We can only imagine what went through Sarah’s mind when Henry Anderson said “we are moving to Texas”! WHY TEXAS? We have lived in Caddo Cove, Arkansas for almost 20 years happily raising our 10 children. Henry’s reply may have been “I am a rancher not a cotton farmer”. Caddo Cove had become home to large cotton plantations.
Sarah’s questions may have been;
How will we get there? By the only means possible in 1850, by covered wagons. (There were no trains to central Texas and as for automobiles, Henry Ford was not even born yet). We will have dirt trails to follow, but no lodging or cafes along the way. Our son, Jim W., is old enough to help drive one of the wagons. Son William Walter, six years old, he might not be much help (are we there yet?). Henry probably suggested Sarah pack a lot of flour, cured bacon and dried beans. He will hunt wild game along the way.
Where in Texas are we going? Henry had picked Williamson County, Texas in the Milam/Williamson District, about 360 miles as the crow fly’s from Caddo Cove. In 1850 the settlers would find rich population of cattle, buffalo, deer, bears, mountain lions and wild turkeys. Rumors had probably spread to Henry of the large herds of cattle in the Williamson County and the cattle ranching, good for home consumption and for the beef market. When they would arrive the number of cattle on ranches were 11,973, in the next 10 years the number would triple to 38,114 head.
What about the Indians in Texas? The Tonkawa Tribe was generally friendly towards the early settlers. The Indian threat had eased after the influx of settlers who came to Texas after the annexation. However, the Comanche’s continued to raid settlements in the county until 1860.
Are there other settlements there? Anglo settlements began during the Texas Revolution and the early days of the Republic of Texas, when the area was part of Milam County. When the Andersons would arrive there were about 250 settlers in what was the Western Milam County. Williamson County had grown to 1379 and 155 slaves.
The 1850 census did find the Anderson’s living in Williamson County, Milam/Williamson District, Texas. They were probably living near where the two counties met. Milam County is North West of College Station and Williamson County is West of Milam Texas.
The Ratliff family was also in Williamson County, according to the 1850 census. They settled in Florence, a little community north of Georgetown and they had several hundred acres of land. This may be in the same area where the Henry and Sarah lived, as their daughter Lucinda married Arch Ratliff in June 1853. (The information on the Anderson/Ratliff relationship came from Cousin Mary Lou Laird’s research).
Picture below is from the book FORT BELKNAP by Barbara Ledbetter
In answer to how Sarah Anderson handled the move to Texas, refer back to the book title TOUGHT TIMES NEVER LAST BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO and “no matter how tough times get, you have the potential to achieve the best in life”.
Eternal vigilance, faith and toughness had to be on her side.
Who is my granddaddy? 
I lived in Willamson County TX and in addition to my Anderson ancestors (Phillip Jefferson was my 2nd great grandfather), his wife Adranah Shofner and her family were from Florence. Florence is about 20 miles West of modern day I-35, just north of Georgetown TX.
I have found that the Ratliff family, who had several intermarriages with Anderson, also moved from Arkansas. The patriarch was Guilford Ratliff and his wife was Mahala Lowry. She was a little older than Sarah Anderson, but might have been her sister. I have found no proof of this, unfortunately.
Thom Sloan
Thom….Mahala is my ggggrandmother , but we’ve never found a maiden name ….Where do you find Lowry ?
All I have found is something from the Family Data Collection at Ancestry. Those are typically from family bibles but can be letters, etc.
Eric: I looked back at my records and I don’t know where I got Lowry. I can’t find any documentation. There is a Mahala Lowry in Kentucky who married a John Strange, but that’s it. So I must be wrong.
Lucinda Anderson had a younger sister, Delaney J., and she married Thompson Ratliff, who was a younger brother to Arch Ratliff. Delaney and Thompson are my great grandparents through their daughter Virginia Emeline Ratliff. Delaney and Thompson are buried at the Ratliff Cemetery that is located south of Florence, Texas.
Here is a photo of my grandpa, Vernon Buster Woodward, son of Nancy Belle Anderson. I originally had thought he may he the unknown boy in this photo, though i realized the unliklihood once I noticed Lucinda was born in 1834. Grandpa Buster was born June 4, 1907…the genetic resemblance is strong! 🙂
https://ibb.co/2sZ1sKb