Notes for George Washington KEEFER
Information from Beth Dabaghi:
George Washington Keefer was born March 23, 1815 in Ohio. His family moved to South Bend,
Indiana. When he was a very young man, about 15, he ran away from home and secured a
position on a steamboat plying the Mississippi River. While unloading supplies and loading
cotton at the Searcy Plantation in Louisiana, he met the most beautiful girl he had ever
seen. Soon he fell in love with this beautiful girl, Caroline Virginia Searcy.
On their honeymoon, Caroline and George set out for Texas in a wagon pulled by oxen. Two
other couples joined them in their wagons. When they came to a spring or lake, they stopped
to kill game, cook, and rest.
The Choctaw Indians were very friendly and gave them much needed advice and help. They
taught Caroline to gather poke greens, sheep sorrel, and lamb's Quaker to cook for greens.
They taught her how to use the bark of Black Jack trees to dye cloth black, and to use the
bark of the willow to dye materials. They taught George to kill wild animals for meat.
They killed wild hogs, turkey, and deer.
George Keefer received a grant for 640 acres of land which was located in Polk County, TX.
The certificate is dated November 12, 1846. It states that he had resided in the Republic
three years and performed all the duties required of him as a good citizen. He later sold
this land and his family moved to Madison County where three generations of Keefers lived.
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George Keefer came to Texas in 1837 and had 640 acres in Liberty County.
1850 Census, Liberty Co., TX, September 6, page 345, family #148
Keefer, George - 33, M, b. in OH, Stockraiser
Caroline - 25, F, b. in LA
Eli - 7, M, b. in TX
Asa - 5, M, b. in TX
George - 2, M, b. in TX
Bennett - 5/12, M, b. in TX
1860 Census, Madison Co., TX, June 16, page 440, family #15
Keefer, George - 45, M, b. in OH, Farmer
Caroline - 35, F, b. in LA
Eli - 16, M, b. in TX
Asa - 14, M, b. in TX
George - 12, M, b. in TX
Bennett - 10, M, b. in TX
C.E. - 8, F, b. in TX
Mary J. - 4, F, b. in TX
Jacob - 2, M, b. in TX
Thomas - 3/12, M, b. in TX
1870 Census, Madison Co., TX, September 15, page 43, family #297
Keefer, George - 55, M, Farmer, b. in OH, mother and father are foreign born, cannot write
Caroline - 44, F, Keeps House, b. in LA, cannot read or write
Bennett - 20, M, Works Farm, b. in TX, attended school w/in the year, cannot write
Mary Jane - 14, F, b. in TX, attended school w/in the year, cannot write
Jacob - 12, M, b. in TX, attended school w/in the year
Thomas - 10, M, b. in TX, attended school w/in the year, cannot write
Virginia - 8, F, b. in TX, attended school w/in the year
Steven - 5, M, b. in TX
James - 9/12, M, b. in TX
1880 Census, Madison Co., TX, page 349B
Keefer, Caroline - 55, F, b. in LA, widowed, keeps house, father b. in MS, mother b. in LA
Mary - 24, F, b. in TX, single, unemployed, father b. in IN, mother b. in LA
Thomas - 20, M, b. in TX, single, farmer, father b. in IN, mother b. in LA
Virginia - 17, F, b. in TX, single, unemployed, father b. in IN, mother b. in LA
Steven - 15, M, b. in TX, single, farmer, father b. in IN, mother b. in LA
James - 11, M, b. in TX, single, farmer, father b. in IN, mother b. in LA