John Wesley Davidson - 1850 census

1850 census
location:
date: November 5, 1850

John W Davidson  29  male  farmer  Georgia
Emmeline Davidson  24  female  Georgia
John Davidson  7  male  Florida
Littleton Davidson  4  male  Florida
Leston Davidson  3  male  Florida

"United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFH6-SF5 : accessed 22 April 2016), John W Davidson, Gadsden county, Gadsden, Florida, United States; citing family 228, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

John Wesley Davidson

birth: abt 1821

location: Georgia

death: May 8, 1867

location: Texas

father: William Davidson

mother: Mary Kinsey

spouse: Emaline Spence

1850 census - Florida

1860 census - Texas

burial

children with : Emaline Spence

Littleton Davidson - 1845
Leaston Davidson- 1847
Archie Davidson - 1853
John H Davidson - 1855

Mary Ellen Davidson  - 1856
Florida P Davidson - 1859

Company E, 1st Texas Cavalry

John Wesley Davidson - 1860 census

1860 census

location: Edom, Van Zandt County, Texas

date: 

J W Davidson  male  39  Georgia

E Davidson  female  34  Georgia

J F Davidson  male  17  Georgia

L Davidson  male  15  Georgia

Leaston Davidson  male  13  Florida

A M Davidson  male  9  Florida

J F Davidson  male  5  Texas

M E Davidson  female  3  Texas

L P K Davidson  female  1  Texas

"United States Census, 1860," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MXF2-NST : accessed 12 March 2015), J W Davidson, Edom Beat, Van Zandt, Texas, United States; from "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," Fold3.com; citing p. 41, household ID 265, NARA microfilm publication M653, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.; FHL microfilm 805,307.

Littleton Davidson - 1870 census

1870 census
location: Van Zandt County, Texas
date: September 21, 1870

Littleton Davidson  24  male  white  farmer  Florida
Caroline Davidson  25  female  white  keeping house  Alabama
Lou E Davidson  3  female  white   Texas
Mary Davidson  13  female  white  Texas
Arch Davidson  17  male  white  farm hand  Florida
Savannah Davidson  7  female  white  Texas

"United States Census, 1870," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MXG6-49X : accessed 12 March 2015), Mary Davidson in household of Littleton Davidson, Texas, United States; citing p. 135, family 1082, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 553,106.

Mary Ellen Davidson Adrian

birth:  December 19, 1856
location: Van Zandt County, Texas
death: August 4, 1940
location: Van Zandt County, Texas

father: John Wesley Davidson
mother: Emaline

spouse: Buchanan Breckenridge Adrian 

1860 census

1870 census

married to Buchanan Breckenridge Adrian- 1874

1880 census

1900 census

1910 census

1920 census

1930 census

1940 census

death

obit

burial

children with Buchanan Breckenridge Adrian:

Oliver Adrian - 1876
Andrew Franklin Adrian  - 1879
Rosa Adrian - 1880
Acy Jerome Adrian - 1883
Arlillian Adrian - 1886
Claude Culberson Adrian - 1891
Mary Omega Adrian - 1904

Mary Ellen Adrian obituary

Mrs. B. B. (Mary) Adrian, 83-year-old mother of C. C. Adrian of Athens, died at her home in Grand Saline Sunday following a three month illness. Mrs. Adrian, who had visited here on many occasions, was well-known in Athens. 
Funeral services were held at Grand Saline at 3:30 o'clock Monday afternoon with interment following in the Ben Wheeler cemetery. Mrs. Adrian and her late husband had been residents of Ben Wheeler for forty years prior to his death seven years ago. 
The deceased, a native of Smith county, has been a member of the Methodist church for sixty years and was well known for her activity in religious work in Van Zandt county. She was the former Miss Mary Davidson. 
Five children survive. They are: C. C. Adrian, Athens; A. F. (Frank) Adrian, Grand Saline; Mrs. Rosie Corley [Colley], Ben Wheeler; Mrs. A. C. Shivers, Grand Saline, and Mrs. Omega Huddle, Goose Creek. 

Buchanan Breckenridge Adrian and Mary E Davidson marriage

location: Van Zandt County, Texas

date: March 25, 1874

Ancestry.com. Texas, Marriage Collection, 1814-1909 and 1966-2011 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.

Original data: 

Elbert Wickham and Sarah Davidson - marriage

location: Limestone County, Alabama

date: January 31, 1861

"Alabama, Marriages, 1816-1957," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V5Z7-TQH : accessed 30 Apr 2014), Elbert Wickham and Sarah Davidson, 31 Jan 1861; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 1035011.

Arch Davidson

Littleton Davidson

Submitted by Leta Davidson Lantrip
Great Granddaughter of Littleton Davidson

William Davidson and his son, John W., were two of the Davidson pioneers who settled in Van Zandt County. William was born March 10, 1798, to John and Martha Campbell Davidson in Anson Co., NC. He married Mary Kinsley in Warren Co., GA in 1820 and to them were born 8 children: John Wesley, Amy, Adam, Gideon, William Henry, Andrew Jackson, Lucinda, Francine, Lucretia and Henry M. John W. married Emaline Spence in 1841 in Decatur Co., GA. To them were born 10 children: John Felin, Littleton, Leaston, Archibald, James F., Mary Ellen, Florida Palmira and Savannah. In 1845, the two families moved to Gadsden Co., FL and resided there until 1853 when they left for Texas by wagon. The Davidsons traveled on the Tyler-Canton Road which ran by the Hambrick Plantation (now Roseland) and then veered north. They settled about 4 miles west of Edom in the year 1854. William was a carpenter and John W. was a farmer.

When the War Between the States began on April 12, 1861, John W. and his three older sons enlisted in the Confederate Army. John Felin, the elder son, is believed to have been killed in Tennessee.

Littleton, the 2nd son of John W., stayed in the settled area his entire life. He married Sabitha Carolina Hardee in 1866. The 1st Davidson cotton gin, one of the first in this area, was located a quarter mile north of the present Hwy 64 on present VZCR 4907. It was built in the late 1860's and could only gin about 4-5 bales of cotton per day. Littleton lived at this location until the late 1890's when he moved 2 miles to Primrose. A new gin was built located at the intersections of present VZCRs 4905 and 4907 and could gin 1-2 bales per hour. Along with his son, Asbury, Littleton operated a grist mill and a general store. A federal post office was commissioned there on January 10, 1902, located in the store and Littleton was appointed postmaster of Primrose, TX. The post office was abolished and (contents) moved to Ben Wheeler on January 31, 1910.

Leaston Davidson married (1) Mary Anna Germany in 1868, and (2) Virginia Germany (Anna's sister) in 1877. James F. Davidson married Fannie Rains in 1883. The two brothers built a new gin at a community they named "Davidson," three miles west of Edom. They operated a general store with a federal post office located in the store. James F. served as postmaster until the office (contents) was moved to Edom, TX. James F. founded the Alamo Institute, Ben Wheeler, TX, and served as schoolmaster and teacher. Leaston served as VZ County Judge from 1917-1920. His son, John Wesley, served as county judge from 1901-1905. Leaston was also in the store business with Gulledge in Edom and Ben Wheeler.

Archibald Davidson resided near Ben Wheeler and was a prosperous farmer. He married (1) Eugenia Hays in 1878 and (2) Susan Johnson in 1884. Mary Ellen Davidson married Buck Adrian in 1874. Florida Palmira Davidson married Benjamin Cates in 1874. Savannah married King Lollar Melvin Adrian in 1878.

So, the early Davidsons were carpenters, farmers, gin men, store owners, postmasters, and school teachers in the Edom area. They served on school boards, cemetery boards, worked in the Methodist churches and community organizations. Our home stands on my grandparents' homeplace. From 1854 until 2004, Davidsons have lived in this section of Van Zandt County. My Grandmother's flowers still bloom after all this time for me to enjoy.