Nichols School on the Austin to Burnet "Mountain Road"

1936 Defender (click to enlarge)

 

In 1936 Travis County celebrated the Texas Centennial by publishing The Defender 1936, a yearbook of Travis County rural public schools. One of those was Nichols School, one of the "Mountain Schools" like nearby Oak Grove (gone) and Pleasant Valley School (extant), sitting on east and west Bull Creek. The school was part of the "Nichols School District."¹ This short article documents some history and the location of that old school.

Defender pages for Nichols on the Portal: 

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1283454/m1/316/ 

The history

From the 1936 Defender:

"In 1900 an acre of land was given for the Nichols School by Mr. Sam Nichols. The men of the community hauled cedar and traded it for lumber with which to construct a building. It was completed Christmas day. Prior to this time the children of this district attended the Oak Grove School. The first trustees of the new school were Mr. Dick Preece, and Mr. Sam Nichols. Miss Florence Harvey was the first teacher. In January 1929 this school building burned. Much of the furniture was saved and the building was re-built in September 1931. It was placed on Joe Gilman's land, as this was nearer the center of the community ... This building was destroyed by fire near the close of the 1932 term. None of the furnishings were saved. The district was without a school until the 1934-1935 term. The school was held on the "old Preece place" in a little log cabin. Old fashioned board benches and boxes were used for seats for the children as there were no funds available to buy desks. This building proved too small. This current term [1936] Mr. A.F. Maechel kindly consented to the use of his house on the old Mabry place. This building is fifty years old [1886] and unsuitable, but is the only one available. Several unsuccessful efforts have been made to re-build Nichols school on the original site, but so far funds are insufficient."

While the school had hard times, the building of Marshall Ford Dam (renamed Mansfield) 1937 - 1941 gave it a new lease on life. The Austin American-Statesman Aug 27, 1937 reported a population boom for the "Nichols school district" due to dam construction. Contractors for the dam provided funds to rebuild Nichols to serve children of the workmen at the dam. The "Old Nichols Schoolhouse" was standing for a good while, serving as a voting place as late as 1959 (Austin American, May 21, 1959).

Of note, Sam Nichols was a Confederate Soldier in the Civil War, buried in Oakwood Annex. Trustee Dick Preece was son of Texas Ranger Richard Lincoln Preece, early settler to what is now River Place & Steiner Ranch, who mounted guerrilla resistance in Travis County against the Confederacy during the Civil War. His papers are archived at UT's Briscoe Center for American History. The Preece Cemetery sits off 2222 south of the 3M campus. A later trustee was Tom B. Hughes, namesake of Tom Hughes Park on Lake Travis; his uncle was Texas Ranger John R. Hughes, said to be the inspiration for Zane Grey's novel The Lone Star Ranger. Buried in the Texas State Cemetery. 

Mother Selma Hughes, and brother Fritz Hughes, all have county parks named after them.

https://traviscountyhistory.org/online-exhibits/parkshistory/selma-hughes-park/ 

 

Where was the school?

As with many of the old 1936 Defender schools the location can be hard to pin down. Most are gone; some were moved so not in the original location (e.g. Cox Springs, Pleasant Valley); some are not on maps; and the Defender usually didn't give specifics on location. The Nichols School pretty much falls into all these categories! And with Nichols even the deed leaves some room for interpretation, the start of the survey being a bit uncertain.

As the Defender indicates, it started in 1900 (the deed says it was deeded 1901), but burned down many times, and moved from location to location. Given families like the Preece had many, many tracts of land and were early settlers to Travis County, references like the "old Preece place" really don't help. So let's focus on the original location as donated by Sam Nichols, but realizing that in the 1936 Defender this is apparently not where the school was located.

For this we need to turn to Nichols' deeding of an acre to Travis County for the school. That is documented here:

Travis County Deed Records: Deed Record 172 Page: 278

One might guess the school tract was part of the land he patented (Sam H. Nichols patent, Abstract 2471, grantee J.W. Preece) which was 160 acres. I have seen this cited as the location in some write-ups (Find a Grave). But the deed itself says it was from the adjacent William Bell survey (Abstract 112). This is further confirmed in the deed when Nichols says the school tract is not to include his homestead, the total acres being 240, the size of the Bell survey. Nichols patent was 160 acres.

Another interesting bit. The metes and bounds for the school tract starts where "the Austin and Burnet Mountain Road crosses the Wm Bell Survey". This is today's 2222. But given this is 1900-1901, the exact location where the old "Austin to Burnet mountain road" crossed the Wm. Bell survey is hard to say. Today's 2222 has been straightened and improved over the years as old 1937 aerials and older USGS surveys attest to. The road (segments of it) also shows up on old maps as Bull Creek Road. If you want to read more about this Old Burnet Road (parts of which are under Lake Travis now) look over these other articles:

https://traviscountyhistorical.blogspot.com/2019/09/old-burnet-road-mt-bonnell-to-comanche_18.html

https://traviscountyhistorical.blogspot.com/2020/07/comanche-peak-travis-county-texas.html

https://traviscountyhistorical.blogspot.com/2017/06/what-does-bull-creek-road-have-to-do_9.html 

The school tract metes and bounds were given in yards, each side being 70 yards, so about an acre. Given the caveat that we don't really know the precise starting location, and that even the survey boundary lines may wander, the GLO map below shows the general location in terms of today's 2222.

There is another spot I was told (second hand re-telling, lady couldn't remember the person's name, but said his father built the house that still sits on the property) was the school location. It's nearby but it's not on the Wm. Bell survey (per TCAD or GLO .. but darn close) and is on private property with restricted access so I won't repeat here. The location, besides being on the wrong survey, is a bit too far off 2222 even considering its modifications over the years. Still .. maybe ... surveying then isn't what it is today. I visited the location. The spot appears to be about an acre, close to being a square (it has been fenced but an older barbed wire and post oak fence sits outside the new fence; also boxed in by new construction), had a well, century oaks, sits on a slight hill with a good breeze. Ideal spot for a school? The 1937 and 1940 aerials show nothing there, i.e. wherever the Marshall Ford Dam school building was, that wasn't it either. But was it maybe the original school location? Notwithstanding the deed, I wouldn't bet against it. Back in the day they may well have put the school up in the wrong spot, just a tad over the GLO survey boundary recognized today.

To conclude, looking at aerial photos from 1937 (Tobin; dated November) and 1940, and reading articles about the new building being finished and furnished by August / September of 1937, it seems clear that the Nichols School built to support Marshall Ford Dam construction was not in the original location. Where that building was located is a mystery for another day.

 

Maps, Aerials

Estimated location of the original 1900-1901 Nichols School

Travis County Deed Records: Deed Record 172 Page: 278

GLO Wm. Bell survey info. 

General location according to the deed survey. The former 3M campus across the road

Footnotes 

1 1934 Map of Boundaries of Common, County Line and Independent School Districts. Topographic and Road Map of Travis County. Prepared 1932 by Travis County Engineering Department. Copy at Travis County Archives.

The Globe Hotel, Manor, Texas

Under the headline, “TRAVELING SALESMAN ACCIDENTALLY SHOT”, the Austin Statesman newspaper carried this story on July 3, 1906.

“W. W. Sesame, traveling salesman for Bassist of Elgin, was accidentally shot in the arm this morning at 11:30, the ball of a 38-calibre Colt’s entering the arm near the elbow, inflicting a painful wound. Bob Wolf, who was examining the gun, accidentally discharged it with the above effect. The shooting occurred at the Globe Hotel and had not the ball struck a domino on the table, perhaps, would have had disastrous results, but the domino changed the course of the bullet slightly, striking Sesame in the arm, inflicting a painful would. Mr. Sesame left this afternoon for Elgin on the eastbound Houston and Texas Central.” 

Photograph from the John Miller Morris Real Photographic Postcards and Photographs of Texas 
collection at the DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

For at least 25 years, the Globe Hotel was one of the popular places to stay when visiting or traveling through Manor. Records indicate that it was in business at least from 1893 to 1918. Newspaper advertisements such as this one from the October 28, 1893 edition of The Galveston Daily News gave reasons to stay at The Globe Hotel. 

Conveniently located next to the railroad tracks, on the north side of what was then Burditt Street, the Globe Hotel was easy to find for anyone departing from the train at the depot. This Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from 1916 shows the hotel, a two-story, shingle roof, wooden building, and it's proximity to the place where the train would stop.

 

A story in the July 8, 1894 edition of The Austin Daily Statesman told of a burglary that occurred at the hotel on the previous night. It read:

"Dr. D. Saffold, dentist, of Beeville, Tex., arrived here last night and put up at the Globe hotel. When he awoke this morning he found he had been robbed of $83 in cash and a gold watch and chain. Nothing of this kind has occurred in Manor for a long time and the affair caused considerable interest. A subscription of $60 was made up in a short while as a reward for the capture of the thief. The watch was a lady’s watch and has the inscription on inside of case, 'Presented to Mrs. A. M. Saffold by D. Saffold' , being a memento of his dead wife. Dr. Saffold prized it very highly and grieves greatly at the loss of it."

Another newspaper gave further detail saying that the Doctor's room was on the first floor and that the burglar entered through an open window sometime during the night. 

The hotel came very close to being consumed by fire in December of 1894. An article in the Austin Daily Statesman on December 4th was headlined "FIRE AT MANOR" with a sub headline reading: 

“An Early Morning Fire Destroys a Number of Business Houses”. 

"Fire broke out at 2 a.m. on Main street and burned to the ground all the block east of J. W. Bitting’s brick store…. 

The fire company and citizens generally worked faithfully, and notwithstanding the strong norther prevented the fire from crossing the alley and saved the Lancaster residence, Globe Hotel and Lewis building. If these had caught, the railroad depot and four or five seed houses would certainly have caught also.”

James Lafayette Lewis was the proprietor of the Globe Hotel in Manor, TX when his daughter, Eunice was born on September 4, 1910. From the information on the birth record, it appears she was born at the Hotel.
The 1910 U. S. Census, taken on April 16th, shows James, his wife, Lena, along with five men who were boarders at the hotel at that time. Those men were;
E. H. Marek – drug store pharmacist
J. B. Brown – minister
M. A. Smith – pool room manager
S. Smith – baker
G. L. Peper – advertising salesman
A sixth person, Sam Harris, is shown as a cook at the hotel.
James died in Austin on June 15, 1961. His wife, Lena, died in Austin on November 24, 1964. Both are buried in the City of Manor Cemetery. 

Advertisements such as these from 1913 and 1914 were frequently placed in Austin newspapers of that time.  

According to the December 18, 1917 advertisement in The Statesman, the hotel underwent a management change which apparently didn't last very long. 

Only three months later, The Statesman, on  March 16, 1918, ran what appears to be the final ad for the hotel. No more are seen after that date. A Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Manor from 1925 shows a vacant lot in the area where The Globe Hotel had been. 

 

THE BLOOR HOUSE, Alfred Sutton Bloor and Martha Wainwright Bloor

 Who were Alfred and Martha Bloor and how could they build such an expensive home in Manor?

Bloor house - 709 Lexington Street, Manor, TX

Alfred Sutton Bloor

Alfred Sutton Bloor was born January 18, 1850, most likely in Clarion, Pennsylvania. The 1850 U.S. Census shows him as a 6 month old living in Clarion, PA. (about 60 miles NE of Pittsburgh) His father was James Holbrook Bloor and his mother was Harriet (Sutton) Bloor.

According to a family history, James H. Bloor is said to have disappeared sometime around 1863, however, there is no date or location given for his death or burial. Alfred's mother died June 20, 1864 and was buried in the Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh, PA. 

Due to the fact that Alfred was only 14 1/2 years old at that time, his mother's brother; Richard Bishop Sutton was appointed by the court to be guardian of Alfred, his brother, James and their sister, Theodosia. Alfred, James and Theodosia went to live with their grandmother, Ann Sutton, in Pittsburgh, PA.

During the March, 1867 term of the Allegheny County, PA. Orphans Court, Ann Sutton and Richard B. Sutton filed a petition to be allowed to sell all of the property owned by Harriet Bloor, deceased, and James H. Bloor, whereabouts unknown. Court records state the following; 

"But your petitioner further represents that Harriet Bloor was married on the 23rd day of September, A. D. 1847 to James H. Bloor and that said James H. Bloor had for nine years previous to the death of his wife willfully deserted his wife and children and neglected to provide in any manner for their support and that for five years previous to the death of Harriet Bloor his wife, no intelligence had been received of him, nor has any been received since by your petitioner, nor by any member of the decedents family."

The same year that his mother died, 1864, Alfred enrolled as a student at Pittsburgh Central High School. In the late 1860's he was apparently studying to be a lawyer. A publication titled "The Twentieth Century Bench and Bar of Pennsylvania" published in 1903, states: "Alfred Sutton Bloor was registered April 10, 1867, admitted February 25, 1871..."The Pittsburgh Legal Journal of May 31, 1871 shows Alfred Bloor involved in a divorce case at his office at 85 Grant Street in Pittsburgh.

Martha Wainwright Bloor

Alfred married Martha Wainwright - probably in 1873 - probably in Pittsburgh, PA. Martha was born July 28, 1849 in Pittsburgh, PA. (both were 23-24 years old) 

Martha was the daughter of Zachariah Wainwright and Elvira (Phillips) Wainwright. The Wainwrights would have been considered a rather wealthy family in that day and time and this is where Martha got much of her money. According to Martha Bloor's probate records, when she married Alfred she was given "a gift of a considerable sum of money" by her mother, Elvira Wainwright.

Zachariah Wainwright died in April, 1871 leaving quite a large estate to his widow and children. In addition to other properties, he owned a nine-acre parcel of land in Pittsburgh, which included Wainwright's Island in the Allegheny River. (noted as being the place George Washington spent one night in 1753)

In 1882, the Pittsburgh Junction Railway Company purchased a part of the Wainwright property for a total of $140,000 so the railroad could build a bridge across the Allegheny River.

When Elvira Wainwright wrote her will in March, 1902, she left $10,000 to each of her 12 
grandchildren, and $10,000 to her daughter Martha BIoor. All the rest of her estate was to be 
divided equally between Martha Bloor and her sister, Annie Abbott. An inventory of Elvira's estate 
after her death in 1904 valued it at $140,000.

David B. Sutton was Alfred Bloor's mother's uncle. He was never married and at the time of his 
death he had no surviving family members. He also had not written a will. When he died March 3, 
1895, his estate was valued at $1,034,903. In February, 1897, Alfred Bloor and his sister, Theodosia Bingham were each given $25,000 from David B. Sutton's estate. According to Martha's probate records, written by her son, Bertram H. Bloor, who was a lawyer in Austin, Sutton also left Alfred Bloor $130,988.39. Alfred gave Martha $75,000 of that money to be her separate property.

Alfred Bloor's grandmother, Ann Sutton, died May 12, 1889. She wrote her Last Will and Testament on August 2, 1883. In provision 3 of her will, she left him $2,000. All this indicates that Alfred and Martha Bloor both came from families of considerable wealth.

Deed records show that Alfred and Martha Bloor, John R. and Ella W. Cooper, as well as Elvira Wainwright were in Austn, TX as early as March, 1878. Records filed in Travis County, TX as well as Allegheny County, PA show Elvira Wainwright selling property in Pittsburgh, PA to Ella Cooper and her sister, Annie Abbott on March 25, 1878. Alfred and Martha Bloor were witnesses to the signing of those documents. 

Deed records also show that Alfred and Martha Bloor, along with John R. and Ella Wainwright Cooper, purchased 906 acres of land in Travis County on June 19, 1878 from George Armistead for 
$4,094.90. This land was about 3 miles south of the town of Manor. Martha would end up buying 
this land again about 17 years later, for an even higher price. Here's how that happened; 

Ella Cooper was Martha Bloor's sister. John and Ella had a son, Paul Wainwright Cooper, who 
according to genealogical records, was born May 21, 1878. This would make him about 1 month 
old when the property in Travis County was first purchased in 1878. Ella died October 14, 1879 at the age of 21 or 22 years old, leaving John as administrator of her estate, and Paul, who was one and one half years old, as heir, along with his father, to one half of the 906 acres.

At some point, John Cooper went back to Pennsylvania. In January, 1895 Martha Bloor went to 
court in Travis County to get the 906 acres legally divided between the Bloors and the Coopers. 
The court appointed men called commissioners to examine the land and make a fair and even
division of the property. Unfortunately, those commissioners said that because the land was
irregular in shape and the surface was rough and unbroken, a division of the land was impractical.

The court ordered the Travis County Sheriff to seize the land and sell it to the highest bidder. William L. Abbott, guardian of Paul Cooper, was authorized by the Orphans Court to bit a maximum of $700 per acre, using monies from the estate of Paul Cooper.  The sale was held in February, 1895 with Martha Bloor being the highest bidder at $6,025.00. Paul W. Cooper who was still a minor at that time and living in Pennsylvania, would receive his share of the sale price which was controlled by his father who was administrator of Paul's estate. 

Back to 1878: Alfred and Martha, along with their two sons, David Sutton Bloor and Alfred 
Wainwright Bloor, moved into a log cabin on the banks of Gilleland Creek. They built another 
house a short distance away and lived there while four more sons were born, and then moved again 
when they built their new home on Lexington Street in Manor. 

Old Bloor Cabin - Bloor Ranch - 1878

It appears that Alfred had given up his law practice in favor of raising sheep and cattle on his 
newly acquired land in Texas. Travis County tax assessment records from 1891 show that he owned 700 sheep. News from Manor printed in the June 24,1892 edition of The Austin American newspaper said, "Mr. A. S. Bloor left yesterday for Chicago with two cars of sheep." 1893 Travis County tax assessment records show that he owned no sheep that year.

When the Bloor house was built in 1897, it was actually not in the town of Manor. A man named 
Addison Earldom Lane had purchased 38.75 acres of land from James Manor in 1879. In February, 1897 Martha Bloor bought a piece of this property 250 feet square from A. E. Lane. The purchase price of the land was $1,900. It was just outside of, but adjacent to the town of Manor, bordering on 
Rector Street. There were no streets north of Rector Street at that time. The deed record states that Mr. Lane agreed to lay out a street an the north side of the property that was 60 feet wide and also on the east and west sides of the property that were 80 feet wide.

When Mr. Lane officially added his 38.75 acres to the town of Manor in 1912, those east and west 
streets became extensions of the already existing Lexington and Caldwell Streets and the 
street on the north side of the property was named Lane Avenue. 

The Austin Daily Statesman newspaper printed this on July 19, 1897; 

The Austin Weekly Statesman newspaper followed with this update on August 12, 1897;

A contract was signed with Charles P. Ledbetter  and work was begun. While most of the homes in Manor were wood frame buildings, the Bloor house was covered in brick that was supplied by the Elgin Press Brick Company, just a few miles down the road in Elgin. The house had 4 chimneys and 7 fireplaces. (most other homes, including that of James Manor  had only 1 chimney and 1 or 2 fireplaces, depending on whether they were one or two stories)

Bloor house - under construction, 1897-1898

In addition to the main dwelling, three other buildings were constructed. One was a two-story frame house, 24x40 feet in area which was built as a gymnasium for the children in the family. This building is visible in the 1897 construction photo above. 

Bloor house - gymnasium at the corner of West Lane Avenue and North Caldwell Street

Another, 18x20 feet in area, was to be the carriage house. 

Bloor house - carriage house on the West Lane Avenue side of the property

The third was a 10x12 frame building used as a garden house. 

Bloor house - garden house at the rear of the main house

A total of 89,77O bricks were purchased for constructing the house - costing $748.10. How do we

know this? On February 24, 1898, Morgan F. Smith, who was Secretary & Treasurer of the Elgin Press Brick Company, filed a mechanics lien against Mr. A. Vogle. who was a sub contractor doing the brick work on the house. There was still an unpaid balance of $434.10 for the bricks used in building the house. (Travis County Deed Records - Mechanics Liens 123, pages 624-625) The mechanics lien erroneously shows the house to be located on "Livingston" street.

Apparently the past-due balance was paid at some time because the Bloor family moved into the
house in 1898. Unfortunately, Alfred Bloor enjoyed the new home only a short time, dying on November 24, 1899. He was buried in the Oakwood Cemetery in Austin.

A family genealogy website says that after Alfred died in 1899, the family returned to Pittsburgh
for a short period of time. The Galveston Daily News printed this on March 19, 1900; "Mrs. A. S.
Bloor and family left this week for Pittsburgh, PA. to spend the spring and summer..."The 1900 U.S.
Census, taken on June 5th, shows Martha and her four sons living at 219 Winebiddle Street, Pittsburgh, PA. This is the former home of Alfred's grandmother, Ann Sutton, where Alfred and his siblings went to live after the death of their parents in 1863-1864.

They had apparently returned to Manor by at least July 26, 1901 when their son, Grant, age 16, died and was buried in the Oakwood Cemetery Annex in Austin.

Bloor House, circa 1908

Martha continued to live in the home until her death on February 7, 1928. She was buried along 
side Alfred in the Oakwood Cemetery. According to her probate records, her estate was valued at 
$247,196.28. She owed debts of only $6,700.

Ownership of the house then passed to her son, Bertram H. Bloor; Sr. who was a lawyer in Austin.

The house was rented out to various local residents until 1951. At that time Lillian Shockley 
bought the house with a deed of trust made out to the Austin National Bank.

In late 1951, Lillian Shockley opened a rest home in the Bloor house. It was called,  "Shockley's 
Sheltering Arms". She operated the rest home until August, 1953, at which time she sold it to 
Chester Foster and it became known as Foster's Rest Home.

The Elgin Courier newspaper,
August 20, 1953

The Elgin Courier newspaper, 
August 28, 1952

The dates are not exactly clear, but at some point the Bloor house was placed in trust with the

Austin National Bank and when Bertram H. Bloor, Sr. died November 18, 1953, the house was
inherited by his son and daughter, Bertram H. Bloor, Jr. and Anne Shryver. In 1960 they sold the
house to Thomas and Anne Bowdy. That ended the Bloor family connection to the house.

The Bowdy's sold the house to Sidney and Evelyn Donnell in 1977. In 1982, the Donnell's 
submitted an application to the Texas Historical Commission for a historical marker for the house. 
The application was approved on January 7, 1983. The marker is fastened to the outside wall near 
the front door. It says;

"Local rancher and farmer Alfred Sutton Bloor (1850-1899) and his wife Martha (Wainwright) (1849-1928), natives of Pennsylvania, built this home in 1897-1898. Constructed by the Elgin Press Brick Co., the house features characteristics of the Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles. Outstanding features include the turreted corners and the massive portico. A landmark in the Manor community, the house remained in the ownership of the Bloor family until 1960."

Information on the historical marker is correct, but there are a number of details on the application that are not correct.

The application says; "The owners of the land upon which Bloor House was built were a few of  the outstanding citizens and pioneers of Travis County. These citizens and their land eventually became a part af the municipality of Manor, Texas founded in 1912".

(1) There were only 2 owners of the land before Martha Bloor - James Manor and A. E. Lane.
(2) Manor was founded in 1872 - A. E. Lane added his land to Manor in 1912.

The application says; "a resume of the owners of this land begins in 1844".
Actually the list of previous owners begins in 1838 when James Manor received his land grant for 
1280 acres and had the land surveyed on November 12, 1838.

The application says; "Judge Townes died in 1871 before all of his land title recards were
completed.'" ----- Judge Townes actually died in 1864.

The application says; "The executor of Judge Eggleston's estate transferred the title....."

It should say Judge Towne's estate.

The application says; "Nelson Rector received title to part of the estate in 1873, and he sold 
this part to James Manor in 1877. This became part of the 'James Manor Headright Survey'." 
Nelson Rector never owned any part of this land. It had belonged to James Manor since 1838. 

The application says; M.C. (Martha Cousins) Townes purchased the property from the estate of
her deceased husband, Eggleston D. Townes in 1871 and the deed was recorded in "Volume 5, 
page 514" of the Travis County Deed Recerds. Actually it was recorded in Volume V, page 514. 
They must have misinterpreted the "V" as a Roman numeral and converted it to the number 5.

The application says; "In 1881 James Manor sold 38.75 acres to A.E. Lane." The deed for the 
sale is dated November 29, 1879.

The application says; Martha Bloor purchased the land where they built the house on "August 3,
1897". The deed was filed in the Travis County Clerk's office on August 3rd, but the deed itself does 
not give a month or day when it was signed, only the year of 1897. The Notary Public who verified 
the signing of the deed dated his record June 30, 1897. That's just over a month earlier than the 
application shows.

And there are several names that are misspelled. A. C. Caldwell's first name, Charles Chevaillier's 
last name, and Nathaniel Amory's last name are all misspelled.

These are some of the small errors in the application, but there is one huge error. The application
shows six owners of the land before James Manor. All of those transactions are from the A.C.
Caldwell land grant, not from the James Manor land. This means that the first six owners listed in the application had no connection whatsoever to the land where the Bloor House was built and should not have been included in the application. 

Bloor house - historical marker application, pages 14 & 15
Highlighted area should not have been part of the application.

Sources

Photographs of Alfred and Martha Bloor, and painting of the Old Bloor Cabin, graciously provided by Carol Schryver-Bloom, great granddaughter of Alfred and Martha Bloor

Bloor family genealogical information taken from "Our Genealogy" website -

https://www.laurellynn.com/genealogy/bloor/james_bloor____James_H.htm

Richard B. Sutton appointed guardian of minors - Allegheny County, PA. Orphans Court Docket, Book 19, page 185, March Term, 1864 - December Term, 1864 

Alfred S. Bloor enrolled in high school - My High School Days : Including a brief history of the Pittsburgh Central High School from 1855 to 1871 and addenda, / Geo. T. Fleming, 1904, page 130

James Holbrook Bloor's absence explained in Allegheny County, PA. Orphans Court Docket, Book 22, pages 161-163,  December Term, 1866 - September, 1867

Bloor family information from Pennsylvania taken from FamilySearch.org - Full Text experimental pages

Ann Sutton, Last Will and Testament, Allegheny County, PA., number 79 in Will Book 35, pages 156-161

handwritten will - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9SW-Q3S9?view=fullText

Ann Sutton - application for Letters Testamentary by Theodosia Bloor, May 18, 1889, Allegheny County, PA. Death Record, Book 7, page 20

John R. Cooper, Ella W. Cooper and Elvira Wainwright in Austin, TX – March 25, 1878, Allegheny County, PA. Deed Book 388, page 335

John R. Cooper and Ella W. Cooper living in Austin, TX. - April 5, 1878 – Allegheny County, PA. Powers of Attorney, Book 11, pages 172-173  

William L. Abbott appointed guardian of Paul Cooper – January 10, 1880, Allegheny County, PA. Orphans Court Docket 1879-1880, Volume 42, page 240

Travis County Deed Records found online on The Portal to Texas History

Travis County Probate Records found online on The Portal to Texas History

The Elgin Courier newspaper found online on The Portal to Texas History

Bloor house historical marker application found online on The Portal to Texas History

James B. Manor - Founder of Manor, Texas - The Early Years - 1804-1838

                  James B. Manor

Although he was born in North Carolina on November 17, 1804, his family moved to Murfreesborough, Rutherford County, Tennessee in 1814. According to family lore and tradition it was there that James B. Manor met and became friends with Sam Houston, which resulted in Manor accompanying Houston to Texas in 1832 when President Jackson sent him to Texas to negotiate treaties with some of the Indian tribes. Family history goes on to say that James Manor remained in Texas for 3 years, returning to Tennessee in 1835 and then in 1836 bringing his wife and 2 small daughters back to Texas where he cleared and settled on land which, at that time, was considered to be a part of  the Webber's Prairie community, later renamed Webberville.[1]

However, histories and timelines of the life of Sam Houston, as well as other historical documents, do not support the stated family history. There is also information that indicates James Manor and his wife may have been living in Mississippi from 1831 to 1836, before coming to Texas. [2]

Certificate number 3164 issued by the Republic of Texas granted James Manor 1280 acres of land because of his service in the Texas military from May, 1837 to April, 1838. It was issued May 3, 1838 and signed by Barnard Bee, Texas Secretary of War.

 A  survey was made  on November 12, 1838 by Thomas Mays and verified by Bartlett Sims on March 9, 1839. It reads, in part:

“Survey No. 40 of Twelve hundred and Eighty Acres of land for James Manor situated on the East side of the Colorado River on Gillilands Creek, 35 miles above Bastrop. It being the quantity of land to which said James Manor is entitled to by virtue of Land warrant No. 3164 issued at the City of Houston on the third day of May 1838 for military service by Barnard E. Bee, Secretary of War.” [3]

Certificate 77 issued July 5, 1838 by the Board of Land Commissioners of Bastrop County granted 640 acres of land to James Manor. It reads:

“No. 77 Class 2 Republic of Texas County of Bastrop.

This is to certify that James Manor has appeared before us the board of land Commissioners for the County aforesaid and proved according to the law that he arrived in this Republic subsequent to the declaration of independence and that he is a single man and entitled to six hundred and forty acres of land to be surveyed after the first day of August 1838. Given under our hand at Bastrop this fifth day of July 1838.”

The document was signed by S. B. Patton who was President of the Board of Land Commissioners and by Josiah Wilbarger and Moses Gage as Assistant Commissioners - [4]

A second survey was also made on November 12, 1838  for James Manor by Thomas Mays, Dept. Surveyor of Bastrop County. It reads, in part:

“Survey No. 39 of six hundred and forty acres of land for James Manor (Second Class) situated on Gillilands Creek on the east side of the Colorado River 35 miles above Bastrop, it being the quantity of land to which he is entitled by virtue of a certificate No. 77 issued by the Board of Land Commissioners for the County of Bastrop.” [5]

This section of a map of Travis County made in 1861 shows surveys 39 and 40 made for the land grants given to James Manor with Gilliland Creek running through both of them. [6]

Sources

[1] James Manor and His Descendants by Thelma Rogers Cook, September 16, 1953 – Texas State Library and Archives Commission and Austin Public Library and Genealogy.com, 1963 – https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/a/l/l/George-D-Allen/GENE7-0001.html

[2] Yazoo County, Mississippi deed records, 1831-1836 – FamilySearch website - https://www.familysearch.org/en/united-states/

[3] Texas General Land Office website - https://cdn.glo.texas.gov/ncu/SCANDOCS/archives_webfiles/arcmaps/webfiles/landgrants/PDFs/1/4/8/148468.pdf 

[4] Texas General Land Office website - https://cdn.glo.texas.gov/ncu/SCANDOCS/archives_webfiles/arcmaps/webfiles/landgrants/PDFs/1/4/8/148180.pdf 

[5] Ibid 

[6] Texas General Land Office website - 

https://www.historictexasmaps.com/collection/search-results/4088-map-of-travis-county-general-map-collection

James B. Manor - Founder of Manor, Texas - Family Years - 1824 -1881

James Manor was born November 17, 1804 in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. Not long after, his family moved to Murfreesborough, Rutherford County, Tennessee. That was where 19 year old James married 17 year old Phebe Singleton Foster (born May 29, 1807) on June 26, 1824.  

Rutherford County, TN, Marriage Record Books, Volume 1, 1804-1837, page 106

According to family lore and tradition, in 1832 James left his family in Tennessee and came to Texas with Sam Houston. By this time his marriage to Phebe had produced 3 children:

Aaron Josiah Manor, born April 30, 1825; died July 26, 1829

Harriet Susan Manor, born August 26, 1827; died July 7, 1829 

Malinda Jane Manor, born October 26, 1830; died December 21, 1903

A fourth child, Ann Elizabeth Manor was born on February 1, 1833, three months after James supposedly left Tennessee to come to Texas. She was said to have been born in Missouri where Phebe apparently had gone to stay with relatives while James is said to have been away in Texas. 

Family lore goes on to say that James Manor remained away from his family for three years but in 1835 he went back to Tennessee to join Phebe and the children who had already returned there. In 1836 James Manor came back to Texas with his wife and two small daughters along with other members of his family including his brother, Joseph John Manor and his wife, Caroline, and his sister Rhoda (Manor) Wilson. [1] 

Historical documents seem to contradict the story told by family lore and tradition. Mississippi deed records seem to show James and Phebe Manor living in Yazoo County, MS from 1831 to 1836. [2] 

Records on file at the Texas General Land Office indicate that James Manor stated he emigrated to Texas in April, 1837, as a single man, and that Joseph J. Manor, also as a single man, stated that he came to Texas in May, 1838. U. S. Census records for Rutherford County, TN dated November 4, 1850 show that Rhoda, along with her husband, John C. Wilson, and six children were still living there.  Travis County Deed Records, book G, pages 4-5 show John C. Wilson purchasing 450 acres of land south of Austin on January 12, 1853, of which he later sold 250 acres to Rhoda Wilson on May 9, 1853, as recorded in Travis County Deed Records, book F, page 235.  

In 1838 James Manor received 2 land grants and had survey’s made totaling 1920 acres of land on which he built a log cabin near Gilliland Creek in the area that would eventually become the town of Manor. [3] In 1841-42 he built a more modern two story house, leaving the log cabin to be used as the kitchen. [4]

James Manor's house built in 1841-1842
(photo at Austin History Center)

His house was used as the first post office in the area as well as the stop for the stage line between Houston and Austin. At that time this area was still considered to be a part of the Webberville community (first referred to as Webber’s Prairie). 

Five children were born to James and Phebe Manor after they arrived in Texas.

William Franklin Manor, born Sept. 12, 1836; died February, 1840

Elvira Tennessee Manor, born October 31, 1841 , died September 12, 1918

Lavina Henrietta Manor, born Dec. 6, 1843, died August 14, 1892

Mary Emeline Manor, born Aug. 9, 1846, died June 1, 1864

Catherine Georgia “Kitty” Manor, born Nov. 30, 1848, died January 3, 1882 [5]

Phebe Singleton Foster Manor, first wife of James Manor, died March 12, 1859 of Consumption at their home. [6] She is buried in Rector Cemetery at Manor, TX. There are 2 stone markers on her grave. 

   

 

       "Phebe S. 

         Wife of 

   JAMES MANOR                     

           Born 

      May 29. 1807

           Died 

     Mar. 12. 1859"

        "Blessed are the dead

          who die in the Lord."

                     

                                     SACRED  TO 

THE MEMORY OF MRS. PHEBE S. MA

NOR, BORN IN VIRGINIA MAY THE 

29, 1807 AND DIED MARCH 12, 1859. 

BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART 

FOR THEY SHALL SEE GOD. MATH. 5.8"

James married Missouri C. Parker Burditt  (born in 1824 in South Carolina) on September 20, 1866.

Travis County Clerk Records: Marriage Record 2, page 267

The Southern Intelligencer Newspaper from Austin carried the following announcement on September 27, 1866: 

They had no children together but she had at least 7 children by her marriage in 1839 to Newell Walton Burditt who died December 6, 1856. 

Information is currently unavailable relating to the date of death of Missouri (Burditt) Manor, but Travis County deed records show that she sold some of her land in June of 1872. In July, 1872 W. H. Reynolds filed suit against M. C. Manor and James Manor for collection of a debt owed to him by her on a note dated January 22, 1866. (Travis County Deed Record W, page 629) Records also show that W. H. Reynolds was appointed by the court as the Administrator of her estate in June of 1874.

Weekly Democratic Statesman newspaper, January 21, 1875

James married 35 year old Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Davis on April 22, 1875 when he was 70 years old. 

Travis County Clerk Records: Marriage Record 4, page 335

She was born July 22, 1840 in Manchester, England as Elizabeth Ann Stelfox and had previously been married, first to James F. Allen, and then to John B. Davis before marrying James Manor. After James Manors death, she married Marion C.  Abrams and lived to be 101 years old, having been widowed 4 times. She died on November 3, 1941 and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery Annex in Austin. 

2 children were born to James and Elizabeth.

Lucile G. Manor - born May 6, 1876, died January 17, 1972

Elizabeth Beatrice Manor - born October 20, 1879, died August 25, 1959 [7]

Elizabeth Ann (Stelfox) (Allen) (Davis) Manor had several children by her previous husbands before she married James Manor. The 1880 U. S. Census for Travis County shows 4 of them living in the household with James and Elizabeth. 

James Manor died on May 17, 1881 and was buried in the City of Manor cemetery, for which he had donated the land. His grave is about fifty feet inside the gate a little to the right surrounded by a chain fence.

The inscription on the headstone reads;       "OUR FATHER 

JAMES 

MANOR 

Born

Nov. 17. 1804 

Died 

May 17. 1881 

Aged 

76 yrs. 6 mos." 

"A friend to his country 

                                                                and a believer in Christ"

James Manor had twenty-one grandchildren, but he had no sons that lived to maturity so there would be no descendants of his with the Manor surname.

Sources

[1] James Manor and His Descendants by Thelma Rogers Cook, September 16, 1953 – Texas State Library and Archives Commission and Austin Public Library and Genealogy.com, 1963 –https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/a/l/l/George-D-Allen/GENE7-0001.html

[2] Yazoo County, Mississippi deed records, 1831-1836 - FamilySearch website

https://www.familysearch.org/en/united-states/

[3] Texas General Land Office website -https://cdn.glo.texas.gov/ncu/SCANDOCS/archives_webfiles/arcmaps/webfiles/landgrants/PDFs/1/4/8/148468.pdf 

https://cdn.glo.texas.gov/ncu/SCANDOCS/archives_webfiles/arcmaps/webfiles/landgrants/PDFs/1/4/8/148180.pdf 

[4] Webberville and the Manor Cemetery by Banks McLaurin, Jr. 1995, page 172

[5] James Manor and his Descendents by Thelma Rogers Cook, September 16, 1953 

[6] FindaGrave.com record for Phebe Singleton Foster Manor

[7] James Manor and his Descendents by Thelma Rogers Cook, September 16, 1953