Lucy (Hayes) Simmons (abt. 1793 - 1880)

Born about 1793 in Louisiana Territory, United States

Ancestors

Wife of James D. Reeves — married about 15 Feb 1809 in Louisiana

Wife of David D Simmons — married 3 Nov 1828 in Opelousas, St. Landry, Louisiana, United States

Descendants

Died 23 May 1880 at about age 87 in Louisiana, United States

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Biography

Lucy (Hayes) Simmons lived in Louisiana. Join: Louisiana Families Project Discuss: louisiana

Lucy was born about 1793. She was the daughter of Bosman Hayes and Ginny Foreman.

HAYES, Lucy (Bosman & Jane FORMAN) wid. REEVES m. 3 Nov. 1828 David SIMMONS of Mississippi (Opel. Ct.Hse.: Mar.#75)

She passed away about 1870. ^[1] Note: Lucy Hayes' first husband was James D. Reeves, a veteran of the War of 1812, who passed around 1827. Then, shortly thereafter, November 3, 1828, she marries David "Black Dave" Simmons of Natchez, Mississippi.

Lucy Hayes Biography by Charles Alcock.

submitted to Ancestry.com by Ancestry member: cbreeves_1

Lucy Hayes 1792 - 1880

Lucy Hayes, the fourth daughter of Bosman Hayes Sr and Jane "Guiny" Foreman, was born about 1792 and raised on the west bank of Bayou Plaquemine Brulee in St Landry Parish, La., near the present town of Branch, Louisiana. She was a grandchild of two of the pioneer Southwest Louisiana settlers, William Hayes and Edwardo Foreman, both deeply religious men. Grandfather Hayes was a Lutheran and Grandfather Foreman was a Calvinist. Grandparents William and Sarah Celeste Bosman Hayes lived across the bayou. The prairie land around Plaquermine Brulee became to be known as Prairie Hayes, named after Lucy's father, Bosman Hayes Sr., who ran cattle on the open range there. On February 15, 1809 she married James D Reeves, the son of Edmond and Sarah (Doyel/Dial) Reeves of Lafayette, Louisiana. James was born about 1790 up in Tennessee as Edmond and "Sally" were migrating from North Carolina, finally settling in Southwest Louisiana. Lucy and James set up house just up the Bayou from her folks and by mid 1810 a son was born and recorded in the census. This son must have died in infancy. By 1820 daughters Zilia Ann and Frances and sons Christropher Columbus and William Green were born. In 1820 the family was not in the St Landry census, probably living in Lafayette. Ellen and Isaac Monte were born in 1822 and 1823. James D prospered in a number of ventures. He had dealings with Jim Bowie and perhaps even Jean Lafitte. New settlers were arriving in southwest Louisiana daily and land speculation was the place to make money. The land on the bayous both north and south of Opelousas was in large demand. James D and Jim Bowie were two of the biggest and best at promoting these land deals. One deal on Bayou Boeuf north of Opelousas landed Bowie and Reeves in Court against each other, not a good position for either. James D and his brother John also owned large tracts of land in and around Lafayette. One tract involved 226 acres around the present Four Corners area of Lafayette. Both brothers passed away around 1826 and this tract was part of the successions. Lucy was a 34-year-old widow with six children and her cattle. Her father Bosman had just passed away and probably some of his cattle were a major portion of her inheritance. In 1828 Lucy married David D "Black Dave" Simmons of Western St Landry Parish, a widower who had been previously married to Mary Cole. Dave and Mary had lived on Bayou Plaquemine Brulee near James and Lucy when both couples were starting out. Dave and Mary had ten children. In 1833, Sarah Ann Simmons was born to Lucy and Dave, giving a total of sixteen children in the household. Large families were a blessing to farmers and cattlemen. Dave and Lucy prospered. In 1840 ten children were still living at home. Zilia Ann Reeves had married Stephen Simmons, one of Dave's cousins, and they had moved to Texas, settling in Harris County. The fates of Ellen and Frances Reeves are unknown. Many have Ellen marrying John Hagar, a New York farmer, who settled north of Lake Charles. However, 1850 census data proves that Ellen Reeves Hagar was the daughter of Isham Reeves and Nancy Ann Bilbo. To further confuse folks, we also had a black Ellen Reeves in the area, born in 1830, who married Andrew Botley. Christropher Reeves married Amelia Simmons and they homesteaded three miles southwest of Oberlin, La. One of their sons, Christopher, moved to Texas. Another, Dallas, moved across the Calcasieu River. The town of Reeves is named after his family. William Green Reeves married step sister Rachel Simmons in 1838 in Harris County, Texas, perhaps an elopement. The couple eventually returned home before the 1850 census. They later moved back to Texas, establishing a large Reeves family presence in the Trinity River area of east Texas. Isaac Monte Reeves married Louise A Cole, the daughter of Jacob Stampley Cole Senior and Denise Fruge', and they settled about four miles west of Oberlin. (See Louise's obit in the Obituary section.) Lucy and Dave's only child together, Sarah Ann Simmons, married Abner Cole, son of William "Grandpa Billy" Cole and his first wife Ellinor Noland,in 1850. There is a biography of Abner in "Cole Foot Print". Lucy is in the 1850 census as Lucy Rives, Widow, Age 58, living between two of her sons, William Green and Christropher C. Dave had passed away between 1840 and 1850. In the 1860 census Lucy was living in Hickory Flat between son Isaac Monte Reeves and daughter Sarah Ann Simmons Cole. Son Christopher's widow, Amelia, had married William Teal and they were living on the other side of Sarah Ann and Abner Cole. Grandsons Livingston and Menton were staying with grandmother Lucy. She was listed as a farmer, Age 67, with a comfortable estate. This era was undoubtedly her granny years, as she saw her Reeves and Simmons children marry and begin their families. In 1870, Lucy was living in the home of son-in-law Abner Cole and daughter Sarah in Hickory Flat. The 1870 censustaker was probably interviewing Sarah, who stated that her mother's name was Lucy Simmons, Age 77. In 1880, the censustaker for the Hickory Flat area was David Reid Jr., the future Sheriff of Calcasieu Parish. On 4 June 1880, he was in the home of Hickory Flat's new postmaster, Abner Cole. He first recorded Lucy as Lucy Simmons, mother-in-law, Age 87. Her name was then marked through and a note stated she was dead. We do not know the exact day of her death. We do know that Abner Cole had lost his father, Grandpa Billy, just two weeks before the census visit and now his wife, Sarah, had lost her mother. Two southwest Louisiana pioneers lost in Hickory Flat, probably within a month.

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Gen. Notes: Four Corners is the intersection of US 90(Cameron St.) and LA 182(Carencro Hwy) just northwest of downtown Lafayette. Years ago, directions to places in Lafayette and the surrounding area were given from this point. We do not know the reason for Black Dave's nickname. Tradition has it that, since there were two David Simmons in the area, the nicknames Big Dave and Black Dave were used to distinguish between them. The birthplace of the last children of Black Dave and Mary were recorded as Western St Landry Parish, probably the Prairie Soileau/Bayou DuBonne area on the eastern edge of the present Allen Parish and far west Evangeline Parish. Southwest Louisiana has three major Reeves families: descendants of George and Mary Ann Ryan Reeves, descendants of Isham and Nancy Ann Bilbo Reeves and descendants of Edmond and Sarah Dial Reeves. Our Reeves mentioned above are descendants of Edmond and Sarah.

• Fact: Burial Lyles Cemetery , Oberlin, Allen Parish, Louisiana, USA

Sources

1. ↑ Entered by Marie Cryer, Sunday, November 24, 2013.

Title: 1850 United States Federal Census Author: Ancestry.com Note: Seventh Census of the United States, 1850; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, 1009 rolls); Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

• Lucy Hayes Simmons (1793-1880) on Find A Grave: Memorial #7329840 retrieved 10 June 2021
• Ancestry.com. Louisiana, U.S., Compiled Marriage Index, 1718-1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Original data: Hunting For Bears, comp. Louisiana, Marriages, 1718-1925. Compiled from a variety of sources including original marriage records located in Family History Library microfilm, microfiche, or books. Original marriage records are available from the Clerk of the Court where the marriage license was issued. Louisana Secretary of State's Office. Louisana Marriage Index.Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
• Title: Southwest Louisiana Records, 1750-1900: compact disk #101; Author: Donald J. Hébert; Publication: Rayne, LA: Hébert Publications, 2001

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to Marie Cryer for creating Hayes-3103 on 24 Nov 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Marie and others.