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(June 6, 2006)
I want to continue with the recognition
of the Elias Oden and William Rigby pioneer settlers, who followed their
dreams of building our Leon county into a thriving county of Christian
community with pride in God, family and community.
The William and Mary (Oden) Rigby and the Elias and Chloe
(Jones) Oden families traveled in a caravan of 23 wagons, from Mississippi,
through Louisiana and on through Nacogdoches and other parts of Texas, on
into Leon county.
These two families had cotton, corn and vegetable gardens.
they turned the wilderness land into fertile farm land, using the water
resources of Boggy Creek, Centerville area, and our Wheelock Creek, Flo
community. They, with prayers to God, deep determination, hard work,
and calloused hands plowed and tended to the livestock. they built up
their communities with churches, schools, post offices and other businesses.
It was established in 1858.
The William Rigby family is credited with the beginning of
the Boggy Creek settlement and the Elias Oden family with the start of our
Oden/Flo community that was the second Flo settlement to be in existence.
William, Mary, their children and other kinfolk brought
success in a variety of ways. They read God's word and lived by His
rules, had respect of others and were role model citizens. through
them, Leon and Flo became thriving communities.
William Bryant and Mary (Oden) Rigby and their children,
Martha, Russell, Nancy, Needham, Susana, John and Lydia are recorded as
Leona, Leon county settlers of the 1850's along with Oden, Craig, Whiteside,
Wright, Ross, Magee and Leach related families of this wagon caravan.
They all established a colony, bringing prosperity of the farm life and many
other phases of a secured community living.
William and Mary lived in Leona the rest of their lives.
They were both devoted Christians who spread God's Holy word from
Mississippi through Louisiana, on to Nacogdoches and in Leona, Flo and many
other places.
The Rigby's and Odens are well known as Bible teaching, Bible
learned scholars of God's ministry. William was a true man of god who
was a leader to the church ministry in Leona. He served as a Private
in Baylor's Regiment of the Texas Cavalry. He was an influential
Mason, to be credited with the establishment of Mason Lodges in Leon county,
this includes our Keechi Lodge.
Martha, the daughter of William and Mary Oden Rigby, was a
devoted member of the Nazarene Church ministry of Goldwaite, TX. She
and her husband Thomas Keese were important in the Texas Nazarene faith.
Thomas was an honorable soldier of the civil War. Martha farmed and
kept the homeland as best she could.
Martha lost Thomas at an early age. She later married
William Fletcher, Jr. William also served as a Confederate soldier.
After he returned home from the war, he and Martha lived in goldwaite.
He served as county commissioner & County Treasurer for Mills County.
He and Martha were considered the highest Christians of their church.
Their children carried on with the same character of life.
Russell, the son of William and Mary Rigby, was a faithful
Christian and a hard worker of the farm life. He was counted as a hero
of the Texas Cavalry of the confederacy. He was 18 and fought in
battles of this regiment and in the same company as his father.
(cont. June 13, 2006)
These two families earned well deserved crowns for the
civilization and promotional gain they brought to our frontier land.
Through their many descendants, they paved the way for a flourishing,
influential and most populated Leon County and many other parts of Texas and
the United States.
William and Mary (Oden) Rigby settled in Leona and Elias and
Chloe Oden settled in Flo, establishing the Oden Community.
William and Mary lived long productive lives. They
survived Indian and outlaw raids and the harshness of set backs of the farm
and ranch lives. They prospered, had a fair living and they believing
in god, trusted Him to help them through all the hardships. Both are
buried in Leona, TX.
They were well known as a father, mother couple who
established Leona as a worthy township. their children carried on with
the same characteristics and brought success in many ways.
Martha, a true Christian of the Nazarene faith, was a
homesteader of Leon and Goldthwaite counties, along with her husbands and
their children, were given credit of a firm foundation for a stable home
front.
Martha's two husbands served in the Civil War and stood
strong for the southern cause, helping to bring our Flo, Goldthwaite and
Texas through a disastrous time, to a more promising future. Through
Martha and her children, they brought a revival of Christianity and God's
ministry. Also through Martha, the Williams, Keese, Fletcher, Ross,
Rabon and Rory families became builders of Leona, Flo and other parts of
Texas.
William Rigby's son Russell married twice. The first
time was to Amanda Warren, the second time to Annie Twitchell. Both
were strong in God's missions. Annie was of Centerville and she won
many women to Christ.
Russell was a carpenter. He helped to build homes,
barns and businesses of our Leon Co. He was a hero of the Civil War, lost an
arm (it was shot off) and remained on the battle fields until the war was
over.
After Russell returned from the war, he was a well known
photographer. He was influential in the church and community all his
life.
Russell's children were born in Wheelock and Centerville.
They were special leaders of spreading the Gospel, erecting schools and
constructing businesses in Texas and California. They have served in
the military and have been responsible for historical sites of the military
force.
Through Russell, the Payne, Hanes, Murray's, Cowgill,
Petersons, Feldstein, Nash, Cook, Sanders and Cothran families, were most
important in the success of this area.
Ralph Cowgill was a veteran of WWII. He was
administrator of the IBM Corporation for forty years, a Mason, and a devoted
Christian of the Methodist church. He had interest in the Leona, Oden,
Flo ancestry. He has been in Flo gathering information of ancestry and
genealogy and helped to compile a book of these families, which have brought
about interest all over the United States.
Ralph has had interest of our Leona and Flo communities and
their other families. Many other stories have been written.
Ralph has used his computer knowledge in teaching our historical recordings
to museums and heritage cultural organizations.
William Rigby's daughter Nancy married George Ross.
they were of Leon county and were leaders of land development and more
modern farming and ranching techniques. They also served as teachers
and administrators of the church. Their children were ranchers, stock
dealers, evangelists and in the medical profession. They brought a
greatness to Leon county and other parts of Texas. Through this family
the Marshall, Hearne, Mays, Calloways and Connell's families were wonderful
assets.
William's son Needham married Sarah Boyd and Josephine
Ellison. They and their children were dedicated Christians who brought
wealth and success to Leona, Flo, Frankston, Normangee and many other parts
of Texas. Through this family the Boyd, Ellison, Sharp, Henderson,
Bledsoe, Moore, Dyess, and Rogers families became important settlers of Leon
county and Texas.
It is believed Jessie and his wife Novela Wooten were first
settlers of Madisonville where they established a first homeland. He
was an administrator of the Department of Corrections in Huntsville, TX and
was credited with the foundation of our Texas Prison System.
Susana (Susie) Rigby was the daughter of William. She
married Barden Porter. They were of the Centerville, Marquez
communities and were preachers and teachers of God's' ministry. They
were also land owners and prosperous cotton farmers. They provided a
lot of promotional gain. Barden was a hero of the Civil War and a
promoter of the Southern Cause. He left a legacy of honor.
Susie and Barden along with their children and related kin,
brought the Ellis, Bell, Shelton, Thomas, Dezelle, McIntire, Craig, Hughes,
Taylor and Coburn families to our Leon County, bringing many phases of
success.
John Rigby, the son of William, married Annie Flood.
They were special leaders of the Assembly of god faith. they
established elderly and shut-in community programs for Wheelock, Flo, Leona,
Madisonville and Midland, TX. through their children the walker,
McReynolds, Winter, Owen, Powell, Hawes and Shaw families brought success to
Leon County.
The Raymond Shaw family is believed to be credited with the
sawmill business of Boykin Chapel and Flo.
Lydia Chloe (Liddie) Rigby, daughter of William, married
Richard Lynch. They and their children were influential leaders of
Leona, Centerville, Buffalo and Flo. Richard was a first tax collector
of Leon County and he with his family were homesteaders, farmers, ranchers,
blacksmithing, ministers of the Methodist church and of the Mason order.
(cont. June 20, 2007)
As I study the lineage of these great pioneers, it is
believed through them nearly every Leon county citizen is related in some
way.
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