Person:John Hallford (2)

JOHN HARRISON HALLFORD was born about 1804 in Kentucky. He later moved to Missouri. He later moved toTexas.

In 1840 census show John living with his family in Carroll Township, PlatteCounty, Missouri.

John H. Hallford had a general store west of the Elm Fork River of the upper Trinity in Denton County. It was near the Dallas and later Tarrant Counties' northeast corner. This area in Denton County was called Hallford Prairie. He, with his brother-in-law, James Gibson, were the first Deacons of the Lonesome Dove Baptist Church. Melissa Medlin Hallford was the first Deaconess of this church organized in February,1846 a few miles southwest in Navarro, later Tarrant, County Texas, andalso in the 1850 census of Moniteau County, Missouri. Church minutes prove they returned by 1851. They went to Hays County, Texas late in 1854.

"Died--At Wolf's Crossing, Burnet County, Texas September 20th, A.D.,1881, John H. Hallford, aged 65 years. He was born in the State of Kentucky, A.D. 1816, removed to Moniteau county, Missouri, at about the age of six years. Thence to Denton county, Texas, A.D. 1844, then toTravis county in 1854, where he resided until a few month prior to his death, he moved to Burnet county.

"He professed faith in Christ at the age of 18 years, joined the Baptist church in Platt [sic] county, Missouri, was ordained as a deacon in the Lonesome Dove Baptist Church, Tarrant County, Texas, A.D. 1846, and since that time has served as a deacon to the cause of Christ, giving liberallyto the support of the gospel, his house long being the home of the minister. He was confirmed by consumption about six weeks and passed tohis reward in the full triumphs of a living faith in Jesus. A.J.H"

(The Texas Baptist Herald, October 13, 1881. Page 3, column 2. Fleming Library, S.W. Bapt. Theological Library, Fort Worth, Texas) Copied by Mrs. Mildred Smith.