The Myers-Kellison Journey From Missouri to Texas

The following information comes from The Family of John W Myers – Mahala Caroline Kellison By Roy E. Gibson:

With Reconstruction following the Civil War and the pitfalls of farming in general it is assumed life was full of hard work and struggle. What the exact or combined reasons were to convince John W. Myers and his relations to move to central Texas is or are not known. Jacob Myers, his father, had three half-brothers and two half-sisters and their mother to move to Coryell County, Texas in 1871. One can only speculate as to whether letters from the ones in Coryell or other factors made up their mind to move to Bosque County Texas.

In 1950 the compiler had the good fortune of driving Aunt Lee Womack from her home in Brady, Texas to my Mother’s home in Ft. Worth, Texas. This was some five years prior to my actual beginning of the research of my family lines. It has always been a disappointment to me that I didn't have a recorder, for most of her early years of life were recalled as best she could remember. On that particular day she was some 82 years of age. She was either 6 or 7 years of age when the trip from Miller County, Missouri to Bosque County, Texas was made. As I try to recall some of her remembrances on that day, I come up with the following:

(1) There were quite a few wagons in the group or wagon train most of whom were related in some way.

(2) The route they took generally was from near Iberia, Miller County, Missouri via Springfield, Missouri, Eureka Springs, Fayetteville and Fort Smith, Arkansas, McAlester, Oklahoma, Denison, Texas, or near there, Ft. Worth, Texas and Bosque County, Texas.

(3) The scared feeling she and the other children experienced as those times Indians were sighted in the Oklahoma segment of their journey.

(4) Ft. Worth was a very small town when they passed through.

From Aunt Lee’s remembrances and a small booklet pertaining to the Kellison family, it appears the following families were in the wagon train:

(1) Jacob Myers, wife and children

(2) John W. Myers, wife and children

(3) James Peter “Pete” and Abraham “Abe” Myers

(4) Robert L. Kellison, wife Hannah Myers and their children

(5) William Kellison, possibly his wife, and two single children

(6) John Kellison, wife and children

(7) James H. Baxter, wife Mary “Polly” Kellison and children

(8) James Green, wife Sarah Kellison and children

(9) Davidson family (cousins of the Kellisons)

(10) Lawson family (cousins of the Kellisons)

The only record found as to the date of their journey is the year 1874 left by the descendant of Uncle Will Baxter. It would have had to taken place in the last half of this year, for Uncle Charley Myers was born the 11^th of May, 1874 in Miller County, Missouri. Most of the families had small children, which must have restricted their daily distance traveled.

Upon their arrival in Bosque County, Texas, be it 1874 or 1875, most of the families appear to have settled near Meridian and possibly to the west and northwest toward Walnut Springs, Texas. They were all farmers by occupation; however during the off-season John W. Myers and his two brothers, Pete and Abe, worked building rock fences.