Editors
John F. Howerton
Bryan R. Howerton
Volume Two, Issue Two Spring 1997
Contents:
Grief Howerton: A Man of Many Descendants
Howerton School: Rhea County, Tennessee
GRIEF
HOWERTON:
A MAN OF MANY DESCENDANTS
By John F. Howerton
Grief Howerton has descendants scattered throughout the United States. He has 835 known descendants or 1237 if one counts their spouses. His known descendants all came from two of his sons and one daughter.
Edmund and Jackson Howerton are known to have produced descendants who live in Missouri, Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Idaho, California, North Carolina, Indiana, Kansas, Oregon, and Washington. No descendants of any of their siblings have been located.
Wilmuth married George Washington Leigh on 31 December 1798, in Campbell County, Virginia, and had many descendants.
Grief was born 6 February 1755 in Essex County, Virginia, and died on 21 November 1829 in Rhea County, Tennessee.
Grief Howerton
Born 6 February 1755
Died 21 November 1829
He married Elizabeth A. (__?__) who was born 29 December 1764 in Virginia and died 2 August 1840 in Rhea County. The Howerton Cemetery on the old Howerton homestead where their grave stones are located is about one mile from Evensville, Tennessee.
The surname of Elizabeth has never been determined. There is some unsupported speculation that her surname was Jackson. The LDS Personal Ancestral File has circulated the name Jackson which was submitted by some individual (Note! The LDS do not check submissions for accuracy). Others have jumped to the conclusion her name was Jackson because the name of Thomas Jackson appeared on a deed with Grief in Chesterfield County, Virginia; the name Frank Jackson appeared on a deed with Grief in Prince Edward County, Virginia; and, Roland Jackson appeared on a deed with Grief in Prince Edward County, Virginia. Just because Grief was associated with three different men with the surname does not prove his wife Elizabeth was a Jackson.
The name Atkins has been suggested because one of Grief's grandsons was probably named George Atkins Howerton. Even it Grief associated with an Atkins family in Tennessee (there is evidence he did) and a grandson was given the middle name, Atkins, is not sufficient evidence to give Elizabeth the surname Atkins. We have not seen any documentary evidence to support any surname for Elizabeth.
Grief probably went with his father to Henrico, Chesterfield, Amelia and Prince Edward Counties, Virginia. We have traced some of Grief's residences in Virginia by his land purchases and land sales. Henrico, Chesterfield and Amelia Counties are in a line running from east to west. Prince Edward County connects to Amelia County to the west. During the time Grief was living in Virginia, Appomattox County was still a part of Prince Edward and Campbell Counties. Based upon the land-deeds of Grief Howerton, it appears he moved slowly westward. He was with his father in Henrico County and moved west to Chesterfield County where he and his father were listed as residences in 1773. The same documents said they purchased 150 acres of land, including the buildings and woods in Prince Edward County. On 20 April 1778 Grief of Prince Edward County bought 100 acres in Prince Edward County bounded by lands of his father, Thomas Howerton and others. He executed a deed in 1781 in which he purchased addition land adjoining his father. In 1793 Grief sold 50 acres in Prince Edward County which had been given by conveyance from his father. Another 1793 deed was executed in Prince Edward County which said "Grief Howerton of Buckingham County." Buckingham County adjoined Prince Edward and Campbell Counties to the north. This is the only reference to Grief living in Buckingham County. It was probably an error by the recording clerk. In 1794 Grief began to buy and sell land in Campbell County which adjoins Prince Edward County to the west. The deed of 1794 was for 100 acres adjoining William Gault with whom Grief's cousin Heritage was associated. In 1798 Grief bought an additional 50 acres in Campbell that touched William Gault's corner. In 1801 Grief made four land sales in Campbell County. One of the deeds said, "Grief Howerton sells to Alexander Caldwell, both of Campbell County, Virginia for 80 a tract of 100 acres adjoining Isham Hall . . ." While living in Virginia, Grief and Elizabeth, had at least eleven children. Their twelfth and final child was probably born shortly after they arrived in Tennessee.
Elizabeth, was born ca 1779 and married William Seay in Campbell County, Virginia on 31 December 1799.
Jackson, Sr., was born 1 August 1780 and married Hanna Brown on 3 October 1812 in Rhea County, Tennessee.
Wilmuth, was born ca 1782 and married George Washington Leigh in Campbell County, Virginia on 31 December 1798.
Polly, was born ca 1788 and married John Purdon in Rhea County, Tennessee on 18 February 1809.
Lucy, was born ca 1790 and married James Johnson Williams on 29 December 1810 in Rhea County, Tennessee.
Thomas, was born before 1787 and married Polly Kirksey in Rhea County, Tennessee on 30 April 1818.
Micajah, was born 22 September 1793 and married Jane Brown 19 August 1819 in Anderson County, Tennessee.
John, was born ca 1794. His wife has never been identified, but he is known to have had six children.
Edmund was born 2 July 1795 and married Polly Oliver in Rhea County, Tennessee on 3 January 1822.
Jeremiah was born ca 1796 and married Lucy Johnson in Rhea County, Tennessee on 3 January 1817.
Dicey was born ca 1801 and married Berry Hogg in Rhea County, Tennessee on 4 September 1821.
Betsy was born ca 1803 and married Hiram Coates in Rhea County, Tennessee on 23 February 1823.
More than ten years before the War of 1812, Grief's family was established in Rhea County, Tennessee, which had been carved from Knox and Roane Counties in 1807.
Two of his sons served in the Cherokee/Chickamauga Indian Wars (see HOWERTON HERITAGE, Winter Issue 1997, page 8).
Some believe the old house in the picture with this article was built about 1807 which would date the move of the family from Virginia to Tennessee before that year. There is evidence that Grief and his family were in Virginia in 1801. The deed records in Campbell County, Virginia, shows that Grief sold at least four parcels of land in 1801. No other evidence of a land transfer appears in the records of any of the counties where he lived in Virginia. Apparently, Grief and his family left Virginia after 1801 when these land sales were made.
The family was established in Knox/Rhea County, Tennessee before 1806 when Grief's son, Jackson, was listed on the rolls of Captain John Reynold's Company of Tennessee Militia and was listed as a taxpayer in Knox County, Tennessee the same year. In 1807 Rhea County was formed from Knox County. Both Grief and his son Thomas were listed as men who served on a jury in Rhea County, Tennessee in April 1808. Jackson, was listed on the 1808 Rhea County tax roll. It would seem the family was established in Rhea County by 1808. The marriages of some of Grief's children further establish the residence of the family: Polly in 1809, Lucy in 1810 and Jackson 1812, with Grief Howerton as the bondsman.
The first land-deed in Rhea County, Tennessee with Grief's name does not appear until 1824, five years before his death. There are three land deeds dated 27 October 1824 in which Grief Howerton sells a tract of land to his sons Micajah, Edmund (Edmond), and Jackson for $5.00. The land was located on the east fork of Richland Creek in Rhea County. No records have been found showing when Grief purchased the tract of land. It is likely Grief and some of his sons made land purchases in Knox County before Rhea County was formed in 1807, even though land deeds have not been found. Grief's son, Jackson, did pay taxes in 1806, which seem to show he was a land owner.
There is a possible reason for the absence of land-deeds for Howertons in Knox/Rhea County before 1824. While doing research in counties where Howertons were known to have lived for many years, Bryan could not locate any deeds, yet they were known from other sources to have owned property. Sometimes their names would appear on the tax rolls, but there were not deeds of purchase. The Court Clerks, Registrars of Deeds and other responsible for recording deeds reports that many old timers often did not record the original deed documenting their land acquisition until they got ready to sell the land. There are cases where a person died and left behind large tracts of land for which there was no recorded deed. It was easy to make a trip to the county courthouse, so the old timers did not seem to rush. They had their deed for their land in a trunk or tin box.
On 14 October 1825 Grief, Jackson, Edmund, and Micajah were involved in a road building project in Rhea County and on 31 October 1827 a land deed conveys the estate of Grief and Elizabeth to their son Edmund (Edmond).
The deed read, "Know all men by these presents that I, Grief Howerton of Rhea County, Tennessee, do give and convey unto Edmond Howerton, my son and lawful heir all my personal estate to be by him freely possessed in consideration of his paying all my lawful debts and maintaining me and my wife, Elizabeth Ann Howerton, during our natural lives, consisting of the following enumerated property, viz.: 5 head of cattle, 15 head of hogs, 10 head of sheep, 3 featherbeds, steads, and furniture, one dresser and all my dresser ware is hereby given to the said Edmond to be and as an indefeasible estate to him and his heirs from me and mine and from all other persons lawfully claiming under me to witness thereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 31st day of October 1827." Edmund remained in Rhea County until his father's death on 21 November 1829. However, apparently he moved to Missouri before the death of his mother on 2 August 1840, because his daughter, Tennessee, was born in Missouri in December 1839.
The only daughter of Grief and Elizabeth whose descendants can be traced are those of Wilmuth who married George Washington Leigh. Several sources indicate Wilmuth and George moved to Rutherford County, Tennessee where their first son, William was born in 1802. The only known record of their son, Thomas, is his marriage to Polly Kirksey. One son, Micajah remained in Rhea County his entire life. He served in Indian War of 1815 (See "Howertons & Indian Wars," HOWERTON HERITAGE,Volume 2, Issue 1, Winter 1997, page 8), married in 1819, and became a successful farmer. There is no evidence Micajah and Jane had children. The success of Micajah can be traced through a variety of public records. In 1824 his father sold him 128 acres on the East Fork of Richland Creek; in 1828 he bought 15 acres in Rhea County on Valley Ridge; in 1837 he purchased a negro boy slave for $500.00; in 1839 he bought two tracts of land totaling 250 acres. When he died in 1870, he left all of his estate to his wife, Jane. Land deeds exist for the sale of property by Jane in the 1870s in both large and small tracts.
During his lifetime, Micajah was a public-minded citizen. In addition to his service in the Indian War of 1815 and his service in the Tennessee Militia, he served on juries, built county roads, and served as a Constable in Rhea County.
Both Micajah and his wife, Jane, are buried in the old Howerton Cemetery in Rhea County, Tennessee near the Howerton homestead.
Following the death of Grief at least four of his sons moved west. Jeremiah registered his preaching license in White County, Arkansas in 1838. However, there is no evidence he ever lived there. Jeremiah was living in Cooper County, Missouri in 1840. From Missouri he moved to Arkansas where he was a Methodist circuit rider in the 1840s and probably lived in Pulaski County near his brother John who was also a minister. He moved to Tarrant County, Texas by 1850. His whereabouts is unknown after 1850 (See "Howertons Lost in The West," HOWERTON HERITAGE, Volume 1, Issue 1, Winter 1996, page 5).
John, like many Howertons during the period from 1800-1860, moved quite often. He was in Tennessee for a time because he was on the 1819 Tax list for Rhea County. Ten years later, 5 January 1829, he was in Monroe County, Tennessee where he sold a tract of land in the Hiwassee District number 866 which had originally been entered on 2 January 1825. He went to Kentucky for a time where two of his children were born about 1828 and 1830, but he returned to Tennessee where his daughter was born about 1835. By 1840 he was living in Pulaski County, Arkansas according to the U.S. Census reports. In 1850 he was living in the Big Rock Township of Pulaski County and listed as a Minister. A female age 50-60, most likely his wife, was living in his household in 1840, but she was gone in 1850. Based on the 1840 census report he had six children (only the head of a household was listed in the U.S. Census reports prior to 1850). Four of his children were listed by name in 1850: William, age 22 and Thomas, age 20, both born in Kentucky. Their births were between that of a son, George W., age 24 and a daughter, Lucinda, both born in Tennessee. Another son, J. C., age 26, born in Tennessee was living in the dwelling next to his father. The ages of his children and their places of birth help to identify his various residences. After 1850, there is no trace of John or any member of his family.
Brothers Jeremiah and John were Methodist ministers in Arkansas and lived there at the same time. As pointed out above, Jeremiah disappeared in Texas after 1850 and John disappeared in Arkansas after 1850.
The move of Grief's sons, Jackson and Edmund, is a separate story. Both sons settled in Missouri and because the ancestor of extensive families. Many of their descendants are scattered all over the United States and have been very helpful in reconstructing their stories. In future issues, we ill trace the steps of these brothers and their descendants.
By Bryan R. Howerton
John Augustus Sutter, a Swiss citizen, arrived in California in 1839. He had failed in business and abandoned his wife and children in Switzerland. Arriving in California without funds, he managed to talk the Mexican governor into a land grant of about 50,000 acres of land near the junction of the American and Sacramento Rivers. He built a large fort, acquired livestock from the Mexican ranchers, and became prosperous. He expanded his holdings from his headquarters established at Fort Sutter. Sutter sent an agent to Ft. Hall to enlist and divert Americans to his fort. Apparently, he was well liked by the Americans who passed through his establishment.
Constantly in need of lumber for his growing enterprise, Sutter decided to build a sawmill on a fork of the American River some distance from his fort. His foreman, James Marshall, and a crew were working on the millrace in January 1848. Marshall saw what he believed to be a gold nugget in the water flowing over the millrace. He picked up a nugget and found it to be gold. The workers left the sawmill and began hunting for gold. Against Sutter's efforts to keep the gold discovery a secret, the word was quickly spread to Mexico, and throughout the United States and Europe. Sutter's land holdings were invaded by hundreds of prospectors seeking their fortune in gold. Within two years, thousands of prospectors arrived from the United States, Mexico and Europe. The new arrivals showed no respect for Sutter's rights and his empire which he called "New Helvetia" was soon overrun. Sutter was left penniless.
We know of two Howertons who were among the thousands of "forty-niners" who rushed to join in the race to the gold fields. The American forty-niners traveled west to the Mexican province of California by three different routes. Those who were really in a hurry formed into companies and started overland to California by wagon, on horseback or afoot.
The more cautious tried to avoid the dangers and discomfort of overland travel. They embarked from United States seaports and went by ship to the Isthmus of Panama, traveled across the Isthmus to the Pacific Ocean side, and re-embarked for the ocean trip to California. The dangers and discomforts of sea travel proved to be as great as the trip by the overland trails.
The third mode of travel was by ship down the east coast of South America, around the southern tip, and up the west coast of South America and Mexico to California. This mode was never popular because of the rigors of sea travel and the length of a trip which exceeded four months.
The two Howerton forty-niners must have been in a hurry as both chose to travel overland. John Kerr Howerton was born about 1823 in Virginia. He was the son of William Howerton, who had married his cousin Catherine Edmundson Howerton. John's family had moved from Virginia to Kentucky, when he was a very young boy, and finally settled near in Shelby County near Memphis, Tennessee. While living in that location, the entire family, including the five children, was stricken by either cholera or typhoid fever in the summer of 1835. There is a difference of opinion over which disease took the father and three children, over half the family.
The survivors were Catherine and her children, John Kerr Howerton and Stella Caroline. Catherine soon remarried and her son, John, left home because he and his stepfather could not get along.
The young man did remain in western Tennessee and was primarily employed as a writer in the offices of the county clerks of several counties. In 1848, after hearing of the gold discovery in California, he immediately joined a small group of men and they swiftly departed via the overland route. There are conflicting stories over what happened to John. One report is the group encountered a band of hostile Indians somewhere on the route to California. An attack by the Indians resulted in the death of John Kerr Howerton. The second story is, John successfully made the trip to California and engaged in prospecting, where he subsequently died. Neither version of his death has been confirmed. It is known that he left Tennessee on his way to California and did not return. Either on the way to California or in California, he died.
More information is known about the second Howerton who went to California seeking his fortune. Richard Heritage Howerton was born 8 October 1823 in Rockingham County, North Carolina. He was the son of William J. Howerton and Frances Parsons Wall. In 1839, Richard's maternal grandfather, Richard Wall, who was a successful planter in North Carolina, organized a group of friends, neighbors, and relatives into what became known as the "North Carolina Colony." Together, the group proposed to relocate in Missouri. According to the accounts about the party, this large group of migrants moved their possessions, including slaves, to Henry County, Missouri. Sixteen-year-old Richard was placed in charge of a four horse team and wagon. Apparently, the young man successfully carried his responsibilities on the long trip west. His family settled near the present-day town of Calhoun, Missouri.
Richard received a good education in the schools of North Carolina and Missouri. He also learned the carpenter's trade and was employed as a journeyman carpenter in Missouri when he heard the news of the gold discovery on the American River in California. Richard joined a company of 50-60 men and they immediately departed for the gold fields, following the overland trail laid out by the Oregon emigrants in the early 1840s. Apparently no great difficulty was encountered during the trip as he arrived safely in California in about three months and immediately began prospecting. The 1850 U. S. Census report of California shows that on 5 October he was mining on the Cosumnes River in El Dorado County with his partners Elias Tuttle of Virginia and William Akers of Delaware.
The high expenses left him with very little of the precious gold he found. As a result of his limited success, he decided to return to Missouri. Richard boarded a ship in San Francisco bound for New Orleans. Unfortunately, the ship encountered a storm and was driven aground on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. He and a party of survivors from the ship wreck eventually made the hazardous trip across Nicaragua to the Gulf of Mexico. After the trip, filled with danger and hardship, he found a ship bound for Havana, Cuba. After a brief stay in Havana he boarded a ship going to New Orleans and completed the trip. At New Orleans, he took passage on a river steamboat going up the Mississippi River to Missouri. He returned home little better off financially than when he left.
Richard began of the study of medicine under the direction of his uncle, Dr. R. Z. R. Wall. After five years with his uncle, he attended one course of lectures at the Cincinnati Medical Eclectic Institute. Richard returned to Missouri and established his practice near Everett in Cass County. On 23 August 1857 he married Nancy Ann Hughes in Henry County, Missouri. She was born 18 December 1838 in Adair County, Kentucky, the daughter of John Hughes and Polly Diddle. The couple made their home in Cass County. The area was one of increasing unrest because of the pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups in the border counties of Missouri and Kansas. The conflict and vicious behavior of the groups continued along the border until the peace that followed the Civil War.
Richard and Nancy sought safety in Johnson County, Missouri, where they lived for a time. They later moved to Lebanon, Missouri, and finally moved to Carlinville, Illinois where they remained until the end of the Civil War. After the war, they moved back to Lebanon where Richard built a good medical practice and gained renown for his skills as a physician. In 1876 the family moved to Rose Hill Township in Johnson County, Missouri, where Dr. Howerton continued his medical practice and began investing in real estate.
Of the eight children born to Richard and Nancy, the eldest died infancy. The other children were:
James Blackmore, born 21 September 1861
Frances M., 9 September 1864
William Hughes, 17 July 1867
Robert Richard, 18 August 1869
Walter Stuart, 15 July 1873
John Benjamin Haskins, 25 September 1875
Annie Carey, 27 July 1878
Nancy's health began to fail and in 1887 they moved to Eldorado Springs, Missouri in the hope of finding relief for her condition. She died on 23 January 1903 and Richard returned to his farm in Johnson County, Missouri where he resided until his death on 6 May 1905.
We have no information on the descendants of Richard and Nancy, beyond the names of the children of James, Frances, and Robert.
Apparently, very few Howertons engaged in following the gold strikes of the west and in prospecting or mining for great riches. There are records that Henry Heritage Howerton who was born 1 April 1843 traveled overland to the Idaho Territory and mined for gold from 1863 to 1865. K. S. Howerton may have engaged in gold mining in Alaska or in the Yukon region in Canada around 1900. According to the 1900 U.S. Census, he was listed as a passenger on the SLS OHIO en route to Alaska.
We would like to have information on the activities of the above Howertons or any other Howertons known to have caught the "gold fever."
By Bryan R. Howerton
John Thomas Howerton could trace his American ancestors back eight generations to the first Thomas who arrived in 1663. He was born 14 April 1838 in King William County, Virginia, the son of Robert Pollard Howerton and Judith White. When he was about three years old, his parents moved to the present-day Osage County, Missouri. The family settled on a bluff, still called "Howerton's Bluff," above the Gasconade River just below the point where Pointer's Creek flows into it. At the site, John's father built a trading post which he operated for the remainder of his life. It was there that John was raised to manhood.
On 27 May 1858 John married Mary Catherine Scott who was born in Osage County, Missouri in 1842. Mary was the daughter of Thomas H. Scott and Sarah Smithson. John and Mary had seven children. The first four were born in Osage County and the three youngest were born in Sharp County, Arkansas. They were:
Robert Thomas, born 8 June 1859
James Milton, 27 October 1861
Sarah T., 16 June 1864
Mary Catherine, 24 April 1867
Delilah, April 1870
William Claude, 23 July 1874
John T., October 1879
After the death of his father, John Thomas assumed operation of the trading post and supervision of the large family farming operation. Although the family had held slaves for generations, John Thomas had only a few. Most of the slaves he held were very old people who had faithfully served the family all their lives and were no longer able to do much work. They were cared for in their old age much like old family members.
At the beginning of the Civil War, John Thomas and two of his brothers, Sterne White Howerton and Lewis Montague Howerton joined the Missouri Home Guard (Union) which later became the Enrolled Militia. His brother Sterne later left the militia and joined a Volunteer Missouri Infantry Regiment (USA) from which he was later discharged for disability. Missouri suffered from the depredations of lawless gangs who claimed loyalty to either side or neither side in the conflict. Osage County suffered from these groups during the Civil War. The activities of these lawless bands required frequent use of the militia units in an effort to preserve order and protect innocent citizens.
In the fall of 1864 Missouri was invaded by a Confederate force under General Sterling Price, the former governor of Missouri. A unit of the invasion force under the command of Major General James F. Fagan reached Osage County early in October and the Home Guard units were called into service to protect the local citizenry. John Thomas and his brother, Sterne, were activated and subsequently captured by the raiding forces. Sterne was home on furlough from the 26th Missouri Infantry (Union) because of a physical disability. He was identified as a Union soldier and immediately executed by a firing squad of the Confederate forces on a spot almost within sight of the family trading post.
One of the stated objectives of the Price raid through Missouri was to impress men into the Confederate Army. Handbills were posted which ordered all white male citizens between the ages of 17 and 50 to report for service within 24 hours. The Confederate forces conscripted and pressed into service every man and youth found at home and able to bear arms. John Thomas Howerton was forced into the Confederate service and assigned to Company K, 9thMissouri Infantry Regiment (C.S.A.). The forces under Price's command moved west and south gathering supplies and additional "recruits" as they went.
They were being hotly pursued by Union forces. Many battles and engagements were fought as the Confederate unit retreated through Southwest Missouri, parts of Kansas, the Indian Territory of Oklahoma, and finally into Texas. From Texas, Price took his Army back into Southwest Arkansas where, for a time, they were stationed at Camp Sumter and Camp Bragg in Hempstead County, Arkansas.
John Thomas participated in several skirmishes in Arkansas and Louisiana and was finally captured by the Union forces in Louisiana. He was paroled on 7 June 1865 at Alexandria, Louisiana. Unarmed, afoot, and without funds, he made his way back to his family in Osage County, Missouri. After he returned, John resumed operation of the trading post and the supervision of his farming operation.
Missouri had suffered terribly during the Civil War from bushwhackers, outlaws, guerillas, and others who claimed to support either the Union or the Confederacy, whichever was most convenient at the time. Many innocent people were murdered, robbed, had their homes burned, lost their livestock and suffered other abuses from the ruffians. As a result, following the war, the Missouri legislature enacted laws designed to place severe restrictions on former Confederate soldiers and Confederate sympathizers.
John had faithfully served the Union until forced into the Confederate Army during the Price raid. This fact notwithstanding, he was subjected to a strict interpretation and application of the restrictive post bellum state laws. Expecting such laws would soon be rescinded, he took his family and that of his father-in-law across the Arkansas state line into Sharp County. He considered his relocation only temporary and that Missouri would soon remove the restrictive laws. In the meantime, John established and operated a wagon freight service between Hardy and Batesville, Arkansas. He made a success in the freighting and mercantile business. Sometime in either February or March 1879 while driving a freight wagon between Batesville and Cave City, Arkansas, he became ill with pneumonia. Initially, he stayed in the home of a friend who nursed and cared for him. Before he could fully recover and against the advice of his friend, John resumed his freight delivery business. He suffered a relapse and died. John was buried in Spotts Cemetery, close to Strawberry River and near the present village of Poughkeepsie, Sharp County, Arkansas. His grave was covered with a stack of large limestone rocks to a height of 24 inches. The grave was then covered with a large piece of limestone that measured 3' x 7' and roughly lettered with his name and vital statistics.
Mary, the wife of John Thomas, gave birth to a son who was named John T. in October 1879. She died shortly after from complications associated with the childbirth. The baby, John T., died in November 1879. Following the death of Mary, the oldest unmarried son, James, attempted to keep the family together. However, the county court appointed W. H. Bennett to serve as the guardian of the orphaned children. The appointment has resulted in difficulty in tracing the lineage of the descendants of Sarah T. Howerton, a daughter of John Thomas Howerton. She was erroneously identified as Sarah Bennett in the marriage records of Sharp County, Arkansas when she married Charles G. McGuire on 14 September 1880. The extent to which Bennett acted as a guardian is not clear from the records. The 1880 U.S. Census shows the minor children of John and Mary were living separately. Soon after 1880, two of the daughters, Mary C. and Sarah T., were married. Two of the sons, James M. and William C. went to live with their grandfather Thomas H. Scott in Scott County, Arkansas. The trail of Delilah was lost after 1880.
(NOTE! Some of the descendants of John Thomas Howerton have been traced and documented to the present. The known descendants will be discussed in some later newsletter.)
By Bryan R Howerton
Correspondence generated by this publication indicates that a large number of people are actively seeking information about their Howerton ancestors. We encourage that activity and are happy to assist where we can. We would like to inform those searching for family information of some pitfalls we have encountered in pursuit of factual data. Articles concerning various myths discovered during our research will be included in this publication when time and space permit.
Several years ago we saw a copy of a letter from a descendant of Nathan Howerton (b 1793) describing Nathan's arrival in America. The letter stated that Nathan was born in England in 1793 and departed for America with his family in 1810. The ship in which they were traveling encountered a severe storm and sank. Nathan was reported to be the sole survivor; was picked up and taken to New York. There, "a man took him to keep," according to the story. Later, while still a young man, Nathan went to Kentucky where he married Nancy Vance
Fugate (Fugat, Fuget, Fugett) , resided there a few years, and then went to Illinois. This was particularly interesting as our research has indicated that all Howertons in America descended from the first two American immigrants, John and Thomas.Correspondence with various descendants of Nathan immediately revealed that many of them had never heard the story of Nathan's "shipwreck" and/or had serious doubts as to its validity. Effort was undertaken to learn all we could about Nathan from available records. Over a period of years the recorded facts concerning Nathan were discovered.
He was found to have been born in 1793 in Montgomery County, Virginia; the son of William Howerton and Nancy. When he was a small child, his family moved to the Russell/Lee County area of Virginia, eventually settling in Russell County, Virginia. While there he married Nancy Vance Fuget (born 14 Mar 1791 in Virginia). While residing in Lee County; Nathan, his father, and brothers joined in an effort to form a new county whose seat would be more accessible to those located in their general area. Their efforts resulted in the formation of Scott County, Virginia. Around 1815 he and all his brothers, except William Jr., moved to Floyd County, Kentucky near where their father had relocated.
After residing in Kentucky for a period of about 13 years, Nathan again got itchy feet and left Kentucky with his family in tow. They arrived in the Edgar/Clark County area of Illinois around 1828, residing first in Edgar County. Around 1836 he made his final move to Clark County, Illinois. In their 1907 "Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and Clark County," Bateman and Selby misidentify Nathan as "Newton" Howerton, but state: "The settlement of Orange Township began with the arrival of Newton Howerton and Moses Engle about 1836. While accurately naming Nathan, Perrin's 1883 "History of Crawford and Clark Counties, Illinois," states: "The settlement of Orange Township by white men dates from the year 1836 when the first entries of land were made though it cannot be stated with correctness who was the earliest settler. In the above year Nathan Howerton and Moses Engle made entries in Section 12; Elijah Peacock in Section 25; and John F Dodd in Section 3; all of whom moved onto their respective lands the same year, and began improving.
Nathan died on 30 September 1838 in Clark County, Illinois where he was buried in Medsker Cemetery. He and Nancy were parents of a large family, which included -- born in Russell County, Virginia: John, 1813 and Minerva, 6 June 1814 -- born in Floyd/Morgan County, Kentucky: Sophronia, 31 July 1816, Francis F, ca 1817, James, 10 November 1819; Lee 1824, Andrew Jackson, 10 March 1825, Alexander Camel, 1826; Mary, 1827 -- born in Edgar/Clark County, Illinois: Granville, 10 Jan 1829; Ruth, 1831; Braxton W. 1833; Louisa, 12 April 1834; William (twin), 8 July 1836; Nathan (twin), 8 July 1836; and Louise, 30 June 1838; Nancy never remarried, but remained in Clark County and raised the children, four of whom served in the Civil War (during which Braxton died). Five of Nancy's grandsons also served in the Civil War, according to family legend she died 11 March 1868 and was buried in Medsker Cemetery.
GENEALOGY
SCAMS
By John F. Howerton
(NOTE! The following article is a reprint from Volume 1, Issue 1, Winter 1996. We are reprinting the article because of a new letter that offers "The World Book of Howertons" and signed by a Sharon Taylor. Apparently, the letter offering this book has been reworded in an attempt to comply with the latest Post Office "Cease and Desist Order." The latest edition of the Prophone, Inc., CD-ROM LISTS more than 80 million residential and business phone numbers and addresses in the United States. It contains more than 2,500 Howertons. Our editorial office in Glendale has this six-disk set and we will gladly search for any kin you are seeking.
We have searched every available record that could be located anywhere in the world, where a Howerton might be located. Our files now contain more than 14,000 linked names. Our search has located Howertons in the United States and Canada. We have never substantiated any claim that Howertons are living in other areas of the world (except for the Military personal).
In addition to publishing the Howerton newsletter, we have freely shared our data with families seeking information about their ancestors or descendants. AND, WE DO NOT SELL OUR INFORMATION.)
The Increased interest in genealogy heraldry and family history has resulted in many mail order SCAMS. Most of the offers are of limited genealogical value. The sellers of mass family materials do not base their products on genuine research. The heraldry offers for your coat-of-arms are often not authentic. The books such groups provide are general discussions on the settlement of America often including a list of names compiled from telephone directories. The books are only mildly interesting and will cost about $40.00.
Do not waste your money on a mail order offer of HOWERTONS ACROSS AMERICA. Watch out for any books that offer to tell all about the Howertons in America, a copy of the Howerton coat-of-arms, or to take you on a trip to your homeland.
Any offer for some Howerton coat-of-arms should be immediately rejected. While these offers sound convincing, we can find no evidence to support any Howerton coat-of-arms. Some coat-of-arms are considered inheritable property that is passed on to a particular individual. Companies attempting to sell you a Howerton coat-of-arms should be considered suspect.
The Postal Service and Better Business Bureau receive complaints about such scams, but companies word their offers carefully so it is difficult to prove they are not providing exactly what you get. Companies offer phone directory listings of your surname with a few pages of general information supposedly about your family name. Many public libraries have CD-ROMs with a complete white page listing for the United States. These white page listings are free for public use. Prophone, Inc., publishes a CD-ROM program, Home PHONE that PROVIDES access to names in the phone directories in the United States. There are 2187 HOWERTON residences or businesses in the United States. The directory has about 80 million names with addresses, zip codes, and phone numbers. The cost of the two disks is less than $35.00.
One company with Akron and Bath, Ohio, addresses have been in business since 1969 using a variety of names. One of these companies sent out an offer to sell books entitled "The World of Howertons" in the summer of 1994. The company tried to leave the impression they compiled the book with the aid of a Charles V. Howerton. The company refused to give the address of Charles and admitted he only approved the use of his name.
A complaint was filed by the U.S. Postal Service against Sharon L. Taylor and Halberds Inc. alleging false advertising. An administrative law judge found the company's advertising for its book, "The Amazing Story of (Surname) in America misrepresented when it implied that the books are primarily about the family named in the title.
In 1994 the National Genealogical Society editorialized about the dangers of these scams.
If you want to research your family name, send a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) to the National Genealogical Society, 4527 17th Street North, Arlington, VA 22207 and request their brochure "Suggestions for Beginners in Genealogy."
Send for a free brochure on "Genealogical Records in the National Archives" to the National Archives and Records Administration, Publication Sales Branch, Washington, D.C. 20408. There are several hundred Family History Centers operated by the LDS Church throughout the United States. The centers permit non-LDS members to use their facilities and will offer valuable help on family research. The Centers are research centers and not a center for making LDS converts.
Successful genealogical research takes time and hard work. It is exciting and rewarding. Be on guard against those who offer to sell you a family history or coat-of-arms.
HOWERTON
SCHOOL:
RHEA COUNTY, TENNESSEE
By John F. Howerton
Micajah Howerton home built about 1807
On 1 March 1997, Mrs. Brenda Watson Clark of Spring City, Tennessee, sent the above picture of the old Grief/Micajah Howerton house. A picture of the old Howerton house as it now appears on the front page of this newsletter. Brenda included, in her letter some information on the Howerton School.
Audrey Darwin Denton wrote an article entitled, HOWERTON SCHOOL which appears in Churches and Schools of Rhea County, Tennessee, compiled by Bettye J. Broyles, Rhea County Historical and Genealogical Society, 1992, page 241. The article reads: "After the County [Rhea] was divided into Civil Districts in 1836, the voting precinct of District No. 5 was at the schoolhouse near Jackson Howerton's [Jackson left for Missouri about 1838]. According to the map of the districts, the School was situated in the Back Valley east of Little Richland Creek, about half way between Clear Creek and the southern edge of the district, and west of Washington.
Howerton School was located near Evensville. Miss Ada Waterhouse was one of the teachers at the subscription school. An old letter was found headed, "at Howerton Schoolhouse" and was dated 18 August 1866. In 1859, Howerton's School House was included in School District 18." In History of Rhea County, Tennessee, compiled by Bettye J. Broyles, Rhea County Historical and Genealogical Society, 1991, page 130, is an entry on "Schools." Accompanying the entry is the picture at the head of this article and a picture of the old Tennessee Valley Baptist Institute at Evensville which was founded in 1881.
The entry on schools included the following paragraph: "Schools only went five months -- or until Christmas -- in those days. Miss Ada Waterhouse taught a subscription school in the old Howerton house, known to be the oldest house in Rhea County, and owned by Grief and Micajah Howerton. Micajah was born in 1796. The old Howerton house is located on the W. P. Darwin farm. An old letter was found headed "At Howerton Schoolhouse" and was dated 18 August 1866. This most likely was a subscription school."
Apparently, the Howerton School House was in use for more than twenty years. If the school existed in 1836 when Rhea County, Tennessee, was divided into Civil Districts and Jackson Howerton was still in the area and was still in use when it was named in a letter of 18 August 1866, the school had a history of more than twenty years.
DONALD R. HOWERTON PASSES Donald Raymond Howerton of Peoria Heights, Illinois, died on 26 December 1996 as a result of a two car accident. He was the last male member of his line going back four generations. Several years ago, Don wrote to share information about his ancestors and seek information. Few people have expressed a more ardent pride in the Howerton name than Don. His pride in his name is demonstrated in the following picture of a wagon he built.
Don was born 11 September 1937 in Peoria, Illinois, to John Henry Howerton and Anna L. Lovell. After high school, he served in the U.S. Navy from June 1955 to September 1958. He was a mechanic for 32 years and retired in September 1994.
There are several reasons for this article on Don. He was one of the first Howertons with whom we corresponded in seeking information on our kin. Don wrote about every two months and sent bits of information. When the first issue of HOWERTON HERITAGE was sent out, Don became an enthusiastic supporter by his encouragement and contributions. In November 1996 he wrote about two cousins, the daughters of Edward Durward Howerton, on whom he was seeking information. Other Howertons should know of his love for the Howerton name which he demonstrated with the wagon shown above.
When Don finished the wagon in November 1994, he wrote his mother and described the work.
It took him three years and more than 1000 hours to build the wagon. The frame and axles are of hardened steel. All of the screws, carriage bolts and fasteners are stainless steel. The identification plate is brass and says, "The Howerton Machine Works -- Serial Number 01." The letter described in detail he construction of the wagon, including the three coats of blue lacquer paint and three coats of clear coat. He joking added to the letter, "If you want one, please get your order in early. Prices start at ten thousand dollars depending on extras."
We had planned to visit Don and Donna last summer (he sent us a Peoria map with directions), but circumstances changed our plans.
JOEL EDGAR HOWERTON RETIRES
Joel is a descendant of John E. Howerton who went to Texas before the Civil War and settled in Rush County. He is a great-grandson.
Joel was born in Abilene, Taylor County, Texas, in 1933.
On January 30, 1997, Rampage, Volume 63, Number 16 (student web page of San Angelo State University, Texas), published an interesting article by Clint Fisher entitled, "Retiring chief recalls days spent with FBI." The article is used with permission.
Joel has spent a lifetime in service to the nation and his native state. He spent four years as a navigator in the U.S. Air Force. After discharge he completed his education and entered the FBI in 1961. He said, "I had always been interested in law enforcement, and when you grow up in the years I did, the FBI was the was the top law enforcement agency -- Everyone talked about the FBI at that time."
His 22 years with the FBI took him from Washington, Minneapolis, North Dakota, Law Vegas, Dallas and San Angelo. In 1883 he retired from the FBI and subsequently became the University Police Chief for San Angelo State University where he has spent the last 14 years.
During the 1960s his FBI service in Las Vegas was part of a massive buildup of FBI agents in that part of the nation. While in Dallas, he was assigned as a case agent to search for a criminal on the FBI's top-ten most wanted list. "The fugitive had killed a police officer in Arkansas and had passed through Dallas after the incident . . . [Joel] said the fugitive was captured in Colorado because of a group effort between agents all over the country."
In 1988 a memorable moment happened when an individual stole $154,107 from the Angelo State University Fiscal Office. The student found the combination to the safe while seeking to change his grades through the computers. The thief was captured because he told someone about the crime. After six months in the Texas Department of Corrections, the ex-student was apprehended for stealing a sound system from a van he had purchased with some of the stolen money.
Joel is another Howerton who has been very helpful in our research efforts. He has shared information helpful information about his ancestors.
(NOTES! In future issues of HOWERTON HERITAGE we will include articles on contemporary Howertons, AS SPACE PERMITS. Please send us news worthy articles an information on your Howerton family. JFH)
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