JOSEPH MARCUS JACKSON

 

 

SURNAMES: JACKSON, GAY, THOMPSON, BURLESON.

 

 

    

SURNAMES: JACKSON, GAY, THOMPSON, BURLESON.
Joseph Marcus Jackson, b May 15, 1815 in Georgia, d April 22, 1898 near Durango, Falls County, Texas and buried there in Carolina Cemetery - was a son of William Jackson, b ca 1792 in South Carolina, d 1874 in Falls County, Texas, and his wife to whom he was married ca 1811 in Georgia, Nancy (Gay) Jackson, b ca 1795 in South Carolina, d 1849 in Washington County, Texas. Joseph Marcus Jackson was married ca 1843 to Eleanor Thompson, b July 25, 1825 in Alabama, d April 7, 1910 and buried in Carolina Cemetery near Durango.
The Jacksons left Alabama in 1840, and immigrated to Texas - a trip which took them six weeks by wagon train. They settled first in Columbus, where they farmed, and then in 1843, relocated at Chapel Hill, Washington County, Texas, where the mother died. In December 1852, the family of Joseph - including his father and some of his siblings - relocated in Falls County, Texas. Joseph Marcus Jackson had bought a large amount of land in the Carolina area, and was interested in attracting other settlers - often selling portions of his land, with no down payment, to new families. One of the new settlers was his brother- in-law, P. Virgil Thompson.
Although Joseph was of the Baptist faith and often had Rufus Burleson, President of Baylor U as a visitor in his home, he gave generously to all the area churches and for other community affairs. He also gave acreage for the four different denominations, a school and for the Carolina and Union Cemeteries.
Joseph Marcus and Eleanor (Thompson) Jackson are remembered for their contributions to the rich heritage of the community which became Durango - at that time, the largest town west of the Brazos River in Falls County.
The Jackson’s had an adopted son. Joseph Marcus Waits when he was 5 years old, adopted on February 24, 1887. His father Charles Gustavus (Gus) Waits had asked his last name be Waits. His name was Joseph Marcus Jackson Waits. His mother, Sara Eleanor Brown Waits, had died while the family of three were traveling to homestead a ranch and was buried near Mullins, Texas.
In 1870, Joseph's father, William Jackson, had moved into his son's home, where he was living when he died in 1874.

 

 

 

 

Copyright Permission granted to Theresa Carhart for printing the biographies of these Falls County Families to this Web page.
"Families of Falls County", Compiled and Edited by the Falls County Historical Commission, page 248 column 2.  Member of Falls County Historical Commission.