Person:Charles Atherton (4)

Story contributed by Bill J Atherton of Durant, Oklahoma

First - Martin Atherton was the son of William Paschal Atherton who was the son of Richard Paschal Atherton (my great granddad) who was the son of Charles Malcom Atherton (my great great granddad). Martin and Opal have both passed away now.

Second - William Paschall Atherton had 2 brothers, Perry Herman Atherton (my granddad) and Acie Earnest Atherton, and 2 sisters, Florence Atherton and Ellen Atherton. Not sure about a third sister who burned to death at 2 years old.

Third - So if Martin Atherton remembered his dad William Paschall Atherton (the son of Richard Paschall Atherton) telling about his grandfather having a dispute over a fence line that would had to have been Charles Malcom Atherton.^S1 Charles Malcom Atherton (not sure of cause) in Kentucky Bet. 1870 - 1880.

Have attached a photo of Atherton men in my lineage from Charles Malcom Atherton to current. The initial W. should be M. in Charles. (sent to ^S1)

Migration Push Factors from Kentucky to Texas

Posted by: Tina Harvey

Date: October 21, 2005 at 11:02:46

In Reply to: Re: Rudds in Greenville Texas by Tammy Rudd

One important figure head in the Atherton family was Elisha Paschall Morgan. The history of Elisha works its way in and out of several families. Elisha's Daughter married the Atherton son's of Charles Atherton & Nancy Jayne Atherton nee Rudd. These two sons Calvin Acie Atherton & Richard Paschall Atherton worked for him also along with someone from the Sams family. A message from Doug Miller tell of a "firm" by the name of Morgan, Daniel, Sams. I havn't been able to make contact with Doug Miller, but I do know that he has lots of legal paperwork that belong to Elisha Paschall Morgan who was a constable of Ballard county and we believe he was a lawer. Old family tales echo back this informaion. Several of the Morgan & Atherton children told how they lived above the Jail and could watch the hanging. Several of Elisha's items made thier way to Texas, these were his Safe, handcuffs, and the legal papers. When looking at the census information it lists Elisha as a jailer. Word is that the families got into legal or financial problems. I have heard the words "debts" used and "skip out on them" . This is the "push factor" and reason for the trip to Texas. I heard that when the Atherton left they were 100 strong, whether that meant the 100 were just Atherton's or all the different families. There are two stories about the travel to Texas one is family lore told by Irene Watson the other is an Interview between Grace Bench and Mary Adline Atherton Bench.

Irene's information:

When the family was traveling they cross the Missippissi River and one of the children fell into the water and all most drowned, this little girl was red head. (Later after interviewing several family members (Bench family) I was told the the red head girl was Mary Adline Atherton Bench.

Grace Bench & Mary Adline Atherton Bench Interview: What we know of the journey to Texas comes from the information Mary Atherton Bench leaves behind. Mrs. Hazel Bench notes this peace of history in Fannin County Folks and Facts and relays this history to us. Mary Ann Atherton was born in Kentucky and came to Missouri with her parents in a caravan of 18 covered wagons. The men took turns with two men each night to keep guard of their possessions. They were three weeks making the trip. The family lived there (Missouri) a few years and moved to Texas.I don't think your Rudd family married into the Morgan families. Rudd's do marry into the Samples and Sams families for sure. Other places to look is the Williams (this family connected to the Atherton several times) and Reeves (they connected to Morgan's & William) families. Other places to check are Huey, Webb, Goode. I let me know if you have or if you need any other information.

1.   Patrick Hogue (Samples). The Samples / Semples Family
   7 Apr 1997.

   Correspondence from Martin & Opal Atherton
   
   Dear Sir,
   
   Received your letter today and wish that we could help you, but Martin is the last of his family and we had no records from the earlier ancestors. All we can provide is: his father was William Paschall (may be misspelled – but sounds like Paskal) Atherton and his mother was Roberta Martin. He had a brother and 3 sisters (one burned to death at 2 years old). He says he remembers a story his Dad told about his Dad, Martin’s grandfather – in a dispute over a fence line, (boundry, I guess) and the other adjoining farmer had 3 big sons. A day or so after the argument, the grandfather was working in the field, alone – near said fence – and these 3 boys came over and hacked him to death with the hoe’s. He’s not sure, but he thinks that was in Kentucky.
   
   (We are 76 and 78)
   
   Sincerely,
   
   Martin & Opal Atherton

   
2.   Patrick Hogue (Samples). Transcribed Atherton Text.
   
3. ↑ Milburn, Ballard, Kentucky, in United States. 1850 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432).
4. ↑ Cobbs, Ballard, Kentucky, in United States. 1860 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M653).
5. ↑ District 3, Ballard County, Kentucky, in United States. 1870 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publications M593 and T132).
6.   Our Charles Atherton (1824 Ill) stayed in Kentucky as far as family knows. We last see him in the 1870 census. Then in the 1880 census he is gone and the mother is living with one of the three sons. These three sons made thier way to Greenville Hunt County Texas to a Community called Whiterock, after 1881 when my great grand mother was born and born Elisha Paschall Morgan(two of the brothers father-in-law) had died in 1884. Elisha P. Morgan is buried in Webb Hill Cemetery. along with several family members of Atherton, Biggerstaff's and other branches of our tree. We have several old pictures of the Atherton's and some are label and some are not. So far these pictures have un-locked several truths to the family. We are discovering that all are family members we just have to find the missing link. Most of the children of my great grand mother were name for family and this had lead me in a couple of directions. Our Atherton were in Ballard county and lived in Blandville. Here is several name that are connected to our(and we have pictures of these folks Sams, Sandlin, White, Brooks, Bench, Goode, Dees, Whitlow, Cargal, Huey, Rudd. When our family moved to Texas they brought lot of folks with them. Looking at the 1900 census we can see several branch of family who made the trip from Kentucky with them. It has been a mystery how my great grand father Miles Nathan Watson meet Serena Francis Atherton. She was 17 and he was 29 years old. There are these lines of families that fall into his family tree that make me wonder. These names are the Sanders, Montgomery, Howards, Robbersons, Pearson's. I will tell you that there is a group of Howards that moved to the area before the Civil War. I have decided if they are connected to our Atherton's. In fact there is a book about them and Civil War called Brush Men & Vigilantes by David Pickering & Judy Falls which make for good reading. Several families like the Williams, Webbs, Sams, Rudds family made theirr way to Texas also. If you look at my other postings under Atherton you should pick-up other information about our Branch of the Atherton's.
   
   Tina Watson Harvey