William Frederick Hagan (1895 - 1971)

Born 6 Nov 1895 in Duncan, Graham, Arizona Territory

Ancestors

Husband of Emily Eliza (Ross) Hagan — married 28 May 1919 in Houston, Harris, Texas, United States

Descendants

Died 18 Feb 1971 at age 75 in Conroe, Montgomery, Texas, United States

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Biography

Fred was born on 6 Nov 1895^[1] in Duncan, Arizona Territory^[2]. He was the second of three children born to Ed Hagan and Maggie Keith.^[3] Ed and Maggie’s other children were George, who was about 18 months older than Fred, and Hazel, who was 16 months younger.

Family background

The families of Fred's parents were frontiersmen who charted different courses to the American west in the late 1800s.

Fred's 3x-greatgrandfather Thomas Hagans was married to Sarah Wilcoxson, the daughter of Sarah Boone and the niece of Daniel Boone. In the late 1700s, the Hagans followed the Boones to Kentucky from Rowan County, North Carolina. Around 1830, Fred's great-grandfather David Hagan acquired land for a farm in far western Missouri, which was the western frontier of the United States from 1820 to 1860. The Hagans remained in that area until the late 1880s / early 1890s, when they moved to New Mexico and then to Arizona.

Fred's grandfather John Milton Keith was born in the independent Republic of Texas in 1842. Prior to that, John's father Gabriel Keith had settled in northeastern Texas in the early 1830s prior to its independence from Mexico. Fred's grandmother Susanna Parlee Edwards was born in central Texas in 1852, a few years after her parents moved there from northwestern Arkansas. Her family, the Edwards, were some of the earliest settlers of the Arkansas Territory in the late 1810s. John and Parlee Keith moved to New Mexico around 1885 and then to Arizona around 1889.

Fred's parents

Fred's father Ed was born around 1857 on his parents' farm in Missouri, the youngest of 5 sons. Ed's early years were particularly tumultuous, as western Missouri descended into anarchy and lawlessness in the years leading up to and during the American Civil War. Ed's grandfather David Hagan was murdered in 1861 by bushwackers^[4], and by 1863, his family was forced to flee across the border to Kansas. Ed's uncle John Hagan was murdered by Union soldiers in 1864^[5], and the Hagans were not able to reclaim their farm in Missouri until 1866. Then in 1868, when Ed was around 11 years old, his next oldest brother David died at the age of 14, although the circumstances of his death are unknown. The combination of these events is likely to have had a lasting impact on Fred's father.

Ed's older brother William was quite an industrious man, who spent considerable time during the 1870s and 1880s in Colorado, Mexico and Arizona developing businesses related to mining. Sometime around 1890, Ed's parents sold their farm and moved to western New Mexico / eastern Arizona, joined by Ed and his brother John.

Fred's mother Maggie was born in 1875 in Erath County, Texas, the sixth of 14 children born to her father and fourth of 12 children to her mother. Her family relocated frequently as she grew up, moving to Coleman County, Texas by the time she was 5, then to Grant County, New Mexico by the time she was 10.

Parents' marriage and divorce

Fred's parents married in Luna, New Mexico in Aug 1893 and shortly thereafter moved to Duncan.

Fred's parents' marriage was short and turbulent. Although Ed was 37 when they married in 1893, he had never been married before, and Maggie was only 17. In the autumn of 1898, Maggie, who was 3 to 4 months pregnant, filed for divorce. After Ed failed to appear at the hearing, the court determined that Ed was guilty of the “excesses, outrageous and cruel treatment” alleged in Maggie’s complaint, as well as failure “to contribute to the support and maintenance” of Maggie and their children.^[6] The divorce was granted on 23 Mar 1899, only 5 days after Maggie’s fourth child — Laura (Frankie) Adams — was born.

In May 1899, Maggie married Irvin Adams, Laura's father, in Solomonville, Arizona Territory (now known as Solomon). A year later, Fred (now 4) was living with his mother, step-father and 3 siblings in Solomonville and appears in the 1900 US federal census as “Freddie Adams”. They lived in a house on San Jose Avenue (now known as East Main Street), next door to Adams' older sister Mary Tifft and her family. Later that year, Fred's final sibling — Roy Adams — was born.

Mother's death and guardianship

Sanitation in frontier towns with little water and growing populations was challenging. As 1902 progressed, the various towns along the waterways of southeastern Arizona experienced outbreaks of typhoid and scarlet fever, and people of all ages were carried away. Maggie became ill in Sep 1902 and died on 4 Oct 1902. With her death, Irvin Adams abandoned the three Hagan children, who were now 8, 6 and 5 years old^[7].

Initially, Maggie’s parents, John (now 60) and Parlee (50) Keith took them in. In his petition for guardianship, John stated that he was “willing and able to care for, provide and educate” the children, who had “no property or estate of any kind whatever”.^[1] However, John and Parlee still had 5 children of their own who were under the age of 18 and may not have had the financial resources to care for them.

Just over a year later, in Jan 1904, a new petition was made to the Graham County Probate Court by Ira Harper for guardianship over George (now 9) and Fred (7)^[8]. It is not clear exactly what interest Ira had in the boys’ welfare, but it appears from his petition that the boys were already under his care^[9]. Ira had been married to Maggie’s cousin Clementine Head^[10], who died in 1896. In his petition, Ira stated that he was a “friend” of George and Fred, and that they had no relatives “fit or able to support them” (noting specifically that their father Ed Hagan and grandparents John and Parlee Keith lived nearby in Graham County). On 23 Feb 1904, Ira was appointed guardian of George and Fred Hagan.^[11]

Indentured servitude on Samuel Tenney's Ranch

Despite Ira's appointment as the boys' guardian, it seems John Keith retained some authority over them. In Oct 1904, Ira was informed by P.C. Little, judge of the Graham County Probate Court, that John had arranged for George (now 10) to be taken in by Samuel B Tenney. Mr Tenney owned a ranch along the Blue River about 30 miles north of Clifton. Under this arrangement, Mr Tenney agreed to pay Mr Keith $60 in Sep 1905 "for the years (sic) services of the boy". In addition, he agreed to feed and clothe him, and "give him the advantage of reciting lessons to the teacher employed" in Mr Tenney's family. Judge Little suggested that Ira himself formalise the arrangement with Tenney as he was George's guardian. Little also told Ira to ensure that the $60 was paid to Ira (not John) "for the use and benefit" of George. Tenney also said he was willing to take in the "smaller boy" (Fred) who had been "given to someone else". Tenney said he would "keep him in good shape, but at present could not pay him any wages, but later on would provide something extra in addition to his keep."^[12]

According to family stories, the boys were “sold” as "indentured servants" (or, less charitably, "slaves") to pay off a family debt. Although they were supposed to be educated on Tenney’s ranch, Fred did not learn to read or write until he was an adult. Moreover, they were treated harshly, and sometime over the next few years, they decided to flee.

Arrival in Houston & Army service

Not much is known about Fred's life between 1905 and 1917. According to family stories, during this time, after they left Tenney's ranch, he and his brother George made their way east and survived by working for food and shelter at ranches and farms in New Mexico and Texas. Although Fred could not read or write, he had become an excellent horseman.

In Apr 1917, Fred enlisted in the U.S. Army as a private first class and officers reserve candidate in Houston, Texas^[13], and according to family tradition, he joined the cavalry. One family story relates that he may have been involved in the so-called Mexican Expedition to capture Pancho Villa. However, as this expedition ended in Feb 1917, this story is likely to be true only if he served previously in the Army or the National Guard.

During his Army service, Fred was stationed at Camp Logan, which was located near the center of Houston in what is now Memorial Park.

He died on 18 Feb 1971 in Conroe, Texas at the age of 75.

Research notes

Date and place of birth

Some records indicate that Fred was born on 6 Nov 1895^[1], while other records indicate his date of birth as 6 Nov 1896^[3]. The later date could not be correct, as his sister Hazel was born in Mar 1897.

Until 1909, Duncan was in Graham County. Thereafter, it was located in Greenlee County, which was formed from the eastern part of Graham County.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Petition of J.M. Keith for Appointment as Guardian (by Edwards & McFarland as attorneys for Petitioner), Probate Court, Graham County, Arizona Territory. 12 Nov 1902. p.1 (FamilySearch.com) (requires free registration).
2. ↑ Duncan was in Graham County until Greenlee County was formed in 1909.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} William Frederick Hagan (FindAGrave).
4. ↑ Richardson, Alice Baker. The Hink Family, self-published, 1988, p. 217. (FamilySearch.com) (requires free registration).
5. ↑ The History of Jackson County, Missouri, Kansas City, MO: Union Historical Company, Birdsall, Willams & Co, 1881. pp. 273-74.
6. ↑ Maggie Hagan vs. Ed Hagan Decree of Divorce, District Court for the Second Judicial District of Graham County, Arizona Territory, 23 Mar 1899 (Ancestry.com) (requires subscription).
7. ↑ According to family stories, Irvin later took Hazel back in with her two half-siblings and moved to California, where she was ultimately placed in foster care.
8. ↑ Petition of Ira Harper for Appointment as Guardian (by Ira Harper), Probate Court, Graham County, Arizona Territory. 15 Jan 1904 (FamilySearch.com) (requires free registration).
9. ↑ According to the petition: "said minors are at present under the care of Ira Harper, this petitioner".
10. ↑ Clementine was Maggie's first cousin. She was the daughter of Rebecca Keith, the older sister of Maggie's father.
11. ↑ Order Appointing Guardian (appointing Ira Harper as guardian of George and Fred Hagan, Probate Court, Graham County, Arizona Territory. 23 Feb 1904 (FamilySearch.com) (requires free registration).
12. ↑ Letter of Judge P.C. Little to Ira Harper, Probate Court, Graham County, Arizona Territory. 13 Oct 1904 (FamilySearch.com) (requires free registration).
13. ↑ Fred Hagan, United States, Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940 (FamilySearch) (requires free registration). Fred enlisted in the Army on 27 Apr 1917 and was discharged on 20 Dec 1918.

• William Frederick Hagan (FamilySearch) (contains links to other sources) (requires free registration).
• See also: Petition of J.M. Keith for Appointment as Guardian of Hagan minors, Probate Court Files, Graham County, Arizona Territory. (Ancestry.com) (requires subscription).