Parris
Parris came to Texas from Illinois
Later established early Grist mill in Collin County
Thaddeus Parris was born in Illinois, May 13, 1829, being one of three children. A brother, Samson, had one son, Thomas, who never married, and two daughters, Nan (Johnson) and Texana (Carter). A sister Abigal (Miller) lived in Grayson County, dying in Sherman in 1905, leaving no immediate heirs.
The first record of Thaddeus in Texas was during the Mexican War 1846 - 1848 when he served with the United State Army in the area of the Rio Grande. Here he was wounded in battle and was carried across the river by a Comrade, named Feland, who presumably is the same as the Dr. Feland who also came to Texas in its early history, buying and settling on a tract of land west of McKinney....
Thaddeus married Hannah Gould in Illinois in 1848. Their first child, a son, William, was born in Illinois October 13, 1850.
In 1851, they came to Texas, first settling in Jamison, Grayson County. Here a daughter, Elizabeth was born April 2, 1854, and a son Theodore on June 29, 1856. From Jamison the family moved to Farmington (also Grayson County) where their son Sam Houston was born August 14, 1859.
Grayson County court records show that Nancy E. Parris deeded, to her son Thaddeus in 1858, a farm of 575 acres in the vicinity of Elmont near Waco, where he subsequently bought others tracts of land and that on November 29, 1859, he bought of J. J. Jenkins a steam mill which he operate in addition to farming interests. Some of the old timbers from the mill were identified some years later.
Moving from Farmington to Titus County (Mt. Pleasant, county seat), he again engaged in farming, and while living there drew on the kitchen floor the plan for a grist mill which he later put up in Highland, Collin County. Another daughter, Louisa, was born in Titus County, August 4, 1864 and Youngest son, Thad Junior, February 24, 1866.
The timbers and hardware for this mill, a store building and a dwelling were brought from Jefferson Texas by ox wagons to Highland in 1866. When the family left Titus County, Thaddeus left his farm there in the care of two young men, and from a letter written in January 1867, he says, "When I went down the other day to sell my cotton and corn and to get my team, I found that they had sold nearly all my corn and cotton and had run away with my wagon and team amounting to about 1,800 dollars which will prove a clear loss."
Highland at that time consisted of the mill which he was putting up, a store, a gin, a blacksmith shop, a school, the Friendship Baptist Church (organized in 1850), and several dwellings.
The wagons used about this time for freighting between Jefferson and the North Texas area were heavier and larger than the usual farm wagon and could not be bought nearer than Kentucky and the delivery on one required a long wait. According to a newspaper clipping dated sometime ago, two men from Highland agreed to make them. The men were Sam Parris and Charley Wysong who had a mill, a store, and a blacksmith shop at Highland. Thaddeus was the father of Sam Parris and Hamp Wysong was a son of Charley Wysong. The wagons were made entirely of Bois d'arc except for the steel tires which were shipped fro East Texas and that after several years of use the wooden axles showed no wear if they were kept greased.
Later established early Grist mill in Collin County
Thaddeus Parris was born in Illinois, May 13, 1829, being one of three children. A brother, Samson, had one son, Thomas, who never married, and two daughters, Nan (Johnson) and Texana (Carter). A sister Abigal (Miller) lived in Grayson County, dying in Sherman in 1905, leaving no immediate heirs.
The first record of Thaddeus in Texas was during the Mexican War 1846 - 1848 when he served with the United State Army in the area of the Rio Grande. Here he was wounded in battle and was carried across the river by a Comrade, named Feland, who presumably is the same as the Dr. Feland who also came to Texas in its early history, buying and settling on a tract of land west of McKinney....
Thaddeus married Hannah Gould in Illinois in 1848. Their first child, a son, William, was born in Illinois October 13, 1850.
In 1851, they came to Texas, first settling in Jamison, Grayson County. Here a daughter, Elizabeth was born April 2, 1854, and a son Theodore on June 29, 1856. From Jamison the family moved to Farmington (also Grayson County) where their son Sam Houston was born August 14, 1859.
Grayson County court records show that Nancy E. Parris deeded, to her son Thaddeus in 1858, a farm of 575 acres in the vicinity of Elmont near Waco, where he subsequently bought others tracts of land and that on November 29, 1859, he bought of J. J. Jenkins a steam mill which he operate in addition to farming interests. Some of the old timbers from the mill were identified some years later.
Moving from Farmington to Titus County (Mt. Pleasant, county seat), he again engaged in farming, and while living there drew on the kitchen floor the plan for a grist mill which he later put up in Highland, Collin County. Another daughter, Louisa, was born in Titus County, August 4, 1864 and Youngest son, Thad Junior, February 24, 1866.
The timbers and hardware for this mill, a store building and a dwelling were brought from Jefferson Texas by ox wagons to Highland in 1866. When the family left Titus County, Thaddeus left his farm there in the care of two young men, and from a letter written in January 1867, he says, "When I went down the other day to sell my cotton and corn and to get my team, I found that they had sold nearly all my corn and cotton and had run away with my wagon and team amounting to about 1,800 dollars which will prove a clear loss."
Highland at that time consisted of the mill which he was putting up, a store, a gin, a blacksmith shop, a school, the Friendship Baptist Church (organized in 1850), and several dwellings.
The wagons used about this time for freighting between Jefferson and the North Texas area were heavier and larger than the usual farm wagon and could not be bought nearer than Kentucky and the delivery on one required a long wait. According to a newspaper clipping dated sometime ago, two men from Highland agreed to make them. The men were Sam Parris and Charley Wysong who had a mill, a store, and a blacksmith shop at Highland. Thaddeus was the father of Sam Parris and Hamp Wysong was a son of Charley Wysong. The wagons were made entirely of Bois d'arc except for the steel tires which were shipped fro East Texas and that after several years of use the wooden axles showed no wear if they were kept greased.
