History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 399

HISTORY OF TEXAS. 899

farming, which he followed successfully there
till 1859. That year he moved to Texas and
settled in Milam county, where lie spent the
remainder of his life engaged exclusively inl
agricultural pursuits. Ile died at his lihome
near Maysfield in 1871. His wife is still living,
making her home with her son, thle subject
of this sketch. John and Sarall Todd
were the parents of eight children, all of
whom became grown and all of whom a"e
now living, being residents of this State:
These are Eugenia, the widow of N. 0. McCowen
of Milam county; Eliza, who was
married to J. L. Ford and is now deceased;
HIarriet, the wife of G. C. Timmons of Milam
county; Robert, a farmer of Milam county;
Fannie, the wife of J. L. Ward of Leon county;
John Edwin, the subject of this sketcll;
Jessie, the wife of D. B. Worcester of Milam
county; and Daniel D., a resident of Grimes
county.
John Edwin Todd, the subject of this notice,
was an infant when his parents moved to
Texas and settled in Milam county. HIle was
reared in the vicinity of Maysfield, where
they took up their residence. He was brought
up on the farm and has followed farming pursuits
all his life. His early educational advantages
were restricted to the local schools
in the vicinity of Maysfield. lie assisted his
father on the farm until the latter's death.
when he took charge of the affairs on the old
homestead, which he has successfully managed
since that date. He cultivates about 150
acres of land, on which lie raises an abundance
of Texas sovereign products; cotton
and corn. He has placed the old homestead
under a good state of cultivation and has put
many valuable improvements on it, these including
a good comfortable dwelling erected
at a cost of $1,300, outbuildings and fruit
orchards and other conveniences.

Mr. Todd is dev-ote(d strictly to farm-liilg,
never having held any public office or a!lo)wed
any other pursuit to interfere with his farnling
interests. In politics lie is a Democrat.
Ile is an Apprenticed Mason.
V\A\)ILLIAM T. EVANS, of lHutto,
Williamson county, Texas, is one of
the wheel-horses of tle pioneer triibe
of this wealthy county. His photogr-aph
may be seen along with probably a hundred
others, all old county landmarks, in the
Georgetown gallery and in tlle homes of
many of the county's first families.
Mr. Evans was born near Bowlincg Green
in Warren county, Kentucky, December 19,
1822. lie was there reared, and sparingly
educated. When he was eleven years of age,
Mr. Evans' parents moved to Tennessee,
and within the next five years the father died,
and about twelve years later the mother.
lie did farm work in Montgomery county,
being a hand and overseeing hands until
1841, when lie went to his brother's in Mississippi,
where he engaged in the same business.
He soon after married and bought a
small farin near Crystal Springs. There lihe
resided unttil his corning to Texas in 1854.
Ile became convinced that somewhere
west there was a better country than Mississippi.
Ile started out on the search, found
Texas, and the spot on which he wanted to
settle, returned for his family, and when lie
could not sell his little farm just drove off
and left it. It was Christmas week, 1854,
that he pitched tent on Brushy creek, near
where his present handsome residence now
stands. The third year lie bought 400 acres,
at $6.25 per acre, being a renter the first two
years. His land holdings now aggregate

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