Person:Henry McBride (2)

Information below is from the database of Linda Bianchi on RootsWeb, WorldConnect: "From the notes of Paul T McBride:

(Info furnished by Joan McBride) Henry moved from Crittenden Co.Ky. to Texas with his parents about l875. They traveled by riverboat to New Orleans and then by train to Dallas. George McBride,son of Henry Boyd McBride told the story that on the way to Texas on the riverboat, the family met up with Jacob Alonzo McBride, son of John McBride by his first wife, Martha Hamby McBride. Gracy Hamby McBride, the 2nd wife wouldn't talk to Jacob Alonzo McBride because she said he was a Mississippi Gambler. John and Gracy and their children stayed in a wagon yard in Ft. Worth for a time before going by foot to Azle. He spent the rest of his growing up years in Azle.

Henry married in l893 in Tarrant Co. to Sarah Elizabeth O'Donald. They spent the first years of their married life in the Azle area where their first two children were born but sometime after Dec. l897 and before l899, when Sarah Elizabeth was pregnant with daughter Grace, the family went to homestead in Greer Co. Oklahoma. Part of their move was to cross the Red River and Henry rode a horse, he couldn't swim and Sarah Elizabeth drove the horses that pulled the wagon across. It was deep enough that the horses had to swim and the wagon floated across. Henry's son Elmo, stated that Greer Co. Okla was in Oklahoma at the time but it is now in Texas. Research has shown that until l896 Texas claimed the north fork of Red River as the border with Oklahoma and Oklahoma claimed it was the Prairie Dog Fork. A court agreed with Oklahoma and effectively moved Greer Co.Texas into Oklahoma. Henry and Sarah Elizabeth returned to Texas in time for Grace to be born. Sarah Elizabeth wanted her children to be born in Texas and the next two children were also born in Texas.

In l906 Henry bought lots l9,20,21 in Rosen Heights in Fort Worth. He bought the land from San Rosen, a young ambitious immigrant from Kortarsk Russia who came to Ft. Worth when Exchange Avenue was a rocky, dusty trail and he had quite an impact on Ft. Worth. Sam was only l2 years old when he sailed into Galveston as an apprentice merchant seaman. He spoke no English but he made his way to Oak Cliff to work on a farm. Sam later sold jewelry and novelties, then had a dry goods store. He joined the army in l898 and afterwards took his life savings and purchased a 320a farm west of N. Main in Ft. Worth but at the time a separate city of North Fort Worth. Sam planned to subdivide the land where 25th street is today, into individual residential lots for sale to families. His slogan of "Buy a lot in Gods Country, Rosen Heights is Level, High, Dry and Healthy" must have attracted Henry B. McBride since he purchased the lots. It is not know if this was a business venture or if Henry B. McBride actually did made any money from selling these lots. We do know that Henry B. never lived in Rosen Heights. The lots sold for $750 to $5000. By l906 Rosen Heights was the fastest growing housing community in the Ft. Worth area. Sam Rosen was known for never foreclosing on a mortgage.

Henry Boyd McBride also had a place just south of Azle, a tenant farm between Silver Creek Rd and Hwy. l99. Henry Boyd also worked construction at this time doing work on the building of the packing plants of Armours and Swifts on Ft. Worth's North side.

By l907 Henry and Sarah had moved the family to Aspermont, Texas where sons George and Elmo and daughter Hortence were born. They are on the l9l0 census of Stonewall Co.Texas. The records in the court house show that Henry B. bought lots in the towns of Peacock, Jayton, and Swenson. While in Peacock,Texas, Henry B. saw it blown away twice by tornados. About this same time Henry purchased land l807,l0l8,09,l8ll/l2/l3 in Kent Co. Texas. Lots in Jayton Texas. The l8l3 deed said Henry B. was of Tarrant Co.Texas. In l9l0 Henry farmed at Swenson and also hauled pipe for the oil field. Henry B.'s daughter Hortence stated that her father was always a share cropper when he farmed but must have done some land speculation since he was always buying and selling town lots in the area where he farmed and lived. While in this area, Henry B. also Hauled gravel for roads in the oil field per son Elmo.

A drought in l9l6/l7 occurred on the plains of Texas and Henry was farming l2 to l4 miles from Floydada for two years. He broke out new land for the owner but the drought kept him from making any profit at farming.

About l9l9 Henry B. was farming near Soldier Mound in Dickens County, located between Dickens and Spur Texas. He farmed east of Soldier Mound and his son Homer farmed south of the mound.Henry B. was hauling gravel for the road between Spur and Dickens at the time. He was paid by the wagon load. The gravel pit was near Dickens or Roaring Springs. He also hauled material from Breckenridge to use.

Henry B. was known to capture wild horses according to his son Homer. He did this along the Pecor river in an area east of Ft. Stockton and west of Odessa. Henry said he gave up capturing the horses because when he would catch one, the Indians would claim it was theirs and they were always believed.

Sometime about l921, Henry B. had a crop failure and he turned the place he was farming back to the owner. At one time he farmed at Matador, Motley Co.Texas and also hauled for the oil field. It was here he met "Big BOy" McBride and learned they were related. This "Big Boy" McBride is probably the "Boyd" McBride that was remembered by John McBride, son of Henry B. and Sarah as a cousin or something. John McBride also mention a cousin(?) named Newt McBride.Later research by Joan and Homer McBride show that this Big Boy was a son of a Thomas McBride who was a brother to John McBride who married Gracy Hamby. This connection was traced by Joan and Homer through O'Nita McBride Hall and her knowledge that the Sumerlins who were her neighbors at Eagle Mountain Lake, were kin to her father Homer McBride (Sr). This was verified by her father Homer(Sr). The Sumerlins provided information on the descendants of a Thomas McBride who was the grandfather of "Big BOy" McBride and his brother Newton McBride.

At some time Henry B. and Sarah Elizabeth lived in Iowa Park Texas at one time. Their home was a tent and they used a ranch chuck wagon for storing food and cooked on an open fire. It was their son Elmo's job to cut the wood. Henry B. was working at the time helping to build the refinery at Iowa Park.

Henry B. moved to O'Donnell, Texas for a time and was there by Christmas of l924. Henry B. and his family then moved to Seagraves with his brother in law Munroe O'Donald. Henry B,. rented a l/2 section of land to farm and Uncle Mun bought a farm with very sandy land. They had houses just yards apart but one needed some work on it so they all spent Christmas in one house. Some of the boys slept in the wagon. The two families hauled timber from O'Donnell to build Harry,son of Henry B. and Sarah, a house but Harry's wife Billie wouldn't stay at the house.

Henry B. moved from Seagraves to Sudan Texas. They moved some stuff in an old Overland (auto) that no one could drive so they just tied it on behind the wagon and pulled it. When they lived in Sudan their home was a "dugout or half dugout" which had some of the room built out of timber. Henry farmed l25a, l00a in cotton. He got l bale to the acre but he wouldn't hire "niggers" to harvest and before he got the harvest in, a sand storm blew tumbleweeds from the adjacent ranch land and leveled the cotton. He winded up with only 4 bales that they harvested with a pitchfork. Henry stayed in Sudan until they moved to Pettit where he purchased land. Henry B. always used horses and mules to work the land, never any motorized machinery.

In Pettit, Henry B. and family discovered they were living near "the Brandons" and "Uncle" Jerry McBride, brother of Henry B. found out the Brandons were related. Further research by Joan and Homer McBride has shown the Brandons to be descendants of the Thomas McBride who was brother of John McBride who married Gracy Hamby, parents of Henry Boyd McBride. This is the same family from which Big Boy and Newton McBride of Matador Texas descend from.

Each of Henry and Sarah's children was given a nickname. l.John Henry was called "Johnny" 2.Homer was called "Skinny" 3.Gracie was called "Megs" 4.Harry was called "Socks" 5. George (unknown) 6. Cecil Elmo was called "Rip" 7. Hortence was called "Sis" 8. Velma was called "Babe"

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1. ↑ Charles Brashear and Shirley Brasher McCoy. A Brazier/Brashears Saga- 300 Years of . . . ..
2. ↑ Charles Brashear and Shirley Brasher McCoy. A Brazier/Brashears Saga- 300 Years of . . . ..