Loderick Matthews –
The Name That Binds

William A. Matthews, Jr. Compiler

Email: [email protected]

Fourth EDITION

Copyright ã 1963, 1994,1999 By William A. Matthews, Jr. Published in the United States of America

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Table of Contents

Fourth Generation ........................................................................................ *

Loderick and Mary Sauls .............................................................................. *

Gone to Texas .............................................................................................. *

Jackson County – City of Texana - 1850s .................................................... *

The Home Place ............................................................................................ *

Fifth Generation ............................................................................................. *

Benjamin Rush and Sarah Wright ................................................................ *

Loderick William and Sarah Goodwin ............................................................ *

Mary Sauls and Jessie Pumphrey .................................................................. *

Erastus Allen and Emily Ophelia Matthews ................................................... *

Dade Lewis and Felicia Chivers .................................................................... *

John Arthur, Dade Lewis ............................................................................... *

Sixth Generation ............................................................................................ *

Lorena Ophelia and Joseph Lawson Jordan .................................................. *

Fourth Generation

Loderick and Mary Sauls

Note:

Loderick, the second child of Benjamin and Mary, was a native of North Carolina. His wife, Mary Harrell, was a native of Twiggs Co., Georgia. They were the parents of ten children, all but one were born in Georgia before moving to Arkansas in 1844.

Loderick is listed in the 1820 Georgia land Lottery as having drawn lot 375 section 20 in Twiggs County and that he drew early. Sometime after 1820, he moved his family to Upson County. In the Historical Collections of Georgia, page 665, he is listed as one of the first settlers of Upson County (founded 1824).

One of Loderick's sons, Benjamin Rush, was sent to Arkansas in 1843 to begin the farm. A year later (1844), Loderick and his brother Arthur brought their families to El Dorado, Arkansas from Russell Co, Alabama. A steam-vessel was boarded at Mobile, Alabama and then routed by New Orleans and up the Mississippi River to the mouth of the Red River. They then went up the Ouachita to what was then called the Hill place (and in 1962-called Calion -- about twelve miles NE of El Dorado). The families landed there with the choice of only one road in the county at that time to follow, which led from Champagnelle (near Calion) to Camden. With pioneer and frontier purpose and strength of character, the families traveled to Union Co and El Dorado. There they settled and cleared 1,200 acres three miles north of El Dorado. John Reeves, the husband of Martha (and later Mary) Matthews, both daughters of Arthur, also settled close to this place.

In a history published by Goodspeed Co. of Chicago in 1890, entitled Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas, Benjamin Rush stated about Loderick that:

"The mother's parents were wealthy and influential citizens of Twiggs Co., Georgia. The parents of our subject left Georgia in 1833 immigrated to Alabama and settled in Russell Co, where the father cultivated the soil for eleven years. They then moved to Arkansas, settled in Union Co and became owners of 1,200 acres of land situated three miles north of El Dorado. Mr. Matthews cleared 1,000 acres of this land and was one of the most extensive planters of that time. He was deeply interested in religious matters and was a generous contributor to all public worship. In politics he was an able advisor and counselor in his party and held the patronage of the Democratic Party. In 1851 he went to the Lone Star State and there died in 1855."

In another place in this history, it states:

"Immediately after 1840 the tide of new arrivals to Union County was the strongest; it was about this time that some of the most influential and substantial citizens of which the county can boast arrived."

Among the names listed were Loderick Matthews and his sons Benjamin Rush and Loderick William.

Loderick was considered a large slave owner and had his slaves erect ample quarters for the family and slaves. The virgin forests were rich in beautiful hardwoods and pine trees -- therefore the houses were constructed of logs. With the assistance of his slaves Loderick also built a log cabin for worship in the Missionary Baptist faith. Loderick and Mary, along with Benjamin Rush Matthews were among the seven charter members of the First Baptist Church of El Dorado in the winter of 1845.

When Loderick and Mary were living in El Dorado, an artist, who was taking hot baths at Hot Springs, requested permission to paint a large portrait of Loderick. After Loderick had died, Mary wrote to the artist and asked to buy the picture. The artist would not sell the painting, but did send it as a gift to Mary. It is highly possible that the artist was Peter Byrd (or Bird) who painted many citizens of Union Co. during that period.

Gone to Texas

During the early 1850s, around 1851 to 1852, four families made their way to the town of Texana, located in Jackson County, Texas. These families came from several parts of the United States. The Matthews and Pumphrey clans led by Loderick and Mary Matthews came from El Dorado, Arkansas. The Garretts, led by John and Teresa, came from St Mary's Parish, Louisiana. The Brackenridge family, led by John Adams and Isabella Helena, came from Indiana. The Bollings were also in the area at this time.

In 1851 or 1852, all of Loderick's family living in El Dorado, except Benjamin Rush and Loderick William, left for Texas. Three of the older daughters also remained behind. Lucinda and Stephen Weathers had remained in Tolbert County, Georgia. Missouri Elizabeth and Dudley M. Cochran had returned to Mineral Springs. Louisiana Suphrena Lesueur’s death in 1847 was recorded in Loderick’s Bible. Her husband remained in Arkansas. Mary Sauls Pumphrey and her family also went to Jackson Co, Texas.

Loderick and his family settled in Texana, Jackson Co. where Loderick purchased a league of land. Three short years later Loderick died in Texana and was buried in the Pumphrey family cemetery. This cemetery is located on the land purchased by Loderick. When Mary divided the section of land into quarters, the quarter containing the cemetery went to Mary Sauls and Jessie Pumphrey. Not much is known concerning the three years that Loderick lived in Texana.

It is known that he and Mary owned a league of land in Jackson County near the city. The 1860 census shows Mary (age 61) alone and running the farm with the help of John Harrell (age 22), probably a relative, as well as four additional hired hands (ages 29 to 34). The census records for Mary list the value of the farm at $33,000 and her personal value at $31,400. While information such as this was most likely based on the estimation of the census taker, it does indicate that Mary was fairly wealthy at that time.

Jackson County – City of Texana - 1850s

Established in 1832 by Dr, Francis F. Wells and his sister-in-law, Mrs. Pamelia Porter, it was first named Santa Anna in the vain hope of attracting attention and favors from the president of Mexico. Samuel Addison White laid out the town-site. He also founded the town of Indianola in 1846. In 1835, the name of Santa Anna was changed to Texana.

Texana adjoined the Navidad River and had a bright future as an inland port. The 16-foot deep Navidad enabled seagoing vessels to reach the landing with ease. Because of this access, the area was used for multiple army camps during and after the Texas Revolution. Although abandoned and burned during the Runaway Scrape, it was being rebuilt when the Allen brothers who were looking for a site for their planned town of Houston approached the owners. After being rebuffed, the two brothers finally settled on the current site, their third choice, of Houston.

Incorporated on January 14, 1840, it became a thriving town and in 1853, the Texas Legislature allocated $3,000 to maintain the Navidad as a waterway. Regular riverboat service was maintained with Indianola, Port Lavaca, Matagorda and other towns. Texana was also a stop on the United States Stage Line route from Victoria via Richmond to Houston.

During the War Between the States, Texana was a focal point for Confederate forces responsible for protecting the interior of Texas as well as access to Houston from the Federal forces that had captured Indianola.

When the hurricane of 1875 and the resulting havoc throughout Central destroyed Indianola and Southeastern Texas, the economy of the area was severely depressed for several years. In 1880, with business on the upgrade, the town was approached by the New York, Texas, and Mexican Railroad Company for a pledge of support for the building cost of the line. After being rebuffed by the town, the NYT&M by-passed the site by eight miles. A new town, named Edna, sprang up and in 1883, the citizens of Jackson County voted to move the county seat from Texana to Edna. Within two years, Texana had ceased to exist.

Today, Lake Texana covers all but the Northeast corner of the original townsite. A monument to Texana is located next to the offices of the Lavica-Navidad River Authority Headquarters on Highway 3131. In addition to the federally owned lake, there is also a State Park north of the lake. Part of the land owned by the Brackenridge family, including the site of the original home (where John Garrett Matthews grew up) and the Brackenridge Cemetery adjoins the lake. The last child of E.A. Matthews, who died as a baby is also buried there. His small marker simply has "E.A.M."

The Home Place

About five miles west of Edna on Hwy 59 is the El Toro exit. Going south for about 300 yards, there is a gate on the East Side of the road. The property now belongs to Charles Slavik of Edna. Mr. Slavik also owns a Funeral Home and a furniture store in Edna. On this property is the Old Pumphrey Cemetery. His property is across the railroad tracks. The owners of the El Toro Grocery Store (located at the corner) know how to find the cemetery. There is a gate and a dirt road that runs through a pasture, past a fence and into a wooded area. After apx. 300 yards, you take a 45-degree turn to the left, through the woods another 100 yards and you should find the overgrown cemetery. The graves of Loderick and Mary are located between two dead trees on the right. Mrs. Carl Moore of Baytown recorded the following gravestones in November 1961:

Note that Mary (Churchill) Matthews has two adjacent gravestones about twelve feet apart. Her Churchill stone is between the Matthews and Loderick stones. John is to the right of Loderick. The stones have similar shapes and are in good condition. For the Mary Churchill marker, the stone reads:

MARY

CHURCHILL

WIFE OF

LODERICK

MATTHEWS

Born

Dec 31, 1798

Died

Feb 26, 1874

This stone is located about nine feet to the left of Loderick’s marker. Another twelve feet to the left is Mary’s second marker. The Family Bible recorded the time of death as 5:50pm. For the Mary Matthews marker, the stone reads:

MARY

MATTHEWS

Born

Dec 3, 1798

Died

Feb 26, 1874

The date on this stone is incorrect. The family Bible shows December 31, 1798.

The full list of the markers can be found in the Texana Museum included in a census made of the old private cemeteries in Jackson, Co.

During the war (July 30, 1863), Mary married Arthur Churchill for protection. He was too old to go to war. By 1870, Mary (who had been widowed a second time) had left the farm and was living with Mary Sauls Pumphrey. When she died in 1874, she left items such as her chair, the family bible and the painting of Loderick to Mary Sauls Pumphrey.

The children of Loderick and Mary Matthews who were also living in the area during the 1860 census included:

• Mary Sauls and Jessie Pumphrey, ages 27 and 33, married in El Dorado, AK
• Erastus Allen and Emily Ophelia (Garrett) Matthews, ages 23 and 17, married in Jackson Co. on Oct 8, 1857
• Dade Lewis and Felicia H. (Chivers) Matthews, ages 21 and 18, married in Jackson Co. on Feb 2, 1859

After Loderick's death, each of the married children sold their share of the estate back to Mary for $10.00. This included:

• August 20, 1856, Dudley and Missouri Cochran of Hempstead Co, Ark.;
• September 1, 1856, Benjamin and Sarah E. Matthews as well as Loderick and Sarah M. Matthews of Milledgesville, Ga.;
• October 13, 1856, Stephen and Lucinda Weathers of Milledgesville, Ga.;
• November 29, 1856, Jessie and Mary Sauls Pumphrey of Texana, Texas.

In December of 1856, Mary used the land obtained from her children to repay a debt of $1,250 to Mr. E. M. Glenn.

Mary recorded the following in her family Bible:

"Loderick Matthews was born the 1st day of November, 1794. Loderick departed this life on the 25th day of April at about 9 1/2 of the clock AM, AD 1855. He had been a member of the Baptist Church about 28 years and was an active Deacon for 26 years of that time."

The Bible also recorded about Mary:

"Mary Matthews, wife of Loderick, was born the 31st day of December, 1798. Died Feb 26, 1874 at 5:50. She had been a Baptist for 47 years."

Fifth Generation

At the time Loderick and family moved to Texas, the older married children remained behind. The two sons Benjamin Rush and Loderick William made significant contributions to El Dorado and Arkansas.

Benjamin Rush and Sarah Wright

In the summer of 1844, Benjamin Rush was given a contract for $25.00 to clear the county square as well as the townsite. Originally, there was a round-basin pond that had to be filled in with the help of slaves using a two-wheel cart drawn by a mule and wheelbarrows. The pond was a favorite hunting place since game such as bear, deer, squirrel could usually be found in the area. In 1846, Benjamin was elected clerk of Union County and held the office for seven years. He married Sarah E. Wright, daughter of Major Edward W. Wright, in 1852. They had eight children. In 1854, Benjamin was elected to the General Assembly from Union County and in 1861 he was appointed County Judge to fill a vacancy.

From 1855 until the outbreak of the war, Benjamin along with E. W. Wright and Colonel Asa I. Morgan engaged in merchandising at El Dorado under the firm name of Matthews, Morgan & Co, where (in 1963) B. W. Reeves & Co. now stands. Colonel Morgan and Benjamin raised the first company of soldiers from Union County for the Confederate Army. At the urging of his partners, Benjamin remained behind to close down the business and care for the slaves that belonged to the members of the partnership. He then enlisted as a private in Company I, 19^th Arkansas Infantry and was elected as Captain when the company was organized. He was stationed at Fort Pillow, then at Farmington when be became so ill that he had to be carried from the field and taken to a hospital in Mississippi. During a reorganization of his company, he was reported as dead and his office filled. When he returned he was assigned to the quartermaster department and then the Trans-Mississippi department, where he served for some time.

In 1864 he went to Texas in charge of cattle and remained there until the surrender. After his return to El Dorado, he took a great interest in schools and was one of the first directors of El Dorado. In 1883 he started a livery and feed stable and owned all the land from where the First National Bank now (1963) stands to Hillsboro Street south. He was one of the charter members of the El Dorado Lodge No. 13 of A.F.&A.M., and was R.A.C. of this organization in 1890. In April of 1890, he was elected Mayor of El Dorado and was said to enforce the law and made a good officer. He was also said to be a worthy citizen and a much-esteemed one, being one of the old time gentlemen of the County.

Loderick William and Sarah Goodwin

Loderick William was born in Georgia and moved with his parents to El Dorado in 1844. He married Sarah Moore Goodwin on June 7th, 1850. The minister, and a fine medical doctor as well, was Dr. Franklin Courtney. They had nine children. Loderick William and Sarah settled on a place twelve miles west of El Dorado on the lower Magnolia road (called the Harris place in 1963). In 1855 he also decided to go to Texas. He went and stayed one year. After a severe drought he returned to Union County with his stock and slaves and again lived at the first settled place. All of the children, except the last two, were born there.

When the first company of soldiers was organized in Union County he was elected Second Lieutenant. In 1862 he was elected Captain and in 1863 was promoted to Major of the 3rd Consolidated Regiment. He, with his comrades in Grey, went to Virginia where they served during most of the war. Once he was captured by Union forces and was imprisoned on Johnson Island, Sandusky, Ohio, in Sandusky Bay. He was honorably discharged from the Confederate Army in June 1865.

When Loderick William returned home his family still lived at the same home place twelve miles west of El Dorado. In the fall of 1868 plans were made to leave Union Co. and move to either California or South America. The family started to Newport Landing on the Ouachita River to take a boat. During an all-night conversation with his brother-in-law, Captain Joel C. Goodwin, the plans were changed. Joel and Loderick decided to buy Newport Landing and go into commercial business together. The principal business was to be the shipping and receiving of cotton. With a Mr. Tiffen, they built a toll bridge across Smackover Creek at a cost of $8,000.00. As a result of the toll business went instead to El Dorado Landing and Champagnelle. This prompted the partners to reopen the bridge as a free bridge in hope of attracting business to their landing. However, the business failed and was a great financial loss to the partners at a time when money was scarce.

In 1871 Loderick William sold his interest in the business to two uncles-in-law, Theophilus and J. C. Goodwin. He then bought what was known as Beech Hills (a landing on the Ouachita) from Mr. Andrew Norris. After staying there several years he then bought a farm near Elliott in Ouachita County, known as the old McAnullty place. It was a lovely old story and a half colonial home surrounded by beautiful trees. The family remained here until all the children were grown. After Sarah died Loderick William lived with his children the remainder of his life. He died at the home of his son, John Tyler Matthews, in 1915 and was buried at the old Mt. Horeb Cemetery close by.

In 1877 Loderick William was elected representative to the legislature from Ouachita County. He was made a Mason in the El Dorado Lodge in 1852 and in 1863 was made a Royal Arch and Council Mason and was deputy grand master for the district in 1890. He served this organization in several roles over the next several years. In 1848 (three years after its organization) he united with the Missionary Baptist Church. It was said of him that "since that time, he has lived a devoted Christian life, priding himself upon the fact that he was never engaged in a lawsuit, never swore an oath, and was never intoxicated."

Mary Sauls and Jessie Pumphrey

Mary Sauls and Jessie N. Pumphrey married in Arkansas and immigrated with the Matthews clan to Texas. The children listed in the 1860 census were:

• Pike; age 9, born in Arkansas (1851)
• Louisiana, age 7, born in Jackson Co. In the 1860 census her name is unreadable. However, in the 1870 census it can be clearly read. Perhaps she was named for her Aunt, Louisiana Suphrena Lesueur.
• Blake, age 5, born in Jackson Co.
• Ray; age 3, born in Jackson Co.

By the 1870 census, two additional children were listed. They were:

• Jessie, age 7, a son.
• Lee, age 4, a daughter.

The census also shows Mary Churchill living with them.

By 1880 the older children were gone but one additional child had joined the family. He was Norris D., age 5. The daughters, Jessie and Lee, were listed as being "at school". The 1880 census also listed Ada G. Matthews, a half-niece, age 19. Jackson Co. marriage records show that she and W. B. Garrett married Oct 13, 1880 (four months after the census).

Erastus Allen and Emily Ophelia Matthews

Information about Erastus Allen (E.A.) is later in this story. E.A. and Emily Ophelia Garrett had two sons and two daughters. The story of the eldest is in its own chapter. The two brothers, John and Willie were very close. No details on Willie are available other than he died young. The two youngest children were daughters, Lorena Ophelia and Lelia Grace. Lelia died at about 18 months of age (described in John's story). Her Grandfather Garrett raised Lorena after the death of Emily Ophelia. Over time, John and Lorena lost contact with each other, to the extent that he did not know that she had married and raised a family.

Dade Lewis and Felicia Chivers

Mary recorded in her family Bible that Dade Lewis, her youngest child, had been a Baptist for seven and one-half years. He married Felicia H. Chivers, age 18, in Jackson Co. on Feb 2, 1859. Mary gave him 1/8 of a league of land on December 20, 1860. There were no children listed on the 1860 census. However, there was a daughter, Ada Garrett Matthews born in 1861. In the 1880 census, Ada G. Matthews, age 19, is listed as a "1/2 niece" [sic] living with Jessie and Mary Pumphrey. Dade was wounded at Holly Springs, Mississippi during the War Between the States and stayed in a hospital there for a long time.

John Arthur, Dade Lewis

Little is known about either John Arthur or Dade Lewis. John Arthur was born November 15, 1837 and died September 11, 1854 at 3 a.m. as recorded by Mary in her family Bible. According to the Jackson Co. records, on June 12, 1854 at 4 p.m., Loderick gave slaves to his sons John, Dade and Erastus. To John he gave two male and two female slaves. To Dade he gave four male slaves including a one year-old boy. To Erastus he gave two males, one young female and one young male. On Oct 23, 1854, the county records show that the slaves that had been given to John Arthur were then given to his Mother, Mary, as he had requested.

Sixth Generation

These are the children of Erastus Allen and Emily Ophelia Matthews.

Lorena Ophelia and Joseph Lawson Jordan

Lorena Ophelia Matthews married Joseph Lawson Jordan, born January 22, 1861 on March 3, 1882. They reared their family on a farm near Demings Bridge in Matagorda County, Texas. Their children were:

Darrell Pelton Jordan (1883 - 1956) married Katie Izetta Garnett (1891 - 1959). Their children were:

Ruth Lorena Jordan (1908) first married Harley Viets and had two children. She then married Benjamin Blackburn and had five children.

Rosie Jordan married L.S. Reid and had one child.

Susie Marie Jordan married Edwin L. Simmons and had five children.

Annie Francis Jordan married Earl H. Thompson, who died in March 16, 1945 in Germany. They had two sons:

Earl Henry Thompson, Jr.

Michael Lee Thompson

She then married L.C. Jerrie.

Cecil Jordan (1883) married Dessie Fitzgerals

Alice Jordan married Willie K. Keller

Viola Jordan married James S. Williams

Theresa Jordan married Ed Robertson

Joseph Lawson Jordan, Jr. never married.

Estelle Jordan first married Arthur Queen and then married Henry Royal

Elmer Leroy Jordan who died at the age of two.

The parents of Joseph Lawson Jordan were Joseph Jordan (July 27, 1818 - August 17, 1867) and Violet Danzey Logan (July 10, 1840 - February 15, 1862). Joseph came to Texas from South Carolina in 1840. They were married on May 5, 1858. Both were buried in the Texana City Cemetery, which is now beneath Lake Texana. Two of their four sons died young. The second two sons, John Henderson Jordan and Joseph Lawson Jordan, were reared by a maternal Uncle Robert Logan.