Chris's Genealogy Journey: May 16th

Shackelford County Courthouse in Albany, Texas, built 1883

I’ve heard that people in Texas are friendly. Today I experienced the truth to that statement, and I would add they are helpful and generous. This morning I drove from Snyder, Texas to Albany, Texas which is in Shackelford County and I started the genealogy part of this trip. My great grandfather James William Pattillo left Mecklenburg, Virginia after the Civil War and migrated to Tarrant County, Texas. The earliest record I have for his being in the county is his marriage to Carrie Brooks Stover on 5 April 1879. On the 1880 Tarrant County census James was identified as a cattle dealer living in Handley just west of Fort Worth. By 1887 James and Carrie were living in Los Angeles, California but Carrie’s brother David Gaines Stover remained in Texas.

Entrance to the Albany Cemetery

There are footprints of this branch of my family in three counties all west of Fort Worth – Tarrant, Stephens and Shackelford. I started in Shackelford where I knew Carrie’s brother, his wife and two of his sons are buried in the Albany Cemetery. Saundra Nobles had surveyed the cemetery and uploaded all her data and photos onto the FindAGrave site. The section, block and lot numbers were all listed on the site, so I figured finding them would be easy. It’s a large cemetery with very clearly labelled street names but I didn’t see any section, block or lot numbers. I was stumped.

Albany Visitor Center interior that was originally the
train station

Well, I noticed a pickup truck close by so I approached and asked the occupant if she might possibly be able to decipher the layout and help me find my Stover relatives. She was very friendly and thought about my question but did not know the name or the plot. She suggested I visit the Albany library and ask there. So, I headed back into town – a short distance – and stopped at the visitor center where another friendly and helpful woman told me where to find the library – a small, red brick building next to the bank.

In the library I was greeted by librarian Myra Hise who did not have a plot plan of the cemetery but she did know Saundra Nobles and offered Saundra’s phone number. So, I telephoned Ms. Nobles who was home and said, “wait 15 minutes and I’ll take you to the plot”. I continued to chat with Myra until Saundra arrived and showed both of us how to use the GPS coordinates she’d entered on the FindAGrave site to locate the Stover plot. Myra shared a beautiful quilt she was working on for her grandson and Saundra and I were off. She walked me to the plot, I thanked her and we said our goodbyes. I could not quite believe my good luck. I hope this is an omen of how this trip is going to continue.

Gazebo and old pepper tree on the courthouse grounds

After sweeping off each headstone and taking photos I headed back into town. While in the library I had asked Myra how I might find out where David Gaines Stover’s ranch had been. She suggested two things. First, ask Steve Waller in the bank next door if he knows where the Stover Ranch had been. So, my next stop was the bank where I met a very friendly banker who knew a great deal about Albany’s history and though he gave it considerable thought was not able to recollect where the Stover Ranch had been. Steve gave me a recommendation for where to have dinner, suggested where I could stay in town in an RV park. He also suggested I go see the county archivist, Molly Sauder.

This wonderful Sinclair service station has been fully restored including the
original sign, pump and gas truck. It is across the street from the courthouse.

Molly was quite young, friendly and efficient. She didn’t recall the Stover name but did find a small file with about 15 Stover-Tipton documents. Another of my great grandmother’s siblings, a sister Sarah, had also remained in Texas and married Winfield Scott Tipton. Molly allowed me to scan each of the documents – some were things I’d found before but a few were new finds. These archives are located in a new addition to what had been the original county jail. The jail was built in 1877 but was abandoned in 1929 when a new facility was built nearby. By 1940 some in the community saw it as an “eyesore” and wanted to tear it down. Instead it was purchased by Robert Nail and passed on to his nephew Reilly Nail in 1968. Finally in 1980 the jail was renovated and expanded and converted into the Old JailArt Center – a beautiful facility that now houses 2400 works of art and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

Saw this map in the Dawson County Courthouse. In the top,
center are Shackelford, Stephens and Tarrant Counties

I inquired about how I might find records that explained where David G. “Bud” Stover’s ranch had been and Molly suggested I try the City Clerk’s office in the courthouse, but as I was lingering and looking at the artifacts they have in a small museum, I could not help but overhear two sisters talking about some of the exhibits. It turns out they own several items in the collection. It was clear they were locals so on a chance I asked, “Does the name Stover mean anything to you?” They thought just a moment and said, “We remember “Mule” Stover. He and a group of guys would sit there on a big bench across from the soda fountain and talk. They described him as a very large man that was balding. Mule was a good friend of their father Carrol Putnam who served in WWI. They didn’t think their mother liked Mule much because he was a bit of a loud mouth, but they liked Mule as did their father.” Mule was the nickname for David Gaines Stover Jr. (1903-1968) who went by Gaines Stover. In his obituary a friend noted, “He had a genius for helping people”.

As I said my goodbye Julia Putnam told me I should visit the Abstract Office and talk with Kathy in the City Clerk’s office. Both were closed by the time I arrived so that is tomorrow’s agenda plus Historic Fort Griffin.

Everyone I encountered today was warm, friendly, helpful and remarkably generous. Thank you Albany, Texas – a great town.