George W. Wadsworth Family History

by Bobby Wadsworth at <bobby.jay@verizon.net>

Although it is not known why or with whom, George Wadsworth left his home in Blount Co., AL, at a very young age. He eventually settled in Ellis Co., TX, where relatives from both sides of his family had been residing for many years. Soon after his arrival, he found work in the cotton fields of a man known as "Cap" Bellew.

George arrived in Ellis County before 23 Jul 1891, when he joined Oak Branch Methodist Church. Founded by his great-uncle Asa Bynum in 1870, this church was located about 5 miles southwest of Waxahachie (the seat of Ellis County). It was here where he first met and later married Bettie McBrayer, whose family moved to Ellis County from St. Clair Co., AL, in 1888 and joined Oak Branch in 1890.

G.W. Wadsworth first appears on Ellis County tax rolls in 1893 with two horses (valued at $150), one cow ($15), one hog ($2) and assorted tools/machinery ($25). In January 1894, George and Bettie celebrated the birth and mourned the loss of their first child. She was buried in the cemetery at Mountain Peak (about 5 miles northwest of Oak Branch), which indicates that the Wadsworths were early members of the Methodist church that once stood there.

George must have been prospering, as Ellis County deed records (v. 97/237) show that he purchased 50 acres of land from Southwestern Manufacturing Company 01 Oct 1895. The $1,250 purchase price included $150 cash; six promissory notes for $150 each (due annually on 01 Dec for the next six years); plus a final $250 note due 01 Dec 1902. This land was located in the old Fairview community about 4 miles northwest of Maypearl.

On 23 Feb 1901, George and Bettie purchased an additional 71.5 acres from Southwestern Manufacturing Company for $1,700 cash and notes (v. 165/281). They apparently sold this property to T.B. Odom in 1907 (v. 170/534) then bought it back from S.T. Stephenson in 1913 (v. 207/123). They sold it again in 1924 to W.S. Sharp for $12,178 (v. 273/64). These deeds showed the signature of G.W. Wadsworth and the mark of Sarah E. Wadsworth.

Not only a successful farmer, George was also an astute businessman. In 1910, he helped organize and became one of the founding stockholders in the Farmers and Merchants State Bank at Maypearl. Because all of his children were able to attend school -- a rare luxury in those days -- some people in the community believed that George was quite wealthy. In reality, the family "had as much money as any of them but no more than most."

In the years before the Great Depression, George invested heavily in real estate and accumulated a lot of debt. Ellis County deed records show that he purchased 200 acres near Boyce (about 19 miles west of Fairview) in 1924 and two additional 100-acre tracts on opposite sides of his home place in 1925 and 1928 (v. 274/40 & 536; v. 297/490). His oldest children and their families lived and worked on these farms until the "loan companies" took possession in the 1930s.

George stood 6 feet tall, weighed about 200 pounds, and had brown eyes and brown hair. Supposedly to hide a blemish above his lip, he grew a mustache at an early age and kept it throughout his life. He was a faithful member of the Methodist church and a backsliding Democrat, switching to the Republican Party late in life.

Although George owned a Model T, he never learned to drive it -- at least not very well. Once, while attempting to park the car in the garage by himself, he ended up crashing through the back wall and narrowly avoided hitting the chicken coop. His sons often drove him to Mineral Wells to "take treatments" in the local spas for his ailing legs. And every eight or 10 years, he and Bettie returned to Alabama to visit friends and relatives back home. He enjoyed listening to the radio, and he was especially fond of "mountain music."

Bettie Wadsworth was about 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighed 150 pounds, and had brown eyes and brown hair. She generally rose at 3:30 a.m. to start breakfast and begin her housework; and if the moon was shining bright, she sometimes would go out and pick a sackful of cotton before daylight. She was constantly on the go and told anyone who could not keep up with her to "make-ace" (make haste). She wore an old duck apron on the farm, but on Saturdays, she enjoyed dressing up and going into town wearing her favorite hat (adorned with brightly colored silk flowers). She also was said to have liked her snuff.

Bettie had a reputation for being a great cook. Her supper table was always filled with a large quantity and variety of food -- even during the Depression. She is fondly remembered for her fabulous creamed potatoes and brer rabbit syrup, a delicious concoction with the consistency of thick honey made with white Kayro syrup, water, sugar and raisins.

After more than 70 years of hardship and hard work in the "country," Bettie longed for the comforts of city life. In 1943, George purchased a large two-story house in Venus, just across the county line. Bettie was eager to leave behind all the mud and drudgery and to start a new life in what was then a bustling community. But she became ill and died just a few weeks after they moved.

Nine years later, George died of natural causes at his home in Venus. He passed away peacefully, sitting in his favorite rocking chair. He was buried beside his wife and near his baby daughters in the cemetery at Mountain Peak.

©1999, Bobby J. Wadsworth

Sources:
[1] Interview with Nolan C. Wadsworth (1993)
[2] Oak Branch Church Register (microfilmed records of Ellis Co., TX)
[3] "History of the Bynum Family" (by Jasper E. Bynum, Oneonta, AL, 1916)
[4] "The McBrayer Family Book II" (by Carl Bernard McBrayer, Qunitella Printing, Oklahoma City, OK, 1983)
[5] Interview with Beula Belle [Hendon] Heedley (1993)
[6] Interview with H. Louis Wadsworth (1993)