The Jackson's of Double Bayou

To the patriotic Jacksons indwelt with a heart for freedom, the year 1812 must have seemed like déjà vu to them. They had fled from the oppression of the British in their Irish homeland when the Brits threatened and successfully took their freedom. Now they find the British, once more, arrayed in battle against them, in the “Land of the Free.” Humphrey, Alexander, and Henry enlisted in the Battle of 1812 on the 16th of November serving almost 14 months. Jody Fuchs recorded in his Crosby Bicentennial book, “Humphrey served as a private with Baker’s Louisiana Militia Regiment at the Battle of New Orleans led by Andrew Jackson. There is speculation that the two were distant cousins,” added Jody. Humphrey, after returning from battle, wed again on October 13, 1814, to Sarah Merriman, first cousin of Elizabeth. Humphrey and Sarah had four children born to them on the sugar plantation Humphrey had purchased in Vermilionville Louisiana: Letitia, Hugh, John, and James. 

After Humphrey’s death, his daughter Letitia, who had married Meredith Duncan the year before, took in her younger siblings, ranging in age from 11-16. Letitia then took Hugh, James, and John to live with the R. E. Booth’s in Double Bayou, relatives of their mother. Whether that was before or after the skirmish at Fort Anahuac I have not been able to determine. Letitia and Meredith never had any children of their own. 

If you are fortunate enough to have the rich Irish blood of Humphrey Jackson coursing through your veins, I encourage you to look back, down the corridors of time, and whisper a reverent, “thank you.” You owe your very existence to this courageous young pioneer. Had he not sacrificed all to come you would not be!

Decandia, better known as “Dee,” married Solomon Barrow and founded the Barrow Ranch. They had 10 children with the first four dying, three as toddlers and one as an infant. I cannot imagine the heartache. Son, Ralph James Jr., grandfather of Janet Lagow, carried on the Barrow Ranch legacy, now under the ownership and management of the Lagow family.

John, better known as “Double Bayou John,” “married” Charlotte Lewis and raised five children: Lena, Felix, Arthur, Mamie, and Ocie. John left a heavy footprint in Chambers County and like his Gr. Grandfather before him in Ballybay, Ireland, did much to improve the quality of living in Double Bayou. He founded the Jackson Store in Double Bayou, becoming the first postmaster of the town. He also was prominent in the political realm holding the position of Chambers County Justice of the Peace and Commissioner.

The apples of the Jackson family certainly did not fall far from the patriarchal tree. Ralph Semmes Jackson, in his book, Home on the Double Bayou, wrote, “Much of the community life centered around the Double Bayou Store, established sometime before 1900 by my father’s cousin, John Jackson, and later operated by Uncle John Claude Jackson.” The store, located at the present time by the Double Bayou bridge on FM 562, originally hung over the bank of Double Bayou with a wharf available for the Galveston merchant boats to dock. When boat trade began to dwindle and FM 562 was built, the store was moved closer to the road. The store is now owned by our museum.

Jackson descendant, Angelina Davis wrote, “John accumulated a small amount of money as a merchant and began buying land, in time becoming the leading landowner who was rated as the wealthiest man in Chambers County. He inherited 1/6th of his Aunt Letitia Jackson Duncan Long’s estate.” 

His Aunt Letitia left 1/3 of her estate to Jim, John, and Decandia. The fact that he received 1/6th suggests that his brother Jim left him his portion upon his death.  He acquired another 29,000 acres through a government grant. Upon his death he left 20,000 acres, which probably included the portion of his brother Jim’s estate, to his nephew Ralph James Barrow, the son of his sister Decandia, and 10,000 to his three sons, Felix, Arthur, and Ocie. Oil was later found on his land with the majority of it found on his sons’ land. His sons, who founded the Jackson Brothers Ranch, eventually purchased an additional 4,000 acres from the Barrows. Of the remaining Double Bayou John descendants, grandson Felix Jackson manages his portion of the Jackson Brothers Ranch and great granddaughter Karla Jackson Dean along with husband Clay Dean run and manage cattle on their Jackson land. 

OBITUARY:

 John H. Jackson, Chambers County Cattleman Dies ~ 1934

Ranchers Grandfather Came to Texas With Austin

John H. Jackson, 85, pioneer resident of Chambers County, and regarded as one of the wealthiest men, as well as one of the largest land owners in that section, died at the home of his nephew, Ralph J. Barrow, at Smith’s Point Monday morning.

The aged man was apparently in the best of health until late Sunday afternoon when he suffered an attack of what appeared to be indigestion. He lapsed into unconsciousness shortly after 3:00 p.m. Sunday and never rallied.

Jackson was born in Liberty, July 17, 1848, the son of Hugh and Sophie Jackson. The grandfather of this man came to Texas from Louisiana with Stephen F. Austin during the Christmas holidays in 1821. The journey to this section was made overland with oxen, Jackson’s grandfather, Humphrey Jackson bringing with him his wife he had married several years previous in Ireland, (???Records reflect they married in Berwick Bay, Louisiana) and his three sons, one of them being two years old. This son was the father of John Hugh Jackson. (His tombstone his name as John Henry Jackson.)

Settled Near Anahuac

The Jackson family settled at Double Bayou near the present town of Anahuac, and near the exact site of the house in which John H. Jackson died Monday morning. The pioneer was given 640 acres of land, 320 acres additional went to his wife, and 140 to each child. Eighty additional acres of land also went to each slave.

As a member of Stephen Austin’s colony, Jackson complied with requirements set down with when permission was granted Austin to establish his colony.

Among these requirements was that these residents must all be from Louisiana, they must furnish certificates of good character, profess the Roman Catholic church, and swear allegiance to Spain.

Much of the history of Texas was made during the lifetime of John H. Jackson, the grandson of the Austin’s colony Jackson.

Humphrey (should read Hugh) Jackson’s father, and the grandfather of John H. Jackson, ran against Sam Houston for governor of the state of Texas, and prior to that time was a tax assessor and surveyor during the Civil War.

John H. Jackson’s parents both died in Liberty when he was a small child and he went to Double Bayou to live with relatives when he was but four years of age. He went to the schools of that section, such as they were, but at an early age began to assist with farming and other duties that fell to the lot of the pioneers of Texas.
“Regardless of what I earned,” Jackson told a friend some time before he died, “I always managed to save half of it.” Until his dying day he had a quarter, which was half of his first earnings as a farmer.

Soon Jackson had accumulated a small nest egg, with which he purchased some merchandise, going into business at Double Bayou. With his earnings from that venture he started to purchase land, paying something like 25 cents per acres for the first he bought.

Before many years had rolled by, Jackson had large sections of land, which he had turned into pasture land for the stock he was purchasing. This land was located just west of what is now White’s Ranch. In the beginning this pasture contained about 12,000 acres. To this land was added other parcels of land from time to time, the 12,000 acres growing to 30,000 acres. At the beginning Jackson had approximately 150 head of cattle which he had taken in on a debt. Soon this number grew to 3,000 head, as more and more stock was purchased.

J-N Cattle Brand

Jackson ran the J-N brand on his cattle, and in the earlier days rode the range among his stock from morning until night.

There were few fences in those days, Jackson being the third stockman in this section of the state to put his land under fence, and restrict his stock from roaming over the length and breadth of the country.

And with this accumulation of land and stock, came abundant wealth to this man who knew south Texas probably better than the present-day generation will ever know it.

Soon the erection of a pretentious home was under way, lumber for the building being brought to Double Bayou by boat from Louisiana. This home, which sets back behind a row of cottonwood trees, is surrounded by large white columns, vast porches, and great lawns, speaks of early Texas.

It was in this home, which is now being shared by a nephew, R. J. Barrow, that Jackson died Monday morning.

It has been some years since Jackson was actively engaged in business, and for some time he had divided his time between his home in Double Bayou, and the home of a niece, Mrs. G. M. Johnson, 1032 Pennsylvania avenue.

He had for some years in constant attendance, a graduate nurse and though his health was apparently as good as that of a man his age is possible to be, he was under the care of a physician who looked after his diet, an suggested his rest periods.

He traveled about the country a great deal, even during his last years, these trips being taken in a large car of an expensive make in company with his chauffeur and his nurse.

Funeral will be held at 3 o’clock Tuesday afternoon at the Pipkin and Brulin Chapel with burial in Magnolia Cemetery under the direction of Pipkin and Brulin. 

James, with a profound ability to evaluate the measure of a man, appointed Montie Humphrey, a former black slave, who had been born on the ranch, as foreman of the massive JHK Ranch. This practice was unheard of during that era of history, but James, one to stand on principle rather than protocol, made what he determined was the best choice for the ranch. Montie, who earned the respect of black and white alike, would prove James’ confidence was not misplaced.