> At this time Samuel and Polly lived in Prairie Township adjacent to the > present town of Berryville, Arkansas. Samuel acquired property during > this time as his taxes increased steadily from 1840 to 1847. > By 1840 the family of Samuel and Polly had grown due to the childrens > marriages and the births of grandchildren. > Their eldest daughter, Elizabeth (Betsy), and her husband, John Petty > Jr, were also living in Carroll County, Arkansas, and already had 12 > children. > Edna Bell and James Magee, who were living in Panola County, > Mississippi, already had seven children. > John Dawson, the eldest son, was 29 and married to Temperance Queen; > they had a son named Tolliver. James Dawson, the second son, age 26, > was married to Temperance Butler born in North Carolina, and they had > two children: Ellender and Melvina. Robert Dawson, the third son, age > twenty five, was already married to Jane Watkins from Alabama who ws > part Cherokee; they had three sons by 1840: Elbert, Samuel Riley, and > Jasper. > Finally, Samuel and Polly Ann began entertaining thoughts of going > further west after hearing about the generous land policy in Texas. The > Republic became the State of Texas in 1846 and as difficult as it was to > leave their two sons Robert Dawson remained in Arkansas, and Joseph > Dawson who had married Martha G Wilson-moved to Mississippi and perhaps > kept in touch with Edna Bell, the year found Samuel and Polly disposing > of property and crops and preparing to move. > The oldest daughter, Betsy Petty, promised to join her parents later in > Texas. The youngest son, Samuel Riley-had married Temperance' sister, > Margaret Queen. So, with three married sons, John, James, and Samuel > Riley, along with daughters-in-law and nine grandchildren, the Dawson > family began their adventurous trek to Texas. They departed Berryville > in 1848 in covered wagons and joined other families in a southwestwardly > moving wagon train. > The Dawson family which included 19 people appears in the 1850 Census of > Williamson County, Texas (this is where I grew up and it is just south > of Bell County). > In the census: Samuel Dawson, age 66, born in South Carolina, lists > his occupation as farmer, he is followed by his wife whose name is given > as Anna Dawson, age 63, born in Tennessee. (Perhaps she preferred her > middle name). According to this census, Samuel owned $500 in real > estate. > John and Temperance are followed by five children: Tolliver H.-age 9, > Huldah - age 7, Edna A.- age 5, Josephine -age 3, and and the baby > Temperance only 9 months. > James Dawson and his wife, also named Temperance, are followed by their > four children: Ellender -age 11, Melvina -age ten, Wilburn -age 8, and > Missouri A -age 3. > Samuel Riley Dawson, the youngest son, and his wife Margaret are listed > with their two children: Mary A. -age four, and Elizabeth P. -only 7 > months. > Following the 1850 Census, Samuel and Polly Ann's oldest daughter and > son in law (Elizabeth (Dawson) and John Petty Jr) moved with their > children from Arkansas to Texas. They settled in the neighboring county > of Bastrop and established the community that bears their name > Pettytown, TX. > In Georgetown (my hometown), Williamson County, Texas, Samuel Dawson > made an application to the United States Gov't for one hundred and sixty > acres of land: this bounty land grant, dated Sept 24, 1853 was in > return for his service during the war of 1812. Two witnesses referred > to Samuel Dawson as "a man of veracity and honor". Deed records in > Williamson County attest to the fact tht Samuel and his three sons > obtained more land through numerous transactions. Samuel and his > youngest son were often partners in purchasing land. To avoid confusion > Samuel Riley (the son) used only his middle name Riley on land records. > After spending their first seven years in Texas within Williamson County > on Willey Creek, the Dawson family decided to relocate. > With Samuel at the helm, the family moved to the nearby county of > Lampasas. (Directly Northwest of Williamson County). Samuel paid taxes > in Lampasas County in the years of 1856 and 1857. He owned a horse > valued at $30 and two cows. His youngest son, Samuel Riley, had two > Negros, valued at $1200 who had resided with the Dawsons for several > years prior. While in Lampasas County, Samuel suffered the loss of his > beloved Polly Ann who died in 1857. The matriarch of the family died at > the age of 70, leaving seven children, over 60 grandchildren, and a > wonderful legacy of Cherokee culture. > Two years after Polly Ann's death, her brother in law, Sam Houston, was > elected Governer of Texas in 1859.