Submitted by Rex C. Hopson,
E-mail: HOPSON@ABQ.COM

George Steptoe Blackwell Wilkinson

George Steptoe Blackwell Wilkinson, named for his maternal grandfather, George Steptoe Blackwell, was the first son born to John B. and Alice Strother (Blackwell) Wilkinson. He was born on 13 August 1815 in Georgia. He was about three years old when the family moved to Limestone County.
His first marriage was to Miss E.B. Hugins. The 1840 Census seems to indicate they had children. She likely died before May 1846 when he married Elizabeth T. Collier, daughter of Bouldin and Sarah (Slaughter) Collier of Limestone County. There is no record of any children by Elizabeth.
George married a third time on 30 August 1849 in Limestone County, Sophia Jane Dewoody. She was born 24 March 1831 in Tennessee to William and Ann Nelson (Adams) Dewoody.
George and Sophia had four sons and two daughters. All were born in Texas except Maggie, the last, who was born in Alabama. 1) Reuben (Oct 1850- after 1904) married Mollie L. Cummins on 3 July 1889 in Morgan County. 2) William D. (14 Dec 1853 - Rucker, Comanche County, Texas 2 January 1932) in Alabama Lura B. Burt (Before 1865 -). 3) John C. (1861 after 1904) married Sallie Thompson 4 November 1888 in Morgan County. They lived at Flint. 4) Elizabeth Tyler (1862 - after 1904) married William Vinkley Neville, 27 November 1887 in Morgan County. 5) Thomas Dewoody (1863 - after 1921) probably married and lived in Decatur. The 1905 Decatur City Directory shows T.D. Wilkinson, grocer on Second Avenue. The 1922 Directory lists Dewoody Wilkinson, clerk at Decatur Drug Company; Thomas D. and Janie P. living at 1009 Canal. A daughter, Lutie, is said to have married W.S. Russell and lived in Decatur. 6) Maggie A. (1866 - after 1904) married James B. Hale in Morgan County on 20 January 1885.
At age 25 George was head of household in the 1840 Limestone County Census. Several children were in the household. Two of them were likely his from his marriage to E.B. Hugins and others were probably his younger brothers and sisters. He must have been on the family plantation as he had 46 slaves. Several relatives were nearby-W.H. and Samuel Blackwell, S. Pickett, T. Collier, and brother James Wilkinson.
In May and August 1849 while residing in Limestone County he purchased 2000 acres of Cass County, Texas land for $9,000 and went to live there soon after. This land was part of the J.D. Brandon and W. Hamilton Headrights near Jim's Bayou. He received $9,500 when he sold his home and land to John Y., his brother, and to John Nance in 1850 and 1853, respectively.
George was enumerated on the Census on 12 November 1850 in Precinct 7 Cass County, Texas with wife Sophia and month-old son, Reuben. He was a farmer and had real estate valued at $4,000. His name on the 1860 Census has not been located.
He returned to Alabama before 1870 and was living in Morgan County, Alabama according to the 1870 Census, p.125 A; Decatur is shown as his post office. His wife, six children, and Robert Parks, farm worker, were also listed. An 1884 Business Directory shows a G. Wilkinson as a farmer at Flint, seven miles south of Decatur.
George S. B. died 24 November 1887. Sophia Jane died seventeen years later on 2 November 1904. They likely died in Morgan County; both were buried in Blackwell Cemetery beside the Decatur Country Club building in Decatur.
Sources: Brightwell, Dewoody Records; Edwards and Axford, Lure and lore of Limestone County, Family Bible of Eliza Irby (Wilkinson) Moseley; Genealogy files of Rex C. Hopson, Hardy, Colonial Families of the Southern States of America.

Transcribed by: Carol Lee Colunga

As published (expect where formatting was web prohibitive) in Cass County Connections. Cass County Connections is a quarterly publication put out by the Cass County Genealogical Society of Cass County, Texas. For more information on their society please see their home page at:
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~danasite/CCGS/
Permission granted by Cass County Genealogical Society to Dana Thomas for publishing on The Cass County, TXGenWeb Project Pages.