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John McCrosky married Sarah Ann Bright Hunter, a widow, in 1828 and established the first tannery in Texas in Brazoria County. He later moved it to Colorado County. There he was a Lieutenant in the Colorado District Militia, and acted as alcalde to San Felipe for a short time. John was one of fifty signers of a resolution condemning actions against the constitutional Mexican Government, January 4, 1927, all of this according to the Austin Papers, Volume II. John McCrosky died before the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence, in Colorado County in 1931. His window married W. D. Lacy and he signed it in John's place. John Harrison McCrosky was born on February 1, 1854, in McCracken County, Kentucky, of Scotch-Irish descent. His parents were William Hart McCrosky, born on May 9, 1830, in Colorado County, and Mary Elizabeth Mansfield, born in 1835, in Christian County, Kentucky. William Hart McCrosky died on April 27, 1859, and was buried near Tres Palacios Creek, in the Wheeler Family Cemetery. Upon the death of her husband, Mary Elizabeth McCrosky took John Harrison, a boy of five years, back to Kentucky to her family. Here she married McGlimery, had a son, and then died in 1868. Upon her death, John Harrison McCrosky's grandmother, Sarah Ann Bright Hunter McCrosky Lacy, sent her son-in-law, who was John's uncle, A. H. "Shanghai" Pierce to Kentucky to bring John back to Texas. He was a young boy, orphaned, destitute, and working in a tobacco field to make enough money to live on. Shanghai brought him back and raised him as his own son. Sarah died on June 4, 1880 and was buried at the Pierce Ranch Cemetery. John Harrison went to work for Shanghai Pierce at his Duncan Ranch, located at McCrosky Switch, seven miles north of Bay City, and at the age of nineteen he was boss of many cattle drives up the Chisholm Trail. John Harrison was first married to Minnie Murdock. When she died, his second wife was Mattie Kuykendall. They were married on April 24, 1890, in Wharton County. Mattie, the daughter of Thomas and Sarah Ann Gainer Kuykendall was born on April 13, 1865. John H. and Mattie had two sons, James Harrison, who was born on March 11, 1891, and died on June 6, 1938, and Thomas Kuykendall. James Harrison married Betty Randolph McLendon and they lived in Wharton. Betty became the family historian and genealogist and collected much of the McCrosky family information. Besides their two sons, John and Mattie raised their grandson, John Voss McCrosky, Sr. John Harrison and Mattie McCrosky lived and worked most of their lives at the McCrosky-Duncan Ranch. Their home was a stopping point for many travelers from Bay City to Wharton. Both Mattie and John were of the Methodist faith and very involved in Wharton and Bay City community life. They were called on many times to help in decisions about public affairs and the continued growth of Matagorda County. After John Harrison retired, he and Mattie moved to Markham. She died there on July 15, 1934 and he died on January 12, 1936, in Wharton. Both were buried in Hawley Cemetery. Shanghai Pierce said of John Harrison, "I raised him. He is as honest a man as the sun ever shone on. He did not start out to beat anybody. You can tell by his looks, I would trust him behind a mountain."
Historic Matagorda County, Volume II,
pages 346-347, 1984 |
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Mrs. J. H. McCroskey Mrs. J. H. McCroskey died at her home in Markham Saturday night at 12:30 a. m., age 69 years, 3 months and 2 days after an illness of seven months, caused from a broken hip. Mrs. McCroskey is survived by her husband, two sons, Jim of Fresno, Calif., T. K. of Markham, two sisters, Miss Emma Kuykendall of Markham and Mrs. Haggard of Newgulf. Funeral services at Hawley Cemetery this afternoon, Monday, July 16 at 4 p. m. Rev. Robert Paine officiating. Funeral arrangements under the direction of Walker-Matchett Funeral Home.
Unknown newspaper and date |
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McCroskey, Betty McLendon, a long-time resident of Bay City, passed away early this morning in Gulf Coast Medical Center, Wharton. She was 79 years of age. Services will be held at 10:30 a. m., Saturday, March 11 in St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Wharton. Survivors are one daughter, Betty McCroskey Curlee of Houston; four sisters, Mrs. Eddie Henderson, Mary Montgomery, Gussie Lee Clark and Mrs. A. L. Clark and one brother, T. A. McLendon, Jr.
The Daily Tribune, March, 1972 |
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Thomas Griggs McCroskey - Hawley Cemetery Funeral Services Are Held For Vet Of World War II Funeral services for Thomas Griggs McCroskey, 28, of Markham were held last week with burial in Hawley Cemetery. Mr. McCroskey died in the Matagorda General Hospital after an illness of several months. He had a rare blood disease, contracted while serving with the armed forces in the Pacific theatre of operations during World War II. Mr. McCroskey and his wife, the former Geraldine Lauderback, owned and operated a store in Markham. His wife and baby son, Michael James, survive. Mr. McCroskey was born in Bay City, April 29, 1919. His grandfather was the Matagorda and Wharton Counties’ pioneer, John McCroskey. He withdrew from Texas A. & M. College to enter the armed forces and served four years and nine months. He had lived most of his life with his aunt, Mrs. Betty McCroskey, until the time of his military service and marriage.
Matagorda County Tribune, date unknown |
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