Lewis Filmore Leggitt (1851 - 1911)

Born 13 Apr 1851 in Montezuma, Macon, Georgia

Ancestors

Husband of Leila E. (Dinkins) Leggitt — married 24 Jan 1878 in Macon Co., Ga

Descendants

Died 2 Apr 1911 at age 59 in Caddo Mills, Hunt, Texas

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Michael Williams [send private message] and Roy Leggitt [send private message]

Biography

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import.^[1] It's a rough draft and needs to be edited.

Name

Name: Lewis Filmore "Jack" /Leggitt/

Given Name: Lewis Filmore "Jack"

Surname: Leggitt

Nickname: Jack

A Given name was found in addition to a first name in the NAME tag.

Event

Event:

Type: Marrage

Note: Wife Leanda Jo Dinkins :married Jan 24, 1878 1892

Wife Leander J. Davis  :married Nov 12, 1891

Wife Sarah C. Spears  :Married Oct 21, 1902

User ID

User ID: A3852E6242A4400A94C9F4D41ABAFD69476B

Data Changed

Data Changed:

Date: 13 Nov 2014

Time: 10:40

Prior to import, this record was last changed 10:40 13 Nov 2014.

Marriage

Husband: Lewis Filmore "Jack" Leggitt

PREF Y

Wife: Leila Dinkins

PREF Y

Marriage:

Date: 24 Jan 1878

Place: Macon Co., Ga

Event:

Type: Marriage

Note: Maggiage Book B 1872-1880 Page 446

Event:

Type: Alt. Marriage

Date: 24 Jan 1878

Place: , Macon, Georgia^[2]

Child: Oscar Jack Leggitt

Child: Louis Leggitt

PREF Y

Child: Nonie D. Leggitt

Data Changed:

Date: 12 Nov 2014

Time: 12:39

Source: 1860 Macon County Georgia census, page 135. 770 District, 16 August 1860, post office Montezuma. He is listed in the household of his parents as Lewis F. Leggett, age 9.

The 1870 Georgia census for Macon County, Montezuma, Lewis is listed as a nineteen year old in school living with his older brother Edmund and his family. Interestingly, the census shows that his future wife Leila Dinkins is living just four houses up the page as a ten year old student with her mother Heniretta and brother Charles.

LDS microfilm 310946. This indenture made the ninth day of January in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy five between Lewis F. Leggitt of the County of Macon and State of Georgia of the first part and Clemintina M. Leggitt of the same place of the second part. Whereforth the said Lewis F. Leggitt of the first part for and in consideration of the sum of four hundred and fifty dollars cash in hand paid before the delivery hereof hathe bargains and sold save by these presents doth grant and convey unto the said Clementina M. Leggitt her heirs, Executors, Administrators and aforgive forever all and signatures his undivided interest both real and personal in the Estate of both Elizabeth and Mathew H. Leggitt both situated in the fifteenth district of originally Houston now Macon County State of Georgia together with all and singular the testaments --- --- --- of --- thereunto belonging and the --- rents, --- and profits thereof and all the estate title and interest of the said Lewis F. Leggitt to the said premise as any part therof.

Signed by Lewis F. Leggitt and witnessed by Edmund A. Leggett

Note that this is just about the time that Lewis and Leila were married and struck off for Valdosta where Oscar was born in 1879 and Atlanta for the 1880 census. Apparently Lewis needed a little stake to start his life.

Marriage: Macon Co., Ga. Marriage Book B, 1872-1880, page 446 by J. J. Cheeves, M. G..

Listed in 1880 Georgia census as a farm laborer in Cobb County.

Listed in 1900 Texas census in Hunt County with new wife, Leanda - Louis (Lewis F.) and Nona were living with them. So is Henrietta McKinzie, mother-in-law. She was 57, born Dec. 1842 in Georgia. Her father was born in North Carolina - her mother was born in Georgia. Note that she is too young to be Leanda's mother. (See mention of Leander J. Denkins in Leanda's notes.) Listed in 1910 Texas census in Hunt County with Lona (Nona?) and his mother-in- law, Henrietta McKinzie, age 67. Note that this Henrietta has the same first name and age as Henrietta Dinkins in the 1870 Macon County, Georgia, who was Leila Dinkins' mother.

Name changes from census to census. 1860-Lewis F. Leggett, 1870-Lewis P. Leggett, 1880-Louis Leggitt, 1900-Louis F. Leggitt, 1910-Lewis F. Leggett.

His marriage to Leander Jo Dinkins (Mrs. J. L. Davis) is recorded in Hunt County, TX Marriage Book G, page 271, 12 Nov. 1891.

His marriage to Sarah C. Spears is recorded in Hunt County, TX Marriage Book L, page 202, 21 Oct. 1902.

In a visit with Thelma Renee Leggitt Lea in May, 1996, she recalled her grandfather as a small, square shaped, bearded man. He would always bring them a tin of hard candy when he visited. He drove a "hack" (apparently a vendor's wagon) from which he peddled household and foodstuff items including medicines. Many of his customers did not have money to pay for the items and would pay for them by giving him live chickens. Thelma recalls wire chicken cages hanging from beneath the bed of the hack. He would also then sell the chickens.

Source of death: Texas Death Records 1903-1940 from Brenda Hay, 707 Jonathan Dr., Euless, TX 76040, on 1 Feb 1994. Index indicated name as Louis Fillmore Leggitt, Hunt County, index number 8744. Interestingly, just above Louis' entry, there is an entry Leggitt, Louis Inf. of, Hunt County, Mar ? 1913, 6469.

These are the only two Leggitt entries for Hunt County. However, there is a Mrs. T. V. Leggett, Hunt County, June 8, 1918, 25328. There are no Leggitt or Leggett entries in either Knox or Haskell Counties where Lewis' son Louis lived.

Mae Leggitt told me the following in 1993:

Daddy told me a story the night before we moved from the farm to Cheyenne. He said "His father was the youngest of 7 sons and they lived in Georgia on a plantation. He said the older brothers were playing poker one night and started losing. They lost all their money and finally the only thing left to wager was the plantation. The debt was so large the winner said "double or nothing" and they lost the hand and the plantation. So that was the reason his father changed the spelling of his last name and moved his family to east Texas." He also said they were in a terrible flu epidemic and his eyes had been very weak from that time on.

Needless to say, this story does not coincide with the will of his father and mother and the indenture where Clemintina effectively buys his portion of their estate.

The following is from Preston Leggitt's Leggitt Family History (1994):

CHAPTER 6. LEWIS FILLMORE "JACK" LEGGITT (My Great Grandfather)

I read somewhere that after the War Between the States, many of the houses in the South were found vacant with the initials G.T.T. scrawled across the door -- Gone To Texas.

Lewis Fillmore "Jack" Leggitt was the youngest son of Matthew Hunter Leggett and Elizabeth Allums Leggett. He was 13 years old when his father Matthew died. His mother Elizabeth died when he was 18. He lived for a while with Doctor Edmund A. Leggitt, his brother. He is shown on the 1870 Census as "still at school", and living with Edmund and family.

He married Lelia E. Dinkins on January 24, 1878 in Valdosta, Lowndes Co. Georgia. They had 3 children:

1.) Oscar Jack Leggitt born October 14, 1878 in Valdosta, Georgia. Oscar married Maggie Inez Hussey Harrington in 1915 in Berlin, Oklahoma and died February 20, 1954 in Crawford, Oklahoma.

2.) Louis F. Leggitt, born September 21, 1881 in Macon County, Georgia. Louis married Effie Octavene White December 15, 1901

3.) Nonie D. Leggitt, born December 14, 1888 in Texas. died August 26, 1933.

Times were very hard in Georgia after the war and it was hard to make a living. Between 1881 and 1888, Lewis Fillmore moved his young family to Texas. They first came to Caddo Mills, near Greenville, Hunt County, Texas.

At this time, there were already other Leggetts in Texas. Leggetts had been in Texas at least since 1836 when John T. Leggett and his brother came from Pike County Georgia to fight against the Mexicans. Matthew H. Leggett owned land in Pike County in the late 1820's and early 1830's. I don't know if any of these people were even related but more than likely they were at least cousins. As early as 1811, a David Leggett had received a pass to go West through the Mississippi Territory. A J.S. Leggett got married in nearby Collin County of Texas in 1870, at least 11 years before Lewis Fillmore Leggitt brought his young family to Texas. This county is Northeast of Dallas near Lake Lavon, very close to Caddo Mills, where Lewis Fillmore first settled in Texas. There were several other Leggett families in the Caddo Mills-Lavon-Greenville area including a Doctor J. L. Leggett who died in 1902. Perhaps Lewis Fillmore Leggitt first heard about Texas through letters from these people to relatives back in Georgia.

Lewis' wife Lelia Denkins Leggitt reportedly died as a result of complications in the childbirth of Nonie in 1888. Nonie was mentally retarded from birth and never progressed very far in school.

Lewis F. married his 2nd wife, Leanda Jo Denkins in 1892. She was the sister (RCL - really her aunt) of Lelia, his first wife. She was always known to the kids as "Aunt Jo." He and his family were in the Caddo Mills area for the 1900 Census. He listed his occupation as farmer at the time. Residing in the house were Lewis, Leanda (Jo), Louis, and Nonie. (RCL note: see Leanda's notes - she was actually Lelia's aunt, not her sister.)

Database: Texas Marriages, 1851-1900

Name: L. F. LEGGITT Spouse: J. L. [Mrs] DAVIS Marriage Date: 12 Nov 1891 County: Hunt State: TX

By 1910 Census, Lewis Fillmore Leggitt was again a widower. Living in the house were Nonie, Lewis, a Henrietta McKenzie. Aunt Thelma said Mrs. Mckenzie was the mother of Lelia and Leanda Jo.

Aunt Thelma Lea recalled that he worked as a traveling salesman or peddler. He operated a mule drawn wagon traveling from house to house, farm to farm, selling pots, pans, sewing notions, food items, tools, etc...and bartering in most cases because most people had no money. Underneath the wagon, cages were mounted which held the chickens and eggs that many people would barter for goods.

Lewis Fillmore Leggitt died April 2, 1911. He died at Caddo Mills, Texas. I have been unable to locate his grave at this time. (RCL note: see the note at the end of Lewis' son Louis' notes. It details the efforts Preston has gone to in attempting to find Lewis's grave. He says he will take some liberty here and suppose that if a man (Louis Leggitt, my Grandfather) had buried his father only 2 years before at Caddo Mills, then his child is stillborn, he would want the child buried with his Father. We know that the child was brought from Greenville to Caddo Mills for burial. I now believe that the child and the child's Grandfather Lewis Fillmore Leggitt are buried together in Elm Creek Cemetery. Cemetery listings in the State Genealogical library show 7 or 8 unmarked graves in Elm Creek Cemetery. I believe we now know possibly who 2 of these are. It may be that the graves are marked, but stones are buried or missing.

RCL note: In April 1996 Preston Leggitt discovered a small metal storage box owned by his Aunt Thelma Lea which was in the possession of her daughter Evelyn Fletcher. In addition to some insurance papers, the box contained several pages from a family bible and a portrait of Lewis F. Leggitt. The bible pages contained the following inscriptions:

- Births -

Oscar Leggitt the son of Louis F. and Lelia E. Leggitt was born 14th October 1878. Louis Leggitt the son of Louis F. and Lelia E. Leggitt was born 21st September 1881. Nonie Leggitt the daughter of Louis F. and Lelia E. Leggitt was born 4th December 1888. Cliff Davis the son of W. W. and Leander J. Davis was born 24th October 1875. Warren W. Davis the son of W. W. and Leander J. Davis was born 10th March 1883.

- Marriages -

Louis F. Leggitt and Lelia E. Dinkins married January 24th 1878. Louis F. Leggitt and Leander J. Davis married November 12th 1891. Louis F. Leggitt and Sarah C. Spears married Oct 21 1902. Louis Leggitt and E. Octavene White married Dec. 15 1901.

- Deaths -

Lelia E. Leggitt departed this life June 3rd 1891. Age 30 years, 5 months, 11 days. Leander J. Leggitt departed this life June 17th 1900. Age 50 years, 6 months, 7 days. L. F. Leggitt departed this life April 2, 1911, gae (sic) 59 years.

Ancestry.com has the following data:

1860 United States Federal Census Record Census & Voter Lists Name: Lewis F Leggett Birth: abt 1851 in Georgia Residence: 1860 in Georgia Militia District 770, Macon, Georgia, United States

1870 United States Federal Census about Lewis P Leggett Name: Lewis P Leggett Age in 1870: 19 Birth Year: abt 1851 Birthplace: Georgia Home in 1870: Montezuma, Macon, Georgia Race: White Gender: Male Post Office: Oglethorpe Household Members: Name Age Edmund Leggett 35 Clemtina M Leggett 25 Mathew H Leggett 3 James T V Leggett 2/12 Josephene B Leggett 21 Lewis P Leggett 19 Bethany Leggett 25 Emma Leggett 10 Fena Leggett 8 Sanco Leggett 5 Jack Leggett 2 Martha Leggett 80

1880 United States Federal Census Record Census & Voter Lists Name: Louis Leggitt Spouse: Leila Leggitt Children: Oscar Leggitt Birth: abt 1841 in Georgia Residence: 1880 in Marietta, Cobb, Georgia, United States

1900 United States Federal Census Record Census & Voter Lists Name: Louis F Leavitt Spouse: Leanda J Leavitt Children: Louis Leavitt Birth: Apr 1851 in Georgia Marriage: 1892 Residence: 1900 in Justice Precinct 3 (All South of Cotton Belt Rd.), Hunt, Texas

1910 United States Federal Census Record Census & Voter Lists Name: Lewis L Leggitt Children: Lona Leggitt Birth: 1852 in Georgia Residence: 1910 in Justice Precinct 3, Hunt, Texas

Texas Death Index, 1903-2000 Record Birth, Marriage & Death Name: Louis Fillmore Leggitt Death: 2 Apr 1911 in Hunt, Texas

Sources

1. ↑ Leggitt-71 was created by Michael Williams through the import of Williams_1.ged on Dec 15, 2014. This comment and citation can be deleted after the biography has been edited and primary sources are included.
2. ↑ Source: #S2 Page: accessed 16 Nov 2014), entry for Leila Dinkins, person ID K8DJ-7WK. Quality or Certainty of Data: 3