From Proud Heritage, Volume I by DCPA, currently out of print.
In the Spring of 1849 Jacob Routh, a young bachelor of 31, traveled from Dandridge, Jefferson County, Tennessee, to “Cousin Jonathan’s” 10 miles west of Bonham, Texas, and in 1851 rode south toward Dallas and bought from other cousins, the Vance brothers, a section and a half for himself, other sections for his brothers, Jefferson and Joseph, at Spring Creek between present day Richardson and Plano. Another brother, George Washington Routh, bought land on Duck Creek north of Garland.
Jacob Routh’s parents were John Routh, born 1782, died 1841, from Dandridge, Tennessee, and Elizabeth Mashman born 1788, died 1852. Their children were:
1) Nancy born 1809, died 1858; married Patton Howell, born 1805, died 1869. They had several children, among them, John Mashman (who later married Julia Routh, daughter of Jacob and Lodemia).
2) Rosannah born 1811, died 1830; married William Thornburgh.
3) George Washington born 1813, died 1866; married Katherine Rankin, born 1817, died 1862. They had 11 children, and most settled around Garland.
4) Thomas Jefferson born 1816, died 1855; married Nancy Haskins and settled in Jones County.
5) Jacob born December 22, 1818, died April 30, 1879; married Lodemia Ann Campbell, born November 16, 1833, died October 8, 1916.
6) Martha born August 2, 1821, died October 26, 1821.
7) Joseph born 1822, died August 14, 1856; married Serepta Ellen Campbell.
8) Eleanor born 1822, died 1846; married Stephen G. Mann. They had a daughter, Rachel, who was adopted by her grandfather, John Routh. She married Jacob Skiles and had a large family.
9) William Anderson born 1825, died 1828.
10) Elizabeth Jane born 1828, died 1922; married James Thomas and lived in Dallas.
Routh returned to Tennessee to bring his family to Texas. On November 14, 1851, two families traveling together from Dandridge, Tennessee, in six 4-horse wagons and a carriage (the trip taking a total of 45 days) arrived on the acreage Routh previously bought. They were Jacob Routh, his widowed mother, his sister, Elizabeth Jane Thomas, his brother, George Washington and George’s wife, Catherine, and their children and Robert Flemming Campbell, a neighbor back in Dandridge, his wife Mary Hoffer, her parents and the Campbell’s children, ranging in age from an infant son to 16 years old, to-wit: William LaFayette, Lodemia Ann, Serepta Ellen, James White and Archibald David. The Rouths had a cabin , but the Campbells camped through the winter in the timber near the creek on the Routh place.
When the Routh-Campbell families arrived in Texas there was no Plano or Richardson, no schools, stores, railroads, public roads or churches. Jacob set aside an acre for a public burial ground where most of these early pioneers are buried. Early in the second year Routh opened a small store of general merchandise. Until the arrival of the railroads in 1871, public transportation was by stage coach, with fare usually 10 cents per mile, and the good weather rate of travel was from five to eight miles per day. After heavy rains the passengers frequently had to get out and push. Routh provided one of the first stage coach stations with food and lodging for passengers and feed for animals. He also donated the right of way across his farm for one of the first public roads in North Texas, the McKinney to Dallas Road.
In 1853, with the help of neighbors, Routh built a small log building for a school in the northeast corner of his timberland (now the corner of Greenville and Renner Road). He had no children of his own at this time, but employed a teacher, Miss Florence Davis, who boarded at his home. This held forth until the Mount Vale Academy was opened in 1871. At times there was no school for lack of money or other reasons. Later teachers were Catharine B. Coit, Millie Thomas, Joe Drake, and Wm. LaFayette Campbell, Lodemia ‘s brother. When a larger and better building was needed, Robert F. Campbell donated the land and the following donated money to this new school building: Jacob Routh, James R. Aldredge, Messres. Huguley, Wainscott, J. J. Alexander, Noel Lively, Mrs. Joseph Routh (Ellen Campbell), Thomas Shelton and Pembroke Lyle.
Around 1853 Jacob decided to become a Baptist minister and conducted church services in the one-room log school building on his farm called Spring Creek Baptist Church until 1872, when it was moved to Plano to become the present First Baptist Church of Plano. Four years later he served as first pastor of a church organized in 1857 which, in August of 1863, was moved to the west side of White Rock Creek and became Pleasant View Baptist Church (presently Mockingbird Lane and Fisher Road), the oldest Baptist Church within the present city limits.
On October 30, 1853, these two pioneer families were united when Jacob Routh took as his wife Lodemia Ann Campbell. Their children were:
1) Virginia born 1855, died 1939; married James M. Barron, originally from Selma, Alabama. They had a large family, most of whom settled in Plano and Dallas.
2) Julia born 1857, died 1948, married John Mashman Howell, born August 2, 1849, died 1925. They had five children who settled in Dallas, Lubbock and Weatherford.
3) Emma born 1859, died 1949; married Clarence E. Malone. They had two children, Margaret, who raised a large family in Sudan, Texas, and Sam.
4) Effie born 1863, died 1936; married Dr. James Nettles Mendenhall from South Carolina. They had five children, all of whom settled in Dallas.
5) John Campbell born 1864, died 1867.
6) Unnamed son born April 11, 1867, died October 13, 1867.
7) Florence Graham born 1869, died 1921; married Henry William Coit, born 1862, died 1930, settling in Renner, Texas, and raised a family of eight children, most of whom settled in Dallas.
8) Rose born September 16, 1871, died September 24, 19 54, never married.
9) Clara Elizabeth born June 7, 1874, died June 1, 1962, never married. Rose, Clara and their mother lived in the original home (started by Jacob in 1860, but interrupted by the Civil War, and completed in 1871) as long as each lived. This beautiful family home was destroyed by vandals and fire in 1965.
Although it is difficult to judge the wealth of Jacob Routh by today’s standards, he was able to give each daughter, as she married, a farm of her own.
The only surviving children of the seven Routh sisters are: John Mashman Howell, II, Miss Bertha Mendenhall and Richard Bunting Coit, all of Dallas, and Mildred Routh Coit Rogers, who lives in Abilene.
By Nancy Lee Howell Lennon, Dallas
