Family History by Robert Monroe Fleming (Sr.)

Notes on Fanily History by Iva Causey Fleming
(Part 6)

Transcribed by Robert M. Fleming Jr.


16 - Notes of family history by Iva Causey Fleming. Probably told to her by her Mother Armedia Jane Jennings Causey. It is not certain where the latter acquired all her data. ---- Texas pioneer, Mr. Bell.

He had wished to have his half league front on the Bernard enbrace the mouth of Bell's Creek. But the Empresario would not consent for him to front both rivers at the point where the prairie, the great highway met navigable tide water on each of them. He at once began to make a "landing" on the Brazos just below the mouth Varney's Creek. From this point to the sea, following the stream, was thirty five miles of deep, wide river. Navigable at all seasons of the year by sea going vessels propelled by sail or steam. The river was and still is permanently navigable for a distance of fifteen miles further up, but is not so accessible from the natural high ways, the prairies on either side. "Bell's Landing" at once became widely known through out the colony, and for all except the few persons who settled immediately on the banks of the river for a few miles above, it was the head of navigation. Mr. Bell made diligent and profitable use of this wise selection of his permanent location. He cleared away the forest, leaving many stately live oaks and maple pecan trees, erected sheds and rooms for storing freight. He opened through his land a wide Avenue to the prairie and put himself in a position some what similar to that of the noted "Coon trap" that was set to "catch them coming and going". He turned hand to what ever had money in it, and by example as well as advice made manifest the way to success in the "garden of the Gods". During the fall of 1821 he built a good dwelling house for his family on the bank of the river at the landing. The family left the camp on Bell's Creek before the dwelling house was quite ready for use, and lived in a tent under a large oak tree that sttod near the house, for a short time, just before the birth of his emment son, James Hall Bell. And the current legend with the early settlers and their descendents has been that Judge Bell was born in a tent. I had not doubted that such was the fact till a few days ago when I received a letter from his siter saying, "It (the house) was ready and we moved in to it before Christmas 1824." This is the house in which James was born in January, 1825.

Mr. Bell laid out a town at this landing, and divided the land immediately on and near the river front into blocks with wide intervening streets adjusted to the course of the river. The street projected at right angle with the line of the river front from the point wherethe first landing place was made which he called "Austin Street". at the intersection of which with the river front street Mr. Bell's dwelling house stood. To this town was given the name,"Marion". But it's popular designation continued to be,"Bell's Landing", as long as it's founder did business there. And after he had withdrawn to his plantation and laid offnear it, at the prairie end of this Avenue, the town of Columbia. And began to build itup the river town was called,"The Landing". And later when Mr. Bell sold to Walter C White and James Knight a tract of land embracing both town as platted and all the intervening ground, with reservations, of course of lots previously sold to other persons, the whole tract was divided into business and residence lots at the river and at the prairie end of it. And the intermediate ground into out lots, and designated as the Columbia Town Tracts. The prairie end was the most populous, and held the name of Columbia with out trimmings until after the revolution, the removal of the capital to Houston, and the death of Mr. Bell."Marion"and"The Landing" had yielded to "East Columbia". But with that the river town was content as long as Mr. Bell lived.

A little over a mile from the river was Peachridge which here marks the divide between the waters of the Brazos and the Bernard. The double crown of this ridge was a very fertile black loam soil. Then covered bya dense brake of wild peach growth. At the point where the ridge left the prairie glades that skirted the left bank of Bell's Creek before that stream took it's westing from the the Bernard, Mr Bell commenced to open the plantation that afterwards and for manyyears was so well known as "Squire Bell's". And after his death as QMadam Bell's". The ridge carried uniform average of about five hundred yards of strictly peach brake land. The axe of civilized man and the tread of browsing of heads of horned cattle have so utterly destroyed these peach brakes as they then existed, that the present generation can form no adequate conception of them. The matted mass of the wild peach, tied together by the interlocking of it's own branches and by innumerable strong and hardy climbing vines, excluded all other vegetation. Except where an oak, pecan or ash had found casual openings through which they succeeded in lifting their heads to the sunlight. Some of these, the live oaks especially, were very grand. Sometimes in spots here and there the live oaks had shaded out the peach and formed a grove.

A few hundred yards Southwest from the point where Mr Bell built his dwelling house the live oaks formed a beautiful grove covering an acre or two. These trees he spared and his widow protected as long as she kept control. Just South of his house, so near it as to shade it's South entrance, stood several very large straight bodied, towering live oaks, with well balanced, wide spreading tops. My earliest distinct recollection of this place dates back to the year before Mr Bell's death. The dwelling house and it's immediate surroundings were then substantially the same as when he first accupied them in 1827. The relative situation of the fields to the dwelling house and to each other were the same, though each of the fields had been enlarged from time to time, as he added to his force of slaves. There were two main fields. The one extending North from the dwelling towards the prairie, called the prairie field. Though little, if any, of it was prairie land. The other extending South, and called the lower field. Both these were West of the public road from Velos Co. through Brazoria and Columbia to San Felipe, which ran along the East fence of both through out the length of each, in a course nearly North and South. These fields were separated from each other by and open lane, running at right angles to the publiv road, and about one hundred yards North of the dwelling. There was a third field East of the public road and North of the line of the lane which separated the other two. This field was called the gin field, because in the Southwest corner of it stood the cotton gin house. It was separated from the prairie field by a wide open lane. Out of which excepting a narrow track for thepublic road. Only the under brush and smaller trees had been cleared, leavinga fine array of large trees of all the various kind which skirted the edges of the peach brakes. About half way the length of this wooded lane there was a never failing pond of water that in warm weather was a joy to horse back travelers,(a merciful man is merciful to his beasts), and the lads of the neighborhood, who had learner or were learning to swim. all of these fields were enclosed by olf style split rail worn fences, staked and ridered alll round the prairie field. And where the fences of the other fields were along the lane or public road. In every inside corner of the fences along the East and West lane, and in very many of the inside corners of the fence of the lower field that ran along the public road as good peach tree had been planted and kept renewed as needed. So that they were standing in fill vigor and bearing, the bloom, leaf and fruit of which in this virgin wild it was beautiful to behold.

The entrance to the premises was from the North. Directly in front of the dwelling a stile over over the lane fence admitted persons. A little farther West a pair of bars admitted animals and carriages. The dwelling was about 200 yards West of the public road. West of the dwelling, some little distance from it, were the stock lots joined to the land fence. In one of these were the cribs for corn and the stables for horses. Between these and the house were the Negro quarters, the blacksmith shop, the smokw house and the kitchen. These last were near to each other, and the kitchen and a fewsteps from the West end of the house. South of the house, a little distance to the West of it under the live oaks, stood a large single room log house, called the office.

The dwelling was a doubled log house of style very much used in all the early settlements in the United States. Two log rooms, set in line with each other East and West, twelve ot fifteen feet apart, with a roof extending over both of these rooms and the intervening space, with wide sheds on both sides. The whole floored through out and a room enclosed with weather boards on each end of each of these shed annexes. This making six rooms and a very large hall besides such loft room as might be needed. The hall in this house was used as a dining hall and as a reception hall. Except on a few days in the year when the weather was too cool. Just in front of this house which looked toward the lane (North side) parallel with it, stood a row of very large fig trees, bearing medium size blue figs. The largest tree of that kind and the best fruit of that variety I have ever known. Between this row of fig trees and the lane there was on each side of the walk leading to the entrance gate (stile) a space of about an acre dotted with trees that had not been planted in rows, or squares, or circles, but with a carefully studied relation to each other embracing walnut trees ?? bearing, catalpas, Otabute mulberries, black locust and common chimas. South of the house and about 200 feet from it several acres were separately enclosed with a very tall and close fence made of split cedar picket. This enclosure was an orchard, flower garden, and fancy vegetables. Here also was a great wealth of flowers of charming, figure, hue and fragrance. The vegetables were of great variety, profusion and perfection. Between this garden and the house to the West of the house, there were a number of large wide spreading fig tree that bore yellow figs. There were also some flowering shrubs, altheas, crape myrtles and such like, but no flowers or other plants that could not hold their own against the tread of the concourse of strangers and pioneers who thronged these premises. A skilled European gardner was employed to dress the fruit trees and flowers in the garden. And to direct the other work there in. Where the treading or the shade was not to intense the yard was covered with Bermuda grass. To the Southeast of the house there was left an open space, clear of trees, where a better house was to be built when proper material and workmen could be obtained. It was this house at which that I first met Daniel Baker, the great evangelist, on his first visit to Texas. It was Sunday morning, the third Sunday in March, 1840, that I heard him preach the first sermon I remember to have heard preached by anyone. (Note) Go to page I of the separate loose sheets of writing,from page 10 of the manuscript book from which the above notes came.


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