Genealogy journey to family treasure
The year 2020 will certainly not be forgotten any time soon, our grandchildren will undoubtedly be forced to sit through endless hours of tales about the World being turned upside-down in a matter of mere weeks. Despite losing jobs, businesses and even family members, a few positives were gained from the cancellations and lockdowns. Some used the time to find new career paths, begin working on personal wellness or grow closer to family and friends. For the most part however, it was the kind of year to put behind us and hopefully not experience again anytime soon.
Entering the second half of 2021 there is finally some semblance of normality creeping back into our lives with renewed reasons for hope and celebration. The downtime of last year allowed for us to not only rekindle existing relationships but also discover new family and ancestors previously unknown. Thanks to today’s technology an estimated 50 million people in the U.S. alone have taken a DNA test and subscribed to one or more of the major genealogical research platforms now hosting Billions of records. I was not immune to the genealogy craze and caught the bug in early 2020 to trace what I believed were my Native American ancestral roots. Once the journey started it consumed nearly every waking minute and haunted most dreams. As records were found and family stories uncovered it became addictive. Two days in, my aunt mentioned she had found my grandmother’s birth certificate, adoption papers and several important clues left behind which would ultimately lead to her birth family. At first, I admittedly blew her off believing at the time it was a pointless endeavor however once the names were filled in and records began to populate the quest took on a life of its own. Before most of those 14-day trials had expired my family tree was built tracing back to the 1700’s and I had names, countries of origin, migration paths, even a few stories about those previously unknown great grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We finally knew something about the family my grandmother had always longed to meet and spent her entire adult life searching for.
My personal journey has certainly not been without its share of emotional pain, leading to more questions than answers in a lot of instances. Why was my grandmother abandoned to live her childhood in crippling poverty? Why didn’t they come back for her when they had so much? Suddenly my childhood memories of sitting on the front porch drinking coffee and discussing those long-lost ancestors whom she shared blood with, but never given the chance to meet had started coming back into focus. The hurt she felt after a lifetime of never knowing her mother and father was apparent on her face and in her tears. I know today however that she is joyously reunited with them again and looking down with approval. My only regret is not starting a decade earlier, in time for her to find her sister and those cousins she always dreamed of meeting here on Earth.
It has been over a year since the journey started, to say it has changed my life would be an understatement. I have met cousins and extended family from all over the country, some have been welcoming and loving, some not so much. A few have shared hugs, amazing stories, and even priceless family heirlooms they did not even realize were in their possession. One such artifact was found in the family’s “Civil War chest” which has amazingly been handed down for generations, surviving over 170 years through several floods and fires. Luckily that family chest still includes amazing photos and beautifully hand-written letters from the era but the most incredible find of all… possibly the only known photo of notorious outlaw Cullen Montgomery Baker. Known commonly as a Tin Type, this is believed to be an Ambrotype from the early 1860’s, a negative black and white image transferred to glass and encased, they are very fragile and denigrate quickly when exposed to oxygen.
Those living in Northeast Texas and the Ark-La-Tex region have likely heard stories of Cullen Baker, he was certainly a controversial figure both during and after the Civil War and maybe even more so today. He would never become as famous as his cousins John Wesley Hardin, Mannen Clements or even Jim “Killer” Miller but there is no doubt that Baker was the deadliest outlaw of our time, killing an estimated 200 people with pro-Reconstruction views. He was generally feared and hated throughout the country however in Texas he was, and still is considered a hero in certain circles. Almost 50 years ago the Cullen Baker Country Fair was founded as a sort of family reunion bringing home those Bloomburg and Cass County descendants who had migrated their families away from the small rural communities in search of opportunities the larger urban centers have to offer. The fair was no exception to lockdowns, cancelled in 2020 and at the time of this writing its future is uncertain.
What we know about Cullen Baker is that he spent a majority of his short adult life in the area of Bloomburg and Brightstar, otherwise known as “Cullen Baker Country,” after his family migrated from Tennessee along with many other early Cass County settlers. Baker would marry two women, presumably cousins, while fathering one known child. Baker’s weapon of choice was an 1847 Colt .44 which he is seen holding in this photo, only 1,100 were produced to replace the lesser powered Colt Paterson and issued to Confederate soldiers. According to several accounts Baker was known to draw left-handed which matches the negative photo showing the correct side of the 1847 Colt. Unfortunately, there are no images of him for comparison despite what may be seen online or in books however there is certainly provenance attached and clues that directly point to this being the only known photo of Cullen Montgomery Baker, one of history’s least known and deadliest outlaw.
The journey will not likely end anytime soon as more is learned about my ancestors, I now appreciate and understand St. Teresa’s infamous words; “All things must come to the soul from its roots, from where it is planted.” For today however the hope is to continue meeting long-lost family, take in all the wonderful stories and join a huge crowd filled with new family at the Cullen Baker Country Fair in November. I know my grandmother is looking forward to it as well.
The results of the Cass County Genealogical Society research on the “Cullen Baker Photograph” The photo is an Ambrotype portrait, Circa 1850-1870 that was the product of choice used by many of the traveling photographers that plied their trade in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. These photographers took their portrait photos in the back of their wagons and processed them on the spot. The embossed brass mat is typical of the mats used by these photographers during Baker’s Life. The pistol in the picture does appear to be an 1847 Colt .44 which lends more credence to the probably that this is a picture of Cullen Baker.
- Evan Evans C.C.G.S.