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James William Erwin Family History

Section 1

James Erwin

James Erwin (spelled Irwin in his LW&T dated 1796), born about 1740 in Lancaster Co., Pa. and wife's name was Mary. James died in 1796 in Washington Co., Tennessee. There is the possibility that James is very closely related to Isaac Newton Erwin. Read the letter from J.R. Erwin to his kinfolks back in Tennessee.

Children of James Irwin

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Section 2

James William Erwin Sr.

James William Erwin Sr. was born February 12, 1760, putitively in Ireland (other sources give the date as 1780). His exact origins and parents are not known. Family legends of a similar nature exist in branches of the family that diverge as far back as the sons of James William Erwin Jr. These stories indicate that James William Erwin Sr. was the third son of Col. Arthur Erwin (1726-1792) and his first wife Mary. These facts cannot be substantiated in the rather substantial records available concerning Col. Erwin. Nonetheless, James Erwin was in Virginia and apparently married Mary (or Polly) in 1797. His eldest son William was born there in 1797. The first definite record of the family of Erwins in the line is in Blount County, Tennessee. Supposedly they lived in Cades Cove in 1810 and 1820. His son William was married in Blount County in 1821. The entire family either moved, or a boundary shifted, taking them to McMinn County by 1830. There, according to Ms. Boyers (an accurate historian), James William Erwin Sr. died on February 7, 1849. The legendary sources place the date as 1836. His wife disappeared from the census records after 1850.

James William Erwin Jr.

James W. Erwin Jr. was born May 6, 1804. His birthplace is uncertain but the 1850 Harrison Co., Tx. census puts his place of birth as Tennessee. His family moved to Blount Co., Tenn. and later to adjacent McMinn County. Sarah Rodgers was born in Knox County, Tennessee on February 10, 1806. They were married in Knox County on September 24, 1827 and returned to McMinn County to live. Their first seven children were born there. By 1842, according to a deed in McMinn County, James Erwin had accumulated a number of debts. He apparently sold out and left for Texas between 1843 and 1845. The story of this move is chronicled in the biography of his son, William Armstrong Erwin. By 1850 they were living in Harrison County, Tx. near the Louisiana border and by 1855 they had moved to the area that was to become Parker County, Texas. That was, at the time, the extreme frontier. Arthur Fuller gives an account: "The men probably came first and lived in makeshift shelters constructed of poles and brush or small tents of canvas. They immediately went to work cutting logs for cabins and rails for fences. All necessities were hauled from Tarrant County, over bad roads or no roads at all. At times the traveler was forced to meander through the forest picking the best accessible route and, at the same time, trying to head for a convenient place to cross the streams." I they apparently lived near the Silver Creek Community. In 1859 they rode up the Clear Fork of the Trinity River looking for a permanent place to settle. Fuller's grandfather, a son of James Erwin Jr., told him an account of this: " He said , when they were riding up the Clear they came to a place where the land stretched far and wide on each side of the creek. The land lay level, had a few large trees scattered about, no underbrush and was covered with green grass which was waist high and waving in the wind. A beautiful place. He said he told the other boys, "Boys this is where I stop", and got off his horse, took his hatchet and began driving stakes. His father (James Erwin Jr.) rode up to the next 160 acres and established a claim and his brother took the next one, making three homesteads adjoining. This was the beginning of the Erwin community. When the family came to Parker County, there were only three other families there, the Sulivans, Stinnetts and Brawleys. Being the last, they were the farthest west on the extreme edge of the frontier which ran north and south through the middle of the county. No one lived between them and Fort Richardson. The Indians camped not far to the north and west and would make occasional raids.

It is said that James Erwin Jr. signed the original petition requesting the establishment of Parker County, Texas. He attended the first court, held under an oak tree. He was a carpenter and bricklayer and helped build the courthouse in Weatherford. He died June 5, 1859 in Parker County and is buried there, but the exact place is not known. His son died in July 1860 of Consumption (tuberculosis); perhaps he did also. James Erwin died before the patent to his homestead was signed. Fuller states that his wife Sarah lived on the homestead until her death in 1883. A letter back to Tennessee in 1866 by J.R. Erwin says "Mother and Stephen are living at the old ranch".

Letter from J.R. (Joseph Rodgers) Erwin

This letter was found in McMinn County Court House Records from J.R. Erwin to his brother and sister back in McMinn County, Tennessee.

July 26, 1866; Parker County, Texas
To: Robert F. and Arminda C. Browder

Mother and Stephen are living at the Old Ranch; I am living about 5 miles below on the creek; all made it through the war but Stephen got wounded in the arm. Indians giving trouble; has seen 10,000 buffalo at a sight; William is living about 20 miles below and Robert is living about 35 miles below here; Tip has two boys and a girl; Thomas is living with mother; I have not closed father's estate; Mary is living in Caufman City; have not heard from Uncle Newton since the war commenced. Uncle Thomas Rodgers is still living in Upshire and has but one child living out of nine. Uncle James is living in Hopkins City. Stephen Price is living 35 miles below here, has been married three times and has 14 children, six or seven by cousin Catherine; she died about 7 years ago. Cousins Wiley and Sarah Ann both dead. I have 2 little girls, Sarah Jane and Mary Matilda. I saw James Browder last fall.

This Family Information Provided by Dr. David Stumpf, Northwestern Univ., Chicago, Ill., He may be contacted at: d-stumpf@nwu.edu
A Complete Descendant Report on James Erwin Sr. can be obtained from me
Written by Wayne E. Beck, Pine Bluff, Ar.
Last revised on 08/01/2002
E-Mail wbeck@email.com

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