The Harty Family

The immigrant ancestor of the Harty family was Hans Jacob Harty (Hartje) who was born in Berne, Switzerland. Ha was a weaver, spoke several languages, came to the United States in 1663 on the ship, “Brindle Cow” and settled in New York. Later generations of the Harty family migrated to New Jersey, Illinois, Missouri, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas.

Dennis Harty, son of Jacob and Rhoda Harty, went from Tennessee to Missouri, then returned to Tennessee. Later he came to Red River County, Texas where he had a land grant in 1828. He married Dolly Jobs in Maury County, Tennessee, November 18, I8l6. She was the daughter of Samuel and Dorcas McKay Jobe.

John Harty, son of Dennis and Dolly Harty, was on the Red River County, Texas tax list in 1838 and the 1840 census.

John Harty was born 1818 in Illinois, died 1897, Marietta, Cass County, Texas. He is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery. The death date of 1806 on his tombstone is incorrect.

I, Nellie Mae Harty Tidwell, great granddaughter of John Harty, have concluded that the story about John told to me by my uncle, Horace Harty, comes closest to final facts about John Harty. Grandpa John lived in the hone with Uncle Horace before his death, and he remembered the stories told to him by John.

John Harty was here during the Mexican War, and he came to Texas from Kentucky. He came to Clarksville in 183? and settled a grant of land there in 1839, situated about 16 miles ESE from Clarksville on waters of Anderson Creek and the survey began at the southwest corner of a survey made for his father, Dennis Harty.

John had a wife and three children while in Red River County. Due to a terrible tragedy - a snake bit two of the children and while the mother was checking on them the baby fell in a wash tub and drowned all in one day. The mother became despondent and soon died. John left Red River County, riding his horse to Cass County, to the village of Cusseta and built a two-story log house. He traded that to Haney & Floyd for 1400 acres of land that reached from John Russell’s place to Dave Finley’s place.

For the Mexican War, John chose a broken-down horse to follow the authorities. A bad storm came up and they ran off and left him, so he just went home. For the Civil War he paid a man named Jacobs $15.00 a month, and a horse and saddle to go to war in his place. John made saddles for the Confederacy. He was very talented, made saddles, shoes, caskets and helped build the city of Jefferson. Uncle Horace said he was one of the 1st jurors that met under a tree, after coming to Cass County.

John Harty married Julia Ann Haney, daughter of a Major Haney. Their children were: 1. Jane, born 1852, married Billy Powell and had: Lulu and Viola.

2. Paralee, born 1854, married Jim Finley and had John, Nettie, Una, Archie, Bob. Annie B. and Naomi.

3. Augustus Rufus, born 1855, married Missouri Caldwell, had Tom, William, Nan, Jim, and Horace.

4. Rebecca, born 1858, married A. B. Mills and had Martha, John, Benjamin, Ella, Callie, Onie, and Willis.

5- Jennie, born 1861, suffered some kind of brain damage when a teenager.

6. Dorothea or Dolly, married Ed Hancock, had Cratus, Pearl, Alice, McKinley, Ora, Josie. Maude and Odessa.

7. Julie, born 1869, married Hill Ritchie and had, Pascal, Corrie, Alac, Winnie, Irene, Atha, Delia, and David, They adopted Pies, who was a Bledsoe.

8. Ellen Cornelia, born December 12, 1885, married George C. Robinson, had Iva Hay and Mary.

9. John Henry, born May 7, 1889, married Ora Kesterson, had Ettie Hay and Dilly.

Both Martha Elizabeth and John died in 1897, she first and he lived with son, A. R. (Gus) until his death, AUGUSTUS RUFUS (GUS) HARTY A. R. (Gus) Harty, born September 1857, married Missouri Caldwell, daughter of Janes and Frank Caldwell, who came to Texas and settled around Almira. Missouri’s mother was a Milline or something like that. She had brothers named Matthew, John, and Clint. Matthew was the father of Creston Wayne Caldwell, who lived with Gus and Missouri part of his early life.

Gus traded horses and cows by the train load and sometimes had a livery stable. Gus had a habit of moving his family every two years, selling the old and buying a new one. It is said he traded for one 50-acre tract for a horse and saddle and 50-gallon barrel of peach brandy made by Morgan Smith. Grandpa Gus must have been a very generous man for his mother-in-law, John, a half brother and sister, Creston Caldwell Jenny, and two nephews lived there some of the time.

Missouri died in 1932 and Gus died in 1937. Both are buried in Oakridge Cemetery, Marietta, Texas. Their children were: 1. Thomas Nelson, born November 1875, married Ora Elliott. Had Onata, Gus, Nelson and raised Bobbie, daughter of Jin Elliott. Tom died 1961 and Ora died 1956.

2. William Augustus, born February 26, 1880, married Cora Lee Floyd, December 23, 1899. Had one child born and died 1900, Nellie Mae, born 1917, and William Harold born 1920 3. Nannie, born March 1887, married Cozee McCord. They had Esco, Marjie, Evelyn. Edward and Joyce.

4. James, born March 6, 1885. married Vada Cook and had Sallie, Bernie, Mabel, Robert, and Bill.

5. Horace, born November 28, 1889, married Minnie Smith, daughter of B. B. Smith and had Inez, Estelle and twins, Thelma, and Melba.

WILLIAM AUGUSTUS HARTY William Augustus Harty, born February 21, 1880, married Cora Lee Floyd, born November 10, 1881, daughter of David Anderson Floyd and Olivia Covington Smith. They Here married December 23, 1899, a marriage that lasted seventy years and seven months. Will died July 24, 1970 and Cora died Feb. 19, 1971. She was buried on his birthday.

Will said he was eighteen when his grandfather, John, died, and he was sent to West Texas with a train load of cows and to live a year to overcome a bout of malaria. In July of 1909 he became postmaster at Marietta, a position he held for forty-one years. When he died at ninety his mind was as keen and alert as ever. He made a large garden that year. Kidney failure kept him from gathering the fruits of his work.

He was always a very progressive minded person for his home, church, and town. He was a Deacon of First Baptist Church, Marietta, for forty-nine years. He was a school board and draft board member. He owned the first car in Marietta, the first carbide light system, one of the first radio’s and first player piano. His salary was never much, but he was a good manager. We seldom ever sat down to eat that we did not have company. For years Mother made the church’s unleavened bread for the Lord’s supper. They gave us a loving Christian home and their grandchildren adored then. Daddy was a tall, kindly man, had the peace that passeth understanding. I never heard him say an unkind word about anyone. I went away to college for two years and he wrote to me every day. He was the Rock of Gibraltar to all of us.

—by Nellie Harty Tidwell