From Proud Heritage, Volume I by DCPA, not currently in print.
The Reverend Arthur Ledbetter, son of Buckner Ledbetter and Tabitha Jones, was born June 3, 1798 in Jamestown, Overton County, Tennessee. He was reared to farm life on the old homestead at the head of Nettle Carrier Creek. About 1820 Arthur married Elizabeth Robbins. She was born March 18, 1802 in Jackson (now Overton) County, Tennessee, the daughter of Isaac Robbins, a native of Scotland. To them in Overton County, Tennessee, were born 5 sons and 3 daughters:
1) Mary Ann born 1821, died August 28, 1848 of smallpox in Kaufman County, Texas on the East Fork of the Trinity River and is buried there in unmarked graves with her baby daughter and uncle, Isaac Nation, who also died of smallpox during the same month. She married Charles Neely in Overton County, Tennessee. Their surviving children born in Overton County were Vincent, Newton, and Elizabeth.
2) Isaac Anderson born 1823, died before 1900 at Fort Belknap, Young County, Texas and was buried at Graham, Texas. He married about 1844 in Overton County, Tennessee Cynthia Jones born 1824 in Tennessee, the daughter of Evan Jones. Their children included: Armilda, Alexander T., and Calvin, who were born in Tennessee, and Porter E., Martha J., and Lucy B., who were born in Texas.
3) Oliver Vinson born May 30, 1827 and died September 6, 1902 in Dallas County, Texas, is buried in the family cemetery located on the south side of the 4700 block of Lynnacre Drive in Dallas, Texas. He married March 4, 1848 in Overton County, Tennessee to Margaret Fox, born July 24, 1828 in Alabama, died February 2, 1899 in Dallas County, Texas, and is buried beside her husband in the family cemetery. She was the daughter of Joseph and Lucy Evans Fox. To them in Dallas County, Texas, were born 8 sons and 2 daughters: Thomas J. (1st), Nathaniel B., Wesley C., Minerva Jane, William Oliver, Melvina M., James J., Arthur Lee, Thomas Jonathan (2nd), and Carrol E.
4) Lewis Benton born June 6, 1830, died March 13, 1912 in Pasche, Concho County, Texas, buried in the family cemetery on the Ledbetter farm near Lohn, McCulloch County, Texas, married on September 23, 1855 in Parker County, Texas to Jane Blackwell born July 7, 1837 in Bedford County, Tennessee , the daughter of Thrensbury Blackwell and Martha Gibson. She died August 2, 1903 on the Ledbetter farm in McCulloch County, Texas, and is buried in the family cemetery beside her husband. They were the parents of 5 sons and 5 daughters: Cordelia Alice, Robert Brooks, Mary Ellen, Theophilus, Laura Bell, a son who died in infancy, Lillie Mae, Claudius Caesar, Ora Linnie, and Willie Boswell.
5) Martha J. born August 13, 1834, died February 24, 1883, married probably in Dallas County, Texas to Wesley W. Ware, son of H. H. Ware. They had five children: Mary, Theodosia, Nancy Jane, Calie, and Henry.
6) Thomas Logan born May 30, 1837, died March 1, 1876 in Dallas County, Texas, buried in Five Mile Cemetery, Dallas Texas. He was first married on December 2, 1858 in Dallas County, Texas to Mrs. Lois Almedia Randal Hughes, born February 11, 1832 in McNairy County, Tennessee, the daughter of Dr. John Leonard Randal and Sarah McNeil Kyle. She died August 23, 1861 in Dallas County, Texas, and is buried in Five Mile Cemetery. Born to them in Dallas County were two sons: Arthur Leonard and Lois Davis. Thomas Logan was married a second time on June 9, 1864 in Dallas County, Texas to Nancy Adalin Preston. They had no children and were “separated ” June 12, 1869.
7) Cynthia born 1842, died August 18, 1848 of smallpox in Dallas County, Texas near Duck Creek and is buried there in an unmarked grave beside her mother, who also died of smallpox the same day.
8) Arthur Brooks born October 19, 1846, died July 31, 1917 in Marshall, Searcy County, Arkansas, and is buried there; married September 6, 1866 in Dallas County, Texas to Mrs. Mary Pell Wright Jones, born December 12, 1848 in Giles County, Virginia, daughter of Tyrie and Mary Wright. They were the parents of 10 sons and 2 daughters: James Oliver, Thomas Lewis, William Columbus, Horace Alfred, Anderson, Arthur, Lacy Edwin, Floyd, Mary Elizabeth, Early Lee, Medora Belle, and Orchard Brooks.
Reverend Arthur was converted in 1821, joined the United Baptist Church of Christ in 1823 and was ordained in 1831. He was pastor of several churches near his home in Overton County, Tennessee. He lived and farmed at the head of Nettle Carrier Creek until 1832, when he and his family moved to southern Illinois. In less than a year, because of sickness, they returned to Overton County. On being “induced” to settle on a portion of Texas public domain, he “broke up” his home and with his family left Overton County on March 7, 1848. His oldest son Isaac was left in Overton County to “settle up”, joining the family in Texas three years later. By late spring 1848, the family had reached the East Fork of the Trinity River along the present boundary between Dallas and Kaufman Counties and were but a few miles from their destination in the Peters Colony area when several members of the family contracted smallpox. His wife Elizabeth and daughter Cynthia died on August 18, 1848. His oldest daughter Mary Ann and her baby daughter and a brother in-law Isaac Nation died on August 28, 1848. They are buried in unmarked graves on the banks of Duck Creek and the East Fork of the Trinity River. The grief-stricken family remained in the area for a few months and then moved on to southwest Dallas County and settled on the Escarpment about four miles north of Cedar Hill. Due to the delay caused by the smallpox epidemic, Reverend Arthur failed to meet the deadline for colonists to claim a headright in Peters Colony. However, he submitted a petition to the State of Texas and was granted permis sion to claim a headright, which he located in the area in which he had settled. The boundaries of his 640 acre headright are Wheatland Road on the south, Clark Road on the east, Camp Wisdom Road on the north and the Escarpment on the west. He improved a farm on his headright and a short time later met and married on August 13, 1849 in Dallas County, Texas, Mrs. Elizabeth Ogle Pearson. She was born June 7, 1825 in Kentucky, the daughter of David Ogle and widow of William H. Pearson. She had two daughters, Nancy and Sarah, and was the sole heir of Mr. Pearson’s headright of 640 acres. Shortly after the wedding, Reverend Arthur built a new home for his “new” family. It was a typical two story, dog run type house with a large porch along the south side and a leanto along the north side for kitchen and storeroom. It was located about 50 feet south of Illinois Avenue and 100 yards west of Cockrell Hill Road on the Pearson Survey. Here Reverend Arthur lived and continued to increase the size of his family, for to him and his second wife were born in Dallas County, Texas, four sons and two daughters.
1) Francis Tennessee born 1850, died in late 19 30s in Tulia, Swisher County, Texas, and buried there. She married George W. Baker. Other records not available.
2) James Ogle born 1853, died April 10, 1880 in Dallas County, Texas, buried in the family cemetery located on the south side of the 4700 block of Lynnacre Drive, Dallas, Texas, beside his twin brother. He never married.
3) Twin of James born 1853, died in infancy at two weeks and is buried in the family cemetery beside his twin brother, James Ogle.
4) Mary Elizabeth born January 6, 1855, died May 25, 1939 in Dallas County, Texas, buried in Five Mile Cemetery, Dallas, Texas; married December 17, 1876 in Dallas County, Texas to Alfred Bradley Qualls, born November 22, 1851 in Bentonville, Benton County, Arkansas, son of John Martin and Mary “Polly” Ledbetter Qualls, died May 15, 19 29 in Dallas County, Texas, buried in Five Mile Cemetery. They were the parents of 2 sons and 5 daughters: Lora Vale, Lelia May, Lonnie Augustus, Margaret Maud, Minnie Pearl, Ruby, and James Roy.
5) William Hughes born December 12, 1856, died in 1937 in Dallas County, Texas, buried in Five Mile Cemetery, Dallas Texas; married May 27, 1890 in Ferris, Ellis County, Texas to Mattie S. Malone, born April 1, 1867, the daughter of George L. and Emma D. Malone, died in 1938 in Dallas County, Texas, buried in Five Mile Cemetery, Dallas, Texas. Born to them in Dallas County, Texas, were 2 sons and 1 daughter: James Camrod, William Broadus, and Elizabeth Emily.
6) George Washington born September 9, 1859, died December 30, 1933 in Dallas County, Texas, buried in Five Mile Cemetery, Dallas, Texas; married November 23, 1881 in Dallas County, Texas to Sarah Elizabeth Smith, born April 19, 1860 in Smyrna, Rutherford County, Tennessee, the daughter of Robert N. and Elizabeth Creel Smith, died November 22, 1930 in Dallas, Texas, buried in Five Mile Cemetery, Dallas, Texas. Born to them in Dallas County, Texas, were 3 sons and 9 daughters: Nellie, Jesse, Ella Maude, Annie Elizabeth, James Garfield, Lena, Robert M., Lucy L., Frankie L., Ruth, Billie Margaret, and Irene.
During the eleven years Reverend Arthur lived in Dallas County, he established at least four Baptist churches, including the first Baptist church in the city of Dallas, a forerunner of the present First Baptist Church. The First Baptist Church of Cedar Hill is the only church still in existence which Reverend Arthur organized in 1850 with the name of The Little Bethel Missionary Baptist Church of Christ. For several years he served as moderator of the Trinity River Baptist Association and as missionary of the Baptist State Convention. In 1854
Reverend Arthur terminated his affiliation with these organizations over a dispute involving theological doctrine. In the latter years of his life, he devoted his entire time to the ministry. Arthur Ledbetter died at his home in Dallas County, Texas, on November 7, 1859 and is buried in the Five Mile Cemetery in the 3800 block of West Kiest Blvd., Dallas, Texas. His wife, Elizabeth, remained a widow the rest of her life and died at the old homeplace in Dallas County, Texas, on May 15, 1901 and is buried beside Arthur.
Six generations of their descendants have lived in Dallas County and many of the third through sixth generations are still living in Dallas County.
By Tom Jones, Dallas
