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"Say My Name"
Jefferson Calhoun Carter
(Joe Jernigan)
Nigton Resident
The family history for Jefferson Calhoun Carter was provided to me by his grandson, William E. "Billy" Davis, Sr. when he visited me in October of 2012. Billy tells that J.C. Carter was born a slave belonging to the Alex Jernigan's of Trinity County. In the 1870 US Census for Trinity County, Texas, we find Alex Jernigan and his family on page 88, in the Pennington Post Office. Right next to the A. Jernigan family is the household of Phillis Jernigan, age 34, with Eliza, age 15, Joe [believed to be J.C. Carter after 1865], age 14, Louisa, age 12, Leah, age 8, John, age 2, Jack, age 18, Edmond, age 16 and Tonie Faglie, age 56. In the 1860 Trinity County Slave Schedule, Alex Jernigan is shown owning 16 slaves.
Billy said his grandfather was a very progressive man and sometime after 1873 he makes the journey to Marshall, Texas to attend the brand new, Wiley University, [now Wiley College], to become a member of the first graduating class and becomes a school teacher. In the 1880 US Census for Trinity County he is listed as the first African American School Teacher in Trinity County. Early on, he encouraged other African American's in the area to buy land, and get an education and he became an icon in the community. He probably started teaching school in a house or building in the area that is now known as Nigton. The first school in Nigton was called Pine Island, a two story building, with two classrooms on the first floor and the second floor had a stage in the center. Nigton was the community where many of the former slaves settled after June 19, 1865 when Texas slaves were emancipated. Early on they established, a school, church and began farming the land. In 1929, they had the Negro Business League, whose slogan was "A better community for the people, by the people". J.C. Carter, President, W.E. Davis, Vice President, W.H. Harrison, Secretary, H.W. Dixon, Assistant Secretary, J.W. Mark, Treasurer, and Nixon, Chaplain. The Nigton Post Office was established in June 14, 1894, the first postmaster being Robert. H. Massie, and in 1900, J.C. Carter's wife, Sarah A. Carter was the second postmaster there until 1929.
Jefferson Calhoun Carter passed away on 31Dec1936.
Sarah Alice Randolph Carter
Photo provided by: Jim Ligon, 2Oct2014
The information for this family group sheet was compiled by Susanne Waller and from Carter/Jernigan family information provided by Billy Davis, and Elijah Thomas.
Family Group Sheet
| Submitter: | Susanne Waller, Trinity County Historical Commission | |||
| Husband: | Jefferson Calhoun Carter | |||
| Born: | Oct. 1857 | Place: | Trinity County, Texas | |
| Married: | 8Jan1885 | Place: | Trinity County, Texas | |
| Died: | 31Dec1936 | Place: | Trinity County, Texas | |
| Cemetery: | Nigton Cemetery | Place: | Nigton, Trinity County, Texas | |
| Father: | Jernigan | |||
| Mother: | Unknown | |||
| Other Spouses: | Willie Mark | |||
| Wife: | Sarah Alice Randolph | [See "Say My Name" Sarah Randolph | ||
| Born: | 1867 | Place: | Trinity County, Texas | |
| Died: | 8Mar1932 | Place: | Trinity County, Texas | |
| Cemetery: | Nigton Cemetery | Place: | Nigton, Trinity County, Texas | |
| Father: | Sarrapsas Garcia, b. Mexico | |||
| Mother: | Nancy Randolph, b. 1847, Perry County, Alabama | |||
| Other Spouses: | ||||
| Children: | ||||
| 1 Name: | M | Doc Carter | ||
| Born: | 30Oct1885 | Place: | Trinity County, Texas | |
| Died: | 7Feb1979 | Place: | Texas | |
| Cemetery: | Place: | |||
| Spouse 1: | ||||
| Married: | Place: | |||
| 2 Name: | M | Clarence H. Carter (Rev.) | ||
| Born: | Oct 1887 | Place: | Nigton, Trinity County, Texas | |
| Died: | 5May1939 | Place: | Lufkin, Angelina County, Texas | |
| Cemetery: | Place: | |||
| Spouse 1: | Minnie Mark | |||
| Married: | Place: | |||
| 3 Name: | M | Tom [John[ Hansel Carter | ||
| Born: | 22Jan1896 | Place: | Nigton, Trinity County, Texas | |
| Died: | Place: | Long Island, New York | ||
| Cemetery: | Place: | |||
| Spouse 1: | ||||
| Married: | Place: | |||
| 4 Name: | M | Anis Clyde Carter | ||
| Born: | June 1898 | Place: | Nigton, Trinity County, Texas | |
| Died: | 1931 | Place: | Detroit, Michigan | |
| Cemetery: | Place: | |||
| Spouse 1: | ||||
| Married: | Place: | |||
| 5 Name: | F | Nancy L. Carter | ||
| Born: | 25Jan1901 | Place: | Nigton, Trinity County, Texas | |
| Died: | Place: | |||
| Cemetery: | Place: | |||
| Spouse 1: | "Doc" Claude M. Stewart | |||
| Married: | Place: | |||
| 6 Name: | F | Jessie Lydia Carter | ||
| Born: | 7Aug1904 | Place: | Nigton, Trinity County, Texas | |
| Died: | 2004 | Place: | California | |
| Cemetery: | Place: | |||
| Spouse 1: | William Edgar Davis, Sr. | |||
| Married: | Place: | |||
| 7 Name: | F | Maggie M. Carter | ||
| Born: | 29Jan1907 | Place: | Nigton, Trinity County, Texas | |
| Died: | 2Mar2001 | Place: | Lufkin, Angelina County, Texas | |
| Cemetery: | Place: | |||
| Spouse 1: | Dilly Andrew McCoy | |||
| Married: | Place: | |||
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| Sources: Descendants of Jefferson Calhoun Carter prepared by Elijah B. Thomas III Oral family history by William "Billy" Davis, Sr. 2012, Groveton, Texas, grandson of Jefferson Calhoun Carter |
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| Notes: According to family history given by J.C. Carter's grandson, Billy Davis, J.C. Carter had changed his name after emancipation to Jefferson Calhoun Carter. In the 1870 US Census for Trinity County, a Joe Jernigan is found in the household of Phyllis Jernigan. We believe this to be Jefferson Calhoun Carter, before he changed his name. Later in the 1880 US Census for Trinity County, Texas, Jefferson Calhoun Carter is found living with his brother, Edmond and his wife Cinde. Jeff Carter is noted as "Teaching School". | ||||
Updated 11Mar2015/skw