frontier times – Texas History Notebook

William Hittson

William Bedford Hittson was born October 14, 1834 in Mount Pleasant, Tennessee to Jesse J. Hittson (1801 – 1861) and Mary Ann Beck Hittson (1798 – 1879). His father, Jesse J. Hittson, was born in Virginia but came to Texas with his family in 1855. The Hittsons were a farming family but began raising cattle after settling in Texas. The family consisted of the parents, Aaron H. Hart (possibly a child from a previous marriage of the former Mary Ann Beck). The couple had two sons of their own, John Nathan Hittson and William Bedford Hittson. Both John and William were married by the time that the whole family moved to Texas. Jesse and the families of Aaron, John and William were all living in Palo Pinto County at the time of his death in 1861 at around the age of 60. No cause of death is noted.

After Jesse died, son John is said to have managed the cattle operation for their mother. None of the immediate family appear to have actively served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War though William Hittson was apparently on the roster of a local militia.

George (Red) Bingham, Texas Ranger

Little is actually known about the personal life of Ranger George R. “Red” Bingham. His date of death is July 3, 1880. A member of Company D under Captain D. W. Roberts, Bingham died in a gun battle in far West Texas. He is said to have been about 28 years old. His story is intertwined with that of an outlaw named Jesse Evans. In those days, most Texas Rangers were single men, which was most likely a requirement for employment at that time. Bingham was among a group of five rangers who were tasked with locating and arresting a group of outlaws believed to hide out in the area south of the territory of New Mexico and southwest of Fort Davis, Texas. Bingham was killed in a gun battle with the outlaws on July 3, 1880.

Brown County

This county was named for Captain Henry Stevenson Brown. Henry was born in Madison County, Kentucky on March 8, 1793 to Caleb S. Brown and Jemima Stevenson Brown. Both of Henry’s grandfathers had served in the American Revolution. Early in his adult life, he moved to Missouri. He is said to have served in a local militia as they defended their settlements against native tribal attacks. He later served as sheriff and enlisted in the Army for the War of 1812. Around 1814, he married the former Margaret “Peggy” Kerr Jones, a widow and the sister of James R. Kerr, the namesake of Kerr County and Kerrville. The couple settled in Pike County, Missouri located north of St. Louis. There Henry engaged in trading on the Mississippi.

Cynthia Parker’s Siblings

The parents of the Parker family were Silas Mercer Parker, Sr. and Lucinda Duty Parker. Silas (1804 – 1836) was born in Bedford County, Tennessee. Lucinda (1808 – 1852) was born in Elbert County, Georgia. Lucinda and Silas were married around 1824 and had five children, including Cynthia Ann.

Philip Nolan, Namesake of Nolan County

Philip Nolan was an early mustanger and filibusterer in the area that became Texas when it was under the control of Spain. In historical terms, and in contrast to the current political usage, “filibusterer” referred to a person or group who made unauthorized ventures or expeditions into areas controlled by others. The term originated from Spanish/Dutch words referring to a pirate or a freebooter. The individuals’ filibustering intentions could include a desire to seek income or financial gain by taking resources, a goal of establishing settlements and also to attempt to overcome the prevailing government’s control over the territory.