Notes On the Old Bexar Settlement

Notes On the Old Bexar Settelmrnt
Bernard Pyron

One of the topics of local history in the area in and near Somerset, Texas is the Old Bexar settlement, two miles west of Somerset.

My mother, Mabel Moote, was the school teacher at Old Bexar during the early 20th century.  The original County Examination taken by Mabel is dated December 1911. And the original letter of recommendation for Mabel Moote which reads, in part: "I unhesitatingly recommend her to any position to which she may aspire and am sure she will make good."  signed L.L. McDonald, Sutherland Springs, Texas, is dated May 6, 1912.  She and Blake Bernard Pyron were married May 20, 1915 which apparently  ended her career. She probably began teaching at the Old Bexar settlement in the fall of 1912.  Mabel Moote was born on March 12, 1894, and was only 18 when she began teaching at Old Bexar.

Jessie Pyron, sister of Blake Pyron, and daughter of A.M. Pyron, married Will Kenney, son of Patrick Kenney, who once owned the land that became Old Bexar and also the coal mine. Jessie Pyron Kenney is my aunt.  First cousin Nellie Mae Kenney included a list of the main families associated with Bexar in something she wrote in the eighties.  She mentions the McMonagals as being one of these. William McMonagle, the father of James Connell and Shorty, or Kenneth, lived in or near Bexar.  The grandson of  William McMonagle and son of James Connell McMonagle, James Joseph McMonagle, known to me as Joe, was a classmate in the Somerset grade school in the early forties.  Joe is a graduate of Notre Dame and retired as a Marine Corps Major General.

On Google Earth the area between Bexar and Benton City Roads, which apparently was the heart of Old Bexar shows just an empty field. Yet many pioneering families of the Somerset area had roots or associations in Old Bexar. Most of the institutions of Old Bexar began moving to New Somerset after the First Town Site Company began selling lots that became the new town some time after about 1910 to 1912. Mabel Moote was the school teacher in Old Bexar in its last years. In 1905 A.M. Pyron  was a Trustee of the the Old Bexar school.  His son, Blake Pyron, Jessie's Pyron Kenney's brother, married the teacher in 1915 of the school he went to earlier.

Patrick Kenney owned the land that became Old Bexar.  Patrick was the father of Tom and Will Kenney, and Will Kenney married Jessie Pyron, daughter of A.M. Pyron, the older sister of Blake and Milton (Casey) Pyron.  My sister Louise said recently that our mother once lived with aunt Jessie and Will Kenney in the area of Old Bexar when she taught school there. The father of Patrick Kenney was probably John Kenney, age 46 in the 1860 census of Bexar county, Texas.

Online Bexar county land transactions show that on September 28, 1893, Patrick Kenney deeded an acre and a half to John Conoly, out of the Clemente Bustillo survey.  The deed says the land joined "...the Bexar school lot on the west...beginning at a stake on the Benton City Road."  Patrick Kenney deeded on March 22, 1881 a tract of land to Jane Kirkwood, out of the eastern half of Survey No 134, known as the coal mine tract.

One interesting land transaction of Patrick Kenney was a tract of land he sold to the Elm Creek Comet Band on March 29, 1889, from Survey No 348 granted to Clemente Bustillo.

On May 18, 1891 Patrick Kenney deeded land to the Bishop of the Diocese, one acre of the Clemente Bustillo grant.  This land may have been for the purpose of building of the St. Patrick's Catholic Church, a branch  of the first Catholic Church  at the Medina River community, then called Garza's Crossing.  Nellie Mae Kinney's History of Old Bexar, The History of Somerset and the Old Bell at Bexar (1986), says that St Patrick's Catholic Church was built in 1892.

And on August 2, 1883 Patrick Kenney deeded two acres of land out of the Peter (really Petra) Bustillo, widow  of Domingo Bustillo, of Survey No 348, for $37.50, for the purpose of establishing a public school.  The deed is in Book 34, page 6.  This may have been for the school which was built at Old Bexar.

On an October 13, 1905 Bexar county land transaction, the  trustees - like members of a school board -  of the school district number 33 of Bexar county, which was Old Bexar, were H.P. Drought, B. McConnell, A.M. Pyron, and J. C. James, probably Jessie Christopher James, the father of the younger Jessie James (1897-1942).

The Online Handbook of Texas, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hrbdc
, says of Old Bexar that "was first settled by John Kinney (also spelled Kenney), an Irish farmer and rancher, in 1854. In 1868 Kinney and other area residents founded San Patricio de Bexar Catholic Church. By the mid-1880s the Kinney family was operating an open pit coal mine in Bexar. Coal was originally transported to San Antonio by ox-cart. The Bexar post office opened in 1883 in the general store, which was painted bright red. For this reason, the town was known by the Hispanic workers as “La Colorada” or “La Mina de la Colorada.” In 1894 there were thirty to forty-five small houses, a general store owned by John Conoly and Dr. James A Matthews, a doctor’s office, a theater, a post office, a cotton gin, a dance hall, a cantina, and three churches. In 1909 the Artesian Belt Railroad came through the area and bypassed Bexar. The town of Somerset was established two miles to the east on the rail line and most of Bexar moved to Somerset. A spur was eventually constructed to connect the coal mine."

First cousin Nellie Mae Kenney in her article, The History of Somerset and the Old Bell at Bexar (1986), says that the main families living in or associated with Old Bexar were the  "... Connoly's, the Matthew's,
McMonagles, Longs, McCoys, Malones, James's, Scanlons, McConnels,
Pyrons, Kenneys, and the Norris's who owned the land where Somerset is
now located."

I mentioned the McMonagle family above as having lived in and near Old Bexar. Joe McMonagle, son of James Connell McMonagle, and grandson of William McMonagle, was in grade school with me in Somerset during the early forties.  The house and land where Connell McMonagle, wife and Joe, and the grandfather, William (listed in the 1940 census), lived in the thirties and forties was  on Kenney Road just south of Highway 81 (I-35) about four miles north of Bexar.

The James family was another significant Somerset area family with roots in Old Bexar.  In the forties and fifties Luther James lived on Kenney Road just south of the area that was Old Bexar.  Luther James ran hounds after coyotes and often hunted north of the Old Bexar area. Jessie Garfield James. (1897-1942) was the son of Jessie C. James, (1859-1919) .Luther Martin James (1888-1963), cousin of Jessie C. James, was the son of  John William James (1854-1896). There is a very good chance that Clara Muriel McCoy, the wife of the younger Jessie James, who was a student of Mabel Moote at Old Bexar, was part of the McCoy family Nellie Mae Kenney lists as being among the Old Bexar families.

Frank L. James (1909 - 1985) was an older  son of Luther James and brother of Bill James, or William Marshall James ( 1915 - 2004), who was long the superintendent of the Somerset School.

 

With San Antonio Newspaper Articles: Kurz Number One, When Carl Kurz Struck Oil And Began the Somerset Oil Field

With San Antonio Newspaper Articles: Kurz Number One, When Carl Kurz Struck Oil And Began the Somerset Oil Field
Bernard Pyron

The New Encyclopedia of Texas, edited by Ellis A. Davis and Edwin H. Grobe, 1929, says in the article on Aurelius Milton Pyron that "In 1909, Mr. Kurtz, whose land adjoined that owned by Mr. Pyron, was drilling for artesian water but struck oil instead. Following this Mr. Pyron and Mr Kurtz organized the Somerset Oil and Gas Company and began active operations in what is now the Somerset Oil Field. They brought their first well at eleven hundred feet, but this well was discarded soon after being put on pump."
The date of 1909 is too early for the discovery of oil by Carl Kurz when he was drilling for artesian water.
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somerset,_Texas
"In 1913, while drilling for artesian water, Kurz discovered oil. A boom followed. The Somerset oilfield extended from Somerset to below Pleasanton and was the largest known shallow field in the world at that time. Two oil refineries in the field and a pipeline into San Antonio handled the high-gravity crude."
In several articles the date of the discovery of oil by Carl Kurz is reported to have been in 1913.
But 1913 is a year later than sources indicate for the discovery of oil when Carl Kurz drilled for deep water.
http://books.google.com/books?id=7pgtAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA114...
The Oil Weekly, January 21, 1922
"The Somerset, Texas shallow oil pool completed its tenth year with the close of 1921 without a single dry hole in proven territory since the discovery of the field........the field had only eight or ten very small wells and development did not really start until three years ago...the older wells finished around 900 feet with from one to four barrels production."
If ten years went by up to the end of 1921, then the beginning of the Somerset Oil Field would have been in 1912, so the date in the above wikipedia article saying Carl Kurz hit oil in 1913 is too late a date.
This Oil Weekly information on the ten years at the end of 1921 from the start of the Somerset Oil Field supports the earlier date of the discovery of oil by Carl Kurz according to the oil leases that A.M. Pyron contracted in 1912 for the Somerset Oil and Gas Co, seen in online Bexar county land transaction records.
A San Antonio Light February 23, 1913 article on the Kurz oil well discovery says "When Mr Kurz began boring about 12 months ago he was in search of artesian water." So, the first Kurz oil well came in early in 1912. Billy Kenney in his 1988 interview was right that it was a gusher, smaller than Spindle Top but like it. Spindletop was a super gusher oil well which came in on January 10, 1901 near Beaumont, Texas.
Peggy Weyel found the February 23, 1913 San Antonio Light article a day or two ago and a second article in the Light of 1913, shown below.
So, the February 23, 1913 newspaper article clearly says that Carl Kurz was drilling for artesian water 12 months before the date of this article, which was early 1913. It was the well Kurz drilled for deep water that became Kurz Number One, and brought in the Somerset shallow oil field.
Then there is another San Antonio Light article found by Peggy Weyel, Director of the Somerset Historical Society, on the Carl Kurz discovery of oil on his land southeast of Somerset. This article was in the San Antonio Light newspaper or June 8, 1913, with the headlines saying, "A GUSHER OIL WELL IS BROUGHT IN NEAR CITY, Located On Land Near New Somerset, and Spouts To Height of Nearly 150 Feet When Uncapped."
The article begins in saying that "A gusher oil well, the first in this territory, and spouting a five inch stream of water to a height of 130 and 140 feet, has been brought in by the Somerset Oil and Gas Company on a tract of land owned by C. Kurz, about one mile southeast of the town of New Somerset, eighteen miles from San Antonio."
In 1912-1913 the Carl Kurz land was across a dirt road from the A.M. Pyron land which was to the west. Carl Kurz and A.M. Pyron were both cattlemen and used the same creek for water, Mudd Creek, or Mudd Holler, as it was often called, when it had water in it. The Creek once flowed out of the Pyron land into the Kurz place under a small wooden bridge over that dirt road which is now paved Payne Road. The two cattlemen on Mudd Creek also became oil men after 1912-1913. In 1909 they had formed the First Town Site Company which sold lots for what became the town of Somerset, or as it was first called New Somerset.
The San Antonio Light article also says "Papers were taken out in November and December of last year. A.M. Pyron became trustee for the company and yesterday the papers were filed. "
I went to the Bexar County Clerk's on-line land transaction records, then to Search By Name and typed in "Somerset Oil & Gas Co and near the first of many documents a four page 4-page, February 25, 1913 document is shown:
"AGREEMENT
Somerset Oil and Gas company et al, A.M. Pyron, Trustee:
Whereas at various dates during the months of November and
December, A.D. 1912, the following named persons executed what was termed an OIL LEASE with A.M. Pyron, of Bexar County, Texas, Trustee, on certain land owned by said persons as follows:"
A,M, Pyron contracted oil leases for the Somerset Oil and Gas Company with seventeen Somerset area land owners between November 13, 1912 to January 6, 1913.
The Somerset area land owners A.M. Pyron contracted oil leases with were:
R.B. Touchstone, 133 acres
John H, Ellis, 61 acres
J.A. Avant,150 acres
R.H. Robinson,68 acres
C. Kurz, 129 acres
S.S. Wildman, 286 acres
August F. Ernst, 480 acres
Juan Rodriguez, 71 acres
John Eastwood, 234 acres
C.H. Long, 111 acres
J.E. Wright, 134 acres
James B. Wright, 202 acres
W. B. Kilborn, 78 acres
C. Kurz and W.F. Lockwood, 92 acres
William Ebest, 61 acres
Jesus Gonzales 100 acres
Pablo Gonzalez and brothers, 20 acres
Billie Kurz McCord in a phone call of December of 2012 said that the original well was near the Carl Kurz house, which became the Gus Kurz house on Payne Road. Billie said there was a small house over the oil well. Again in a phone call of July 2, 2015 she sad that the first Kurz oil well, which brought in the Somerset Oil Field, was behind the Carl Kurz house, that is, north of it, toward the Refinery. Billie lived on that land and in the house from 1945 to 1949 and afterwards was there many times.
Billy Kenney talked about the first Carl Kurz Oil Well In His Interview For the Oral History Collection, Institute For Texan Cultures in 1988: Billy Kenney was born in February of 1904, so in about 1912 he would have been only about eight.
Below "K" is Billy Kenney, oldest grand child of A.M. Pyron. I am the youngest. "HC" is the Institute for Texan Cultures interviewer.
HC: "At one time Somerset was the largest shallow well in
the country, wasn't it?
K: Largest shallow oil field in the world.
HC: In the world? Now, Kurtz, wasn't Carl Kurtz diggin'
for water?
K: That's right. The way I understand it, he and my
grandfather, of course, - there was just a road separatin'
them.
HC: That's grandfather Pyron.
K: Grandfather put in with him to dig a thousand foot
well.
SC: Water well.
K: See if they could get some water. That would be good
for irrigating, see?
HC: Yeah.
K: And they got that oil and they was the maddest ole men.
I remember that day they were really put out. They didn't
want no damned oil, they wanted a water well. (laughter)."

December 19, 2015: With San Antonio Newspaper Articles: Kurz Number One, When Carl Kurz Struck Oil And Began the Somerset Oil Field

Bernard Pyron

The New Encyclopedia of Texas, edited by Ellis A. Davis and Edwin H. Grobe, 1929, says in the article on Aurelius Milton Pyron that "In 1909, Mr. Kurtz, whose land adjoined that owned by Mr. Pyron, was drilling for artesian water but struck oil instead. Following this Mr. Pyron and Mr Kurtz organized the Somerset Oil and Gas Company and began active operations in what is now the Somerset Oil Field. They brought their first well at eleven hundred feet, but this well was discarded soon after being put on pump."

The date of 1909 is too early for the discovery of oil by Carl Kurz when he was drilling for artesian water.

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somerset,_Texas
"In 1913, while drilling for artesian water, Kurz discovered oil. A boom followed. The Somerset oilfield extended from Somerset to below Pleasanton and was the largest known shallow field in the world at that time. Two oil refineries in the field and a pipeline into San Antonio handled the high-gravity crude."

In several articles the date of the discovery of oil by Carl Kurz is reported to have been in 1913.
But 1913 is a year later than sources indicate for the discovery of oil when Carl Kurz drilled for deep water.

http://books.google.com/books?id=7pgtAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA114...
The Oil Weekly, January 21, 1922

"The Somerset, Texas shallow oil pool completed its tenth year with the close of 1921 without a single dry hole in proven territory since the discovery of the field........the field had only eight or ten very small wells and development did not really start until three years ago...the older wells finished around 900 feet with from one to four barrels production."

If ten years went by up to the end of 1921, then the beginning of the Somerset Oil Field would have been in 1912, so the date in the above wikipedia article saying Carl Kurz hit oil in 1913 is too late a date.


A San Antonio Light February 23, 1913 article on the Kurz oil well discovery says "When Mr Kurz began boring about 12 months ago he was in search of artesian water." So, the first Kurz oil well came in early in 1912. Billy Kenney in his 1988 interview was right that it was a gusher, smaller than Spindle Top but like it. Spindletop was a super gusher oil well which came in on January 10, 1901 near Beaumont, Texas.

Peggy Weyel found the February 23, 1913 San Antonio Light article a day or two ago and a second article in the Light of 1913, shown below.

So, the February 23, 1913 newspaper article clearly says that Carl Kurz was drilling for artesian water 12 months before the date of this article, which was early 1913. It was the well Kurz drilled for deep water that became Kurz Number One, and brought in the Somerset shallow oil field.
Then there is another San Antonio Light article found by Peggy Weyel, Director of the Somerset Historical Society, on the Carl Kurz discovery of oil on his land southeast of Somerset. This article was in the San Antonio Light newspaper or June 8, 1913, with the headlines saying, "A GUSHER OIL WELL IS BROUGHT IN NEAR CITY, Located On Land Near New Somerset, and Spouts To Height of Nearly 150 Feet When Uncapped."

The article begins in saying that "A gusher oil well, the first in this territory, and spouting a five inch stream of water to a height of 130 and 140 feet, has been brought in by the Somerset Oil and Gas Company on a tract of land owned by C. Kurz, about one mile southeast of the town of New Somerset, eighteen miles from San Antonio."

In 1912-1913 the Carl Kurz land was across a dirt road from the A.M. Pyron land which was to the west. Carl Kurz and A.M. Pyron were both cattlemen and used the same creek for water, Mudd Creek, or Mudd Holler, as it was often called, when it had water in it. The Creek once flowed out of the Pyron land into the Kurz place under a small wooden bridge over that dirt road which is now paved Payne Road. The two cattlemen on Mudd Creek also became oil men after 1912-1913. In 1909 they had formed the First Town Site Company which sold lots for what became the town of Somerset, or as it was first called New Somerset.

The San Antonio Light article also says "Papers were taken out in November and December of last year. A.M. Pyron became trustee for the company and yesterday the papers were filed. "
I went to the Bexar County Clerk's on-line land transaction records, then to Search By Name and typed in "Somerset Oil & Gas Co and near the first of many documents a four page 4-page, February 25, 1913 document is shown:

"AGREEMENT

Somerset Oil and Gas company et al, A.M. Pyron, Trustee:
Whereas at various dates during the months of November and
December, A.D. 1912, the following named persons executed what was termed an OIL LEASE with A.M. Pyron, of Bexar County, Texas, Trustee, on certain land owned by said persons as follows:"

A,M, Pyron contracted oil leases for the Somerset Oil and Gas Company with seventeen Somerset area land owners between November 13, 1912 to January 6, 1913.

The Somerset area land owners A.M. Pyron contracted oil leases with were:
R.B. Touchstone, 133 acres
John H, Ellis, 61 acres
J.A. Avant,150 acres
R.H. Robinson,68 acres
C. Kurz, 129 acres
S.S. Wildman, 286 acres
August F. Ernst, 480 acres
Juan Rodriguez, 71 acres
John Eastwood, 234 acres
C.H. Long, 111 acres
J.E. Wright, 134 acres
James B. Wright, 202 acres
W. B. Kilborn, 78 acres
C. Kurz and W.F. Lockwood, 92 acres
William Ebest, 61 acres
Jesus Gonzales 100 acres
Pablo Gonzalez and brothers, 20 acres

Billie Kurz McCord in a phone call of December of 2012 said that the original well was near the Carl Kurz house, which became the Gus Kurz house on Payne Road. Billie said there was a small house over the oil well. Again in a phone call of July 2, 2015 she sad that the first Kurz oil well, which brought in the Somerset Oil Field, was behind the Carl Kurz house, that is, north of it, toward the Refinery. Billie lived on that land and in the house from 1945 to 1949 and afterwards was there many times.

Billy Kenney talked about the first Carl Kurz Oil Well In His Interview For the Oral History Collection, Institute For Texan Cultures in 1988: Billy Kenney was born in February of 1904, so in about 1912 he would have been only about eight.
Below "K" is Billy Kenney, oldest grand child of A.M. Pyron. I am the youngest. "HC" is the Institute for Texan Cultures interviewer.

HC: "At one time Somerset was the largest shallow well in
the country, wasn't it?
K: Largest shallow oil field in the world.
HC: In the world? Now, Kurtz, wasn't Carl Kurtz diggin'
for water?
K: That's right. The way I understand it, he and my
grandfather, of course, - there was just a road separatin'
them.
HC: That's grandfather Pyron.
K: Grandfather put in with him to dig a thousand foot
well.
SC: Water well.
K: See if they could get some water. That would be good
for irrigating, see?
HC: Yeah.
K: And they got that oil and they was the maddest ole men.
I remember that day they were really put out. They didn't
want no damned oil, they wanted a water well. (laughter)."

ANCESTORS OF A.M. PYRON AND HIS DESCENDANTS TO 1930

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Pyron Family History

ANCESTORS OF A.M. PYRON AND HIS DESCENDANTS TO 1930 Bernard Pyron Link:     http://www.mybloop.com/halfback/A._M._Pyron_Ancestors_ONE_txt The above link is no longer active. my Bloop apparently went kaput. William Pyron the Elder, whose dates are  generally said to be 1757 to 1850 is the father of William  Pyron, the Younger, listed below, who died in 1843.  William Pyron the Younger (died 1843) is the  father of Andrew Jackson Pyron also listed below.  Andrew Jackson Pyron (1814 to about  1860) is the father of our A.M. Pyron, 1846 to 1932. The 1840 census for Mecklenburg  county, North Carolina shows William Pyron, 1757-1850, the Revolutionary  War Soldier, his son, William Pyron the  Younger (died 1843) and Andrew Jackson  Pyron (born 1814) all living near each  other east of Charlotte, North Carolina.  The area where they lived is called  Mint Hill. British General Cornwallis  during the American Revolution called this the "Hornet's Nest," because the Scotch-Irish there shot many of his  soldiers from behind trees with their rifles. Some descendants of William Pyron, 1757-1850, list his father as a James Pyron,  but I have never seen a source for this information. The family information below is from: http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/c/o/s/Richard-A-Coscia/GENE2-0011.html  232. William C. Pyron, born Abt. 1756 in Ashland, Hanover County, Virginia; died January 27, 1850 in Goose Creek Township, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He was the son of 464. James Pyron. He married 233. Mary Jane Powell 1769 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.    233. Mary Jane Powell, born Abt. 1756 in Wake County, North Carolina; died May 2, 1825 in Oglethorpe, Georgia. She was the daughter of 466. Moses Powell and 467. Prudence Garner. Children of William Pyron and Mary Powell are:  116 i.   Dr. William Pyron, born February 10, 1770 in Mecklenberg County, North Carolina; died 1844 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina; married Nancy Crowell March 5, 1812 in Rowan County, North Caolina.  ii.   Sarah Pyron, born 1773; died Aft. 1850; married Joel Helms; born Abt. 1794.  iii.   Mary Pyron, born Abt. 1775; died Aft. 1850; married Emanuel Helms; born 1792; died 1874.  iv.   James Pyron, born May 25, 1776; died December 11, 1820 in , Jackson Co., Ga.  v.   Emelia Pyron, born Abt. 1780 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina; died Aft. 1852 in Tennessee; married Abram Secrist September 15, 1825 in Mecklenberg County, Virginia; born Abt. 1780.  vi.   Nancy Pyron, born Abt. 1787.  vii.   Jane Pyron, born June 4, 1798; died March 3, 1887 in Union County, North Carolina; married Michael Crowell; born November 3, 1795; died March 24, 1865.  viii.   Drewry Pyron, born August 17, 1799 in Greene County, Georgia; died July 1872 in , Greene Co., Ga.  ix.   Malehijah Pyron, born Abt. 1805 in Tennessee; married Lucinda; born Abt. 1810 in Kentucky.  x.   Thomas N. Pyron, born Abt. 1805 in Mecklenberg County, North Carolina; died March 12, 1907; married Margaret C. McCall February 22, 1843; born Abt. 1820.  xi.   Elizabeth Pyron, born 1810 in Greene County, Georgia.  xii.   Martha Pyron, born Abt. 1814 in Greene County, Georgia. We are descended from "Dr William Pyron" above, son of William Pyron, 1757-1850.  His dates of 1770-1844 are not right.  He was born later than 1770 and died in 1843. Below are the children of Dr. William Pyron Junior, 1790 about to 1843. The info below is from:  http://www.paynedaniel.com/johangrua/d5.htm  ii. Nancy CROWELL was born in 1784 and died in 1830, at age 46. Nancy married William PYRON . William was born in 1794(?) and died in 1843, at age 49. General Notes: There are three children that may be the correct children of this pair? 1.  Samuel born 1810, 2. John Calvin, 3. Eleanor "Lena" Elizabeth Pyron, 1830-1902 ......+John Cullen Williams 1827 - 1864 The rest of this line up are shown as the children of a William C. Pyron born 1770 and a Nancy Crowell: 7 Mary Ann "Polly" Pyron 7 Son Pyron 1810 - 7 Andrew Jackson "Jack" Pyron 1814 - 7 Clorinda Pyron 1814 - 7 Matilda Pyron 1815 - 7 Thomas Russell Pyron 1821 - .....+Jane Lizzie // 1858 - ......*2nd Wife of Thomas Russell Pyron: .....+Margaret Caroline McCall 1820 - 1860 .....*3rd Wife of Thomas Russell Pyron: .....+Sarah A. Robinson 1828 - 7 John Calvin Pyron 1824 - 7 Daughter Pyron 1825 - 7 7 Nancy A. Pyron 1833 - 7 Son Pyron 1830 - 7 Mahala Pyron 1836 - .....+W.C. Query .....*2nd Husband of Mahala Pyron: .....+Elijah Robert Phifer 1843 - 1868  Andrew Jackson Pyron listed above as being born in 1814 is my great-grandfather.  His son, A.M. Pyron, 1846-1932, was my grandfather, and my father was Blake Bernard Pyron 1889-1964. A. M. Pyron was in the 2nd Arkansas Cavalry and after the war, he, the son of his aunt Matilda, Jackson Carlock, and grandfather's three sisters went from SE Arkansas to Texas.  I grew up on what was left of his section of land in the brush country SW of San Antonio. I only know about Andrew Jackson, John Calvin, Matilda and Thomas Russell.  Andrew Jackson, John Calvin and Martilda and her husband Camilius Carlock, all went west, while Thomas Russell Pyron stayed in North Carolina. I found Uncle Thomas through his Presbyterian church in the Mint Hill area east of Charlotte.  He lived to be old, and held what his church called the Bains Cain, as the oldest member of the congregation.  I don't have the line going from Thomas Russell, born 1821 or 1822 in Mecklenburg county, N.C. to Darden Asbury Pyron, professor at a Florida university. I think I may have that in a book by him.   Southern Daughter: The Life of Margaret Mitchell  by Darden Asbury Pyron. Andrew J. Pyron in the 1850 Marshall county, Mississippi census http://www.rootsweb.com/~msmarsha/census/1850s2.html Puckett, Jane M.  235 Pulliam, M_____  223 Pyron, Andrew J.  251B Pyron, Josiah 257B Ragland, Saml. E. 242B Ragsdale, Frances Andrew J. Pyron's number on the 1850 census of Marshall county, Mississippi is 251B.  This may be the "Dwelling-houses numbered in the order of visitation" on the Census Form. I made zerox copies of the census data at the University of  Texas Library in 1979 or 1980.  But even when I first made the copies, it was very difficult to read the information,  Now, after 26 years, the copies are almost totally unreadable. I cannot find a Pyron name on the copies. My sister Mary Pyron Bush says  in her write-up on the Pyrons that in this 1850 census Andrew Jackson Pyron is age 35, meaning he was born in about 1815.  His wife is listed on the census (though I cannot find either of them) as Sarah Simons Pyron, ten years younger than A. J., meaning she was born in about 1825.  Our grandfather, Aurelius Milton, or A. M. is listed as about age three. Listed above our grandfather is his older sister, Eugenia. Mary also found some records on our great-grandfather Andrew J. Pyron from a business partnership between Andrew J. Pyron and John Mitchell in Berwick City, Louisiana.  Mary says that between the 1850 census and 1857  the date of the Mitchell Company mercantile business records, Andrew and Sarah had two more daughters, Annie and Angie. Mary thinks that Annie Pyron married a man named McGonagill in Texas. They are the parents of Clay McGonagill,  A. M. Pyron's nephew and my father's first cousin, a figure in the early rodeo. Below is from the 1930 census for Bexar county, Texas Image source: Year: 1930; Census Place: Precinct 5, Bexar, Texas; Roll: 2299; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 170; Image: 263.0. Name: Aurelius M Pyron Age: 83 Estimated birth year: abt 1847 Birthplace: Mississippi Relation to head-of-house: Head Spouse's Name: Virginia Pyron Race: White Home in 1930: Precinct 5, Bexar, Texas Family and neighbors: View Results Name: Virginia Pyron Age: 74 Estimated birth year: abt 1856 Relation to head-of-house: Wife Spouse's Name: Aurelius M Pyron Home in 1930: Precinct 5, Bexar, Texas Family and neighbors: View Results Name: Mary G Pyron Age: 50 Estimated birth year: abt 1880 Relation to head-of-house: Daughter Father's Name: Aurelius M Pyron Mother's Name: Virginia Pyron Home in 1930: Precinct 5, Bexar, Texas Family and neighbors: View Results Name: Ida Holder Age: 62 Estimated birth year: abt 1868 Birthplace: Texas Relation to head-of-house: Servant; Nurse Race: White Home in 1930: Precinct 5, Bexar, Texas Family and neighbors: View Results ------- Name: Blake B Pyron Age: 40 Estimated birth year: abt 1890 Birthplace: Texas Relation to head-of-house: Head Spouse's Name: Mabel M Pyron Race: White Home in 1930: Precinct 5, Bexar, Texas Family and neighbors: View Results Occupation: Education: Military service: Rent/home value: Age at first marriage: Parents' birthplace: View Image Name: Mabel M Pyron Age: 36 Estimated birth year: abt 1894 Relation to head-of-house: Wife Spouse's Name: Blake B Pyron Home in 1930: Precinct 5, Bexar, Texas Family and neighbors: View Results View Record  Blake B Pyron Mabel M Pyron Precinct 5, Bexar, TX abt 1890 Texas Head View Record  Mabel M Pyron Blake B Pyron Precinct 5, Bexar, TX abt 1894 Wife View Record  George E Pyron Blake B Pyron, Mabel M Pyron Precinct 5, Bexar, TX abt 1918 Son View Record  Mary E Pyron Blake B Pyron, Mabel M Pyron Precinct 5, Bexar, TX abt 1921 Daughter View Record  Louise M Pyron Blake B Pyron, Mabel M Pyron Precinct 5, Bexar, TX abt 1923 Daughter (George E., Mary E. and Louise M. are my older siblings. I am not listed here). Andrew Jackson Pyron and Their Four Children Andrew Jackson Pyron and Sarah had four children.  The two oldest, Eugenia and Aurelius Milton, my grandfather, were born in Mississippi.  We know that Andrew Jackson and his wife Sarah both died in an epidemic that passed through Berwick, Louisiana in about 1859, leaving their four children orphans. A letter, including in this collection, by William A. Pyron, son of John Calvin Pyron, grandfather's uncle, confirms that grandfather was taken to live with Uncle John Calvin and his family in Arkansas.  The letter from William A. Pyron also mentions that grandfather left for Texas with his sister, one sister and not three.  Descendants of Aurelius Milton Pyron have not known where the two youngest orphan sisters were during the time that grandfather and probably Eugenia were living with the family of Uncle John Calvin in Arkansas. Here is a letter I wrote about his death and what happened then to his children: He was in business with  John Mitchell when he and his wife died in about 1859. Louisiana Historical Society: I couldn't find a  Berwick or St Mary Parish  historical society. My great-grandfather, Andrew Jackson Pyron, and his wife died both in Berwick in one of the epidemics apparently in about 1859, leaving four orphans. My grandfather was one of the orphans. But his descendants have never known the story of the deaths of grandfather's parents and where all the children were in the 1860's. Andrew Jackson Pyron was in partnership with a John Mitchell in Berwick in the 1850's. There may be information on the deaths of my great grandparents in St Mary Parish probate records, which probably are not online.  In addition, its quite possible that the two youngest children, born 1850 and 1853, were placed in an orphanage in New Orleans. They were Protestants.  My grandfather and the oldest sister were taken by their uncle to live with him in Arkansas in 1859 or 1860, and the 1860 census does show both of them in Arkansas with their uncle. I've looked online for 1860 census records of New Orleans orphanages, but have not found anything extensive or providing search buttons for names of orphans. I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks Bernard Pyron  Andrew Jackson Pyron and Sarah Simons had three daughters, and one was slightly older than grandfather, but Annie and Angeline were younger, born I think in 1850 and 1853. A descendant of Annie says she was in an orphanage in New Orleans. Angeline may have been with here there.  I have photos of both these younger sisters of A.M. Pyron.  Annie lived  in McCulloch county, Texas, almost the frontier then, after their first son was born in Lavaca county.  Family stories say she was blinded when she was running away once from the Indians.  Mary, my sister, confirms she was blind.  Annie married a first cousin of the famous Texas rodeo man, Clay McGonagill. Its also a mystery how the four Pyrons, or why,  got together after grandfather and his oldest sister Eugenia went to Lavaca county, Texas.  Census records, a descendant of Angeline says, show all .four of them living together in Lavaca county, Texas in 1870.  They all married there I believe. The oldest sister was:  EUGENIA H (JENNIE)7 PYRON, b. WFT Est. 1838-1866; d. WFT Est. 1845-1949. Notes for EUGENIA H (JENNIE) PYRON: Married a Flewellen. Was in San Antonio for some time. Was listed as Eugeno H on 1850 Census." One of her sons, Sid Flewellen, came to see us often in Somerset in the thirties.  Eugenia and Flewellin lived in San Antonio. A.M. PYRON CONFEDERATE PENSION APPLICATION   These links may  not be  live here.   The links may have to be copied to an E Mail page and sent to become live. Or, you can highlight, copy and paste them into your browser. Links:  A.M. Pyron Confederate Pension Application http://halfback.aminus3.com/image/2010-06-22.html        Part One http://halfback.aminus3.com/image/2010-06-23.html        Part Two http://halfback.aminus3.com/image/2010-06-28.html         Part Three J.W. Deal testimony http://halfback.aminus3.com/image/2010-06-26.html          Part Four Bexar county letter http://halfback.aminus3.com/image/2010-06-27.html           Part Five Approval of A.M. Pyron pension FIRST TOWNSHIP COMPANY AND A.M. PYRON Mary: I found a copy of "Old Somerset and the Caruthers  Family," by Beth Walker and Judy Barker. It says "Knowing the coming of the railroad would create prosperity, the First Townsite Company was organized by A.M. Pyron, Carl Kurz, Dr. R. B. Touchstone, Jim Dixon and George Caruthers.  They bought the E.S. Norris farm in order to get land for the depot and laid out the Townsite of New Somerset." Below there is a land transaction record for Eugene S. Norris.  This is probably the E. S. Norris they mentioned. But I found no evidence in the Bexar county land transactions that A.M. Pyron, Carl Kurz or R. B. Touchstone bought land belonging to a Eugene S. Norris, which the Caruthers Family article above  said was 150 acres. I did find many transactions for the First Townsite Company mostly as the grantor of deeds. I did not find clear indication of transactions from the Somerset founders of land deeded to the Townsite Company or bought by the founders from Norris.  I think the names in this list are the first families who owned lots or land in what became Somerset.  I do not recognize most of these names.  Here are the last names i did reconize from the list, plus a J. M. Herrera, about whom I am curious.  I wonder if he is a descendant of Blas Herrera? Its also the only Hispanic name in the list. Here is my short list of names of early owners of lots or land in New Somerset: 1. W. Kinney  1911  (Probably Will Kinney) 2. W. R. Miller  1919 ( I don't remember the first name of the father of Lamar and Cecil Miller; this might be him) 3. J.M. Herrera  1913 4. D. E. Hilton  1921  (This might be Aunt Ida's husband) 5. Somerset Independent School District 1922 6. R. B. Touchstone  1921 7. Aug F. Ernst  1919 8. Virginia Pyron  1919  I don't know what  lot or land was granted to grandmother Pyron in 1919 9. Woodman of the World  1911 (Thats probably the lot on which the Woodman of the World building was on when I was in high school and Uncle Casey was the grand dragon or whatever they called the head) 10. Eastwood Ernest  1920 11. Morrison, L. S.  1919  (this might be the lot for the Morrison store) Here are some land transactions I found involving Carl Kurz, E.S. Norris, Eugene S. Norris, and R. B. Touchstone. These transactions do not seem to deal with buying a Norris farm which was supposedly in 1909 for the Townsite Company to create Somerset. . Document Number:   Book Type:  DEED RECORDS Book Number:  310 Page Number:  92 Filed Date:  4/30/1909 Filing Time:  Instrument Type:  DEED  Instrument Date:  4/30/1909 Consideration Amt:  $0.00 Market Source:    An Easement   Grantor DEAN, B E  MORRIS, A CC MRS MORRIS, E S  NORRIS, A C  NORRIS, E S Grantee KUNZ, CARL   KURG, CARL   KURZ, CARL   MANESS, A B  General Information Document Number:   Book Type:  DEED RECORDS Book Number:  420 Page Number:  137 Filed Date:  6/19/1913 Filing Time:  Instrument Type:  DEED  Instrument Date:  3/17/1913 Consideration Amt:  $0.00 Market Source:  Release   Grantor KURZ, CARL   PRICE, W H  TUCKER, O T Grentee FIRST TOWNSITE CO HOCKER, W A  PRICE, M E  PRICE, MARVIN E  Document Number:   Book Type:  DEED RECORDS Book Number:  307 Page Number:  252 Filed Date:  4/16/1909 Filing Time:  Instrument Type:  TRANSFER  Instrument Date:  4/13/1909 Consideration Amt:  $0.00 Market Source:  Release      Grantor  KURZ, CARL Grantee NORRIS, EUGENE S. General Information Document Number:   Book Type:  DEED RECORDS Book Number:  310 Page Number:  93 Filed Date:  5/1/1909 Filing Time:  Instrument Type:  DEED  Instrument Date:  4/15/1909 Consideration Amt:  $0.00 Market Source:  Deed      Grantor  KURZ, A   KURZ, CARL Grantee  FIRST TOWNSITE COMPANY FROST TOWN SITE COMPANY Close Window  View Image  << Prev  Next >>  General Information Document Number:   Book Type:  DEED RECORDS Book Number:  315 Page Number:  286 Filed Date:  9/28/1909 Filing Time:  Instrument Type:  DEED  Instrument Date:  9/28/1909 Consideration Amt:  $0.00 Market Source:  Deed   Grantor  KUIRZ, A   KUIRZ, C   KURZ, A   KURZ, C   RUIZ, A   RUIZ, C Grantee CARUTHERS, GEO W  DIXON, J N  PYRON , A M  TOUCHSTONE, R B  This is a deed from Carl Kurz to R.B. Touchstone in 1909. General Information Document Number:   Book Type:  DEED RECORDS Book Number:  310 Page Number:  93 Filed Date:  5/1/1909 Filing Time:  Instrument Type:  DEED  Instrument Date:  4/15/1909 Consideration Amt:  $0.00 Market Source:  Comment:      Grantor  KURZ, A   KURZ, CARL Grantee  FIRST TOWNSITE COMPANY FROST TOWN SITE COMPANY A. Kurz might be Author Kurz, son of Carl Kurz, but I am not sure.  As I said I found many deeds given by First Townsite Company to names i recognize as Somerset people. I found only one transaction involveing Frost Town Site Company, and that was not land granted. The 1909 date of the transaction here agrees with the 1909 date of the establishment of the First Townsite Company. J. M. Herrera is listed  on a deed granted to him for a lot in Somerset by the First Townsite Company and A.M. Pyron's name is on the deed as president of that company. The deed is dated 1913.   J.M. Herrera might be a descendant of Blase Herrera who was one of the Hispanics who fought on the side of  the army of the Republic of Texas.  Blase Herrera and his descendants lived on land at the Somerset Road-Medina River crossing. THE KILLING OF THE LEAD DOG PEP http://www.mybloop.com/di/TQvbOt/Killing%20of%20Pep,%20the%20Lead%20Dog.txt FINED FOR FOR  SHOOTING   DOG Accused of killing a  hound,   C.   L. Kight, Von   Ormy   farmer, was   found  guilty of malicious mischief Tuesday by Judge Charles J. Matthews, County-Court -at-Law No. 2.    Fine of $10 and costs, all amounting to about $95, were assessed    against   him.     Kight filed  a motion for a new trial.  The   case   had   been    appealed    from a conviction and a $10 fine and costs before Justice of the Peace Charles A. Fischer of Precinct No 5.    Kight was tried in in justice court Dec. 16.  At the  county  court  hearing  B.   B.  Pyron of Somerset testified two of his hounds were   shot  last  Dec.   10  while Pyron  and some  friends were   hunting  wolves near Kight's farm.    Pyron testified he knew they were on a wolf trail the time they were shot, because of the sound  of their barking. Kight admitted he shot them, but explained   he   had   tried   to shoot   them because  the dogs got into his hog pasture and were chewing  on his hogs.  At the time he fired, according to his testimony. two dogs were chasing a hog, one on one side and the other on the other side.  He said he killed both of them and crippled a third hound that was bringing up the rear. Pyron was convinced that the dogs had not left the wolf trail and gone after hogs because, according to him, they had not "changed their tune." - San Antonio Express The Hunter's Horn, April , 1936, page 16 B. B. Pyron  above is Blake Bernard Pyron, 1889-1964 They called coyotes "wolves." SEVERAL PYRON FAMILY DOCUMENTS Below is the  William Pyron 1757-1850 Pension Application.  Claudine Morgan thinks he was in the North Carolina Militia, but he mentions generals, captains, drawing money and being furlowed, suggesting the Continental Army.  I am not sure.  North Carolina                                      PYRON WILLIAM, SR. >                S8675 > > > STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA – Mecklenburg County – On this day of April, > 1837 personally appeared before me the undersigned Justice of the > Peace  for the County of Mecklenburg in the State of aforesaid, > William Pyron, a resident of the County of Mecklenburg of State > aforesaid aged eighty years, who being duly sworn upon the holy bible, > doth on his oath make the following statement or declaration, in order > to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. > That he was born in the year 1757.  In the State of Virginia, either > in the county of Hanover or Louisa, which he does  not remember, as he > was removed from there by his parents when a child, and was brought to > N.C. and from Virginia into county of Caswell, was Orange, now called, > where he remained until the Revolutionary War:  that he had a record > of his age taken from the record kept by his father.  That in the > spring of the year 1778, in the county of Caswell, he volunteered as a > private soldier, and was in the company commanded by Captain Robert > Moore (Dixon was the major, and Lytle was the Colonel) for the term of > nine months.  That he was immediately marched into the State of > Virginia to Halifax Old Court House, expecting to go to the North, but > after remaining there some two or three weeks by orders they were > marched back again to the County of Caswell, North Carolina to Moons > Creek, was then  furloughed.  In a short time there after he was > called into service and marched through Salisbury and Charlotte into > the state of South Carolina, there he was encamped at the Ten Mile > Spring, North of Charleston during the Christmas holidays of the same > year he entered the service, from there he was marched to Purgsburg, > and joined the main army under the command of General Lincoln.  From > Purgsburg he was marched to near Augusta.  From there he was marched > towards the City of Charlston, through crossing the river and marched > through the State of Georgia some distance and crossed back again the > Savannah River: that he encamped seven miles (he thinks) from Stone > River where the battle was fought.  That he was not in Battle of > Stone, but was within hearing.  That himself and a few other soldiers > were left to guard a few prisoners which had been taken a few days > before.  That after the battle and while the army was encamped he lost > the use of  his person so much so, that he was unable to walk,  That > he was sent together with several others who were sick to the hospital > in Charleston, South Carolina.   That there he recovered the use of > himself, and was furloughed home by General Lincoln, that was in July > he believes.  The weather was very hot and the country becoming > sickly.  That this was in July, 1779.  And he well remembered the > grand parade of the army on the 4th of July that year while encamped > near the Stone river, that sometime after his return home he was > discharged in writing by Col. Lytle.  That the time, the month he was > ordered into service he can't with certainty tell, but the weather was > cold.  That a portion of the soldiers waded through Stone River, that > he waded the river that the water was cold.  That on Nine march south, > the army encamped a few days in Salisbury and Charlotte North Carolina > each on  our march south that he was not left more too months in > service when he went to Halifax in Virginia in spring of 1778 but how > much longer he can't say with certainty, that he put his discharge in > the hands of one Pogue to draw the amount of money coming to him for > depreciation in the money with which he had been paid off.  That he > paid him ten dollars and paid me half for getting it.  That he never > afterwards received this discharge  That it was not less that eight > months from the time he entered actual service  to proceed to South > Carolina > until he was furloughed in the City of Charleston..  That he knows of > no one by whom he can know his services, except one  James Sandford, > who now he understands resides in Pickens District South Carolina. > That  he was the sargant of the company which he was.  He hereby > religues all claim whatever to a pension or anuity, except the > presant, and he declares that his name is not on the pension roll of > any agency in any state. > > Sworn to and subscribed this day and year aforesaid. > > Hugh Stewart >       W. Pyron > > >                  Mark > > > Witnessed By:     Jacob Helems, Clergyman >                             John Simpson DEED FROM WILLIAM PYRON THE ELDER TO WILLIAM PYRON THE YOUNGER Below is a transcribed copy of a deed from William Pyron Senior to William Pyron Junior which Claudine morghan used to get into the DAR, proving that William Pyron Junior is a son of William Senior. No. 11 .,,.THIS INDENTURE made January 25, 1814 between William Pyron Senior of Mecklenburg county in North Carolina of the one part and William Pyron Junior of the same place of the other part, ? WITNESSETH; that for the sum of One Hundred Dollars- in hand paid by the Mr.. William Pyron Junior to the said William Pyron Senior the receipt whereof Is hereby acknowledged and therefore doth give grant bragain sell convey and confirm unto the said William Pyron Junior his heirs assign forever a certain tract of land in said county on the waters of Crooked Creek bounded as follows..BEGINNING at a small Black Oak and west 150 Pole crossing a branch to a Post Oak then North 25 degrees west 1000 poles- near John  line to a Black Oak North 55 degrees- East or 2 pole to -two small Post Oaks on his own line.  Then West his own line South 24 Degrees East 36 pole to a Black Oak his own old corner.  The South 70  degrees East 70 pole crossing th.e branch and passing a pine marked as a corner to a stake and then to the beginning containing 119 acres of land more or less.  To have to hold these 119 acres more or less with all houses woods ways (?) and all priviledges to the same belonging unto the said William Pyron Junior his hiers to assign forever and also that the said William Pyron how at this line in )    of good and titles to said granted land premises and has a good  in to convey- or  and the William Pyron Junior for himself his hiers and assign to  and defend the grand :ed land and premises from the legal claim of all persons  whatever   whereby the land and premises may be effected or incumbered contrary to the true Intent and meaning of these presents - unto him the William Pyron Junior his heirs and assign forever In Witness whereof the William Pyron Senior has hereto set his, hand  and seal This- day and year first above written. -  -  ?      His         seal Signed sealed and delivered in the presence of   wttttam pyron George Cowles Davidson Mark Because William Pyron Senior, the Revolutionary Soldier, signed with his mark, this may suggest he was illiterate and why he sometimes spelled his name Piron and sometimes Pyron.  From July 1790 until April 1827 William Pyron Senior sold off about 915 acres of land near Rocky River or Crooked Creek in then the eastern part of Mecklenburg county, North Carolina. UNCLE THOMAS PYRON STAYED IN THE MINT HILL AREA OF NORTH CAROLINA Thomas R. Pyron is the uncle of A.M. Pyron who stayed in North Carolina. Grandfaher's father, Andrew Jackson Pyron, his uncle John Calvin Pyron and his aunt, Matilda Pyron Carlock all went southwest.  When grandfather's mother and father both died in Louisiana in about 1860, he and his three sisters went to live with Uncle John Calvin Pyron in SE Arkansas.  Matilda Pyron Carlock also lived in Arkansas then.  Carlock the husband of Aunt Matilda is just one of several people with Scotch-Irish names who married into the Pyron family in the 19th century. 416 Wilgrove Mint Hill Road                       Charlotte, N. C. 28212                        September 19, 1986 Dear Mr.  Pyron, Our church was organized in 1770, but, the first records that we have is for the year 1837.  There is no record of a William, Sr, or Jr. at that time, or since. 1 am enclosing a list of every Pyron that we have in our Sessional records. I hope it will be helpful to you. I think you will be interested in the history of the John Bain Cane, which is a special part of our church history, since T. R.  Pyron was the third man to have the honor of carrying it. (1901-1907) One of the goals of our historical committee is to obtain a brief history of each man whose name is engraved on the cane. We would be most grateful to you for any additional information that you have on T. R.  Pyron, such as the complete names of his father and mother and his wife. Were there children other than those listed under Baptisms? What was his occupation? The other information enclosed is from Mrs, C. W. (Gloria) Cook, She is the sister of a neighbor of mine; they are descendants through the Crowell line. I understand she has done extensive research. You may want to contact her. The address is:  1483 Jefferson Avenue, S. W. East Point, Ga. 30344. We would like very much to have a copy of your completed work, for our historical room. I wish you well in this endeavor. Sincerely yours, Mrs. Howard L. Ford, Chairman/Historical  Committee  Philadelphia Presbyterian Church Mint Hill, North Carolina LETTERS FROM JOHN CALVIN PYRON AND WILLIAM ALANZA PYRON TO A.M. PYRON John Calvin Pyron was the uncle that grandfather and his three sisters went to live with in Arkansas.  Here is a transcribed letter from Uncle John to grandfather.  One descendant of William Pyron, 1757-1850 thinks that William and John were cousins rather than brothers as John Calvin Pyron says below in his letter.  I have seen no evidence of this yet. October 14, 1902 Fountain Hill  Ashely Co, Ark.  A.M. Pyron  Bexar, Texas Dear Nephew  Your vary welcome letter to hand contents noted was glad to learn your address that I might correspond with you as I am old 78 years old next January  I do not expect to correspond with any one much longer was truly glad to hear that you were prospers in life my Children are All married and scattered my wife and my self are living a lone 2 We are living 4 miles east Fountain Hill we have 4 daughtors 2 sons, second girl at Harison Oaklamen married man by the name of Raker daughter at Dewitt Ark 1 daughter and 1 son in Dreue Co Ark  my oldest son and daughter lives near by me they are all getting along tolerbel well we had 2 dry summers in succession therfore the crops have been short the 2 last years especially grain crops. . 3 I live  10 miles North of Hamburg There is a Rail Rode running from the Mississippi  river to Hamburg crossing the valley road at Montrose in Ashley county  I hope that you will make your contemplated visit to us in the near future you said you wanted a byogrufy  (biography) of the Pyron family  I will give you the starting point and wen you visit us I will tell you all I now  about them a man by our name was in the colony that settled in same town in verginey he had 3 sons named John William and Charles John Pyron followed  Chocktou Indians and died a mong them in Alabama.  William my Grandfather settled in North Carolina Charles Pyron located in what is now the state of Tennessee all the Pyrons that I have any knowledge of came from the Pyron that setteled with Colony of Jamestown, Verginia; I will close this letter bv saying my wife joins me in love to you and family hoping to hear from you soon that you will visit in the near future yours as ever. J.C. Pyron Here is a transcribed copy of a letter from William Alanza Pyron to A.M. Pyron.  Alanza was a son of Uncle John Calvin Pyron.  Remember that grandfather and his sisters lived with the John Calvin Pyron family and with his first cousin Alanza.  In this letter, which is not dated, Alanza mentions the time when grandfather and his sisters came to live with them. My sister Mary typed this letter from the original handwritten copy which Aunt Clara had inherited when grandmother Virginia Pyron died in about 1943. Mr. A. M. Pyron Dear  Sir: Meeting up with young Roberts, a brother of Will Roberts, a Baptist preacher who went from here out there a few years ago and who  I am told is the Pastor of your church out there and learning definitely that Somerset was your Post Office address, have decided to write you a letter to see if I could review  an almost forgotten acquaintance of a long time  ago.  Do you remember our first meeting near Falcon, Nevada County, Arkansas, away back in 1859 or 60 when Father brought you home with him after the death of your Father in New Orleans?  I remember very distinctly of your arrival and of our association from then on until you, with your sister, all left  Ashley County, Arkansas, with Jack  Carlock and Others for Texas and  remember that I  have never seen you since and do not remember how you looked.  0f course, I was quite young at the time of our first meeting, but, as one grows old their mind reverts back to their childhood times and recollections,  Of course, I remember the very pleasant correspondence I had a few years ago with your dear departed daughter.  But have never seen any member of your family or in fact any one of Fathers family except the Carlocks in my life.  1 corresponded with several of Uncle Thomas boys for a few years when they all lived * in North Carolina, but later I understand that Uncle Thomas died and all his boys moved to Texas. Have you ever met any of them? David, Tinsley and John were the names of three of them.  Well Father died in March, 1914, and Mother died in June, 1924.  I am the only one or Fathers children left in Arkansas.  Brother James is in Brownwood, Texas.  One sister In Colorado and one in Oklahoma.  The others are dead.  I have four living Children,  one daughter in Memphis, Tennessee, two sons in Louisiana and one in Arkansas, ' Well you may remember that: I was born in Mississippi but have about  lived out my days in Ashley County, Arkansas.  I have net been a great success in life, but have educated my children and have started them off in life honored and respected as good citizens and so feel like 1 have gotten by with the average.  I am now going on, to seventy-two years old and still able to do a lot Of work, but do not have to.  I am living in Hamburg just myself and  wife  and she is sixty-five years old,  We have only three grandchildren,  One, a young man just grown who has been in the U.S. Navy for two years.  The others, two small girls.  So you see the name of Pyron is not likely to become very numerous here ln Arkansas. Well perhaps I had better close for this time with an earnest request that you write me soon, Your Cousin, Alonza Pyron William Alonza Pyron was a son of John Calvin Pyron, grandfather's uncle, and first cousin to grandfather. There seems to be no date on this letter. But he says his mother died in 1924, so its sometime after 1924. He says in this letter that grandfather, Jack Carlock, grandfather's sister and others left Ashley county, Arkansas for Texas.  I think this should be sisters rather than sister, for grandfather had three sisters.  Unfortunately, Alonza does not tell us when they left Arkansas for Texas. Here is another letter from William Alanza Pyron, this one to Aunt  Mary on the death of Aunt Lucille: Copy of a letter written by: William Alonza Pyron B- 30 Jan. 1855 D- 19 May 1949 Married: Mary Elizabeth LOCKE Miss Mary Pyron Von.Ormy. Tex. My Dear Cousin: I received your very Sad letter more than a week ago and the account of Luciles death was certainly a Shock to me. To think and to know that one So young and Strong should be a victim to that awful monster death and yet of course it is the final destiny of all, but our glorious hope is in the resurrection from the Grave or from death to a life that will be everlasting where partings will be more and where we can praise God forevermore We have had a very bad crop Season here this year but better than last.  We  are having Some very warm weather here now and quite a lot of Sickness around and Several deaths lately.  I suppose you read My letters written to Lucile and are acquainted with some of our family history and So will Send you a county paper with the announcement and picture of Hogan Oliver my nephew for State Auditor of Ark.  I have no pictures of other members of my family  other than those already Sent.  Would be glad to have any of yours in return.  My boys are still in Iowa. I shall carefully preserve the pictures that you Sent to me and remember her as one of ray own beloved ones for I had learned to love her for the nice letters she had written to me the past year.  I hope to meet her  some  time in that great beyond. Now I hope that I nay meet you in this life, also hope I nay meet your dear father once more in life as also other members of your family at sone early future time.  Would be glad to have you or any of the family visit us this winter.  He are all well at this time My Mother has about regained her usual health and Strength Since her Severe attack of lumbago last winter Our daughter and grandson are with us now but will return to Little Rock this week perhaps.  John Our oldest Son visited us this Summer. So we three, Mother wife, and I will be left lonesome for a while. So hoping to hear from and see you eer long.  I am Your Cousin W. A. Pyron R.2. Hamburg, Ark. This Sep. the 19th 1915 Lucille was one of my father's sisters who died young. Mary, to whom Alonza Pyron wrote  this letter, was another of his sisters. William Alonza Pyron was grandfather's first cousin and son of his uncle, John Calvin Pyron. There were also Aunt Ida and Aunt Jesse and Aunt Clara. Milton Pyron, often called Casey, apparently after the song Casey At the Bat, was Blake Pyron's younger brother, born about 1898. PYRONS WHO WENT TO ENGLAND AND IRELAND WERE FRENCH HUGUENOTS http://www.huguenotsociety.org.uk/history/ About 200,000 Huguenots left France, settling in non-Catholic Europe - the Netherlands, Germany, especially Prussia, Switzerland, Scandinavia, and even as far as Russia where Huguenot craftsmen could find customers at the court of the Czars. The Dutch East India Company sent a few hundred to the Cape to develop the vineyards in southern Africa. About 50,000 came to England, perhaps about 10,000 moving on to Ireland. So there are many inhabitants of these islands who have Huguenot blood in their veins, whether or not they still bear one of the hundreds of French names of those who took refuge here - thus bringing the word 'refugee' into the English language. Because of the political climate of the time, in a Britain strongly suspicious of the aims of Louis XIV's France, and in fact about to begin a series of wars to curb those ambitions, the Huguenots were on the whole welcomed here. The list of Huguenot Surnames below is from: http://www.huguenotstreet.net/library_archives/collections/surname_list4.html Huguenot Historical Society Library Surnames and Genealogy Files "Putnam Putney Pyeatt Pyron" The Huguenot List of Names below is From: http://www.rootsweb.com/~fianna/surname/hug3.html Table III This Table contains the names of Huguenot families Naturalized in Great Britain and Ireland; commencing A.D., 1681, in the reign of King Charles II., and ending in 1712, in the reign of Queen Anne. But in the reign of William and Mary, the largest number of foreign refugees were Naturalized in these countries, from 1689 to the 3rd July, 1701. In Queen Anne's reign we do not find any long lists of "Naturalized Foreign Protestants"; because, during the prosecution by England of the war with France, they were recognized as British subjects. At length, how- ever, on the 23rd March, 1709, an Act was passed for their Naturalization; but on the 9th of February, 1712, that Act was repealed. In England the refugee might obtain his Naturalization Certificate on taking the oaths prescribed for that purpose, in the Court of Queen's Bench, or in the Court of Common Pleas, or in the Court of Exchequer; but in Ireland, on taking the prescribed oaths before the Lord Chancellor, the refugee immediately obtained his Certificate of Naturalization. So far as we have yet ascertained, the following are the names of the refugee families which were Naturalized in Great Britain and Ireland "Puech Puisancour Puitard Pujolas Pulley Pusey Puxen Pyron Quache Quarante Quenis" I could not find Pyron as a Huguenot name in 17th or 18th century Virginia. The following is from: http://manakin.addr.com/ "The Huguenot Society of the Founders of Manakin In the Colony of Virginia Huguenots began coming to Virginia as early as 1620. In 1700, four ships arrived at the mouth of the James River and the Rappahannock, east of present-day Richmond, Virginia. French Huguenots, having fled religious persecution, had lived in England and done services for the king. They were granted lands in the New World for a permanent home where they had the freedom to worship as they pleased. West of Richmond, many founded a colony on the site of a village deserted by the Monacan Indians. This is a society of the descendants of that colony and French Protestants who came to Virginia before 1786 [see history of the society]. The society headquarters and library are located beside the Manakin Episcopal Church on the original glebe lands in Manakintown." Claudine Pyron Morgan, a descendant of Thomas Russell Pyron, brother of my Andrew Jackson Pyron, claims there were Pyrons in the sinkhole area of Jamestown, Virginia in the 17th century.  But I don't know what evidence she has for that yet. The St. Bartholomew's Massacre of Huguenots in which tens of thousands were murdered by Catholics in France was in 1572. Apparently severe persecution of Huguenots began again under King Louis XIV in about 1685 when 400,000 of them left France.  We don't know when the Pyrons left. PYRON CENSUS RECORDS FROM MECKLENBERG COUNTY, N.C. Again, to make this link live, copy it to an E Mail page and sent it to yourself. Links:   Pyron Census Records, http://www.mybloop.com/halfback/1840_Mecklenburg_County,_N.C._Census_- _Pyrons_jpg THE A.M. PYRON SECTION OF LAND THE FRANCISCO ROLEN SPANISH LAND  GRANT, whose north boundary is the Medina River and may have extended south to the Somerset area. I am not sure where its southern boundary was. County: Bexar Abstract Number: 617,File Number: 000021 Original Grantee: Rolen, Francisco, Patentee: Smith, E Jones and Smith, J W Patent Date: 13 Aug 1844,Patent No: 185,Patent Vol: 2 Certificate: 13,Acres: 4605.50 http://wwwdb.glo.state.tx.us/central/Land Apparently the Land Office in Austin has a Bexar county Spanish Land Grant Map which may show the exact southern boundary of the Francisco Rolen grant. It would be interesting to see how close this grant came to the A.M. Pyron section of 640 acres, whose northern boundary was the south edge of Somerset, or Morrison Road. All land was originally passed into private hands by Land Patents. In Texas the Republic of Texas passed down land ownership to individuals by Texas Land Patents. When Texas became a state in 1845-46 it kept ownership of its public lands and continued to issue Texas Land Patents as it had done when it was the Republic of Texas. BELOW IS THE GEORGE W. MUDD 320 ACRES DEEDED TO A.M.PYRON IN 1882 County: Bexar,Abstract Number: 514 File Number: 003280,Original Grantee: Mudd, George W Patentee: Mudd, George W, Patent Date: 17 Oct 1859 Patent No: 136,Patent Vol: 28,Certificate: Pre 2 Acres: 320 http://wwwdb.glo.state.tx.us/central/LandGrants/LandGrants.cfm?intID=148298  THE GEORGE W. HAYDEN 320 ACRES, DEEDED TO  A.M. PYRON IN 1882.  The 320 acres of the A.M. Pyron 640 acres  out of the George W. Mudd survey,  has a different abstract number. County: Bexar,Abstract Number: 326 District/Class: Bexar 3rd,File Number: 003282 Original Grantee: Hayden, George W Patentee: Hayden, George W Patent Date: 24 Apr 1862,Patent No: 126 Patent Vol: 36,Certificate: 980 Acres: 320 http://wwwdb.glo.state.tx.us/central/LandGrants/LandGrants.cfm?intID=148586 The November 24, 1934 deed from Virginia Pyron, widow of A.M. Pyron, to my father Blake B. Pyron for 63 acres lists both the Mudd Survey Number 273 and the Hayden Survey Number 274. A January 17, 1948 deed  from Blake B. and Mabel Pyron to W.P. Kinney - for the same 63 acres - lists only the G. W. Mudd Survey Number 273. The deed also says that this 63 acres, known as tract six, is part of a 349.2 acre tract of the A.M. Pyron lands. A.M. Pyron owned 349 acres at his death in 1932 out of his original 640 acres. At some time when W. P. Kinney died, the 63 acres was inherited by William Pyron Kinney, (Billy Kinney), and at his death in the nineties, his daughte Patricia Kinney Anderson inherited the 63 acres along with the 63 acres that had belonged to her grandmother, my aunt, Jessie Pyron Kinney. So a good part of the original A. M. Pyron section of land has stayed in one family.

More On the Somerset State Bank Robberies of 1933

More On the Somerset State Bank Robberies of 1933
Bernard Pyron

Saturday November 18, 1933
Lubbock Morning Avalanche
THREE SOUGHT IN ROBBERY OF SOMERSET BANK

A few people who were alive in the late twenties and early thirties, that lived in or near Somerset, Texas, and were old enough then to know what a bank robbery is, have some memories of a bank official being involved in a swindle to take the deposits and perhaps also the Somerset Bank Bonds of the people of the area. Most, however, do not know the details of the robberies/swindle. My older sisters both remembered the robbery or robberies and one wrote about a Mr. Owens, a bank official, being involved. My second cousin, Patricia Kenney Anderson, described for me on the phone this summer how she and her younger sister were playing in the parking lot between the Will Kenney store and the Somerset Bank when a black car pulled up by the bank and two men got out with guns. The two young girls ran back inside the grocery store and told their father, Billy Kenney, who got his gun and went outside. Patricia also said that Owens, the bank officer, was sent to Huntsville, Texas for his role inthe robbery or robberies and was released from prison a few years before he died because he had TB. He died in 1940. At present I do not know exactly what the role of Owens was in the robbery/swindle or how and who found out about his role.  It is possible also that the embezzlement of funds by a bank official was not related to the robberies of the Somerset bank, but was a different event.

A newspaper article, San Antonio Light, October 20, 1933, Page 19, says one of the robberies of the Somerset State Bank was on July 20, 1933. In this article of November 18, 1933, from the Lubbock Morning Avalanche, the newspaper report says "Descriptions of the three men were said to tally with those of the trio who robbed the bank of about (word not clear) last summer. So, there may have been two robberies of the Somerset Bank in 1933, one in July and another, perhaps by the same robbers, in the Fall.

"Bandits got $700 in loot in holdup. Intensive search started. Trio is believed in San Antone. San Antonio, November 17th - Three who held up and robbed the First State bank of Somerset of approximately $700 shortly after noon Friday are being sought in San Antonio by deputy sheriffs and police.

An intensive search was started in the belief that the robbers are in hiding here. Descriptions of the three men were said to tally with those of the trio who robbed the Bank of about (word not clear) last summer.

While one man remained at the wheel of an automobile at the curb. the two others walked into the bank brandishing pistols. All three men wore dark glasses. One of the men who walked inside also wore a cardboard mask.

Miss Lois Owens, 21, assistant cashier of the Bank, set off several electric tear gas bombs when she saw the pair enter. One of the bombs exploded (word not readable). Whereupon both men fired, one of the bullets splintering a window sill, (near) which Garland Owens, the girl's father, cashier of the Bank, and Dr. T.P. Ware, Somerset physician, were standing..

Although the gas fumes filled the room, quickly the robbers marched the girl and the two men into the vault and ordered Miss Owens to open the safe. She protested that she was unable to do so as the time lock was on.

The two men tried unsuccessfully to lock the two Bank employees and the doctor in the vault, but the lock failed to catch. They then took the cash in the cashier's cage, estimated at $700, and fled."

Page 19 of San Antonio Light , August 2, 1936

"GARLAND Faces S. First state bank of who Friday afternoon was placed under 55000 bond following the filing of a federal charge of embezzlement against The filed by H. C. Van of the federal bureau of in- alleges that Owens em- from the bank or which was cashier December 14, 1935, while the bank was a member of the Federal Deposit and Insurance Owens is now under six ments in the Criminal District court of Bexar four of which charge One charges theft by and and one charges theft over He has been at liberty under bond on the stale charges for several...."

Page 10 of San Antonio Express , October 14, 1936

"Garland former Somerset First State Bank was charged with embezzlement..."

"Alleged to have embezzled and Garland Owens, former Somerset First State Bank cashier, was charged...the cashier of First State Bank of Somerset... .. was alleged to have embezzled and Garland Owens, former..."

Page 18 of San Antonio Express , February 29, 1936

"CASHIER INDICTED IN THEFT CASES Passing False Note for Also Charged set Man Garland cashier of the First Sate Bank of which is in process of was named defendant in three ments returned Friday by a Bexar County grand The ments charged passing of a false instrument in connection with a theft over in con- with allegedly taken from Charles A. Fischer of Von president of the and theft by bailee and embezzlement of 5250 from the First State Bank of ..."

 It may be that the reason these copies of newspaper articles from the thirties are so full or errors and omissions is because some kind of primitive optical character recognition software was used in connection with scanned old newspapers which did not work very well, and the people who produced the copies did not take the time to correct the mistakes which would have been time consuming.

We can tell that Garland Owens was indicted by a Bexar County Grand Jury in 1936 for embezzlement of funds from the Somerset State Bank. Apparently federal charges were also filed against him for the same crimes. Maybe there is an online newspaper article somewhere telling the outcome of the trial in Bexar county of Owens - or there is some way to get access to records of Bexar county trials in the thirties. There is nothing in these brief newspaper articles about who and how the activities of Owens in the swindle of people's money in the bank was discovered.

On http://www.texasescapes.com/SouthTexasTowns/Somerset-Texas.htm

there is a photo taken in 2007 across the street from the Old Somerset Bank Building. The Bank building is on the right and the store which was the Will Kenney grocery store in 1933 is on the left. After the Bank went out of business sometime in the thirties after 1933, the Post Office was in the north part of the building and a restaurant occupied the south part of the building when I was in grade school

More On the Somerset State Bank Robberies of 1933

More On the Somerset State Bank Robberies of 1933
Bernard Pyron

Saturday November 18, 1933
Lubbock Morning Avalanche
THREE SOUGHT IN ROBBERY OF SOMERSET BANK

A few people who were alive in the late twenties and early thirties, that lived in or near Somerset, Texas, and were old enough then to know what a bank robbery is, have some memories of a bank official being involved in a swindle to take the deposits and perhaps also the Somerset Bank Bonds of the people of the area. Most, however, do not know the details of the robberies/swindle. My older sisters both remembered the robbery or robberies and one wrote about a Mr. Owens, a bank official, being involved. My second cousin, Patricia Kenney Anderson, described for me on the phone this summer how she and her younger sister were playing in the parking lot between the Will Kenney store and the Somerset Bank when a black car pulled up by the bank and two men got out with guns. The two young girls ran back inside the grocery store and told their father, Billy Kenney, who got his gun and went outside. Patricia also said that Owens, the bank officer, was sent to Huntsville, Texas for his role inthe robbery or robberies and was released from prison a few years before he died because he had TB. He died in 1940. At present I do not know exactly what the role of Owens was in the robbery/swindle or how and who found out about his role.  It is possible also that the embezzlement of funds by a bank official was not related to the robberies of the Somerset bank, but was a different event.

A newspaper article, San Antonio Light, October 20, 1933, Page 19, says one of the robberies of the Somerset State Bank was on July 20, 1933. In this article of November 18, 1933, from the Lubbock Morning Avalanche, the newspaper report says "Descriptions of the three men were said to tally with those of the trio who robbed the bank of about (word not clear) last summer. So, there may have been two robberies of the Somerset Bank in 1933, one in July and another, perhaps by the same robbers, in the Fall.

"Bandits got $700 in loot in holdup. Intensive search started. Trio is believed in San Antone. San Antonio, November 17th - Three who held up and robbed the First State bank of Somerset of approximately $700 shortly after noon Friday are being sought in San Antonio by deputy sheriffs and police.

An intensive search was started in the belief that the robbers are in hiding here. Descriptions of the three men were said to tally with those of the trio who robbed the Bank of about (word not clear) last summer.

While one man remained at the wheel of an automobile at the curb. the two others walked into the bank brandishing pistols. All three men wore dark glasses. One of the men who walked inside also wore a cardboard mask.

Miss Lois Owens, 21, assistant cashier of the Bank, set off several electric tear gas bombs when she saw the pair enter. One of the bombs exploded (word not readable). Whereupon both men fired, one of the bullets splintering a window sill, (near) which Garland Owens, the girl's father, cashier of the Bank, and Dr. T.P. Ware, Somerset physician, were standing..

Although the gas fumes filled the room, quickly the robbers marched the girl and the two men into the vault and ordered Miss Owens to open the safe. She protested that she was unable to do so as the time lock was on.

The two men tried unsuccessfully to lock the two Bank employees and the doctor in the vault, but the lock failed to catch. They then took the cash in the cashier's cage, estimated at $700, and fled."

Page 19 of San Antonio Light , August 2, 1936

"GARLAND Faces S. First state bank of who Friday afternoon was placed under 55000 bond following the filing of a federal charge of embezzlement against The filed by H. C. Van of the federal bureau of in- alleges that Owens em- from the bank or which was cashier December 14, 1935, while the bank was a member of the Federal Deposit and Insurance Owens is now under six ments in the Criminal District court of Bexar four of which charge One charges theft by and and one charges theft over He has been at liberty under bond on the stale charges for several...."

Page 10 of San Antonio Express , October 14, 1936

"Garland former Somerset First State Bank was charged with embezzlement..."

"Alleged to have embezzled and Garland Owens, former Somerset First State Bank cashier, was charged...the cashier of First State Bank of Somerset... .. was alleged to have embezzled and Garland Owens, former..."

Page 18 of San Antonio Express , February 29, 1936

"CASHIER INDICTED IN THEFT CASES Passing False Note for Also Charged set Man Garland cashier of the First Sate Bank of which is in process of was named defendant in three ments returned Friday by a Bexar County grand The ments charged passing of a false instrument in connection with a theft over in con- with allegedly taken from Charles A. Fischer of Von president of the and theft by bailee and embezzlement of 5250 from the First State Bank of ..."

 It may be that the reason these copies of newspaper articles from the thirties are so full or errors and omissions is because some kind of primitive optical character recognition software was used in connection with scanned old newspapers which did not work very well, and the people who produced the copies did not take the time to correct the mistakes which would have been time consuming.

We can tell that Garland Owens was indicted by a Bexar County Grand Jury in 1936 for embezzlement of funds from the Somerset State Bank. Apparently federal charges were also filed against him for the same crimes. Maybe there is an online newspaper article somewhere telling the outcome of the trial in Bexar county of Owens - or there is some way to get access to records of Bexar county trials in the thirties. There is nothing in these brief newspaper articles about who and how the activities of Owens in the swindle of people's money in the bank was discovered.

On http://www.texasescapes.com/SouthTexasTowns/Somerset-Texas.htm

there is a photo taken in 2007 across the street from the Old Somerset Bank Building. The Bank building is on the right and the store which was the Will Kenney grocery store in 1933 is on the left. After the Bank went out of business sometime in the thirties after 1933, the Post Office was in the north part of the building and a restaurant occupied the south part of the building when I was in grade school