Watts, Williams, Vaughn, and Taylor: Pioneer Families of Johnson County, Arkansas

By Katala A. Williams, Ed.D. and Clarence R. Williams, Ed.D.

The book chronicles several families and their descendants, all connected with Revolutionary War soldier Garrett Z. Watts. The history underscores their adventures and family bonds as they seek to build their lives in Johnson County, Arkansas amidst the westward expansion from southeastern United States.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Aug 30, 2017
• ISBN: 9781483467245

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Watts, Williams, Vaughn, and Taylor:

PIONEER FAMILIES

of

Johnson County, Arkansas

Clarence R. Williams, Ed.D. and

Katala A. Williams, Ed.D.

Copyright © 2017 Clarence R. Williams, Ed.D. and Katala A. Williams, Ed.D..

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-6725-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-6726-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-6724-5 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 7/24/2017

FOREWORD

My father Clarence Williams always had a strong sense of family. He enjoyed his immediate and extended family, encouraging each of the family members with whom he had contact in their development and journey. He also believed family traditions are important. He, within his partnership with his wife and my mother Katala, continued his father’s tradition of family gatherings, particularly at Christmas time. The gatherings were not just about eating, but spending time together and sharing through singing, playing instruments, readings, and lots of laughing. Those family times are cherished by all who participated, and many have carried the traditions into their families, now widely dispersed geographically.

It is in this light that this book was born. Interest in family and documenting family history by Clarence and Katala began early with collecting family history and stories. When the personal computer first became available, they utilized the technology to begin entering the genealogical information they collected. They used the solid research methods available to them at the time, seeking primary sources to document family lineage. They freely communicated with other researchers to discuss resources and findings. As more resources became available online, they discovered additional support for findings they collected, working to be as accurate as possible in the entries they made and discarding findings not supported.

Now DNA genealogy is available as an additional tool for research. Y-DNA, mtDNA, and atDNA have been utilized, with several family members agreeing to be tested to provide further information to verify the years of research. As a result, the book that started years ago by hearing stories from the ancestors, continued throughout the pre-DNA period of solid classical genealogical research, and progressed with added DNA tools is a culmination of a lifetime of joint work by Drs. Clarence and Katala Williams.

This book about the lives of the Watts, Williams, Vaughns, and Taylors seeks to provide the current state of the research and descendancy outline while providing the context of the stories and relationships of the families. The book is a good reference to the family’s history during an important era of their migration to Arkansas and provides a sense of the importance of their family relationships, which continues to this day.

Anitra S. Fay, Ph.D., Ozark, Arkansas, 2017

PREFACE

This book is taken from a data base of more than 66,777 individuals, many of whom were pioneer settlers in Johnson County, Arkansas before the Civil War. The information in this data base was researched and compiled over a number of years by Clarence R. Williams, Ed.D. (1921-2009) and Katala A. Williams, Ed.D. (1929-). The Williams have published other family histories which are now in several genealogy departments in libraries throughout the United States, including the Library of Congress.

This particular book was begun in 1995, but publication was delayed because there were many unanswered questions—especially proof of who the parents of Garrett Z. Watts were. Although the answer still remains unknown, it seems important to print the information that we have. It is hoped that with further research, in the future the facts will become known.

The family of Garrett Z. Watts (1756-1838), Revolutionary War soldier, was said to be part Cherokee. In the mid to late 1800’s two of his sons arrived in Johnson County, Arkansas with their families: Malachi in 1853 and Vincent (Vinson) in about 1876. The focus of this book is primarily on the family and descendants of Malachi, especially one of his sons, William Jefferson Watts, and one of his daughters, Mahala Jane Watts, who married J. J. Taylor, and families of Vincent’s daughters, Mary Elizabeth Watts who married William Silas Walker (Billy) Williams and Margaret (Maggie) Watts who married William Crockett Vaughn; however, it includes all known descendants of Garrett Z. Watts.

The scope of the book begins with ancestors who lived in Virginia, the Carolinas, Alabama, Georgia, then moved westward into Mississippi; Tennessee; Johnson County, Arkansas; and into Indian Territory which became Oklahoma. It includes data from past and current research as well as litigation regarding the Watts’ efforts to obtain Cherokee citizenship.

As is the case of all family histories, this record is incomplete. Certainly, the names of many descendants were not available to the authors. Perhaps some other family member will carry on the task of contacting other descendants and adding to this record. All of those who were contacted in order to obtain personal data were invited to include as much information as they wished, and all biographical notes for individuals are included as submitted by family members. Many of the biographical notes were submitted several years before publication although efforts were made to keep them up to date.

Your input into this record is invited. Please help to correct errors and to add the names of other descendants of this family, along with biographical notes or sketches. Copies of this book will be donated to archives or special collections in several libraries including the Library of Congress.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Special credit goes to the following for their contributions to the known descendants’ record of Garrett Watts, especially those of Malachi and Vincent (Vinson), and to the known descendants of J. J. Taylor:

Anitra Williams Fay, Ph. D. has done DNA research related to Watts’ descendants and provided assistance and support in editing and publishing of this book.

Nora Taylor Clark (deceased) was a great-granddaughter of Malachi Watts. She spent a great amount of time researching Watts’ ancestors and descendants, traveling to libraries and interviewing older family members who had first-hand information about Malachi Watts and family and Vincent Watts and family. Much of her research was passed on to Clarence and Katala Williams in personal interviews as well as documents.

Carol Cook Geu, granddaughter of Nora Clark, has provided updated information about Nora’s descendants.

Elois Watts Medlin, a descendant of Malachi Watts, has done extensive research on the Watts family over the years and graciously shared documents including Mary Elizabeth Watts Williams’ application for Cherokee Citizenship for herself and children.

Bettie and Noel Watts, the latter a descendant of Malachi Watts, submitted data regarding Clinton Watts’ descendants.

Louise Taylor (deceased) was a descendant of Mahala Jane Watts Taylor. She gave us permission to include excerpts from her books, A Taylor Family and The Old Stone House at Ludwig.

Charles Watts is a descendant of the W. J. Watts line of Malachi Watts. He shared his many volumes of Watts’ Papers and provided background information on the life of W. J. (Jeff) Watts and descendants in an interview which he gave to Dr. Anitra Fay in 2014.

Mary Vaughn Spainhour provided research data and personal information in interviews regarding her grandfather, William Vincent Vaughn.

Johnny and Junette Clayborn and Johnny’s sister Inis Reynolds provided first-hand accounts regarding William Crockett Vaughn (alias Joe Vaughn, alias Frank James?).

Sandra Laster Price, a descendant of Mary Elizabeth Watts Williams, provided research of several family lines.

Martha McKee Burt was very generous and helpful in doing research regarding several of our ancestral families in Chickasaw County, Mississippi and surrounding counties.

Ray Stedman Watts, a descendant of Jacob Watts (3/4 Cherokee) and Emily Ross (Cherokee), lived in Calico Rock, Arkansas. Some of his ancestors had been on the Trail of Tears and and dropped off at Calico Rock. For several years Ray and family had an annual reunion for Watts’ descendants. Clarence and Katala Williams attended some of these reunions. One year Ray took us to see the path where the Trail of Tears passed in that area.

William Alva (Joe) Taylor, great nephew of J. J. Taylor who was married to Mahala Jane (Jennie) Watts, was very knowledgeable about the history of people who lived in the Ludwig, Arkansas and surrounding areas. He was able to provide answers to many questions regarding the Watts, Williams, Vaughns, and Taylors.

Dr. Aaron Mason, Professor at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, gave us permission to include his research regarding W. J. Watts’ application for being re-instated as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.

To the many individuals who have submitted their biographical sketches for inclusion in this book and whose names are listed following the person notes.

…THANKS

I hope the reader can appreciate the hazards involved in listing names of contributors and helpers in a collection such as this, because many names will be omitted. Often a name or an important date will be received through a letter, e-mail, telephone conversation, or in person-to-person conversation. Through negligence or lack of time, we have failed to make note of all contributors, but are grateful for their friendly and open willingness to help. These small bits and pieces would probably add up to more than the total of all of the major contributions. The hazard lies in the fact that so many names of contributors are omitted. The good part is that they all helped to produce a document that will be handed down through many generations of our descendants. Many future recipients will be grateful to all of us, just as I am grateful to those who so willingly gave us access to their many years of record-keeping and research.

Clarence Russell Williams

INTRODUCTION

This book depicts an era in the history of Johnson County, Arkansas, relative to the migration from eastern United States of some of the Cherokees, as well as white settlers who moved westward to obtain better opportunities.

Malachi Watts, son of Garrett Z. Watts, was born January 6, 1792 in Anson County, NC. At the age of twenty-two, he married Delila Gray in Alabama or Tennessee, and they moved to West Tennessee. After Delila’s death in 1828, in 1830 he married Susan Matilda Toler. In about 1853 this family, known to be part Cherokee, left Tennessee headed for the Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory, but they stopped in Johnson County, Arkansas. William Alva Taylor, great-nephew of J. J. Taylor, told Clarence Williams that they first stopped in Fort Douglas, Arkansas, where early Cherokees had settled along Piney River which runs into the Arkansas River. Later, Malachi and family moved to the Ludwig community where, according to Nora Clark, Malachi built a large two-story house and a school named Clear Water Spring School. Nora said, The site where the home was built was beautiful—on a rise of wooded land, overlooking a small lake of beautiful blue water just beyond, and full view of the Mt. Airy cemetery where Watts’ and relatives are buried. The cemetery is on a lovely hillside among dogwoods and oak trees with many wild flowers. Family lore suggests that the house and school were burned during the Civil War.

By about 1871 most of Malachi’s family had moved to Indian Territory where they hoped to claim land, but Malachi remained in Johnson County until his death. One of Malachi’s daughters, Mahala Jane (Jennie) Watts, who married J. J. Taylor in 1866, also remained in Johnson County where this couple raised their family. Many of their descendants still live in that area today (2017).

Malachi’s son, William Jefferson (W. J. Jeff) Watts and family were the first to go to Indian Territory. In 1870 the National Council of Cherokees passed an act inviting all persons of Cherokee blood to come to the Nation and be identified. W. J. took them at their word and presented an application with extensive documentation for himself and several members of his family. They were granted Cherokee citizenship; however, in 1874 the Council repealed the Act of 1871, and the Watts’ claims, along with claims of sixty-six other familes, were rejected. This book details the many years of litigation that followed.

Another son of Garrett Z. Watts, Vincent (Vinson) Watts, also known to be Cherokee, was born January 12,1805, and had also migrated from Anson County, North Carolina, through Georgia, Tennessee, then Mississippi, where he and his wife, Nancy Lunicey Watts, bought land. Their three children were born in Mississippi. Soon after the Civil War, they sold their land and headed West, also hoping to claim land in the Indian Territory. They traveled through Tennessee and arrived in the Ludwig, Arkansas area in about 1874. One of their daughters, Mary Elizabeth, had married William Silas Walker (Billy) Williams in 1873 in Mississippi. The other daughter, Margaret Ann (Maggie or Meg) married William Crockett Vaughn, December 10, 1876, location unknown. The son of Vaughn and Margaret, William Vincent (Will) Vaughn was born September 28, 1878, in Crawford County, Arkansas. William Crockett Vaughn left home one night and never returned. Margaret Ann and son, Will, soon returned to the Ludwig community.

Vincent (Vinson) Watts was shot to death in Van Buren, Arkansas, May 10, 1879 while enroute to Indian Territory to make land claims. It was said that he was shot from his saddle just before crossing the border into what is now Oklahoma His nephew Malachi, who was accompanying him, wrapped his body in a blanket and brought him back to Clarksville for burial at Mt. Airy Cemetery north of Ludwig. This story was told to Nora Taylor Clark by her Uncle Bill Taylor, oldest son of James Jonathan (J. J.) Taylor.

Sisters Mary Elizabeth (Watts) Williams and Margaret Ann (Meg, Maggie) (Watts) Vaughn were first cousins of Mahala Jane (Watts) Taylor. Through the years, many of the descendants of their families maintained a close relationship in their social and professional connections. For example, J. J. Taylor was the first postmaster in Ludwig. Later, Jessie Virginia (Williams) Niehouse was appointed to this position. The Taylor girls and the Williams girls went to the same schools and parties.

The Watts, Williams, Vaughns, and Taylors also kept contact through the years with their relatives who had moved to Indian Territory. These relatives included not only the descendants of Malachi Watts and Vincent Watts, but other descendants of Garrett Z. Watts, many of whom are included in the descendant outline in this book. For about fifty years these families had annual reunions in both Ludwig, Arkansas and in Oklahoma. Many attended both reunions which also included programs regarding the Cherokee Issue. Many in attendance were serious and dedicated researchers of the Watts’ history and ancestry. The chapter Early Days in Ludwig gives a brief history of the people in that area before the Civil War to the 1950’s.

The Cherokee Issue chapter details some of the complex factors involved in addressing the ethnic ancestry of descendants of Garrett Z. Watts. Included are historical considerations, a look at the W. J. Watts litigation, and current and ongoing research.

EARLY DAYS IN LUDWIG, ARKANSAS

The Taylors Build A Home:

The Old Stone House at Ludwig

Mahala Jane (Jennie) Watts and Jonathan Taylor were married on August 30, 1866. According to probate records, J. J. and Jennie Taylor bought forty acres of land October 27, 1868, on the west side of Ludwig Community Center, and it is believed by their descendants that Jonathan built the house which he and Jennie owned for 58 years. The home was built in a beautiful location, facing north with a great view of the mountains. It was surrounded by trees, and in later years, there were several farm buildings. This home was well-constructed, although over the years many upgrade features and repairs were made. Louise Taylor stated that it could not be considered a historic structure because it has been remodeled so often and extensively, but this house is a reflection of the history of the Ludwig community which is located four miles north of Clarksville, Arkansas on Highway 21. (Taylor, 1998, p. 1)

The Taylors were well-known for their hospitality. As the children grew up, married and moved away, the Taylor home had many visitors, not only their immediate family, but also many friends and acquaintances, and often Jennie hosted meetings of various organizations. Her obituary states that she was a charter member of the Felix I. Batson Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy, organized in April 1898. For many years the May meeting of the Chapter was held at her home and it was said that she recounted many interesting stories of her experiences during all four years of the Civil War. At the old home place, visitors were always welcome especially the grandchildren. According to Louise Taylor, Jennie Taylor was by all accounts a friendly, sociable, outgoing person. The Taylor home was for many years a major economic and social center of the community, extending its hospitality to all the Taylor and Watts relatives, those at Ludwig and also those who had moved on to Oklahoma who returned occasionally for visits. (See personal notes for Mahala Jane Watts Taylor.)

The Watts, Taylors and Williams families were noted for having reunions in Johnson County, Arkansas and in Oklahoma. For many years families from Arkansas would attend the one in Oklahoma, and those from Oklahoma attended those in Arkansas.

Jonathan Taylor farmed and was also involved in several commercial enterprises. Cotton was still the main cash crop, and he operated a cotton gin. At times he also had a gristmill, a sawmill and a general merchandise store. Jennie managed the household, took care of the children, at times helped with the store, and for years, wrote a column for the Clarksville Herald, later the Herald-Democrat. In 1974 it became The Graphic which is still being published. Jennie’s obituary stated that she had been the Ludwig correspondent since young womanhood and, at the time of her death, was the newspaper’s oldest correspondent.

The Taylors’ Golden Wedding anniversary was celebrated at the home place, August 30, 1916, with about eighteen children and fifty adults. Their 59th wedding anniversary was celebrated there on August 30, 1925 with another large gathering. That was the last anniversary celebrated. Jonathan died in his home on June 15, 1926. After that Jennie was not well and went to stay with a daughter Fannie Ward in Little Rock. She seemed to be gaining strength but died suddenly on July 15, 1926, exactly one month after the passing of Jonathan.

In an obituary of Jonathan, the writer stated, Seldom could a time be found when some welcome guest did not abide under [his] roof. All of the obituaries of Jennie and Jonathan Taylor praised their hospitality. One writer identified as a ‘Life-Long Friend and Associate’ wrote, His home was open to everyone at all times, and visitors, whether acquaintances or strangers who had chanced to call, always went away more cheerful for having accepted of his hospitality.

Louise Taylor, great-granddaughter of Jennie and Jonathan Taylor, wrote, One of the lasting memories of the Taylors’ long life together is the long front porch filled with people, talking, telling stories, entertaining themselves and each other ‘fraternizing,’ as my grandfather put it, as people did in those days. (Taylor, pp. 3-16 Ibid). (See person notes for James Jonathan (J. J.) Taylor and Mahala Jane (Jennie) Watts Taylor in this Williams book.)

Solen Williams Remodels the House

Solen Williams was the son of William Silas Walker Williams and Mary Elizabeth Watts. He and his wife Nancy Armenda (Russell) Williams and their five children were all born in the Ludwig area. Solen and all of his brothers and sisters had attended Bell Grove School as did the Taylor children. Armenda Williams’ parents, Franklin Perry and Lydia Russell, had a large farm about three miles to the east. This farm was parceled out to their children and part of it was donated for a place to build Mountain Home Freewill Baptist Church. Armenda inherited a farm just north of Hagarville, Arkansas, where the family lived for a time. In 1924 the couple operated a general store in Lamar, Arkansas, and in about 1925 Solen and Armenda with their five children, ranging in ages seventeen to four, moved to Van Buren, Arkansas where there was rich river bottom farm land.

In 1926, after the death of Jonathan and Mahala Jane (Jennie) Watts Taylor, their property, now 100 acres, was up for sale, and the buyer was Solen Williams. The sale was made on December 21, 1926 and was recorded December 24, 1926. The Williams Family moved back to Ludwig by train, a trip that Clarence Williams, aged five at the time, vividly remembered. All of the Williams children attended Ludwig school with the exception of Alice, who rode to high school in Clarksville with Juanita, Mildred and Polly Taylor. Clarence started to school at Ludwig. He wrote the following:

"The school was almost new, very neat and tidy. Taylor Landthrip, a teenager at that time, was the caretaker of the of the Delco power generator which furnished power for the school lights. He made his service calls in a T-model Ford, getting the full attention of all the school children! Years later that school became the Sexton peach shed.

"My father, who was a skilled carpenter, began remodeling the J. J. Taylor house soon after our family moved, but his work was interrupted by heavy rains just after the roof was torn off. He was installing an upper story (half-story), a stairway, and a new roof which involved raising the roof, giving the house essentially the lines it now has, and making space for two bedrooms on the second floor. My sisters spent the night with neighbors, but I spent a night of torrential rainfall with my parents, sleeping in the cottonseed bin in the barn nearby. I remember climbing a ladder the next morning dipping my fingers into the water that stood between the ceiling joists. The ceilings were made of wood, perhaps called ‘car siding’ which is a rare and expensive lumber now. The swollen lumber could easily hold water.

At that time there were three or four large oak trees in the front yard; only one of them remains standing [in 1997]. My father had dumped a load of sand, for use in house construction, under the tree that is still standing. I was playing in the sand pile and generally creating a mess when Harve Taylor drove by. He stopped and asked me, rather gruffly, to stop messing it up, knowing that my father would not be happy about the sand scattered. I continued my play for a while but made a special effort to be out of sight when Harve Taylor returned from Clarksville. Every time I pass by this house and the oak tree, I remember Harve Taylor and the sandpile.

Louise Taylor wrote the following: To give access to the new bedroom, Solen Williams installed a handsome staircase, which is still in place. As Clarence Williams remembers it, ‘The remodeling project was highly successful, and the newly finished frame house was beautiful, as it is to this day’–although it is no longer white. (Taylor, pp. 19-20, ibid.)

The stone veneer on the exterior was added in 1945 by Harris King who bought the stone from a quarry in Noel, Missouri and hired a neighbor, Argie Taylor to haul it to Ludwig. [Argie Jackson Taylor was a grandnephew of J. J. Taylor.] The stonemason did a good job, and the stone still is beautiful.

Clarence Williams continued: "In 1929 my parents traded the Taylor place for another farm from Pearl Vaughn Westmoreland, granddaughter of Margaret Watts Vaughn, who paid three thousand dollars cash extra. This sale was made on the day before the 1929 financial crash when bank failures occurred. Fortunately, Solen had not been able to deposit this money because banks were closed, and he was able to use it as a cushion for the poor economy ahead. [Three thousand dollars in 1929 would be the equivalent of $40,886.52 in 2015].

"My mother was a good friend of Will Vaughn’s wife, Mary Landthrip Vaughn. While living in the same community with this family about one-half mile apart, my mother and Mary would call each other by telephone and talk together. Sometimes, at age five, I was allowed to stand in a chair and talk with Mary… always a pleasant experience! The Landthrips were all warm and friendly people. I recall enjoying the Landthrips and the Vaughns through several years of my early childhood. My father and I occasionally would drive over to see Will Vaughn. We traveled a dirt road in a Model T Ford, and I always marveled at how the car could get through the deep mud-ruts in the road, and how skilled my father was in making it happen.

"There was a Landthrip lady who always asked about me when she saw my parents. She would ask about my broken arm which had been set by Pearl (Vaughn) Westmorland. We all thought Pearl was a registered nurse (but probably was not), who would be would be capable of setting a ‘green stick’ fracture. Pearl was never known to back away from whatever task was at hand, so although she had never done this before, she set the arm and used a roofing shingle as a splint, wrapped it snugly with white cloth, then saturated the cloth with vinegar.

"I trusted Pearl because she was always nice to me. She had a parrot that talked to me as I passed by her store on my way to school. She was also nice to me every time I entered the store owned by her and her husband, Joe Westmoreland. I would enter their store in a run, nickel in hand. Pearl and Joe would smile as they watched me plunk my nickel onto the counter, reach my hand through the hole in the box, come out with a small, paper-wrapped package containing two pieces of candy and a ‘prize’ toy. I would shove the candy deep into my pocket, saving it for later, while I examined the tiny toy ‘prize’ thoroughly. Though I trusted Pearl with my broken arm, I have never figured out why vinegar was used. It worked, and the arm healed normally. The new shingle she used for a splint happened to be nearby where my father was remodeling the J. J. Taylor house.

Across the road from this house stood the remains of the old Ludwig Post Office. The post office was in disuse when I used it for a playground, but I sometimes entered and enjoyed the mystery of its emptiness.

Legacy of Pearl Vaughn Fawcett and Robbie Taylor Lanthrip: The Johnson County Peach Festival

The Peach Industry in Johnson County got started in the 1890’s. In 1893 James R. Tolbert and J. J. Taylor decided to purchase and grow Elberta peaches in the Ludwig area. Their success spread throughout the region and into other states. Despite financial and environmental setbacks over the years (one of the biggest draw-backs was that there were frequent freezes in early spring and entire crops would be lost), the industry thrived and became an integral part of the county.

According to Louise Taylor, it was the idea of Robbie Taylor Lanthrip, granddaughter of J. J. and Jennie Taylor, to have a peach festival and that the best place to have it would be in Ludwig at her grandparents’ home place. Robbie asked Pearl Landthrip (Westmoreland) Fawcett if she would host the festival there, and Pearl agreed. The festival was sponsored by the Johnson County Fruit Growers Association and was attended by several thousand, including Governor Carl Bailey. Bailey crowned the first Queen Elberta. Clarksville resident Frank E. McAnear spoke about how the peach industry arrived in Johnson County and how peaches became an important part of the county. Other events included orchard tours, a potluck style picnic and musical events. The front page headline in the Herald-Democrat, September 28, 1938, stated, County’s First Peach Festival Huge Success. Except for four years during World War II, the Peach Festival has been held annually. It is now in 2017 the oldest festival in Arkansas.

Later Owners of the Stone House

In 1940 Pearl Faucett sold her farm to Harris and Ruby King; they and their children James and Geraldine moved into the Old Stone House. The Kings had several business enterprises, but the main one was peach growing. When time permitted, Harris did some extensive remodeling on the house

In 1965 Ruel and Netta Taylor, parents of Louise Taylor, bought the house and farm. Ruel and Netta lived there until 1996, but did not make many changes in the house. In March 1997 the house was bought by Robert and Bonnie Hula. As Louise Taylor wrote, Mr. Hula gave it the complete renovation that it needed, and a whole new lease on life. (Taylor, p. 46 ibid.)

The friendship between the extended families of Malachi and Vincent Watts has continued through the years. A Taylor, Watts, Vaughn, Williams Family Reunion was held every April beginning in 1930 at the Ludwig Community Building until 2012.

THE CHEROKEE ISSUE:

ANCESTORS AND DESCENDANTS

OF GARRETT Z. WATTS

This chapter exists to address an oral tradition within the family of Native American ancestry—specifically Cherokee. We will look at the family oral tradition with the tools we have at our disposal to try to make sense of the history we were given. The topic actually is fairly complex. Who is Native American? What tribe? How much? How long ago? What constitutes Native American ancestry—birth, adoption, tradition? Who gets to say? The tribe, the government, the individual? Who cares, and why? When one departs a tribe, can one return? Is there a time limit? How do tribal politics play into the decision? How do U.S. politics play into the decision? How do U. S. politics affect tribal decisions? How do shrinking resouces affect the gateway to tribal recognition and/or membership? Actually, all of these questions, and more, directly affect the history of our family.

Why is the question of Cherokee heritage important? We honor our true heritage, whatever it is, and we ascribe to the genealogical principles of looking for the truth, even if it is not pleasant to know the truth. In undertaking the venture of looking for Cherokee, we have sought the best information from all sources uncovered so far, and we continue to look. The Cherokee story is embedded in the family’s move to Arkansas. Oral history and documented history bear violence against and death to family members in the context of the Cherokee issue. Understanding the context of these events helps to construct an understanding of the family story and the obstacles the family members overcame.

Understandably, many people are and have been offended by the attempts of those who are not Native American to pose or pretend that they are. As genealogists, we have attempted to be as careful and judicious in looking at the evidence as we can be to undersand the oral history that was given to us.

Many Americans can be sure that they are not Native American because they can trace all lines of their ancestry back to Europe or another continent, and often with a fairly recent immigration date, such as late 1800’s, early 1900s, or later. People who are serious about genealogy know that documentation including records such as birth or death certificates, marriage licenses, census records, probate records or wills, or tax documents are required for each individual in the line in order to verify the line and its history.

It is important to note that, even with all of the genealogical work done so far, the Watts/Williams line has been difficult to trace backward beyond 1851 (Williams line) and 1756 (Watts), and the female lines have proven even more difficult. Consequently, we cannot by any means disprove the oral tradition on the basis of the documented paper trail. In the rest of the chapter, we will explore the complex question for our family in more detail. We will look at the oral tradition, the historical context of the times and how the history impacted our family, and we will look at the specific, documented events of the Watts family in Oklahoma with relevant testimony and facts of the case that are available to us. Additionally, we will look at DNA research as it relates to the oral tradition of Cherokee ancestry in the Watts family.

Oral History

At this time (2017) it is not known who the parents of Garrett Z. Watts were. Until recently, it was believed by many, based on sworn testimony in the late 1800’s, that he was a descendant of John Watts, Interpreter/Trader for the Cherokees, who married the sister of Cherokee Chief Old Tassell. So far, a firm paper trail has not been established, and DNA tests have thrown the descendancy into question. The early DNA testing did not show Native American ethnicity for descendants of Garrett. Z. Watts and subsequent research has been equivocal for reasons that are worth investigating.

In 1996 Clarence Russell Williams, 2nd great-grandson of Garrett Z. Watts, received a letter from a Watts descendant who asked, Do you know who the parents of Garret Z. Watts were? Williams wrote the following: "The only direct and honest answer to your question about the parents of Garrett Z. Watts is ‘No’. Many researchers have worked hard to either prove or disprove the claimed lineage leading to the union between John Watts and the sister of Old Tassell.

In my family it was accepted through family tradition that my great-grandmother, Nancy Lunicey Watts (known to be 3/4 Cherokee) married her cousin, Vincent Watts (also known to be 3/4 Cherokee), son of Garrett Watts. Photographs of their daughter Mary Elizabeth Watts Williams clearly show her to be of Cherokee blood (my own appearance is unmistakably Cherokee although I am aware that appearance can be deceiving). It was common knowledge in our family that we were Cherokee - something of which we were proud. My father Solen E. Williams did not indulge in hearsay or fantasy. Neither did he spend time trying to obtain material benefits by trying to prove his Native American heritage.

After the white man came to this country, President Washington sought to solve the Native American problem by assimilating or civilizing members of the tribes. This process was begun by teaching them to farm, to develop skills in weaving and sewing, to educate their children, and to require them to follow the U. S. Government laws and regulations. By agreeing to do so, the Cherokees signed treaty after treaty with the Government which promised that certain areas would be reserved for the Indians. The Cherokees were very successful in taking up the ways of the settlers and quickly had farms and houses superior to the settlers; however, the settlers would soon begin encroaching. Each treaty was broken, and the Cherokees who tried to remain were eventually forcibly removed from their homes and farms.

Before the final removal, many of the Cherokees and Cherokee part-bloods had come to the realization that there would be no peace with settlers if they tried to remain on the original Cherokee-held land. Even the application to the Federal Government for the establishment of a Cherokee Nation was regarded by some as a futile effort. Many were looking for a place of safety for their families, and those who made the move toward personal freedom, some of them applying for U. S. Citizenship, did not respond to the government’s bribe to remove them from the territory. They chose independence instead, and this decision was to figure as a negative factor in their later efforts to claim land and Cherokee citizenship in Oklahoma Indian Territory.

For those Cherokees who chose independence, their destination through this period of time was West, a move made in an attempt to get away from the conflict with settlers who had pushed into the old Cherokee territory. Some Cherokees were taking up citizenship and living among the whites, seeking new opportunities to find a place where they could obtain land and live in peace. All of this activity was associated with the coming Indian removal and the Trail of Tears. Other tribes were also being removed from Pontotoc County and surrounding area in Mississippi, thus opening up opportunity for land claims there for citizens. Many Cherokees and part-blood Cherokees moved into Western Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.

Vincent Watts and his wife Lunicey, as stated above, both said to be three-quarter Cherokee were among those part-blood adventurers, and immediately after their marriage in Obion County, Tennessee in 1841, they became established with land ownership in Mississippi; however, their lives were again disrupted by the War Between the States. Their three children were born in Mississippi, but soon after the war ended, there was much restlessness among settlers of this region which resulted in the sale of their property. This restlessness was followed by a massive Westward movement of entire families with children of all ages. Those who had not made the move during the gold rush years were now looking to find land in Oklahoma territory, which was now opening up to farmers and ranchers. It was believed by those