Clement/Clements Family
These histories were combined because they are about the same family, even though the spelling is different.
These histories were combined because they are about the same family, even though the spelling is different.
THE CLEMENT FAMILY
The Examiner, February 8, 1973
from The Examiner Files, Oct. 9, 1960 by Capt. Roy Hall
The Clement family was one of the first in this section of Texas. Westley [sic] and Mannin came out in 1843, and stopped at old Throckmorton, seven miles north of present McKinney. Throckmorton had built a stockade fort there the year before and the place became headquarters for practically all the settlers coming to this part of the state for several years. Settlers stopped there, usually with their families, until they could locate land on which to headright.
Westley and Mannin Clement stayed there a month or so, but both located up on Honey Creek just northwest of present Roland. Here they were attacked by Indians, who killed Westley’s pardner, Whistler, and ran off all the stock the three men had. Mrs. Whistler escaped by hiding in a creek and eventually got back to Throckmorton.
Westley Clement went, that fall, down southeast of Throckmorton and located on land in the present Squeezepenny vicinity. They filed on about a section of land in the name of Mannin Clement, Westley’s cousin. Westley and Mannin and Mrs. Whistler abandoned their land up on Honey Creek as being too exposed to Indian raids. Most of the land they took up on Clement Creek – named later in this article – was in heavy timber, except 75 acres or so lying northwest of present Squeezepenny. On this prairie Westley and Mannin built a joint log cabin and moved in with their families, 1845.
Mrs. Whistler returned to Kentucky. She told of the rich land to be settled on in this locality and several families decided to sell their property there and come to Texas. Among these was Buford Clement and his small family. The covered-wagon expedition arrived in McKinney – a three-year-old village – in December of 1851, and camped on the north side of the present square. While there Mrs. Clement gave birth to the first child born in McKinney, a girl, and she was named Georgeann Clement. Owing to the weather being cold and rainy Lovejoy had her moved to his store on the northwest corner of the square, where the child, was born. One fellow citizen, Joe Moore, the Jersey cattle man of Melissa, is a son of Georgeann born in 1852.
LeRoy Clement decided to locate with his nephew and moved to the claim northeast of McKinney the following year. He built a substantial log cabin just south of the old Miller homeplace and ploughed up several acres of land west of his cabin. East of his cabin flowed a deep, swift creek, called by the settlers Bear Creek, owing to the great number of black bears seen there. In the fall of the year bears swarmed the woods, hunting honey trees which abounded in the area.
LeRoy Clement had an eight-year-old son, named Buford, who became a favorite among the settlers. He was a great hunter, killing his first bear at the age of seven. The young fellow was so well thought of that he soon got the name, “Clement’s Man,” as a token of respect the pioneers help for anyone of ability. This was later shortened to just Clement, and his first name of Buford was practically forgotten.
Young Clement loved to ride. He liked to work too, and assisted his father a year later when the latter took up almost 900 acres of land lying south of his nephew, Mannin. This claim covered all the territory lying east of the present Southern Pacific Railway, north almost to the present Trinity settlement and east to the road running north and south east of present Squeezepenny. It was built on the newly-established stage road that ran from McKinney to Bonham, and 300 yards west of the old Neal place.
LeRoy Clement did not file on the whole 900 acres of land. He took up 640 for himself and 320 for young Buford and filed the claim under Buford’s name. Why and how his was done, I have no definite idea, nor does the Texas Land Office at Austin. However, it was done, and the deeds on that particular stretch of Collin County territory read back to the Buford Clement headright. Buford was ten years of age at the time.
Young Clement was an expert horseman, and had a way with horses. LeRoy Clement had several horses, among which was a fine, black stallion. This black horse was so spirited that he was seldom ridden, thought a good saddle animal with a grown man on his back. Young Clement was forbidden to get on the animal, but had a pony of his own and never tried to ride the big black.
[rest missing]
CLEMENTS FAMILY
Family history.
Collin County has done a great service to people who like to drive on our little crooked country roads and often wondered what little creek they were passing over. Now every bridge has a sign telling name of the stream and this makes for a more interesting drive. One creek name that is causing a lot of comment especially from the people of the area is a sign that says Clemmons Creek. The stream was always CLEMENTS CREEK. Named for one of the very FIRST families to come to Collin County while it was still Peters Colony.
The first group to come was a party led by the father of Gov. James W. Throckmorton and settled in January of 1842 7 miles north of present McKinney. One of these men who had been with the exploring party in 1841, returning to settle in 1842 was Bluford [sic] Clements. He settled 5 miles northeast of McK.
In Nov. of 1842 Wesley Clements and Sam Young were building log cabins for their families when a party of Indians descended upon them, killing Whistler at once.
Clement’s wife saw what was happening and ran out to take his rifle to him, but it was too late. He was tomahawked and scalped near the unfinished cabin. Mrs. Whistler was getting water at the creek when the attack happened, so, assuming that all were dead, submerged herself in the stream with only her nose above the water. Mrs. Clements stood the Indians off by shooting between the logs.
When the Indians were gone they fled toward Ft. English, now Bonham, swimming the streams, crazed with fear, hiding from all they would have met.
Both Clements and Whistler are buried in Throckmorton Cemetery, 7 miles north of McKinney. The spot is marked by an Historic Marker, as is the grave of Throckmorton’s father.
Georgann Clements was the first child born in the new town of McKinney. She later married Bob Moore, a Texas Ranger, in 1869.
CLEMENTS FAMILY, EARLY PIONEERS
Family history. In November of 1842 Wesley Clements a brother of Leroy, Sam Young, and a man named Whistler settled 3 miles north of McKinney on Honey Creek. On Christmas morning while working to complete a log cabin for shelter, they were attacked by a band of Indians and Whistler was killed. Clement’s wife, ran out to take him his rifle but it was too late. He was killed with a tommyhawk and scalped near the cabin. The women managed to stand off the Indians by firing through the unchinked logs of the unfinished cabin. Mrs. Whistler was at the stream getting water at the time, and assuming that all had been killed, submerged herself in the water with only her nose above the water line, and when the Indians left, she took off running trying to find her way back to Ft. English (now Bonham) which was the nearest civilization on the frontier. Both of her parents had been killed by Indians earlier. Men found the grisly scene as she described it and buried both men at the Throckmorton settlement cemetery.
The first child born in the newly formed town of McKinney was Georgann Clements she later married Bob Moore, a Texas Ranger. They helped settle the town of Melissa.
Leroy Clements settled 5 miles northeast of McKinney on Clements Creek.
The Examiner, February 8, 1973
from The Examiner Files, Oct. 9, 1960 by Capt. Roy Hall
The Clement family was one of the first in this section of Texas. Westley [sic] and Mannin came out in 1843, and stopped at old Throckmorton, seven miles north of present McKinney. Throckmorton had built a stockade fort there the year before and the place became headquarters for practically all the settlers coming to this part of the state for several years. Settlers stopped there, usually with their families, until they could locate land on which to headright.
Westley and Mannin Clement stayed there a month or so, but both located up on Honey Creek just northwest of present Roland. Here they were attacked by Indians, who killed Westley’s pardner, Whistler, and ran off all the stock the three men had. Mrs. Whistler escaped by hiding in a creek and eventually got back to Throckmorton.
Westley Clement went, that fall, down southeast of Throckmorton and located on land in the present Squeezepenny vicinity. They filed on about a section of land in the name of Mannin Clement, Westley’s cousin. Westley and Mannin and Mrs. Whistler abandoned their land up on Honey Creek as being too exposed to Indian raids. Most of the land they took up on Clement Creek – named later in this article – was in heavy timber, except 75 acres or so lying northwest of present Squeezepenny. On this prairie Westley and Mannin built a joint log cabin and moved in with their families, 1845.
Mrs. Whistler returned to Kentucky. She told of the rich land to be settled on in this locality and several families decided to sell their property there and come to Texas. Among these was Buford Clement and his small family. The covered-wagon expedition arrived in McKinney – a three-year-old village – in December of 1851, and camped on the north side of the present square. While there Mrs. Clement gave birth to the first child born in McKinney, a girl, and she was named Georgeann Clement. Owing to the weather being cold and rainy Lovejoy had her moved to his store on the northwest corner of the square, where the child, was born. One fellow citizen, Joe Moore, the Jersey cattle man of Melissa, is a son of Georgeann born in 1852.
LeRoy Clement decided to locate with his nephew and moved to the claim northeast of McKinney the following year. He built a substantial log cabin just south of the old Miller homeplace and ploughed up several acres of land west of his cabin. East of his cabin flowed a deep, swift creek, called by the settlers Bear Creek, owing to the great number of black bears seen there. In the fall of the year bears swarmed the woods, hunting honey trees which abounded in the area.
LeRoy Clement had an eight-year-old son, named Buford, who became a favorite among the settlers. He was a great hunter, killing his first bear at the age of seven. The young fellow was so well thought of that he soon got the name, “Clement’s Man,” as a token of respect the pioneers help for anyone of ability. This was later shortened to just Clement, and his first name of Buford was practically forgotten.
Young Clement loved to ride. He liked to work too, and assisted his father a year later when the latter took up almost 900 acres of land lying south of his nephew, Mannin. This claim covered all the territory lying east of the present Southern Pacific Railway, north almost to the present Trinity settlement and east to the road running north and south east of present Squeezepenny. It was built on the newly-established stage road that ran from McKinney to Bonham, and 300 yards west of the old Neal place.
LeRoy Clement did not file on the whole 900 acres of land. He took up 640 for himself and 320 for young Buford and filed the claim under Buford’s name. Why and how his was done, I have no definite idea, nor does the Texas Land Office at Austin. However, it was done, and the deeds on that particular stretch of Collin County territory read back to the Buford Clement headright. Buford was ten years of age at the time.
Young Clement was an expert horseman, and had a way with horses. LeRoy Clement had several horses, among which was a fine, black stallion. This black horse was so spirited that he was seldom ridden, thought a good saddle animal with a grown man on his back. Young Clement was forbidden to get on the animal, but had a pony of his own and never tried to ride the big black.
[rest missing]
CLEMENTS FAMILY
Family history.
Collin County has done a great service to people who like to drive on our little crooked country roads and often wondered what little creek they were passing over. Now every bridge has a sign telling name of the stream and this makes for a more interesting drive. One creek name that is causing a lot of comment especially from the people of the area is a sign that says Clemmons Creek. The stream was always CLEMENTS CREEK. Named for one of the very FIRST families to come to Collin County while it was still Peters Colony.
The first group to come was a party led by the father of Gov. James W. Throckmorton and settled in January of 1842 7 miles north of present McKinney. One of these men who had been with the exploring party in 1841, returning to settle in 1842 was Bluford [sic] Clements. He settled 5 miles northeast of McK.
In Nov. of 1842 Wesley Clements and Sam Young were building log cabins for their families when a party of Indians descended upon them, killing Whistler at once.
Clement’s wife saw what was happening and ran out to take his rifle to him, but it was too late. He was tomahawked and scalped near the unfinished cabin. Mrs. Whistler was getting water at the creek when the attack happened, so, assuming that all were dead, submerged herself in the stream with only her nose above the water. Mrs. Clements stood the Indians off by shooting between the logs.
When the Indians were gone they fled toward Ft. English, now Bonham, swimming the streams, crazed with fear, hiding from all they would have met.
Both Clements and Whistler are buried in Throckmorton Cemetery, 7 miles north of McKinney. The spot is marked by an Historic Marker, as is the grave of Throckmorton’s father.
Georgann Clements was the first child born in the new town of McKinney. She later married Bob Moore, a Texas Ranger, in 1869.
CLEMENTS FAMILY, EARLY PIONEERS
Family history. In November of 1842 Wesley Clements a brother of Leroy, Sam Young, and a man named Whistler settled 3 miles north of McKinney on Honey Creek. On Christmas morning while working to complete a log cabin for shelter, they were attacked by a band of Indians and Whistler was killed. Clement’s wife, ran out to take him his rifle but it was too late. He was killed with a tommyhawk and scalped near the cabin. The women managed to stand off the Indians by firing through the unchinked logs of the unfinished cabin. Mrs. Whistler was at the stream getting water at the time, and assuming that all had been killed, submerged herself in the water with only her nose above the water line, and when the Indians left, she took off running trying to find her way back to Ft. English (now Bonham) which was the nearest civilization on the frontier. Both of her parents had been killed by Indians earlier. Men found the grisly scene as she described it and buried both men at the Throckmorton settlement cemetery.
The first child born in the newly formed town of McKinney was Georgann Clements she later married Bob Moore, a Texas Ranger. They helped settle the town of Melissa.
Leroy Clements settled 5 miles northeast of McKinney on Clements Creek.
