Trek to Texas ~ 1770 – 1870

Author Archive

Thank you for visiting my genealogy site for the book, Trek to Texas: 1770 – 1870. Yes, this is an actual book, though the number of copies are scarce, which is one thing that prompted the idea for putting it onto the Internet. To the best of my knowledge, one copy went to each “branch” of the family, my Grandmother’s copy being handed down to me. It was originally written by my grandmother’s cousin, Pearl Foster, and copyrighted in 1966. One copy resides in the Texas History section of the Northeast Campus of Tarrant County College. A portion of the book has also been quoted by the Grapevine Historical Society’s Newsletter.

The original book was researched by visiting libraries, archives, and city and county records, pouring over dusty books, interviewing family members and compiling records, photos and stories, then lovingly hand-typed on a manual typewriter. All in the days before the Internet, this was an amazing feat!

In the spirit of Pearl’s hard work, I’ll be re-typing each of the 200 pages – mostly because of the time it would take to proofread an OCR scanned version of the typewriter text would be harder than just re-typing everything. I apologize in advance that the project may take longer this way.

To read the book in its entirety, you can start at the Title Page and Introduction by clicking the Book category in the navigation menu. Each new page added will be in traditional linear format.

Update, June 16, 2011 -

I want to thank everyone who has contacted me and offered additional information/offers to help. It’s so great to hear that so many copies of the book still remain with members of the family! I want to assure you that I have not dropped this project, however due to an injury with my shoulder and other commitments it was placed on hold for much longer than I anticipated. I will be updating the site again soon to finish the book text.

Phase 2 of the project will include scanning the original pages of the book, as well as scanning and adding as many of the original photos from the book as possible – I have 3 large boxes worth of photos of the Foster and Wright families to sort  through and scan, as well as all of Mrs. O’Donnell’s original research and other (as yet) unpublished works.

Trek to Texas

1770 – 1870

Pearl Foster (O’Donnell)
Copyright 1966

History of early Texas pioneers
Tarrant – Denton – Cass & other counties

Dedicated to
Charles Edwin Wright, Jr.
William Richard Wright
John Thomas Wright

Besides the Story

It’s strange how much a book can hold
Besides the story that is told!
Dear memories lie there between
Its leaves, and dreams that might have been
The seeds of truth, for all we knew
When first we read those chapters through.
Old scenes, not noted in the plot,
Arise to mind; perhaps a spot
We loved in childhood, one where first
Earth’s beauty on our senses burst;
Perhaps a line may bring again
An hour of fragrant April rain,
And such enchantment as youth had
For every carefree girl and lad.
A name inscribed in faded ink
May take us to a lost world’s brink:
Strange, strange, how much a book can hold
Besides the story which is told!

Dear memories have prompted the writing of this chronicle about the neighbors, families and the ancestors of my father Ambrose Foster. He left us for a better world Thanksgiving 1949 and his last wish was to hold his first great grandchild in his arms. His first great grandson was born July 15, 1950.

May my critics judge the contents only and not on my ability as a typist, and remember my lack of training as a writer. A few words omitted and other minor errors have not been changed because of the tremendous job of typing a full page without error.

~Pearl Foster

As with many a book, my copy of Trek to Texas has a few things tucked lovingly inside the pages. Some I put there myself, including the clipping from my Grandmother’s obituary and the flower I kept from her funeral. At some point over the years, someone included a torn and tattered, yellowed slip of paper with a poem by M.L. Foster. Try as I might, I could not find which M.L. Foster wrote the poem, or even if it was written by a man or a woman. The best clue I have is in the poem itself, which mentions “the great war”, so I can only assume the ancestor that wrote it was referring to World War I.

In the interest of keeping the story going, I’ve decided to include these inserts on the site, as well as any other stories, photos and documents that I might gather in my own journey in bringing Trek to Texas to the web.

1. My Sons Have Gone Away by M.L. Foster
   (including a photo of my mother’s brother, Robert, from World War II)
2. Amnesty Oath of M. Berry Anderson Foster
3. Obituary Clipping for Evvie Reeves, 1988

by M.L. Foster

Uncle Robert

I watched them grow, these Sons of mine,
From baby boys to men,
Their milk-white skin burn raw and red,
Then turn to deep dark tan.

I taught them how to play, to work,
To make of life a game,
We were so happy them and I,
Until the great war came.

The call to war was clear and loud;
They did not hesitate,
Their single words rang in my ears,
I’ll fight for home and State!

And I am left alone, but proud;
My Sons have gone away,
And they Dear God are in your care,
Please bring them back some day.

Amnesty Oath of M. Berry Anderson Foster

My only copy of the Amnesty Oath that M. Berry Anderson Foster took, swearing his allegiance to the Union at the end of the U.S. Civil War is only a photocopy that was sent by one of mom’s cousins. He passed away of cancer last year, so I have no way of getting in touch with anyone who might have the original copy or know where it is. I’ve transcribed it here to the best of my ability (some words were just too faded or blocked by the photocopy ink to be legible). My understanding of why the Oath was even necessary is that any Texan who didn’t sign this Oath, regardless of which side they were on during the Civil War, would be put in prison. Some accounts of the Oath are that it was the only way political Prisoners of War were paroled and released back to their homes.

Amnesty Oath
No. 373
Millieum (?) Houston, Texas

July 8th, 1865

I, M. Berry A. Foster do solemnly swear or affirm in the presence of Almighty God that I will hereafter faithfully defend the Constitution of the United States and the Union of the States thereunder, and that I will in like manner abide by, and faithfully support all laws and proclamations which have been made during the existing rebellion with reference to the emancipation of slaves.

SO HELP ME GOD.

(signature) MBA Foster

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 8th day of July, 1865

(illegible witness signature)
Captain
Co. “C” 114th Regiment, Ohio

Name: M. Berry A. Foster
Age: 37
Height: 5 ft. 10
Hair: Dark
Eyes: Blue
Complexion: Fair
Occupation: Carpenter
Residence: Brazos, Texas

Amnesty Oath of M. Berry Anderson Foster, signed July 8, 1865

Grandma was the person who first gave me the copy of Trek to Texas and inspired me in many ways. Below is the copy of her obituary and the white rose that I pressed into the book from her funeral. At my mother’s request, I have blocked out some names and cities for people with currently living relatives. Just two weeks after Grandma’s death, we also lost her oldest daughter, Aunt Rozell, and later my Aunt Billie and Uncle Orval as well, and all of Grandma’s brothers and sisters.

Note: Trek to Texas does contain an unlisted, and unnumbered Bibliography on page 197, however it appears to be an incomplete list in addition to not noting the location of sources used within the book. It is merely an alphabetical list of some of the sources. In the interest of providing as complete a record as I can, I’m starting this Web Bibliography to note specific sources mentioned in the book as fully as I am able. I will do my best to keep the source list as up-to-date as possible, linking back to the page on which the source is mentioned.
~Kathy

Family Legend

¹ “Notable Southern Families” Vol. 2, pages 179 to 198.

² 1820 Census. Bedford County, Tennessee.

³ National Genealogical Magazine. Book Review. Unnamed author or date.

⁴ Foster-Barham, Francis. “England – 1844″

Trek to Texas
1770 – 1870

Pearl Foster (O’Donnell)
Copyright 1966

History of early Texas pioneers
Tarrant – Denton – Cass & other counties

Dedicated to
Charles Edwin Wright, Jr.
William Richard Wright
John Thomas Wright

Besides the Story

It’s strange how much a book can hold
Besides the story that is told!
Dear memories lie there between
Its leaves, and dreams that might have been
The seeds of truth, for all we knew
When first we read those chapters through.
Old scenes, not noted in the plot,
Arise to mind; perhaps a spot
We loved in childhood, one where first
Earth’s beauty on our senses burst;
Perhaps a line may bring again
An hour of fragrant April rain,
And such enchantment as youth had
For every carefree girl and lad.
A name inscribed in faded ink
May take us to a lost world’s brink:
Strange, strange, how much a book can hold
Besides the story which is told!

Dear memories have prompted the writing of this chronicle about the neighbors, families and the ancestors of my father Ambrose Foster. He left us for a better world Thanksgiving 1949 and his last wish was to hold his first great grandchild in his arms. His first great grandson was born July 15, 1950.

May my critics judge the contents only and not on my ability as a typist, and remember my lack of training as a writer. A few words omitted and other minor errors have not been changed because of the tremendous job of typing a full page without error.

~Pearl Foster

Though this work has been arduous, there have been many compensations – the history that I have learned, the friends that I have made, and the fascinating road I have traveled with my ancestors – across the wilderness, through the wars and into the hearts and lives of their descendants. They conquered the wilderness, fought our enemies and we, their descendants, should never forget what these sacrifices mean to us.

At first I was amazed at the many conflicting accounts read in history books about those early years. A complete understanding has been reached as to how many contradicting items have occurred. I found by checking census and other available materials that they sometimes confused the places of residence and most often dates when they were not recorded. However, this work could not have been completed with-out [sic] their invaluable assistance and untiring efforts.

I wish to express my sincere appreciation for the help of E.T. Foster and E.J. Foster for their generous sharing of the large amount of data collected in the past thirty-five years at family reunions. Also Mrs. C.P. Joyce for her untiring effort to uncover new information or leads to where such information might be found, and all the many cousins for their co-operation [sic]. I am deeply indebted to Dr. Baker and Dr. Elliott of the Southwestern Baptist Seminary and their staff. I wish to express appreciation to the Fort Worth Genealogical Society and Mrs. R.N. Grammer, who made such an interesting and informative talk the last Monday of June 1964. This was the date my interest was aroused and a desire to learn more about my ancestors was fanned from a spark into a flame.

Realizing “every man is a bundle of of his ancestors” and also hunting for all information whether it be good or bad, for “He that has no fools, knaves, nor beggars in his family was begot by a flash of lightning” is an old and true bit of wisdom by Thomas Fuller: Gnomolgia, 1732. I did not find nor did I expect to find a great hero of the time or any with great wealth or power. I did find that as a rule “they were well enough to do” and “their first thought was for the welfare of each other and finding their way to a better world.”

Too much was found to confine this to a Foster family history. I found evidence of a close association and migration of several families from the Carolinas to Tennessee, to Missouri and then to Texas.

A special message to my grandsons and their descendants – “The greatest monument a man can build is his own character.”

written by,

Pearl Foster (O’Donnell)
Fort Worth, Texas

Foster

Crest: An arm in armor embowed, holding in the hand a broken tilting spear: proper.
Motto: Si fractus fortis. (If broken, still strong.)
Foster Arms: Argent, a chevron, vert, between three bugle-horns, sa., stringed, gu.

Upon further investigation, I also discovered that the “helm” (or helmet) shown below the Crest is specifically a Jouster’s Helmet in style on the particular Coat of Arms chosen by our branch of the Foster family. This hints that the “broken spear” could, in fact, be a “broken lance” indicating Victory. Not all Foster Coats of Arms show this particular helmet, nor do all of them contain the broken spear in the Crest. To my knowledge, all Fosters however claim the Family Motto, Si Fractus Fortis, in some definition or other.

Below is my own drawing, recreating the full colors and details of the Foster Coat of Arms. The drawing is available for sale on CafePress on t-shirts, steins, mugs, prints and more. If you would like to support our site at Trek to Texas, purchasing your own copy of the Foster Coat of Arms would be a great way to help support the site.