Monday, June 2, 2008

Doss Families in Bell County, Texas

After traveling in two covered wagons along a rutted road for over two months, most of the Jesse Doss family arrived in Texas. After considering land in Temple, TX they decided to look farther west, and decided on settling in Sparta, Bell County, Texas. While still in Hancock County, Illinois, two of Jesse's sons decided to travel to California, settling in Two Rock and Petaluma, Sonoma County, California. Another son, Washington Doss died at age 21 1852. The eldest daughter, Elizabeth Doss married Luke Cox in Illinois in 1848 and remained in that state with her husband.

Parents of what we believe to be ten children, only 5 children accompanied Jesse and Violet Doss to Texas: Christian "CC" Christopher Doss, about age 17; Mary Ann Doss, about age 12, Harmon "Hiram" Wilson Doss, about age 10; and William Henry Doss, about age 8; and Stateira Doss, age 8 and twin of William. William later died about 10 years later in 1861 at age 17, leaving three children of Jesse and Violet's who lived and raised families in the Sparta, Bell County, Texas area.

Jesse bought 640 acres of land, on both sides of the North Nolan Creek clear up to the Cowhouse Creek. It was land that contained chalky hills and scrub-cedar as well as a fresh water spring that cam to be known as Doss Spring. Through the years a five room house was built with a rock fireplace that was used for cooking.

Mary Ann Doss married first, to Elias A Wilhite. They had 6 children, with 5 of them being born in Tarrant County, Texas, although the 6th one, George Albert was born in Belton, Bell County, Texas in 1871. Mary Ann and Elias both died in Bell County Texas; Elias in 1872 and Mary Ann in 1913. Mary Ann (Doss) Wilhite is buried in the Kileen City Cemetery. Of these children, three are known to have died in Bell County Texas: Joel Erskin Wilhite, died Sept 1872, Mary Elizabeth married Ike Cox and she died in March 1942 in Killeen, Bell County, Texas. George Albert Wilhite married Francis Parmisa Jane Martin in 1895, and he died 24 april 1956 in Belton, Bell County, Texas. George and Francis "Fannie" lived around the area in Bosque County, Coryell county and moved back to Bell County, Texas where they both are buried in Resthaven Cemetery, Belton, bell county, Texas

The next child of Jesse and Violet Doss to marry was Harmon Wilson "Harm/Hiram" Doss born 12 May 1842 in Hancock County, Illinois. He married Sarah E. "Sallie" Halcomb on 10 June 1866 on Dog Ridge, near Sparta, Bell County, Texas. They had 8 known children and Harmon was buried, as were all the family members, in the Sparta Cemetery, Belton, Bell County, Texas, but due to the building of Lake Belton, most of the Doss family graves were moved to the Resthaven Cemetery.

Stateira Doss was born 13 July 1844 in Hancock County, Illinois and after traveling with her family to Bell County, Texas, she married Hamilton "Dick" Parks on 22 August 1867 in Bell County, Texas. All of their children were born in Bell County, Texas and both Stateira (Doss) and her husband "Dick" Parks were buried in Resthaven Cemetery as well.