Catherine Darr came to Texas in 1856 as a Widow. At 72 years of age she made the trip with three married sons and a married daughter, leaving two sons and their families in Tennessee, where she had buried her husband and 2 of her children.

Catherine was born circa 1784 in North Carolina. Her parentage has not been ascertained. She married circa 1805, in North Carolina to Henry DARR, who was born about 1780, the son of Melchior Darr and Elizabeth Frank.

The couple resided in Rowan Co NC, where all their children were born. The first Census record showing them as a family is the 1810 Rowan Co NC Federal Census. An unnamed Daughter, who died not long after birth, and their two year old son, Ransom, are buried in Rowan County.

Sometime between the 1825 and 1830 Censuses, Henry Darr moved his family to Gibson Co TN and moved again before the 1840 Census to Madison Co TN. The family is enumerated on the 1840 Census there, and Catherine and Henry are enumerated there on the 1850 Census.

Henry died 11 Jan 1854 in Madison Co TN. His Probate was filed in the Madison County TN Court Minute Book 7, page 188, on February 7, 1854.
"In petition for dower from real estate holdings of Henary Darr, it is hereby recorded that he died January 11, 1854, leaving a wife Catharine and children John, Levi, George, David, Henry Jr., Elizabeth-wife of Samuel Lewis (sic), and grandchildren James A., Martha J., Samuel C., Henary Clay Darr, children of Henary Darr's deceased son, Alexander Darr."

As soon as Henry Darr's estate was settled, Catherine and four of her children, their spouses and grandchildren were on their way to Texas. Her eldest son, George, and son Henry,Jr. both chose to remain in Tennessee. George died there while the family was on their way to Texas, and Henry died in 1872.

The Darr and Lovett families made the trip by ox-drawn wagons and it took them four months to make the journey. According to family lore they crossed the Mississippi River on rafts large enough to accommodate the wagons and livestock. It was an arduous journey for all, much less someone Catherine's age. When they arrived in Texas they waited in their wagons while the John O. Heath family vacated the log house they had purchased as their first Texas home.

The land they settled on was in a community called Black Hill, situated between Willow Springs and Pleasant Springs. Their first house was the Post Office for Black Hill and was located along side the Central National Road of the Republic, which made it a very busy place. Not long after their arrival Nancy Jane Darr, six year old daughter of John, died. She was among the first interments in the Willow Springs Cemetery, now known as Heath.

After arriving, Catherine's children acquired land and built their own homes. Son David first settled his family several miles south and across the Trinity River in Ellis County, and moved westward as lands were opened for settlement. Levi and John lived due west of the Rockwall area and much of their land is now under Lake Ray Hbbard. In 1860 Catherine is living with her daughter, Elizabeth Lovett, in Kaufman Co TX. Soon the War Between the States interrupted their lives when Catherine's sons, son-in-law and grandsons enlisted in the Confederate States Army. One of her grandsons, Thomas Jefferson Lovett, was killed in the war. He and brothers Jack and Noah Lovett, and cousin Henry Levi Darr served in Co I - 18th TX Infantry. Her sons John and Levi, and son-in-law Samuel Lovett served in Co G - 2nd TX Cavalry.

Catherine died 9 Jan 1867 and is buried near many of her children and grandchildren in an unmarked grave at Heath Cemetery in what is now Rockwall County.

Catherine Byerly Darr
deserves recognition as a true Pioneer Woman of Rockwall County

Children of Catherine Byerly Darr and Henry Darr:

....... 1. George Darr
..............b: 1807 NC d: 1855 Madison Co., Tn
........... +Elizabeth Prudence Irwin
................ Daniel Darr b: 1836
................ Malinda E. Darr b: 1838
................ Sarah C. Darr b: 1840
................ James F. Darr b: 1842
................ Julia A. Darr b: 1845

....... 2. Elizabeth Catherine Darr
...............b: 18 Nov 1808 NC d: 3 Dec 1870 Dallas Co TX
...........+Samuel Lovett
................Martha Jane Lovett b: 1833 TN
....................+John T. Harrington
................ James F. Lovett b: 1837 TN
................ Nancy A. Lovett b: 1838 TnN
................ Thomas J. Lovett b: 1840 Gibson Co TN
................ Miranda Loise Lovett b: 1841 Gibson Co TN
....................+Edward Davis
................ William P. Lovett b: 1843 Madison Co TN
.................... +Nancy Patrick
................ Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Lovett b: 1843 Gibson Co TN
....................+Robert Montgomery Davis Jr.
................ Noah V. Lovett b: 1845 Gibson Co TN
.....................+ Caroline Fisher
................ David M. Lovett b: 1848 Madison Co TN
....................+Ellen H. Weatherford

....... 3. Alexander Darr
..............b: Bet. 1810 - 1812 NC d: 1850 Tipton Co TN
...........+Martha Hicks
................ James Alexander Darr b: Abt. 1835 Tn
................ Martha Jane Darr b: 1839 Tn
................ Samuel C. Darr b: Abt. 1842 Tn
................ Mary Darr b: Abt. 1847
................ Henry Clay Darr b: 1850

....... 4. Henry. Darr, Jr
...............b: 2 Oct 1813 Madison Co TN d: 11 Sep 1872 Madison Co TN
...........+Miriam Hicks
................ Martha Darr b: 1834

....... 5. Infant Daughter
...............b: Nov 20, 1816 d: infant - Rowan Co NC

....... 6. John Sr. Darr
..............b: 24 Oct 1817 Rowan Co NC d: 6 Nov 1872 Rockwall Co TX
...........+Angelina C. Ervin
................ Elizabeth C. "Bettie" Darr b: 4 Nov 1842
....................+James Thomas Vance
................ James W. Darr
................ Mary Ann Darr b: 31 May 1841 TN
....................+John Thomas Adams
................ Henry Levi 'Lee' Darr b: 20 Feb 1845 Madison Co TN
.................... +Sarah Ann Moyers
.................. ..+Jeannie Fondren
................ John M. Darr b: 1847 TN
................ Charles William Darr b: Feb 1848 Madison Co., Tn
.................... +Cynthia J. Poer
.................... +Elizabeth Tatum
................ Nancy "Jane" Darr b: 1854 Tn d: 1856 Kaufman Co TX
................ Francis Parilee Darr b: April 28, 1855 TN
....................+James 'Jim' Holt
................ Wiley T. Darr b: Aft. 1857 d: 1863 Kaufman Co TX
................Martha Angeline Darr b: Dec 19, 1858 Heath TX
.................... +William Ferrell Bratcher
................ Lucy Ellen Darr b: 1864 Kaufman Co TX
.................... +H. S. Stanfield

....... 7. Ransom Darr
..............b: 19 Dec1819 Rowan Co.,NC d: 16 Dec 1820 Rowan Co NC

....... 8. William "David" Darr
..............b: Abt. 1823 Rowan NC d: Aft. 1870 Falls Co Texas
........... +Nancy Estes
................ Mary Elizabeth Darr b: 1846
.................... +Lewis Russell Hawkins
................ Henry Darr b: 1848
................ John T. Darr b: Abt. 1850
.................... +Jennie Sharp m: Abt. 1870
................ Lou Darr b: Abt. 1855 d: Abt. 1881
................ Ann Darr b: Abt. 1855 d: Abt. 1881
................ William David Darr, Jr. b: Jan 27, 1853
....................+Rosa Jane Darr ( his 1st cousin )

....... 9. Levi Darr
................b: 3 Mar 1825 NC d: 3 Mar 1908 Hill Co., TX
........... +Mary Ann Ince d: 8 Dec 1848
................ Elizabeth C. Darr b: 8 Dec 1848
.................... +Francis Elijah Sipe
........... +Rosan Priscella Ellen Harrington
................ John William Andrew Darr b: 28 Jul 1855 Madison Co TN
.................... +Fannie Harvin
............+Elvina Clay
................ Felix Lafette Darr b: 10 Jun1857 Heath, Kaufman Co TX
....................+Mary Jane Adams
................ James Monroe Darr b: 20 Nov1860 Tx
....................+Louise Morris
................ Henry Wesley Darr b: 22 Feb 1868 Texas
.................... +Nettie UNK
.................... +Annie Budig
................ Sara Alice Darr b: 6 Oct 1869
....................+Jesse V. Tyree
................ Joseph Darr b: 1872
................ Martha 'Mattie' Darr b: 10 Aug 1874
.................... +David Walter Bowers
................ Rosa Jane Darr b: 11 Aug 1863 Texas
....................+ William David Darr, Jr

CORRECTIONS or ADDITIONS - Contact shirlcullum@gmail.com