In The New
Handbook of Texas, vol. 1, p. 289, there is a short article about Aurora,
Texas, Wise County. It mentions that, in the late 1850's, "impressed by the
beauty of the place, William O. Stanfield suggested Aurora for the name of the
community."
William Wall Oliver Stanfield, commonly called "Uncle Billy"
was born July 29, 1809 in Halifax Co., VA. According to family history, he
"crossed the Red River into Texas with General Sam Houston on the first day of
January, 1834." (In my research, I've found nothing to either prove or disprove
that statement.)
In the spring of 1836, Stanfield served in Capt. Bill
Scurlock's company in the Texas Army, acting as pvt. secy. to General T.J. Rusk.
He also served in Capt. Hooper's company.
Also in 1836, at the Ramsdale
Ferry on the Sabine River, Stanfield married Mary Ann Ramsdale (b. July 3, 1822,
d. Aug. 20, 1887) who had immigrated to Texas with her parents from Devonshire,
in England.
Stanfield bought, sold and traded land in several counties in
East Texas around Marshall. He also was a blacksmith and held the offices of
Postmaster, Justice of the Peace and Judge in Harrison Co. for a number of
years.
It was probably late 1856 or early 1857 when Stanfield moved his
family West, since his last recorded land transaction in Harrison Co. was August
of 1856 They first moved to jack Co., then Denton Co. before settling in Wise
Co., northeast of Newark in the late 1860's before settling at Aurora. The
Pioneer History of Wise County mentions that Stanfield was one of four
veterans of the Texas Revolution who settled in Wise Co. One of the other
veterans was George Ramsdale, Mary Ann Stanfield's older
brother.
Stanfield and his wife had thirteen children, ten of whom lived
to become adults. At the end of this history, I will list the names and dates of
their children.
Stanfield's eldest son, Thomas L. Stanfield, became the
first attorney of Wise Co. under the constitution of 1886, according to his
obituary.
Stanfield's 7th son, Robert Wilshier Stanfield became a
Presbyterian minister. Robert preached at several Presbyterian churches in Wise
Co, including Chico and Rhome. He married Mollie Gardner and they had five
children. Their first child, Ruby Ella Stanfield (Frenzel) was my grandmother.
She told me many stories about growing up in and around Wise Co. I wish I'd paid
more attention.
Ruby Stanfield was born Dec. 29, 1889, in Keller, TX.
When she was about 4 yrs old, her father moved the family back to Wise Co. One
of her favorite childhood memories was watching cattle being driven through the
town of Rhome, on their way to the Ft. Worth stockyards. She said that a lot of
the cattle had horns and that the horns sported a brass ball at the ends. She
thought that was a pretty sight.
Grandma said there weren't very many
Indians left by the late 1890's. Sometimes two or three would open the gate to
the yard and go to the back door, begging for food. Her mother always gave them
something to eat. Grandma said they were very dirty, very smelly and very
poor.
When the train track was put in, Grandma and her cousins rode the
train back and forth to visit with each other. I have several old photos of her
and her friends laughing and acting silly as they waited by the tracks for the
train to arrive.
When Grandma was 16yrs old, she began teaching school. I
have her teaching contract from 1907, at Dewey School, framed below an old photo
of her and her students. She was paid $38.00 a month, and boarded with the
parents of one of her students.
Ruby and her parents and siblings moved
from Wise Co. to Oklahoma in 1910. She loved those days in Texas and talked
about them for the rest of her life, although she never had the opportunity to
visit.
Children of W.W.O. and Mary Ann Stanfield:
Thomas Liddle
Stanfield, b. 23 Dec., 1838 near Marshall, Tx, d. 30 Dec., 1910, Terrel Tx.
Spouse and children's names unknown (a daughter named Jessie).
Milton
Benjamin , b. 25 Jan, 1841 near Marshall, TX, d. 1897 at Joshua, TX. Names
of spouse and children unknown.
Ann Laura b. 3 June 1843 near
Marshall, Tx. d. 19 Feb 1881, Aurora, TX. Spouse McFarland, children
unknown.
Matilda Virginia , b. 15 Sept, 1845 near Marshall. d. 7 Aug.
1889, Ft. Worth TX. Spouse Dr. L.J. Randall, children unknown ("raised a large
family")
Isaac Oliver, b. 1847, d. 1848
William Francis b. 16 Sept,
1849 near Marshall, d. 29 Mar., 1927, Arlington, TX
Spouse Maggie Elder,
children, 5.
Mary Jane b. 30 June, 1851 near Marshall, d. 17 Jan.,
1896, Peaster, TX. Spouse C.C. Upton. children unknown
John Henderson
b. 3 Mar. 1854. d. 17 April, 1933, Ft. Worth, TX. Spouse Katie Kenedy, children
three unknown.
Spencer Soloman, b. 1856, d. 1858
Robert
Wilshier b. 2 Feb. 1858, d. 8 Oct., 1934, Ironton, Mo. Spouse Mollie
Gardner, five children.
George Ewing b. 2 Feb, 1860, d. April
1863
James Herbert b. 2 Jan, 1864, Jacksboro, TX, d. 29 April 1892,
Aurora, TX. Spouse and children unknown.
Sarah Emma Elizabeth, b. 16
mar. 1867, Rhome, TX, d. 6 Dec. 1892, Aurora, TX.
Spouse W.S. Woodward,
children unknown--her grave marker is at Aurora cemetery
Thanks to R.Joanne DeShong for this family history.
To send mail to her click here:--- R.
Joanne DeShong
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