More Information:

About the Thomas Jefferson Eiland Family:

Alabama marriage record:
Spouse 1: Thomas J. Eiland
Spouse 2: Rutha Marla Thomas
Marriage Date: 17 Dec 1858
Marriage Place: Montgomery
Performed By: M. G.
Surety/Perf. Name: Sylvanus Walker

About Thomas Jefferson Eiland:

Name: T. J. Eiland
Death date: 31 Jul 1925
Death place: Rockdale, Milam, Texas
Gender: Male
Race or color (on document): White
Age at death: 88 years
Birthdate: 22 Apr 1837
Birthplace: Montgomery Co, Alabama
Marital status: Widowed
Father's name: J. Eiland
Father's birthplace: Georgia
Mother's name: Fannie Caffey
Mother's birthplace: South Carolina
Occupation: Ex Farmer
Residence: Rockdale, Texas
Cemetery name: Sally
Burial place: Texas
Burial date: 01 Aug 1925

Gay Hill School
Established about 1870 as a one room schoolhouse. In 1896 first elected school trustees:
J. C. King
T. J. Eiland
H. J. Alford
In 1910 it was enlarged to a two room schoolhouse
In 1929 a three room schoolhouse was constructed to teach two years of High School
Consolidated with Rockdale schools in Sept. 1946
Teachers for the 1929 school term starting Oct. 21, were:
Ivy Tidwell-Principal,
Stella Bounds Murphree-Intermediate-Taught for 12 years
Mary Frances Murphree-Primary
Vashti Smith-Primary teacher from Sept. 1931 to May 1944-13 yrs
School Trustees for 1929 school term:
Calvin L. Eiland
Alfred Gerstenberger
John Timmerman

The marriage certificate of Thomas Jefferson and Rutha Maria was issued by Judge David Campbell, on Dec. 14, 1857 OR 1858, and they were married on Dec. 17, 1857 OR 1858, by Sylvanus Walker who was listed as "preacher" on the certificate. Thomas Eiland was 20 years old when they married. His father Isaih Eiland gave him a double bit ax for a wedding present. This area of Alabama has lots of pine trees, so this was a needed tool for Tom to help him make a living for Maria and their future family. At the age of 48, Thomas left Ramer, Montgomery Co, Al in early 1885. He loaded all of his possessions on two wagons pulled by teams of oxen with his three oldest sons and a 15 year old daughter and made the 650 mile trip to Hickory Grove, Milam Co, Tx On Christmas Eve, December 24, 1885, Rutha Maria and the other children, who were all under 14 years of age, arrived on a train in Rockdale and joined the rest of the family.

Less than a year following their arrival in Tx, tragedy struck the Eiland family and four of their children died of bloody flux, a severe bacillary dysentery caused by bacteria of various kind. Doxy was the first to die, at the age of three. Only 11 days later Charles, who was 15 at the time, died. Four days later, Clara, who was 11, died then after another four days, Lorenza, who was 10, died, Some of the other children were very sick, but lived through the plague and regained their health.

Thomas and Maria had a mail order home built in 1900 in the Gay Hill community near the town of Fletcher, Milam Co, Tx Floyd Eiland has a picture of the new home taken in 1901 with grandson Travis, who was a small baby, being held by Millie Miller, a 20 year old black housekeeper for Tom and Maria, another woman in the picture was probably Mary Arnold, another black houskeeper that they had at the time. Joe Leander Eiland, was 19 years old at the time, and he is standing an the porch in the picture. Tom, Maria and the chickens are out in the yard. Calvin Eiland who was 14, and Marcus "Mark", who was 11, are not in the picture, so they probably were in school. Their picture, Along with grandson Clyde Eiland, should be in the school picture of the Gay Hill school in 1899. In his later years Tom was blind and Maria was in bad health. They had servants along with their two youngest sons, Calvin and Mark, who took care of them. On the 1920 Census Tom is shown living with his son Joe.

The Eiland family farm was located on the south bank of Brushy Creek in what was later known as the Gay Hill Community, about six miles west of Rockdale, Tx, halfway between Rockdale and Thorndale. They cleared the land for farming and built rail and brush fences from the timber cleared from the land, to protect the crops from the cattle and horses that were running loose, since at this time this area of Tx was still Open Cattle Range. Fruit orchards were established and sow peaches, plums, pears, berries, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, coin and cotton were being produced for market. As the children, both boys and girls, married, they and their families built their homes on the farm and continued to help work the land. The produce was shipped to the Farmers Markets in Houston and Dallas by the oldest son, William T. Eiland.

AL Civil War Record
Last Name: Eilands
First Name: T MI: J
Branch: Infantry
Regimental Unit: 33rd AL Regiment
Company Unit: E
Authority: Muster in roll dated Greenville 1862/03/14;muster roll dated November 1862.
Enlistment Date: 1862/03/12
Enlistment Info: Age 25, Al, Greenville, Private.

1860 census District 2, Montgomery, AL
Thos J Eiland 24 abt 1836 Alabama Male
Mariah Eiland 16 abt 1844 Alabama Female
Leonard Eiland 1 abt 1859 Alabama Male
H Wilson Eiland 25 abt 1835 Alabama Male

1870 United States Federal Census > Alabama > Montgomery > Township 13
Thomas J Eiland, 33, M, W, Farmer, 1600, 900, Alabama
Rebecca M, 27, F, W, Housekeeper, Alabama
Leonardas, 11, m, w, at home, Alabama
William T, 5, m, w, at home, Alabama
Andrew J, 2, m, w, at home, Alabama
Rachael A, 1, f, w, at home, Alabama

1880 Census Place: Dublin, Montgomery, Alabama
T J Eiland, Head, 44, AL , GA , NC , Farming ,
Mariah Eiland, Wife, 36, AL , SC , SC , Keeping House ,
Willie T Eiland, Son, 14, AL , AL , AL , Field Hand ,
Andrew J Eiland, Son, 18, AL , AL , AL , Field Hand ,
Ruth A Eiland, Daughter, 10, AL , AL , AL , Student ,
Charles Eiland, Son, 9, AL , AL , AL , Student ,
Eugene Eiland, Son, 7, AL , AL , AL ,
Clara Eiland, Daughter, 5, AL , AL , AL ,
Lorenza Eiland, Son, 3, AL , AL , AL ,
Lucie Eiland, Daughter, 1, AL , AL , AL ,

1900 United States Federal Census
Home in 1900: Justice Precinct 4, Milam, Texas
T J Eiland 63, head, married 41 years, Apr 1837, Al, Ga, NC
Ruth Eiland 56, wife, 17 children, 9 living, Dec 1843, Al, Al, Al
Joe Eiland 18, son, Nov 1991, Al, Al, Al, Farm laborer
Calvin Eiland 13, son, Nov 1886, Tx, Al, Al, at school
Marcus Eiland 10, son, May 1890, Tx, Al, Al, at school
Mary Arnold 43, Servant, Black, May 1857, Tx, cook, 7 children 6 living
Willis Miller 19, Servant, Black, Feb 1881, Tx, Farm Laborer
Katie Cunningham 8, Servant, Black, Nov, 1891, Tx
Scilla Cunningham 6, Servant, Black, Oct 1893, Tx

1910 United States Federal Census about Calvin Eiland
Home in 1910: Justice Precinct 4, Milam, Texas
Thomas J Eiland 73, married 52 years, Al, Ga, NC, farmer, general farm
Ruth Eiland 67 [69] , 16 children , 9 living, Al, Ga, Ga,
Calvin Eiland 20 [24] , son, Tx, Al, Al, Farmer, General Farm
Marquis Eiland 20, son, Tx, Al, Al, farm laborer, home farm
Annie Mason 40, cook, white, divorced, Tx, In, Tx, Cook, private home
Orpha Mason 11, boarder, white, Tx, Tx, Tx

1920 United States Federal Census
Home in 1920: Justice Precinct 4, Milam, Texas, Beat 4 North of I & GN Ry (The International and Great Northern Railroad)
J L Eiland 36
Willie Eiland 36
Vernon Eiland 16
Emory Eiland 14
Inos Eiland 12
Otis Eiland 10
Lucile Eiland 8
Anise Ray Eiland 6
Edna May Eiland 5
Nolan Eiland 3
Laura Eiland 2 [2 2/12]
T J Eiland 83, Al, Al, Al,

About Ruth Mariah Thomas:

Ruth's sister, Beckey, married Elijah Caffey, and her sister, Sarah (Sally), married Andrew J Jackson.
Ruth went by several names in the census.
1850 Ruthy M age 6
1860 Mariah age 16
1870 Rebecca M age 27
1880 Mariah age 36e
1900 Ruth age 56
1910 Ruth age 67

Death - Aged Lady Dies at Gay Hill - Mrs. Maria Eiland died on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 1914 at her home in the Gay Hill Community after an illness of 12 years. She was born in Alabama on Dec. 5, 1843 and was married at age 15 to Tom Eiland, who with nine children survive her. The family came to Texas and Milam county about 30-years ago. Children: Mrs. Ducy Caffey, Mrs. Rosie Drummond, Will Eiland, Andrew Eiland, Eugene Eiland, Joe Eiland, Calvin Eland and Marquis Eiland, All of the Gay Hill community. [Note: Article states she is survived by 9 children but only gives the names of 8] She is also survived by two sisters: Mrs. E. C. Caffey and Mrs. A. J. Jackson of this community and a brother, William Thomas of Waco. There are a number of grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Burial was in the Salty cemetery on Thursday afternoon. Thorndale Thorn [lengthy article]

About Leonard Eiland:

1860 census 1 year old, 1870 census 11 years old, 1880 census no record of Leonard. He would have been 21 in 1980. He it does not appear that he move to Tx with his family in 1884.