About
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Kandice Gremillion, REALTOR® Office: 979-387-2000 kandice@fortbendtexas.net |
RE/MAX Opportunities P. O. Box 940 Needville, TX 77461 |
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I am a native Houstonian, but my roots run deep in Fort Bend County. My family has been in Texas since it was a Republic, starting with my great, great, great grandfather, John Neely Bryan, who founded the town of Dallas. He was a native of Fayetteville, Tennessee.
John Neely Bryan & his wife Martha Beeman Bryan Bryan joined Col. Nicholas H. Darnell's Eighteenth Texas Calvalry regiment in the winter of 1861 and served with the unit until late 1862 when he was discharged due to his old age and poor health. He returned to Dallas in 1862 and again became actively involved in community affairs. In 1863 he was a trustee for the Dallas Male & Female Academy. In 1866, during a Dallas flood, he was very prominent in aiding those affected. He also chaired a citizens' meeting that pushed the Houston & Texas Central Railway to complete the railway through the city, and presided at a rally that sought to get full political rights for all ex-Confederates. In 1871 and 1872 Bryan became one of the directors of the Dallas Bridge Company, which built the first iron bridge across the Trinity River. He also stood on the platform at the welcoming ceremonies for the Houston and Texas Central Railway when the first train pulled into town in mid-July 1872. By 1874 Bryan's mind was clearly impaired, though it is not known exactly how. Family lore has it that he was an alcoholic-one has to wonder if he imbibed in rot-gut whiskey in the gold fields. He was admitted to the Texas State Lunatic Asylum in February 1877 and died there on 8 September 1877. He is believed to be buried in a now-unmarked grave in the southeast quadrant of the Austin State Hospital Cemetery, although some believe he is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Whichita Falls, Texas. In 2006, family members from across the country held a ceremony to dedicate the confederate headstone in his honor at the Austin State Hospital grounds.
Confederate Headstone for John Neely Bryan at the Austin State Hospital grounds
Minor L. Woolley & Jennie Lou Bryan Woolley
The Woolley family on the porch of their home on Thompsons Road, the site of present development of Dell Webb subdivision
The Fort Bend County jail with Sheriff M. L. Woolley & his family in front. My grandmother is second from the end My grandmother was one of 10 children, and they grew up living on the bottom floor of the historic Fort Bend County jail. My great aunt, Zora Dell Cole, was the first woman deputy in Fort Bend County and District Clerk for many years.
Three of my grandmother's siblings in front of the jail M. L. Woolley with two of his older daughters
M. L. Woolley family Sheriff M. L. Woolley
Deputy Dink Hagan, Sheriff M.L. Woolley, and unidentified man Another photo of the Sheriff & Dink Hagan & another man
Martha Woolley & an unidentified woman
My great Uncle, Truman Woolley in M. L. Woolley's general store Sheriff M. L. Woolley
Current photo of the Fort Bend County jail
Bryan attended the Fayetteville Military Academy and after studying law was admitted to the Tennessee Bar. Around 1833 he left Tennessee and moved to Arkansas, where he was an Indian trader, and with a business partner laid out the town of Van Buren, Arkansas. Bryan visited the Dallas area in 1839 looking for a place to create a trading post. After finding a good spot, he returned to Arkansas to settle affairs. In November 1841 he returned to Texas, where he learned that a treaty had forced half of his prospective customers, out of North Texas. Bryan decided that a trading post was no longer feasible, so instead he established a permanent settlement, which eventually became the burgeoning city of Dallas. Bryan was very important to early Dallas — he served as the postmaster, a storeowner, a ferry operator (he operated a ferry where Commerce Street crosses the Trinity River today) and his home served as the courthouse. In 1844 he persuaded J. P. Dumas to survey and plat the site of Dallas and possibly helped him with the work. Bryan was instrumental in the organizing of Dallas County in 1846 and in the choosing of Dallas as its county seat in August 1850. When Dallas became the county seat, Bryan donated the land for the courthouse. In 1843 he married Margaret Beeman (pictured, at left), a daughter of the Beeman family who settled in Dallas from Bird's Fort. The couple had five children, and one of them, Luther was my great, great grandfather. In 1849, Bryan went to California during the gold rush, but returned within a year. In January 1853 he was a delegate to the Texas state Democratic convention. In 1855, Bryan shot a man who had insulted his wife and fled to the Creek Nation. The man he shot made a full recovery, and Bryan certainly would've been informed, but still Bryan did not return to Dallas for about six years. During that time he travelled to Colorado and California, probably looking for gold. He returned to Dallas in 1860 or 1861. 
John Neely Bryan's granddaughter, Jennie Lou Bryan married my great grandfather, Minor L. Woolley, who was Sheriff of Fort Bend County during the early 1900's. Jennie Lou was Minor's second wife. As often happened in those days, Minor's first wife died after having several children, & Minor remarried Jennie Lou. They had kids, one of the youngest was my grandmother, Norma Bea Woolley Box. The Woolley's first settled in Needville, but when the 1900 storm destroyed their general store, they moved to Richmond and established a general store there. The home to the left is located where the current Dell Web subdivision is being built. 
My grandmother's uncle, J. E. Woolley, had a saloon in Needville in the early 1900's. This is a photo of the saloon along with a number of family members 
A shot of the Sheriff with a group of men. Note the spitoon in the lower right corner next to M. L. Woolley 
A photo of my great uncle, Glen Hamlink. Hamlink Road in Beasley is named after his family. Uncle Glen lived to be 100 years old & was an active member of the Fort Bend County area.
In 2010 my husband & I purchased the old Home Lumber building from Lee Leaman and moved it to Beasley, at the corner of 7th & Avenue G. We remodeled the historic building, built in 1932. After being in the building almost a year, I found out by chance that my great uncle, Glen Hamlink was the brother-in-law of Lee Leaman's grandfather and at one time was part owner of Home Lumber. Quite by accident, the building has remained part of the family! Just as we were surprised to find out that our home on Marick Road is at the end of Hamilink Road, named after my great uncle's family! Yes, my roots run deep in Fort Bend County and I strive improve the lives of the people who live here. I hope to be instrumental in preserving the historic roots of the Beasley area, while enabling the people who live there to continue to raise their standard of living & make this part of Fort Bend County all that it can be. I started my career in commercial real estate and currently work with residential, farm and ranch, undeveloped land and commercial real estate & development. John Neely Bryan's granddaughter, Jennie Lou Bryan married my great grandfather, Minor L. Woolley, who was Sheriff of Fort Bend County during the early 1900's. Jennie Lou was Minor's second wife. As often happened in those days, Minor's first wife died after having several children, & Minor remarried Jennie Lou. They had kids, one of the youngest was my grandmother, Norma Bea Woolley Box. |
