1854-1860
Note: (Several sources provide information about the earliest settlers, but unfortunately there is much inconsistency about the dates among the lists. This is an incomplete list of the first pioneers to arrive in Hamilton County. 463 people were enumerated in Hamilton County in the 1860 US Census.)
Name, Area of First Location
1854
CARTER, Robert– Fairview
1855
BLANSIT, Arch Dickerson
BLANSIT, John Chambers (or 1858): John Chambers Blansit was born 22 FEB 1827 in Autuaga, Alabama. He married Eleanor White on 18 Dec 1851 Dekalb County, AL (Source: Kathy Beaudry)
BLANSIT, Eleanor “Ellen” (White): John Chambers Blansit married Eleanor White on 18 Dec 1851 Dekalb County, AL (Source: Kathy Beaudry)
BROWDER, Capt. Frederick
CARTER, James Atchley, Ohio
GHOLSON, Albert G., Blue Hole Ranch
GRAVES, Francis Marion (or 1859)
GRIFFITH, Jesse J., Primitive Baptist Preacher and teacher
In 1855, Jesse J. Griffith arrived in the area that would become Hamilton County. When the first Hamilton County officials were elected, on August 2, 1858, the 80 qualified voters in the county chose Griffith to be the first County Treasurer. In 1860, Griffith started a private school, the 3rd school on record in the county, in his home on the banks of the Leon River, east of the town of Hamilton. The school was in existence only a very short time because Elder Griffith was killed not long after he established the facility.
Griffith may have been the first Primitive Baptist preacher in Hamilton County. The book “ The History of the Primitive Baptists in Texas, Oklahoma, and Indian Territory“, by J. S. Newman, contains the following account of Griffith’s death from an Indian attack.
Elder J.C. White, who was known in his day as Uncle Jackie, left Alabama October 11, 1856, and landed in Coryell County January the second 1860. At this time the county was sparsely settled and of course our people were few and widely scattered. A short while after Elder White settled in Coryell County he heard of an Old Baptist preacher by the name of Griffith that lived over in Hamilton County on the Leon River, so Elder White started to hunt Elder Griffith and as there were Indians in the county at that time. Elder White buckled his six-shooter around him and his gun to the horn of his saddle with his old saddle bags containing a hymn book and Bible, so when Elder White found Elder Griffith he was soon informed that there was a Primitive Baptist Church over in the northeast corner of Coryell County by the name of Rainey’s Creek. Arrangements were soon made and the two Old Baptist preachers were on their way to said church, and near where Turnersville now is, the Indians came upon them wounding both of them, Elder Griffith died nine days after he was wounded. Elder White’s wounds were so severe that life was despaired of by his family and his brethren. For seven weeks he was turned on a sheet in his bed. He finally survived, his wounds got well. He died at Lampasas on February 13, 1884. Thus passed away one of the best pioneer preachers of Texas. Peace be to his ashes.”
GRIFFITH, Violet (Mrs. Jesse J.)
LANGFORD, Asa, south of Evant (probably in Lampasas County).
MANNING, Ezekiel, the future Hamilton
MANNING, Nancy (Moore) (Mrs. Ezekiel Manning)
RICE, James Monroe, Leon River-12 miles east of the future Hamilton–Fall, 1855
RICE, Elizabeth (Standefer) (Mrs. James Monroe Rice)–Leon River, Fall, 1855
STANDEFER, Henry C., Leon River-12 miles east of the future Hamilton–Spring, 1855
1856
ANDERSON, John Quincy, Honey Creek
BARBEE, James Gaston, Honey Creek
BAUGHN, John A.
BEAUCHAMP, William, south of Evant
BOOKERMAN, Henry, south of Evant
CARTER, Henry Jones, 15 Sept., 1856, Cowhouse Creek
CARTER, Mary Caroline (Preston), (Mrs. Henry Jones Carter), Cowhouse Creek
CRISCO, Noah
FULLER, Henry, Honey Creek
FULLER, James R., Honey Creek
FULLER, M. A., Honey Creek
GENTRY, Frederick Browder, Leon River
GENTRY, Rebecca Patton (Barnett) (Mrs. Frederick Browder Gentry), Leon River
GENTRY, Uncle Alex, Leon River
GENTRY, Aunt Mourn, Leon River
GRIFFITH, R. B.
MALONE, Isaac, Sr, Honey Creek
MALONE, Thomas, Honey Creek
MILLER, Andrew–Comanche Co–in 1858 Hamilton Co. line was drawn through his property
MILLER, Hannah Margaret (Shockley) (Mrs. Andrew Miller)
STEEN, Isaac Hollingsworth, Honey Creek
HAZZARD, Raleigh taught the first school in Langford Cove in 1857 or 1858
STANDEFER, Isaac Skelton, settled on a section of Comanche County which became Hamilton County in 1858 when Hamilton County was established.
BLANSIT, John Chambers (or 1855): John Chambers Blansit was born 22 FEB 1827 in Autuaga County, Alabama. He married Eleanor White on 18 Dec 1851, Dekalb County, AL (Source: Kathy Beaudry)
BLANSIT, Eleanor “Ellen” (White) (Mrs. John Chambers Blansit).: Ellen was a daughter of John S. White b: 25 Aug. 1813, in South Carolina and Elizabeth Barrier b: 15 JUL 1815 in Kentucky ( Source: Kathy Beaudry)
BROWN, Ike, before 1858
FOWLER, Jim, before 1858
FULLER, Patilla, before 1858
HOLLAND, John R.
ISABELL, J. H., by 1858
KUYKENDALL, James, before 1858
McELROY, John A.
MORRIS, David M., before 1858
POWERS, A. V., before 1858
SECREST, William Harrison, near Carlton
VAUGHN, John A.
1859
BARBEE, Amelia Carson (Mrs. John Gaston Barbee)
BARBEE, John Gaston
BOYD, James J., at least by 1859
COTTON, W. F.
DURHAM, John Jefferson, Hamilton
DURHAM, Elizabeth Ann (McCutcheon)`(Mrs. John Jefferson Durham), Hamilton
LIVINGSTON, Uel, 6 miles east of Hamilton
McBARRON, James A., Hampton post master; Clerk Commissioners Court, 1859;
MEDFORD, Harvey
MORRIS, Andres
NORRIS, Greenville
RICHARDSON, R. 1859
SNOW, James
WILLIS, John J.
BEFORE 1860
BAGGETT, Joel
BECK, William
BOONE, Jacob H., Jr.,
CARTER, D. J.
CLANTON, N.H.
DOOLEY, L.
FERRELL, Emily J.
FULLER, Ransom A.
GASTON, H. M.
GROOMER, John J.
HACKWORTH, W. W.
HOWARD, Volney “Vol”
HUNTER, James P.
JONES, John Glover
LEE, J. Harvey
KEMP, W. A.
LOYD, Simpson
MASSINGILL, Page M.
MOORE, Eli
OATES, W. W.
PERRY, John
POLLOCK, D. D.
SELF, A. M.
SMITH, Dave
SNELL, William Terrell
STIDHAM, H.
STIDHAM, James
STUBBLEFIELD, Arthur
WALD, C. H.
WITCHER, Adam
1860
ALFORD, Dr. John H., Honey Creek
REED, Isaac, Honey Creek
WHITE, John S., LEON RIVER: John S. White was born 25 AUG 1813 in South Carolina (Source:Kathy Beaudry)
WHITE, Elizabeth (Barrier), LEON RIVER: Elizabeth Barrier was born 15 JUL 1815 in Kentucky (Source:Kathy Beaudry)
WILLIAM, Sim, taught a school about 1858/1859 in Hamilton County
The 1860 US Census revealed that 489 people from 78 families lived in Hamilton County.