John Thomas Anderson (1849 - 1944)

Born 18 Mar 1849 in Macon, Bibb Co., GA

Ancestors

Husband of Medora Pinkney Formby — married 10 Oct 1867 in Clark Co., AK

Descendants

Died 26 Jan 1944 at age 94 in Newcastle, McClain Co., OK

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Shannon Birdwell [send private message]

Biography

1867, October 10 - Clark Co., AR. Thomas and Medora get married. He was 19, she was 18. Jonathan Stell was the Justice of the Peace who performed the ceremony. Book "E" page 109. 1873 - Pike Co., AR was formed out of Hempstead and Clark Cos. Part of Clark Co. was annexed in 1873. John may have initially lived in Clark Co. which became Pike Co. 1873 -November 30 - Arkadelphia, Clark Co., AR. List of letters remaining at post office: T. A. Anderson, J. T. Anderson. There was also a C. Stephens. I'm assuming that the J. T. is John Thomas. I think this list was published in the newspaper there. (May be from "The Saline" March 1990, Vol. 5 page 1). 1878, April 1 - Pike Co., AR. John began application for homestead in Pike county (late Washington district) near Kirby. This was application number 6772. Land was located at Section 36, township 5 south, range 25 west. 1878, April 13 - Camden, Ouachita Co., AR. John applied for a patent on the 160 acres. This process took five years as an applicant had to reside on the land for five years.

1882, August 30, Ouchita Co., AR. Land Patented. Section 23 Twonship 14S Range 17W Acres 40. 1883 - Pike Co., AR. A "J. T. Anderson" listed in the tax lists. 1883, September 18 - Arkadelphia, Clark Co., AR. A notice was published in the "Southern Standard" a weekly paper, stating the intent of settler, including John, to file for patent on the land on which they resided. Witnesses for John were William J. Williams, William L. Self, Lewis D. Pasley, and Taylor Moran. John and William T. Anderson were witnesses for a Jesse M. Allen. I suspect that this William is John's brother. This may be John Thomas Anderson or his father John J. A. Anderson. 1883, October 26 - Murfreesburo, Pike Co., AR. John and the other settlers and their witnesses had to appear before a judge at the county courthouse to prove their claim of residence where they homesteaded. In a form called "Homestead Proof--Testimony of Claimant", had to fill out a questionaire. He gives his age as being 33 years old. he stated that his PO address was Kirby and that he was a farmer. He was married with five children. His house was built and resided in before April 13, 1878. He had a log house, a frame house, a barn, orchard and twenty acres under cultivation. Full value was $250. His signature is on this application. He also had to give an affidativ that there were no minerals on his land. Witnesses verified information. 1883, November 3 - Camden, Ouachita Co., AR. Certificate was issued to John showing that he had fulfilled all requirements for the patent on the land. Certificate number 3104. This certificate had to be sent to Washington. 1884, May 19 - Camden, Ouachita Co., AR. Land office approves certificate and forwards information to Washington for patent. 1884, June 30 - Washington, DC. Patent issued to John for land. Given by General Land Office. 1904 - Little River Co., AR. - A patent was granted to a John T. Anderson for 40 acres at the North east quarter of the north east quarter of Section 13, Township 12 South, Range 31 west of the 5th principal meridian in Arkansas. I don't have the paperwork on this. This is confusing since John and family were clearly in Oklahoma for the 1900 census. The papers need to be ordered to look at this more closely. Per John's grandson Earl Cole, John and his family lived in Little River Co. for a while. Certificate 11498, Application 20320.

On June 6, 1996 In a conversation with Earl Cole, daughter of Ludie Lee Anderson Cole, John's daughter. Earl is 82 years old but his mind is very sharp being able to recall dates and place almost immediately and very accurately. At one point he said that his grandfather was born in 1849 and he wasn't looking at any notes. He said that John was born in Macon, GA. The family came through Tennessee into AR. They lived in Pike county and then in Little River Co., AR. This must be where John's daughter Martha Elizabeth (who Earl called "Aunt Lizzie") and Enoch Stephens met. According to a story that he heard from his grandfather, Indians stole their horses in Little River Co. After they sold out there, they came to Bandera, TX for a while then moved to OK. They lived in various places in Oklahoma: Sulphur - Murray Co., Olustee - Jackson Co., Newcastle - McLain Co. According to Earl, John Thomas (middle name supplied by Earl) Anderson died in Newcastle but is buried in Moore. He died of heart attack per Ray Anderson in a conversation on July 14, 1996. In conversation with Carl on June 26, 1996, he stated that his grandfather was a Primitive Baptist also known as Hardshell Baptist. He was very knowledgeable in the Bible and read it often and could quote it. He kept up his Bible reading until his eyes started going bad. While chopping wood for kindling in 1918-9, a piece flew into one eye damaging it to some degree. His eyes steadily grew worse and worse. He was blind the last 17 years of his life. During that time he lived with his daughter Ludie, Earl's mother. Earl often visited with his grandfather and stayed with him when Ludie had to go to town. John had a great sense of humor. He may have been 1/16th Indian. Carl said that his mother was born in Little River Co., AR in 1881. This means that the family must have moved there shortly after the census in 1880 which shows them in Pike Co. Carl tells a story that Indians stole his grandfather's horses and he had to break wild ones. It was after that that they moved to Bandera, TX and worked for a while before going to OK. This must have occurred in the mid 1890's. In conversation with Ray Anderson on July 7, 1996 (Ray is Thomas' son, grandson of John) John had helped in the Civil War. He would have been too young at the start but might have been old enough to help at the end. Supposedly he was a waterboy in the Civil War. Ray also said that John was county commissioner when Oklahoma was created but didn't say what county. It was probably Tishomingo.

Sources

• 1850, September 10., Walton Co., GA. Census. Page 9. Age 1.

1860 - Greenville Township, Clark Co., AR. Census. Page 203. 1880, June - Pike Co., AR. Census E.D. 125, Page 8. 1900, June 26 - Chickasaw Nation, OK Census E.D. 122, Sheet 14. 1910, May 13 - Stratford Twnshp., Garvin Co., OK Census E.D. 82, Sheet 14. Per Ray Anderson, John became a county commissioner of Garvin Co. 1920, January 2 - Leeper Twnshp, Murray Co., OK Census E.D. 90, Sheet 1. 1940 - McClain Co., OK Census. Sheet 6B. District 44-10. Listed with daughter Ludie who married R.L. Cole.