost until tonight, when a noise as of slippered feet walking over a hard, bare floor had awakened her.

She sat for a long time, her eyes fixed upon the little door, expecting every moment that a ghostly hand would undo the hidden lock and a ghostly form would emerge from the darkness beyond. But — her maid found her still sitting and fast asleep the next morning when she came to awaken her.

“My pretty Polly will have a gloomy day of it, I fear,” said her father when he kissed her good-bye. “It is raining in torrents.”

“O, that is delightful,” said Polly; “I shall have a good, quiet, lazy dreamy day of it, just such a day as one should have after an episode with a ghost.”

“Yours was a very tame episode,” said her mother. “I should want something really exciting.”

“Never you fear,” said Polly; “last night’s experience was only the beginning — just the prelude, as it were; the excitement is yet to come.”

Though the rain pattered soothingly upon the widows, and the warmth and glow within were conductive to day dreaming, Polly soon found the hours of idleness growing long and tedious.

“I shall try for the hundredth time,” she said at last, “to see if I can open the little door which I am sure leads to my ghost.”

Polly was light and graceful and agile, so to scramble from the back of the big chair to the top of the book-case was but the work of a moment.

The little door which was sunken in the wall above was of black oak, richly covered. Polly searched it closely to see if she could find any possible way to open it. Suddenly almost by chance, her finger touched a little spot in the eye of one of the carved griffins, a spring clicked, the door flew open in her face.

Polly gave a scream and sank down upon the top of the book-case. She waited a moment; no sight, no sound resulted from her successful effort and she stood up and peered through the doorway.

Gradually, as her eyes became accustomed to the semi-darkness, she began to distinguish the objects in the little room beyond. There was a little case of books, a large, square table and one chair, big and cozy and comfortable-looking.

Polly’s father had always called her a “plucky” girl, and now she hesitated only a moment, then stepped up through the opening into the room beyond.

It was a very small room, she found when she had gotten in, and the only door that led from it was locked. The books on the shelves were old and dusty looking.

“They belonged to a dead generation,” said Polly.

On the table were papers, sheet after sheet of manuscript, pencils, pens and ink. The chair was sitting before the table as if someone had just been writing, and upon the hearth were fresh embers.

“My ghost is certainly a sensible a sensible creature — humanly so,” said Polly, as she seated herself in the chair and began to look over the papers on the table.

There were many notes and scraps, meaningless and disjointed, but finally she came to a packet containing quite a lengthy manuscript, closely written, much folded and fingered.

“The ghost is an author,” said Polly, “and he manuscript has been rejected. ‘Proved unavailable to our columns.’ Poor fellow! Well, I shall read his story if it be one. The plot thickens. Think of being able to read a ghost’s story! One that the eye of mortal has never beheld!”

She began to read, turning the leaves over slowly at first, but gradually her eyes few over the closely-written pages, the words and thoughts were filling her with an interest that she had seldom felt in printed pages. The mystery of it all, the strangeness of her position impressed themselves upon her, wrapped themselves about the story she was reading and intensified her interest in it.

The rain beat upon the roof that was just above, the light shone but dimly through the small window that opened upon a long array of housetops. Hour after house passed, and still Polly sat reading. She finished at last with a sigh of regret.

“If only the woman had not been such a stick,” she said; “if she had not said such stiff, silly things, one could feel that the story was perfect.”

She sat a moment in deep thought. “I will do it,” she said, at last. “I believe I can do it; at all events I shall try; but not now.” She got up, arranged the papers and chair just as she had found them, and crept down through the little door into her own room.

The next day Miss Paschall surprised the fashionable stationer on the corner by ordering a whole ream of “foolscap.”

Richard Blount opened the door of his bare little “study,” put down the armful of wood he was carrying and knelt down upon the hearth to kindle a fire. He was what a casual observer would have called an ugly man, but had a good, well-knit figure, a fine head, and strong though irregular features.

There was a tired, troubled look on his face as he sat down at this writing table and bent his head upon his folded hands. He was weary in mind and body. His days had been always days of toil, his life had been one long struggle. With the heritage of a good name that had come to him from his forefathers, there had come from his father a legacy of debt which he had been striving for years to pay.

“My task is almost done,” he said to himself. “If I could only get my story accepted! If I only knew how to make it go! I feel sure there are good things in it, but if I only knew what to make the girl say. When a fellow’s acquaintances with women doesn’t extend beyond a knowledge of his own grandmother he can’t have a very clear idea of what a young girl’s conversation would be like. Well, I’ll try once more and see what I can do with it.”

He picked up the MS., which was folded carefully and still in the place where he had left it.

Slowly he turned over the first few pages, listlessly reading them.

Suddenly he held the paper up close to the lamp. The handwriting had changed! There was no break in the story, but as he read on he found whole pages which he had not written, and gradually it dawned upon him that their additions were giving his story a life, a sparkle that it had not had before.

“Who can have done it?” he said, when he had finished. “No one knows of this den but myself — not even grandmother.”

“Perhaps it is a ghost come back from out our past grandeur,” he said with a smile, “and a very witty ghost she is, too,” looking at the beautiful womanly writing that was mingled with his won, “and I feel deeply indebted to her for her interference.”

“Well, I shall send the story off again, and, if it is published, that will make my assistant show up if she be not a ghost in very truth,” he said, by-and-by.

“I have brought you the magazine containing the new story that is creating such a furor just now,” said Polly’s father to her one day.

“Nobody knows the author, but I am told he made the nit of the season,” said Mr. Paschall.

“O,” said Polly, significantly, when she had cut the leaves. That was all. She went up to her room, taking the magazine.

“I believe I shall pay another visit to my ghost’s apartment,” she said, when she had finished reading the story.

So saying she scrambled up the bookcase, opened the door and went into the room beyond. Her dress caught on the door as she passed through and pulled it to with a click. Before she had time to try to extricate herself she heard a key inserted into the lock on the other side of the room, the door opened and a man walked in. Polly leaned back against the wall, startled, frightened.

The young man stood holding the door in his hand and a startled expression in his big gray eyes.

“How — how did you get here?” he asked abruptly>

“Through the little door there,” said Polly, breathlessly. “It has shut to behind me. Oh, dear, I thought you were a ghost.”

“No, I think it is you who are the ghost,” said the young man, with a smile.

“Won’t you open the door for me?” said Polly, recovering herself. The young man came up to her.

“You are Miss Paschall,” he said. “I have heard my grandmother speak of you. My name is Richard Blount.”

Polly turned her beautiful eyes a moment up to his good, ugly face and held out her hand to him. He blushed as he took it and for a moment neither spoke.

“I fear I cannot open this little ‘trap’ door for you from this side,” he said at last. “There is a long hall which leads over your house to the one grandmother and I occupy now. Come, I will take you out that way. I come all the way over here so that my light may not disturb grandmother at night. If your own apartments are near this I fear I have disturbed you,” he added as he held the door open and she passed out into the narrow hallway.

“O, no” she answered; “I think I have only heard you once, and then I was so in hopes you were a ghost.”

“So you were caught by that little spring lock,” said old Mrs. Blount, when they had found her and Polly’s presence was explained.

“I remember being fastened in the little square room once,” said the old lady very gently. “It was when I was a young girl and here on a visit to your Aunt Ellen Richard. Your grandfather induced me to climb through the little door, and then he fastened it behind me. He called to me that he would not let me out until I had promised to marry him. I stayed in all night and half the next day before I would promise, though.

“But come, Richard, we will take Miss Paschall through the little side door of the library and she will be at home in a moment,” said the old lady.

“There was a time when I was in hops you were a ghost, too,” Richard said to Polly, as he held the door open for her to pass through. “Why?” asked the girl. “So that I might hope for further assistance in writing my stories,” he answered, with a smile.

Not many months had passed, however, before he was telling her that he could not write without her.

“Well, I suppose I must make the sacrifice and marry you, Richard, dear,” Polly answered, “if for nothing but to preserve you from manufacturing such heroines as your first was before I redeemed her.”

Patience Oriel

Memorial Day – In Remembrance of those who died.

By Linda Stewart, 27 May 2019

“Roughly 1,264,000 American soldiers have died in the nation’s wars–620,000 in the Civil War and 644,000 in all other conflicts. It was only as recently as the Vietnam War that the amount of American deaths in foreign wars eclipsed the number who died in the Civil War.”

Per Barbara Maranzani in her History article “8 Things You May Not Know About Memorial Day”, it reads in part … “In May 1868, General John A. Logan, the commander-in-chief of the Union veterans’ group known as the Grand Army of the Republic, issued a decree that May 30 should become a nationwide day of commemoration for the more than 620,000 soldiers killed in the recently ended Civil War. On Decoration Day, as Logan dubbed it, Americans should lay flowers and decorate the graves of the war dead “whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land.”

According to legend, Logan chose May 30 because it was a rare day that didn’t fall on the anniversary of a Civil War battle, though some historians believe the date was selected to ensure that flowers across the country would be in full bloom. Even before the war ended, women’s groups across much of the South were gathering informally to decorate the graves of Confederate dead. In April 1886, the Ladies Memorial Association of Columbus, Georgia resolved to commemorate the fallen once a year—a decision that seems to have influenced John Logan to follow suit, according to his own wife.”

Today across America, people are placing flags on the graves of our fallen soldiers so that we will never forget.

Reference: https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/civil-war-facts and https://www.history.com/news/8-things-you-may-not-know-about-memorial-day?

Paschall Texas Historical Marker in Wise County

By Linda Stewart, 24 May 2019

Marker Number: 13759 N 33° 03.196 W 097° 45.546

Marker Text:
Robert A. and Molly Paschall settled in this area in 1876 and purchased 160 acres of land near Salt Creek in 1890. In 1902 the Paschall, Texas post office was established in their home which also housed the Paschall-Cottondale Telephone Company. The community of farm families which settled in the surrounding area built a one-room schoolhouse enamed Gravel Hill, and founded a Sabbath school, literary society and Farmers Alliance. The community declined in the early 20th century. The Paschall family has lived in the area for six generations. (1997)

Researched & written by:
Marcella Paschall Phillips
Pasadena, Texas 1996

During and after the Civil War, efforts to settle Wise County had crumbled with Indian raids jeopardizing outlying settlements until 1875 when the last raid occurred. Wise County had been a frontier county for twenty years.

Settlers heading West into the county in the 1870’s must have feared they had reached the end of the earth. They had reached a vague but important line of demarcation, the farming frontier where the familiar woodlands gave way to prairie and cattle ranching in the western part of the county. They had also reached another invisible boundary, the cultural edge of the South where few if any social organizations existed.

It was into this disorganized and sometimes hostile place that Robert Alexander Paschall and his family migrated from Tennessee in 1876. Robert was born in Tennessee in 1853, the eldest son of James Anderson Paschall and Sarah Annie Marshall. He married Molly Dill in June 1876 and they accompanied his parents and his five brothers and two sisters to Wise County. Arriving by train in Ft. Worth, the launching point for westward migration, they then traveled by wagon to Wise County.

James Anderson settled in the southwestern part of the county in what would become the Bethel Community. Robert and Molly farmed land near the Tarrant and Parker County line until 1890 when Robert bought 160 acres of unimproved land on Salt Creek four miles south of where his father lived. While staying with his father, he walked four miles both ways each day to his land to build the first house on the site which would later be known as Paschall, Texas.

Southwestern Wise County was the last area of Wise County to be settled, being some twenty miles from the county seat at Decatur. It still lacked any social organization in 1890. Settlers coming into the frontier had responded to disorganization as they had in their old homes by forming associations of farmers and stockmen and social institutions, including schools and churches. So it was here.

The basic need was for a school. Robert and Molly now had six children. Robert and his neighbors built a one-room school on bordering land, which was to serve all the community. It was supported by donations only and teachers were boarded in the Paschall home. It was called the Gravel Hill School.

Robert also helped organize the Gravel Hill Sabbath School and taught Sunday School there. An “Alphabetical Register of Officers, Teachers and Scholars’ of 1899 lists 137 individuals who were in attendance.

In a frontier county having few institutions to create a community, the Farmers Alliance came to play an important role. It gave the men a common cause for assembling. A sub-alliance was organized in the community and in 1893 Robert became secretary of the Wise County Farmers Alliance, consisting of some twenty sub-alliances.

With the growth and organization of the community came the need for a post office. There was no rural delivery, and it was necessary to travel six miles to the nearest post office to pick up mail. The community petitioned for a post office and on May 13, 1902 the Paschall, Texas post office was established in the home of Robert and Molly. One end of a porch was enclosed to hold the boxes, and about 30 families from a three-mile radius picked up their mail here. It served the community until rural delivery began in 1904, and the post office was moved to Poolville. Paschall, Texas appeared on Texas maps as late as 1913.

Robert was also instrumental in providing telephone service to the area when he helped organize the Paschall-Cottondale Telephone Exchange in 1905. Stock was sold at $2.00 per customer and 35 families were served. This exchange was also housed in the Paschall home and served the area until 1910.

Robert and Molly lived on the land until their deaths. Robert died in 1917 and Molly in 1940, both at home. They had reared 11 children.

The Paschall land has been owned and occupied by the family continuously since it was purchased in 1890. It now is the home of L/Col. Jim B. Paschall, USAF Ret. Also residing on the land are his son David Lewis Paschall, grandson Riley Alexander Paschall. Jim’s daughter, Terry Paschall Holland, lives on the actual site of Paschall, Texas in the fourth house to be built there. Five generations of Paschall’s have called the former Paschall, Texas home.

“Reminiscences of the Boys in Gray 1861-1865” by Mamie Yeary

By Linda Stewart, 1 May 2019

For anyone who is doing genealogical research on ancestors that served in the War Between the States, or is a Military History buff “Reminiscences of the Boys in Gray 1861-1865” by Mamie Yeary is a must have for your library. The book was originally published in 1912, and a reprint of this 948 page book is available through Amazon in two volumes. A digital copy of the book is available online through The Portal to Texas History at https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29786/

The editor Mamie Yeary, took three years to conduct interviews, and received letters from hundreds of veterans who fought and survived the Civil War. The entries found in this book provide great insight from the men who actually fought in the war. Mamie Yeary made great efforts to capture their “reminiscences” before this generation of men passed on.

Per Bob Carpenter’s review of the book … The book gives first-hand experiences of those who were there. Some of the entries are actually funny, not all serious. The entries are from veterans living in Texas at the time the recollections were gathered, but many of the men were from other parts of the country and fought in many places during the war. After all, there was not a great deal of fighting actually on Texas soil. In other words, this is a great book for research, even if you are looking for information in other areas of the war. I highly recommend it for research or personal interest.

We owe a debt of gratitude to Ms. Yeary for her dedication in writing this book. Here is one of the thousands of entries that is in the book.

J. D. GAINS. Texarkana, Tex. — Born Nov. 26, 1845, near Walton, KY. Enlisted in the Confederate Army, March 8, 1862, at Memphis, Tenn., as private in Company D, Forrest’s regiment, Armstrong’s brigade, Army of Tennessee; Jesse A. Forrest, first Captain, and N. B. Forrest, first Colonel. served with Johnston at Shiloh, and for a while under Price and Van Dorn in Mississippi, and then under Forrest and Bragg in Tennessee, until captured. Was taken prisoner near Kelley’s Ferry, Tenn., Sept. 10, 1863. Sent first to Camp Chase, Ohio, and afterwards to Rock Island, Ill. was in the battles of Shiloh, Iuka, Corinth and various small skirmishes in North Mississippi, Alabama, West Tennessee and Middle Tennessee. The old Forrest regiment was reduced to a battalion, and was known as McDonald’s Battalion. My last Captain was John C. Blanton, a preacher, who is still living near Tupelo, Miss. I reached Richmond, March 12, 1865, on exchange, but never reached my command, which was at that time in the neighborhood of Selma, Ala. Crossed the Mississippi River about April 10, 1865, to Chicot County, Arkansas, and the war ended before I could get to Kirby Smith’s command. Then returned to my home in Kentucky, and moved to this place in February, 1881, where I have since resided.

John Dudley Gaines, the son of Archibald Kincaid Gaines and Margaret Dudley, and husband of Mary J. Collins, died in Texarkana on 6 March 1925, and was buried in the State Line Cemetery in Texarkana.

Happy Hunting! – LS

Land has its Own Genealogy

By Linda Stewart, 5 April 2019

To establish when you ancestor first came into a particular county in a state, you must search the county records. The county clerk’s office will have births, deaths, marriages, deeds, brands, assumed names, etc. The district clerk’s office will have civil and criminal records. The old deeds, brands, assumed names, etc., civil and criminal records are not online. The courthouse is the only place you can view these records.

The deed records will be listed under Grantor or Grantee. The Grantor sells the land and the Grantee buys the land. The dates of when the land was purchased and sold will help with the timeline you are establishing for your ancestor. The deed will give the surveyors description of measurements and will determine property boundaries. This description remains with the land no matter how many times it is bought and sold. The title search of the property establishes the genealogy of the land.

Several years ago, my husband and I made a genealogy trip to Parker County Texas. In the spring of 1855 John T., Mary and their children moved from San Augustine, TX to Veal Station which is located fourteen miles NE of Weatherford in Parker County. John T. received a land patent and homesteaded 146 acres. The patent reads in part “The said survey is situated in the Northeast part of the county on the waters of Ash Creek a tributary of the West Fork of the Trinity River beginning 164 varas south of the NW corner of the preemption survey of 320 acres of land made in the name of Samuel Woody …” John and Mary’s older sons, Robert Anderson Paschall received land in the east side of the county in the Azle community, and sons Lunsford Standhope and John Clay received land north of Parker in Wise County.

During the week, we did research in the County Clerk’s Office and the District Clerk’s office, visited and interviewed a member of the Parker County Historical Commission and the Heritage Society, and the County Commission of Precinct 1 in Veal Station. We returned to Veal Station several times during the week with an 1880 Texas Land Grant map, as well as a modern map of the area, to try to locate the natural land mark of Ash Creek on both maps. Ash Creek ran through the southern portion of John T. and Mary Paschall’s property. After the third time of pulling off the road, Curtis Coffee stopped and asked if we needed assistance. We told him we were trying to locate John’s land and Ash Creek. He took us to meet his 90 year old stepmother Juanita Gilley Hinkle Coffee. We showed her the maps of the Paschall land. She said, “Honey, you are standing on top of it. Do you see out the [patio] door the dairy farm on that far hill on the left? That is the Swallow land. [Levi Swallow purchased the John Francis property in the 1850’s.] The road you came in on from Springtown to Veal’s Station, that is Woody land. From this map you are standing on Paschall Land. Follow the road around that goes to the left and look left. Across the field is Ash Creek. Now if you keep on the road you will cross the bridge on Ash Creek.”

The Gilley, Hinkle, and Coffee families came to Veal Station in the 1850’s, the same time that the Paschall’s came. Juanita has always lived in the area and is very familiar with the families and their histories. We thanked the Coffee’s for the information realizing that God had orchestrated a divine appointment with them.

Happy Hunting!

This is one of my favorite pictures of what may be John T. Paschall’s land. It was either foggy or rainy every time we visited Veal Station. In the background just above the land you can barely see a tree line. That is where Ash Creek is.

Newton, John C. Parker Co. Map, University of North Texas Libraries. The Portal to Texas History, texashistory.unt.edu

Deep Creek Texas School, ca 1909 or 1910

By Linda Stewart, 2 April 2019

Per the Texas State Historical Association, Handbook of Texas Online, “DEEP CREEK (WISE COUNTY),” Deep Creek was named for its steep banks. The banks begin their rise five miles southeast of Decatur and run south for five miles to the mouth of the West Fork of the Trinity River, a mile east of Boyd. “It traverses undulating to hilly terrain with light to very dark loamy soils that have an accumulation of lime. Deep Creek was the site of the first house built in Wise County. Pioneer settler Sam Woody built a small house on the banks of the stream in 1854, and within a few years the Deep Creek community had developed in the area. By the mid-1980’s a cemetery was the only reminder of the settlement.”

Several of the Paschall families lived in Deep Creek in the mid 1800’s to the early 1900’s. One of the families was the John Thomas (Jack) Paschall family. Their children attended the Deep Creek School.

Deep Creek School, ca 1909 or 1910. Ollie Clementine Paschall is on the 3rd roll top left.

If you can identify the teachers and the other students, please let us know.

Happy Hunting!

Picture courtesy of William Harold Reid Jr.

The Keenan and Paschal Families in the Montague County Indian Raid in 1870

By Linda Stewart, 17 March 2019

Susan, William, and John Paschal are buried to the right of the fence under the tree in the Keenan Family Cemetery, Forestburg, Montague Co., TX. Picture courtesy of Brett Fishburn, http://www.findagrave.com

Last year I wrote an article entitled “Just the facts, ma’am”. I will re-post part of that article.

One of John T. and Mary’s son’s abandoned his young wife and four children. He moved on and a couple of years later had a new family and children. The facts say that the son and his first wife were married two years when he went off to war leaving her, now 18 years old, with a one year old baby and a farm to run. The regiment he was in remained fairly local to the area they lived in. He received furloughs and came home long enough for her to get pregnant and he returned to his regiment. In 1865, she was 22 years old, had been married for five years, had four children, and a husband who had been basically absent for three years due to the war. He came home from the war, but two years later they were separated. He abandoned her and the children and moved 200 miles away. Of course we will never know the cause of their separation, but I can only imagine what emotions this young woman felt … anger, abandonment, grief for a dying marriage, frightened for the well being of her children. I found documents where she told people she was widowed. I am sure in her heart he was completely dead to her. Her parents were both deceased so where was she to go. She did have siblings, but I did not find any records that she lived with any of them. I did find a records of her living with two different local families in the county where her brothers lived. The records were sparse for a two year period, then I find birth information of a fifth child. I am sure people will gasp at the thought of an illegitimate child, but don’t we all want love and compassion even if that decision is not a wise one? Her story does not have a happy ending, she was killed a year later.

The man was Montgomery Pike Paschall and his wife was Susannah A. “Susan” Willingham Paschall. Their four children were Benjamin Franklin “Ben”, William “Billy”, John “Johnny”, and Mary Josephine. Montgomery abandoned Susan in Fort Worth, TX, and was living in Hays Co., TX by August 1867. In 1868, Montgomery, his second wife Ann Brock and their baby daughter Ada Ann Paschall were living in Austin, Travis Co., TX. With Susan’s parents deceased, and her husband gone, Susan moved to Montague Co., TX where her siblings were living.

In the spring of 1868, Susan and the four children were living with Levi Perryman and his wife. On 26 November 1869, Susan’s 5th child, Melinda Katherine Paschal was born. By the fall of 1870, they were living in the household of John and Anna Keenan, when Susan, William, and John were killed. Mary, and probably Benjamin, were raised by Susan’s brother John J. Willingham after her death.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the Indian Raid story, below is an article that appeared in the newspaper shortly after the incident occurred.

The Daily Express, (San Antonio, TX) – Wednesday, January 18, 1871, Vol. V, No. 15, Page 4, and The Juniata Sentinel, (Mifflintown, Pennsylvania) – Wednesday, 22 February 1871, Volume XXV, No.8, Whole Number 1249, Page 1.

Indian Outrages. From the San Antonio (Tex.) Express, Jan. 18. [1871] From a letter received by a gentleman in this city, from Lieutenant A. C. Hill, we learn of further Indian outrages in the upper country.

In Montague County near Denton Creek, while the man of the house was from home, a party of nine Indians broke down the windows and doors of the house at about 10 o’clock at night, where two women and eight children were sleeping. They killed Mrs. Susan Paschal, aged about 35 years. They killed Billy, her son, or rather mangled him so that he died the next day. A boy 7 years old named Johnny, was dragged into the yard, scalped, shot, and his bowels cut out while his sister Mary, only 4 years old was shot in the breast with an arrow and severely wounded. Ben Paschal, age 12 years, was beaten with clubs and left for dead, but both he and Mary are now slowly recovering. Another of the children was killed by having its head smashed with a stick, and was then brutally thrown into the yard.

Mrs. Ann Kenan, the lady of the house, was shot through the breast with two arrows, beaten with clubs, scalped, and left for dead. She lived four days, and then died. Miss Ann Kenan, her daughter, was horribly outraged, and then killed. A child, 5 years old, was wounded in the bed. The blood of the victims ran through the beds to the floor – in fact the whole house was covered with blood and hair, and gory clubs, used in the hellish work of these fiends. The writer adds: “This same party of Indians, after committing these murders, went on down the country, and stole a lot of horses, on which they made their escape back to their homes. There have been several families murdered besides this mentioned, and, if possible, with more brutality than above described. I will tell you my honest opinion. These marauders are the reserve Indians using the Comanche arrows and signs, to mislead the country into belief that they are Comanche’s who commit these outrages.”

Lieutenant Hill, who seems to understand the whole question, continues: “The eight of hundreds of lone chimneys now standing on the whole line of the frontier, from the Rio Grande to Red River, the great number of decaying fences and houses: and houses in this vicinity, stained with the blood of men, women, and children of all ages, is truly a shame to any nation on earth. You would shrink and shudder if but half were told of the horrid murders committed.” In regard to the reception of rangers Lieutenant Hill continues: “I am very successful in all my dealings with the whole people: we are gladly received by the citizens and soldiers of all this country.”

The story of the Indian Raid has appeared in numerous publications over the years. Here are a few of those publications:

Wilcox, Jerry S., H. G. Bedford’s Texas Indian Troubles. “The Scalping Knife”, Hargreaves Printing Co. Inc, Dallas, Texas: 1905, pp. 26-18.

Potter, Mrs. W. R., History of Montague County. “Fate of Keenan and Paschal Families, Winter of 1870”, Austin, Texas, E.L. Steck: 1913, pp. 87-92.

Perryman, Levi., Victims of the Kenon Massacre. Forestburg, Texas: 1919.

London, Marvin F., Indian raids in Montague County. S. J. T. Printers, Saint Jo, Texas. N.D.: 1977, pp. 71-74.

In each of these stories there are small discrepancies that can probably be contributed to folklore. For example, the London account says that Susan Paschal and Ann Kennan were sisters. This is incorrect. Per the 1860 US Census, Anna was born in 1823 in New York, 7 years prior to Susan’s parents marriage in Missouri. As family researchers, we are to tell the stories of our ancestors. The facts tell that story. Family folklore which is the traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth, can be included in your research, but always make it understood that the story is family folklore and may or may not be factual. Many times researchers are hesitant to include folklore because it is usually a scandalous account, but nevertheless the story exists. Not only do families have folklore, but counties have them as well.

The Montague County folklore regarding who the supposed father of Susan’s 5th child Melinda Katherine Paschal, has two accounts. The first account, says that Melinda was the supposed daughter of the local sheriff, Levi Perryman. It was said that Perryman was known to be a womanizer assisting the widow ladies with all their needs. Supposedly it would not bode well for Perryman’s political career to have an illegitimate daughter. The “Indians” were not Indians at all, but white men dressed as Indians hired to kill Susan and Melinda. The second account, says that Melinda was the supposed daughter of William M. Fanning, who raised her after Susan’s death.

Ancestry DNA testing has been conducted on a great granddaughter of Benjamin Franklin Paschal, as well as a great granddaughter of Ada Ann Paschall Cannon. Both granddaughters were a match with Montgomery Pike Paschall as their common ancestor.

It would be prudent for the descendants of Levi Perryman and Melinda Katherine Paschal to also have Ancestry DNA testing performed. The results could possibly finally prove or disprove the Montague County folklore.

Happy Hunting!

A Look At Life On the Homestead – Part 2

By Linda Stewart, 1 March 2019

As spring approaches I start thinking about flower beds and gardens. Since it is just my husband and I, my definition of a garden are large pots on the patio filled with herbs, peppers, tomatoes, onions, and okra planted in the blueberry bed. Before my father moved to heaven, if you were to ask him his definition of a garden, he would say that nothing less than an acre would do.

Even though we always had a large garden, my mother never canned vegetables. She would freeze them. My Grandma Ruth Paschall did can the vegetables from her garden. As a child, I remember seeing a book case with a feed sack cloth hanging in front of it. I moved the cloth and saw jars of carrots, potatoes, squash, etc. I thought the jars looks so beautiful on the shelves. I asked mother about it and she said, “It’s your grandmother’s canning. I always wanted to learn to can. After a lot of questions and research, I am now a canner. I teach classes on this lost art. Yes, it is easier to go to the grocery store and purchase a can of beans, but every time I can, I always get a sense of satisfaction. The jars still look so beautiful on the shelves.

One of the stories submitted to the John T. and Mary Cook Paschall book, courtesy of Barbara Love Logan, speaks of her mother and great grandmother canning. Lois Mae Hines says she helped Mary Ann Frances Paschall Fletcher in the yard one day. They built a fire under the wash pot and Lois was sent to the corn crib for buckets of corn. They shelled the corn and Mary poured the hard dry kernels into the boiling water. After a bit she went to one of the mounds of ashes where there had been a washing done. She scooped up wood ashes, dumped them into the boiling corn. Lois said, “Oh, Grandma, you have ruined your corn!” As Mary stirred with the shovel she said “No, honey, this will take the husks off.” (Lye is made with water and wood ashes.) After a while she washed and washed the corn, now it was hominy. Mary canned it in glass jars. Lois said they had hominy all winter, thanks to her Grandma.

So the next time you talk with your grandparents, or aunts and uncles, ask them about their childhood. Record them as they talk. These stories are oral histories. Oral histories are just as valuable, and in my opinion more valuable, then written histories. It is the oral histories that are passed down that keep the family and their traditions alive throughout the generations.

I would recommend that you watch this wonderful video about oral histories “The Hidden History of Native Americans with Chief Riverwind and Dr. Laralyn Riverwind” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og_YWTsOze8

Happy Hunting! LS

Recognizing the Paschall Researchers of the Past

By Linda Stewart, 24 February 2019

Below is an article in which Clarence McDaniel wrote in 2013. We are re-posting the article because we believe it is important to recognize and honor the early researchers who dedicated their time and talents to documenting Paschall history.

History of Paschall Family Genealogical Research – by Clarence McDaniel, June 6, 2013; updated Feb 21 2016

I will briefly relate some background history of the research of the PASCHAL(L) family done in the past.

The first notable account was the book, “Ninety-four years”, published in 1872 by George W Paschal, F24. This book mostly concerned his mother but he gave some information about his father. He made an error however in confusing his grandfather and uncles names. This error continues to plague modern casual inquirers. See F-line biography by author.

Next, the Philadelphia society became interested about 1880 in their ancestors and several persons there made attempts to interview and record some information. Notable among these was the Quaker, Gilbert Cope. He made notes and even went to England to find information. He recorded quite a bit of information about the local Paschall family. However, he had limited access to paper documents.

The next great effort was begun about 1920 by Edward Early Paschal, K536. He was born in Warren Co., NC, in 1865 and became curious about his origins. Since his occupation as a fire insurance salesman required traveling a great deal and he was a single man he met many people and soon found others named Paschal. One of these shared a 1905 letter with him that spoke of a rather dubious origin for the Paschal’s in America. Edward soon became active but had limited means of pursuing the information. He then met Walter Bearden Paschall, H14443, who had the means and an agreement was established between them. Walter provided the funds and Edward did the leg-work and writing. By 1924 the effort was in full swing; Edward made a mailing list and printed a small Paschal pamphlet. This was mailed out requesting the recipients to send info and to add names and addresses of interested persons. This effort caused a great deal of interest with Edward reporting his list was 500 names or more. At this time none of the people involved realized the numbers of families that existed and assumed anyone with the name was closely related. Edward, however, was a good genealogist and did not make such assumptions but asked for evidence of relationships. Most of these people did not have personal access to papers, Bibles, so the work was very low. Edward even went to Washington, DC, to view one particular census page. A tiresome trip at this time. Nevertheless, Edward had gathered up quite a file and was able to see the enormous job ahead. He was careful to have the letters typed with “skin” duplicates. It is due to this that we have today a great many of those letters.

Edward suffered from poor health and went west for the sun and died in El Paso, TX, in 1930. His papers were shipped by his sister to Walter in Oklahoma. Walter later turned the papers over to the Rev. Jacob C. Paschal of Kansas.

The reverend had no genealogical training and was very busy with church work. He did however come up with a family form sheet and using the list made up by Edward mailed out another Paschal newsletter. His son, Rev. Paul Paschal also was involved and they went to Paschal family reunions. These two, father and son, tried to correlate the info but made horrible errors of assumption, errors that persist to this day and likely will always be with us. They also received bad assumptions, passed these on up until very recently in time. Some persons submitting info simply ‘picked’ out an ancestor that was desirable and submitted this as their line. One even added a son where no son of the name ever existed! One, when pestered, simply picked a grandfathers name. A lot of this involved connecting the NC line to the desirable Philadelphia line. Today we know there never was a connection on this side of the Atlantic.

When Rev. Jacob died his son, Rev. Paul, continued the effort somewhat but he had little time for it. He gave some of the papers concerning Elisha Paschal, H-line, to Allen and Mary Johnston of Dime Box, TX. They made an effort on this line and published a large volume on Elisha in 1972. This volume consisted mostly of submittals by individuals on family sheets; little research was done in civil documents. There are many errors in the work but it is a very valuable nonetheless.

Also, in 1969, Rosa Price Paschal published a Paschal book, mostly on the D-line of Georgia. This work is not very well edited but has a great deal of information.

When Rev. Paul died he passed on the work of Edward to Donna Cooper of Des Moines, IA. It is from her gracious help that I was able to obtain copies of most of the documents and have these in my possession today.

I began my own work on Paschal in 1972 with a trip to the downtown Los Angeles library on a Saturday; found a far off parking place and walked blocks. There I viewed my first microfilm. The librarian suggested I should go to the LDS Temple genealogy library in Santa Monica. The next Saturday I did so and the new world of genealogy was opened to me. I once accepted a temporary job for 11 months in Salt Lake so I could visit the library in evenings and Saturdays.

Today I have all of the above named sources and thousands more that were donated to form a Paschal History Library.

Eventually I undertook to gather census information for Paschal’s born before 1901. Also, all of the other databases that can be accessed as they become available. The census was a job too big for one person so I organized a dozen or so volunteers, made out indexes and mailed them out. This was prior to the internet and home PC’s. The response was really great. I correlated the time and places and assigned ID’s to each name. This took about 30 years, part time of course. A great number of those that helped have now passed on but the work remains. It is impossible to cite the names of all the persons over the years that have so generously contributed to this effort. I, when it became possible, established a Paschal-Paschall genealogy site on the internet, where it is today. Recently, I donated the large file of papers to my hometown library in Paris, TN, as I have become too old to keep that file up. I still maintain the internet site putting new information submitted to me online and colonial research for the origin, parents, of William Paschal, C.

The result is that the current Paschal-Paschall genealogy has more detailed source documents and personal information listed than any other I have seen. It is the source documents that make a genealogy; without them it is just a collection of names.

A Look At Life On the Homestead – Part 1

By Linda Stewart, 24 February 2019

It is February and most of the country is blanked in snow. In southeast Texas, we are enjoying a few 50 to 70 degree weather days, which is a wonderful break from the cold and rainy days. The plum tree has bloomed and plums about the size of a lentil are appearing. The citrus trees will soon be in bloom. The smell of the orange blossoms is indescribably amazing. Clover is covering the yard, which the chickens really enjoy. The Kalanchoe, Narcissus, and Magnolia tulip tree are blooming. Life on a micro-homestead is growing and changing with the season. Thanks to the US Census Bureau, we can go back in time and look at our ancestors homesteads by reading the U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880.

In 1880, The Non-Population Schedule is known as the Agriculture Census. It will list the production of a homestead in 1879. It shows if the person owned the land, rented it for fixed money, or rented it for a share of the production. It lists the number of acres of improved and unimproved land. Improved land is land that had been tilled for planting, cleared for pastures and meadows, orchards and vineyards. Unimproved land is land that had not been disturbed such as woodlands and forests. It will give you the monetary value of the farm, i.e. land, fences, buildings, machinery, and livestock. It also list the cost of repairs and the hired laborers. It shows the number of livestock they had and what kind, i.e. horses, mules, oxen, cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens. One Paschall ancestor had 35 chickens that produced 100 dozen eggs. The Agriculture Census will show what was planted, how many acres, and how many bushels were produced per acre. It will also show how many pounds of butter that was churned. Reading the Agriculture Census and including the information in your research, will allow you to peer through a window of time.

So whether you live in the country or city, have 100 acres or an apartment balcony, this spring when you plant your peppers, tomatoes, and flowers remember the ancestors. Enjoy watching the plants grow and the fruit of your labor.

Happy Hunting!