� Could your FRY line be related to the FRY families that lived in Denton, Denton Co.,TX that had a connection to the JACKSON/TAYLOR/BARKER families that lived in Llano in the 1860's and went to Carroll Co, and Yell Co., AR and returned to TX in 1871 and settled in Denton,TX. I have heard this surname mentioned in my family lines. Michelle Moreland Orlando TXLLANO-D-request@rootsweb.com wrote: > Subject: > > TXLLANO-D Digest������������������������������� Volume 00 : Issue 88 > > Today's Topics: > � #1 [TXLLANO] William K. (BILLY) Davis�� ["Karylon A. Russell" <krussell@mom] > > Administrivia: > To unsubscribe from TXLLANO-D, send a message to > > ������� TXLLANO-D-request@rootsweb.com > > that contains in the body of the message the command > > ������� unsubscribe > > and no other text.� No subject line is necessary, but if your software > requires one, just use unsubscribe in the subject, too. > > ______________________________ > > � ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Subject: [TXLLANO] William K. (BILLY) Davis > Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 07:38:34 -0800 > From: "Karylon A. Russell" <krussell@moment.net> > To: TXLLANO-L@rootsweb.com > > Posted on: Llano County Biographies > Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Tx/LlanoBios/13 > > Surname: DAVIS, MAXWELL, FRY, JOHNSTON, HAMLIN, TOW > ------------------------- > > William K. (BILLY) Davis was one of the earliest Anglo settlers in Llano > Co., arriving soon after the David Cowan family, around 1853. Both families > were instrumental in readying the Salt Works for operation in the northeastern > corner of Llano Co. (present day Tow/originally Saline) > The Davis Ford was named in honor of Billy who first discovered it. Its > location was where the old bridge at Old Bluffton crossed the Colorado > River prior to the building of Buchanan Dam. > > Billy Davis, as he was called, was born circa 1803 in Roane Co. TN to Edward > Davis, Sr. Soon after Giles Co. TN became a county, the family moved there > where Billy grew to manhood, taking a wife, Elzira ?, circa 1824. In the > early 1830's, however, Billy and family joined his brother and other family > members in Arkansas, settling first in what was known as Crawford Co., > but which became Johnson Co. AR. Edward, Sr. died there in 1839, and some > of Billy's siblings remained in Johnson Co. the rest of their lives, but > Billy had moved slightly south prior to 1840, in what was originally Scott > Co. AR. However, when Yell Co. AR was created prior to 1850, the family > found themselves living withing its boundaries. > > The family left Arkansas in 1852 for Texas. They first settled in Williamson > Co. TX where they are found on tax lists for that county. However, it is > obvious that Billy was in contact with David Cowan in Williamson Co. and > that Billy and his older sons entered what became Llano Co. at least a > full year before the rest of the family was moved there officially in 1854. > Ironically, the importance of Billy Davis to early Llano Co. history is > highly accepted and documented, but he was never really able to have a > huge impact because he died in 1854. He registered a brand (circle D) in > Williamson Co. in May of 1854, possibly on his way to Arkansas to conduct > family "business." His son, Edward W. NED went with him. Some time and > somewhere in Arkansas, Billy died during the summer of 1854. Ned returned > to Texas, bringing with him his brother-in-law, Isaac Byler IKE Maxwell, > younger brother to Ned's wife Mary B. Maxwell. Later, Ike would become > his DOUBLE brother-in-law since Ike married Ned's youngest sister, Margaret > Melcenie MAGGIE Davis late 1856. The two men crossed the Colorado Sept. > 8, 1854. > > Even though Billy died in 1854, his widow, Elzira ?, brought their younger > children to Llano Co., settling on land that later would encompass the > entire community of Old Bluffton, TX. They built their family homeplace, > the foundation/chimney/cistern/plum grove which can still be seen when > Lake Buchanan lowers to around the 900 level during droughts. Elzira continued > in Llano Co., although she is incorrectly listed as ELVIRA, on the 1860 > Census. In that year, she was one of Llano County's major slave holders--3 > mulattos. Elzira died circa 1864, but her burial spot is not known. > > The family of Billy and Elzira--all who were important factors in the settlement > of early Llano Co.--is as follows: > Thomas Henry Davis, born 1825, m. in Arkansas, Martha Ann Fry; Edward W. > NED Davis, born 1827, m. in Arkansas Mary B. Maxwell; Caleb A. Davis, born > 1829, m. Sarah Ann Tow in Llano Co.; Benjamin F. Davis m. Missouri Catherine > Johnston in Burnet Co.; Lucy Parthena Davis, m. early Tow store owner and > Civil War officer, A.D. (Alvis) Hamlin; MDL-Marcus DeLafayette (Fayette/Fett) > Davis, m. Sarah's sister, Mary Isabel Tow; and Margaret Melcenia MAGGIE > Davis m. Ike Maxwell--their marriage license supposedly the first one issued > in Llano Co. after the county was created. > > Thomas Henry, called HENRY, and Ned were the first to hack a trail between > the Salt Works and Fredericksburg in a wagon to sell salt to the German > community. In 1860 Henry made his way to San Antonio and officially purchased > the majority of the land in the horseshoe bend of the Colorado River from > its original grantees. Later, Henry opened the way for the community of > Bluffton to begin by laying off lots, etc. Although the community of Bluffton > was named by Ike Maxwell, in honor of his Yell Co. home, Bluffton, Arkansas, > it was Henry who had the authority in the family to near-give the land > for the cemetery at Bluffton for $1.00. > > All the Davis men, as well as A.D. Hamlin and Ike Maxwell, served in the > Civil War frontier units in Llano Co. except Ben, who had moved to the > Field Creek area of Llano Co. prior to 1860 and appears to have served > in units out of San Saba Co. > > After Elzira died in 1864 and Ned succombed to pneumonia in 1870, the family > homestead was given by the other heirs to Caleb A. Davis whose family continued > to own the property until it was covered by the Colorado River. > > There are still many descendants of this family in Llano Co. today. We > appreciate the sacrifices and hardships our early ancestor BILLY DAVIS > and his family endured many years ago to make Llano Co. what it is today.