NAPOLEON (POLE) BONAPARTE BOYD 1845-1937
by Ruby Lois Wells - May, 1978
Napoleon Bonaparte Boyd was
born in Madison County,
Alabama on May
8, 1845. He was married to Nancy
Elizabeth CLIFT in
Limestone County, Alabama on 12
March 1868.
In 1870, Pole Boyd with
his wife Nancy and it is
believed one son, Chester,
moved to Texas. He pur-
chased a tract of land
on the North side of Tehua-
cana Creek, Southwest of Wortham.
Living in a small frame house,
he established a broom
factory travelling
by horse and buggy in nearby
areas, selling brooms.
He continued to buy land and
began farming. He was
considered a successful
farmer, later owning and
operating his
own cotton gin. The gin sat behind a
larger house he built
and occupied about one-quarter
mile north of
his first residence established when
coming to Texas. He occupied
this home until he died.
Being a man
with a warm personality, though stearn
and with great energy
and ability, he continued to
purchase land and near the
turn of the century he had
acquired over four hundred
acres of land.
His fore-sight
to continue buying land became a
reality, when, on November
22, 1924, the Boyd #1 oil
well was brought in.
Many others followed.
Although his property was
in Limestone Co., Wortham
was considered his home-town
for doing business and
shopping. He was elected
as Chairman of the Board of
Directors of the
First National bank of Wortham in
1919, and it
has been said, he never missed a
Director's meeting.
He was a member of the First
Methodist Church of Wortham.
Nancy E. Boyd died in January
of 1904 and is buried
in the Wortham Cemetery. Pole
Boyd later married Lucy
L. SANDERS of Tehuacana who
also predeceased him.
A Confederate veteran,
Pole Boyd was a member of the
Joe Johnston Confederate Veterans
Camp 94 having been
elected as Commander of the
group in both 1933 & 1934.
He attended many National
Veteran Conventions.
On August 26, 1937, the
death of Napoleon B. Boyd
closed a long
rewarding life as a successful Texas
citizen. He was 92 years of
age and was buried beside
his wife Nancy in Wortham
Cemetery.
The nine children born to
Napoleon and Nancy were:
Chester Boyd, Mollie Boyd
SELLERS, Andrew Boyd, Josie
Boyd HICKMAN, Lenora E. Boyd
DAUGHERTY, J. Emmett Boyd,
Henry Thomas Boyd (died in
infancy), J. Frank Boyd and
Maud Boyd MILLIGAN.
Brooks S. Boyd bb59@Evi.net
Houston, Texas