TAKEN FROM NAVARRO COUNTY HISTORY - UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE NAVARRO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, CORSICANA, TEXAS COMPILED BY YVONNE PUTMAN, PUBLISHED IN 1975.

"Living in his father's household in 1850; not found in 1860.  On 1850 census, Thomas Williams is listed in his father's household; his occupation was Methodist Minister.

A building used as a school and church house was built in 1850 at Spring Hill and was covered with rawhide. The school teacher was Mr. Finch, and the preacher was Brother Tom Williams.

SPRING HILL

The oldest town of Navarro County is a small settlement of farms and cemetery known as Spring Hill. At one time, this was a thriving town. The reader will notice Spring Hill mentioned many times in the organization of Navarro County. In order to give a history of the town's rise and fall, and the people who settled to begin a new life, we must start with the 1838. It is recorded in early records that Spring Hill had a building covered by rawhide erected in 1850 used for a church and school. Mr. Finch was the first school teacher and Rev. Tom Williams was the first preacher in this rawhide building.

Some of the early settlers were the Ritchies, Treadwells, Onstotts, Fullertons, Stockards, Matthews, Sidwells, Garners, Wilkinsons, Lawrences, Dawsons, Lee, McSpaddens, Cheathams, and the Wrights (Samuel and William). Later the Jerry Johnsons and the Ruckers and the Mounts were early settlers. Some doctors were Dr. Dean and Dr. Young. Britton Dawson came to Spring Hill around 1848.

Early records show a flour mill located at Spring Hill which operated as late as 1884. The farmers grew the wheat and made the flour.

Another early pioneer who came to Spring Hill was John R. Putman. He enlisted in the Confederate Army on Jan. 30, 1864. He served as first sergeant under Capt. R.J. Irving from Blanco County, 3rd Front dist., B.G. McAdoo commanding officer. He was a Methodist and a Mason. (A complete history of Spring Hill by Mrs. Barbara D. Patterson can be found in the 1874 Navarro County Scroll.)"

INFORMATION TAKEN FROM OLD NORTHWEST TEXAS, HISTORICAL-STATISTICAL-BIOGRAPHICAL, NAVARRO COUNTY, TEXAS 1846-1860 COMPILED BY NANCY SAMUELS AND BARBARA KNOX, PUBLISHED BY THE FORT WORTH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

"Loddrick L. (Lock) Williams, born 1825 in Tennessee; appears on Barksdale's 1845 Peters Colony Roster as having arrived in Texas prior to July 1, 1845 as a single man who 'evidently left the colony without receiving a land certificate' (per Connor who interpreted the name as Rodderick Y.). Lock Williams married in Navarro County August 9, 1849, Mrs. Mary Ann Cook, nee George, widow of Thomas Cook and daughter of James and Nancy George (see p. 432). They moved to Young County with her brothers Philip S. George and Henry B. George around 1852, settling South of Fort Belknap on the east side of the Brazos (Miller Bend area), where L. L. Williams and Philip S. George located adjacent surveys, 3rd Cl Pre-emptions, to which they both received patents dated May 15, 1860. Lock Williams was a first commissioner of Young County, presiding officer for elections in Pct. 1, school examiner, clerk of district court, trustee of the Methodist Church (Bethany) in the town of Belknap. Known children:

1. Muncie/Marcy A.V. in 1850 enumerated in the household of Thomas and Nancy Williams

2. Nancy L., born around 1853

3. P.T., son, born around 1855

4. Martha L., born around 1856

5. Mary E. , born around 1858

6. Amanda, born around 1859

Perhaps other children born after 1860.

Rev. South, traveling in the Young County area in the summer of 1860, stated in his diary (on July 4, 1860) that he had been to (L. L.) Williams 'in the p.m. to a candy party, had a pleasant time, then returned to Brother V's (Isaac Vannoy, Methodist minister) after supper'. On July 27, 1860, he wrote, 'went to L.L. Williams in the company of Brother J(ames) George and Mrs. (Nancy) Covington, took dinner, then went to Mr. Southerland's on Fish Creek'.

In the late 1860s, when Charles Goodnight was preparing for his second cattle drive west, some 2000 head were rounded up 'on Locke Williams Prairie in Young County'.

One William G. Williams, born 1840 in Kentucky, living in the household of L.L. Williams in Young County in 1860, was evidently of no relation, but of a Williams family of Madison and Clay Counties in Kentucky, came to Texas in 1859 with an uncle."

TAKEN FROM OLD NORTHWEST TEXAS, HISTORICAL-STATISTICAL-BIOGRAPHICAL, NAVARRO COUNTY TEXAS 1846-1860, COMPILED BY NANCY SAMUELS AND BARBARA KNOX, PUBLISHED BY THE FORT WORTH GENEALOCIAL SOCIETY.

"Born about 1828 in Indiana, she first married Thomas Cook; she then married Loddrick Williams in Navarro County, Texas August 9, 1849; they lived in the Williams household in 1850; moved to Young County by 1860."