SIXTH GENERATION

52. John Darby WINDHAM ^{(159) (160)(161) (162)(163) (164)} was born on 13 Feb 1816 in ,,Mississippi.⁽¹⁶⁵⁾ He immigrated on 16 Nov 1839 to Texas.⁽¹⁶⁶⁾ He died on 30 Mar 1898 in ,Callahan, Texas. ⁽¹⁶⁷⁾ He was buried in Tecumseh Cemetery, Callahan County, TX. He has Ancestral File number TX6W-NK. From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.
Dr. J.D. Windham was born in Mississippi (in the portion which became Alabama in December of 1819) on February 13, 1816. he attended medical school in Mississippi. He was married to Eliza Spraurls and they had one some J.L. (Jim) Windham. Eliza lived only a few years, and Dr. Windham left Mississippi soon after her death. He moved to Texas in 1839.

While on his way to Texas he was called to treat a passenger on a river boat on the Mississippi. It was there that he met Frances (Fannie), his second wife. Frances was the daughter of Robert and Mary Ann Roberson Montieth, who had been married in 1812. Frances was born in Ray County, Tennessee on February 10, 1816. The Montieth family moved to Texas in 1837, living in Angelina and Nacogdoches counties. Frances and Dr. Windham were married in East Texas on July 8, 1841, and lived in Angelina County for several years. The couple had nine children:

Samuel Robert (10 Sep 1842 - 10 Nov 1917)
Jessie Eli (03 Mar 1845 - 19 May 1866)
Mary Ann (18 Apr 1849 - 21 May 1867)
Calvin (11 Jan 1849 - 12 May 1901?)
Hilbery (Tod/Todd) (17 Apr 1851 - 05 Dec 1927)
Willis (30 Jan 1853 - 02 Dec 1867)
Eliza Jane (24 June 1854 - 30 Nov 1930)
Dicey (18 May 1856 - 23 Dec 1934)
Tom (08 Aug 1859 - 28 Aug 1951)

Jim (Dr. Windham’s son by his first marriage), Samuel, and Eli served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War; first with Sibley in New Mexico and then with Tom Green. The boys were in New Mexico when the war ended and Dr. Windham went in a hack to meet them and bring them home. Eli, Willis, and Mary Ann died shortly after the war.

At some point in time Dr. Windham and several other men had traveled to Brown County in search of some horses that had been stolen from them. Dr. Windham liked the looks of the area and said he would like to live there. In 1866 he and Fannie, with their children, moved to Brown County, locating about 18 miles North of Brownwood near Byrd’s Store. They had trouble with Indians stealing their horses, sometimes in broad daylight and within fifty yards of the house. One time all the horses were taken except one what was ?d. On one occasion Indians stole the clothing that had been left on the clothesline overnight to dry. A neighboring home, that of the Williams family, was attacked by Indians and Mrs. Williams was killed, their infant burned to death, and another child taken captive.

In 1874 Dr. Windham and three sons, Cal, Todd, and Tom, established their ranch in the Southwestern part of Callahan county near Tecumseh Peak. The first camp house was a ?get house with buffalo hides for a roof. Later they built a ?house in which the family lived. In 1878 or 1879 Dr. Windham constructed a two-story house a Tecumseh. There were five rooms downstairs and a large upstairs with ?eititions. The Windham hone, for forty years or more, was noted for its generous, open-handed hospitality. Probably few homes in Texas entertained more people than the home of Dr. and Mrs. Windham. Strangers, as well a friends, were made welcome; none were turned away who sought shelter there. Soon after moving into the rock house the Windhams planted the first orchard in the county, growing many different kinds of fruit.

They also established a general store at the foot of Tecumseh Peak. In February, 1886 a post-office was established in the store, with W.E. Gilliland, a son-in-law of the Windhams, appointed as the first Post Master.

In 1883 a Presbyterian church was organized at Tecumseh under the leadership of B.C. McClelland. Dr. and Mrs. Windham were charter members, with Dr. Windham serving as an Elder. There was no church buildings, so they often held services in the Windham home. After the organization of a school at Tecumseh services were held in the schoolhouse. Early records indicate that this church was, in later years, absorbed by the Methodist Church and moved to Oplin.

Dr. Windham was the first physician to practice his profession in Callahan County. In those early days he had little ?id him other than primitive methods and materials. he once amputate a man’s leg out on the range, using whiskey as an antiseptic and a sedative. He prepared the medicines used from herbs and plants which he brought from Mississippi in the summer months. When the wagons arrived ?n the plants Mrs. Windham and the women who helped (the Windhams had brought Corline Clements, a slave, and her children with them to Callahan County) would scrub and boil them in big wash pots which were kept for that purpose. The brew was them strained and sealed for future use.

Dr. Windham died March 30, 1898 at the age of eighty-two. Mrs. Fannie Windham died January 11, 1901 at the age of eighty-five. Both are buried in the Tecumseh Cemetery.

On May 28, 1967 at 3:00pm over one hundred relatives and friends of the Windham family assembled at the grave of Dr. Windham for the dedication of a Historical Marker that had been awarded to his memory by the State Historical Survey Committee and the Callahan County Historical Survey Committee.

This information was copied from sheets held by Shirley Williams.

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The following information came from book "Early Communities of Lake Brownwood" page 53, 1980 edition.

The Windham family came to Brown county about the same time as the Byrd family. They became large landowners, and donated land for the school, church, and the cemetery. The school was called the Windham School, and the old timers today continue to call the cemetery the Windham Cemetery. Sam Windham and Fred Windham continue to live on the Windham ranch.

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From www.lsjunction.com
Land record Data base query for John D Windham
First arrived in Texas 16 Nov 1839
Class of Grant 3
Amount of land 640 acres
Date Conditional Certificate issued 14 Dec 1839
Condtional Certificate Issued in Sabine County

From www.lsjunction.com
Land record Data base query for John D Windham
Amount of land 640 acres
Date Conditional Certificate issued 9 Dec 1839
Condtional Certificate Issued in Milam County
Date Uncondtional Certificate Issued 11 Jan 1848
Uncondtional Certifiacte Issued in Angel County He was married to Frances (Fannie) Montieth on 8 Jul 1841 in Nacogdoches Co, TX. ^(168)(169)

53. Frances (Fannie) Montieth ⁽¹⁷⁰⁾ was born on 10 Feb 1816 in ,Rhea County, Tennesse. She died on 11 Jan 1901 in ,Callahan, Texas. She was buried in Tecumseh Cemetery, Callahan County, TX. She has Ancestral File number TX6W-PQ. From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996. Children were:

26 i. Samuel Robert Windham.
ii. Jessie Eli Windham was born on 3 Mar 1845 in Nacogdoches Co, TX. ⁽¹⁷¹⁾ He died on 19 May 1866.
iii. Mary Ann Windham was born on 18 Apr 1847 in Nacogdoches Co, TX. ⁽¹⁷²⁾ She died on 21 May 1867.
iv. Calvin Windham was born on 11 Jan 1849 in Nacogdoches Co, TX.⁽¹⁷³⁾ He died on 12 May 1901.
v. Hilary (Tod/Todd) Windham was born on 17 Apr 1851 in ,,Texas. He died on 5 Dec 1927.
vi. Willis Windham was born on 30 Jan 1853 in ,,Texas. He died on 2 Dec 1867.
vii. Eliza Jane Windham was born on 24 Jun 1854 in ,,Texas. She died on 30 Nov 1930.
viii. Dicey Windham was born on 18 May 1856 in ,,Texas. He died on 23 Dec 1934.
ix. Tom Windham was born on 8 Aug 1859 in ,,Texas. He died on 28 Aug 1951.