Hi, One Kirk of the African persuasion is mayor of Dallas, Texas Another is sheriff of Bell County, Texas. There were also some Kirks reported in Erath County, Texas. Check rootsweb archives for TxErath. In South Carolina I had Copeland- Hipp great grandparents from Clinton, S.C. The Copeland Reunions were held on alternate years in Clinton, Greeneville, and Greer, S.C. They married and moved to Arkansas . The West family of Central Texas might be worth your checking. West is on I-35 north of Waco in McLennan County. It is now predominately a Czechoslovakian- Polish- German town with seversal Scotch Irish early settlers, many with some Indian blood. West has a Unity of the Brethern (Moravian) Church (Some common beliefs with Baptist and with modern Mennonites, but not communal). , 2 Baptist, a large Catholic Church, Church of Christ, Methodist, Evangelical Church, and another or two. Most Czech and Slovak were immigrating from 1900 , to the present day. Some who settled in Mr. West.s town were imported by TP Coal and Oil to Texas Thurber, Texas Coal mines with 14 or more shafts and 1 at Newcastle, Texas. and were naturalized in Stephenville, Erath County, Texas. The old Thurber Ghost town is on I-20. It died when some young John L. Lewis helped kill it by organizing another strike for $1.00 per day when oil was struck in nearby Desdemona and Ranger- the home of Premier Ranger oil Co. TPCoal and Oil and Brickyard workers that the trains to California no longer needed their coal and they were to leave their com[pany owned houses in 30 days. On one Previous strike it got so wild during a strike that a company of Texas Rangers were sent to stop violence and protect life and property. This town had separate Priests and Catholic Churches for Italians and Irish. Czechs attended the Italian services. Some estimates say there were 20,000 or more residents wh=ith 9,000 miners and a few hundred Brick Kiln workers. 6000 or more were peddlers, salesmen , con artists, or Bar workers. The Horshoe bar in Mingus was the largest between Fort Worth and El Paso. Some similar mines were in Oklahoma east of OKC. I think Mr. West was a Railroad employee- developer or Tickert agent. Take care, Charles A. Wyly On Wed, 16 May 2001 13:48:13 EDT KKirk6@aol.com writes: > Good afternoon, I just read Carole's story and thoroughly enjoyed > it!! > > I just found out yesterday, my ggggrandfather, Rev. Andrew Jackson > West, was > a wagon maker here in Calhoun Co. in 1860. Had other things to do > today so I > wasn't able to get more information. > > I know he was from Spartanburg, SC and may have been in GA for a > short while > because the AL 1860 census has his daughter Sally as being born in > GA about > 1858. His oldest daughter, born about 1856 has that she was born in > SC. > > His parents may have been William and Margaret White West. I have > not done > this research, just told this by a cousin. He also, may have had a > brother > named John Pinckney West that was also a minister and moved to AL, > also. I > am told the rest of the family stayed in SC. > > Hopefully, in the near future, I will have a great story to share. > Until > then, I will continue to enjoy the ones I get now from all of you. > > Keitha Kirk > Calhoun Co., AL > > > ============================== > Shop Ancestry - Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & > Celebrate > your heritage! > http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog >