McLamore (McLemore) Family Scrapbook
Section I - Letters and Documents
Richard Seth (possibly Steth) McLamore is the oldest direct line ancestor I have documentation for. From the ancestry notes of Billy H Williamson, Sr., I have the following information and the only facts I had to start my search for his ancestors:
Richard S McLemore came to Louisiana from Mississippi when he was 16. He married "Davison" (Mary Davison -[maybe]), settled at Atlanta, in Winn Parish, went to Mars Hill. He was called "Doc" was neighborhood Doctor, although he never studied medicine. He was a farmer. Civil War.
When he was small mother died and his father gave all the children away at the grave of his mother. Different people reared the children and he only knew his sister. Father's name was William, two sisters, one named Francis (lived in Arkansas), one named Rebbecca "Becky" married to John W Chester.
Although I did find his mother and evidence of her death, his father did re-collect the children by the time he re-married in 1840. Richard was somewhere between 5 - 8 years of age when she died. I have many letters from Richard S and various family members to Lillian McLamore Houston that I will be adding to this section as I have time to scan them and get them posted.
Note: I still have a lot of research to do on Lillian's (my G Grandmother) siblings to bring them down to current generation.
Letters to Lillian - (Click on the underlined item to view transcription with original letter)
The following are transcriptions from original letters in my possession that belonged to my Great Grandmother “Lillian Leota McLamore Houston”, daughter of Richard Seth McLamore and Mary Davison McLamore. These letters are from various McLamore family members. The oldest in this collection is dated July 22, 1887.
Letter from Lilla S. Collins - Lilla was daughter of Mary Elizabeth “Lizzie” McLamore and Jackson Warner Collins. She was born October 18, 1876. The letter is dated July 22, 1887. She would have been 10 years old when she wrote this letter to her Aunt Lillian.
Letter from Eliza Anne "Annie" McLamore Smith - She was born June 1, 1865, died November 27, 1930. She married Wylie Smith who was born August 11, 1853, died September 25, 1921. There home at the time of this letter was in Colfax, Grant Parish, LA. (Picture of her with husband and children below)
Letter from Richard S McLamore - This letter is from Richard Steth? McLamore, to his daughter Lillian and her husband George Lafayette Houston dated July 4, 1893.
Letters from Ella L. McLamore Taylor and husband, August B. "Gus" Taylor - These letters, one from Ella on the front and one from Gus on the back were dated July 23, 1893. Ella was born April 19, 1871 and died October 22, 1898 at the age of 27. She married Gus on November 6, 1890. Gus was born February 2, 1868, died November 4, 1936. She had 4 children with Gus before her death. They were John M. Taylor, Robert C. Taylor, Veva A. Taylor and Rev. Willie C. Taylor all born in Winn Parish.
Letter from Richard S. McLamore - This is a Letter from Richard Seth or Steth McLamore to his son-in-law and daughter, Lillian dated August 14, 1894. This letter is interesting because it mentions a trial in process, in which Richard is involved. Richard evidently was charged with arson. An arsonist burned down the outhouse of Richard’s brother in law. His sister Rebecca and her husband John W. Chester lived next door to Richard. Although the charge he is faced with is not addressed in the letter I feel fairly certain this is the incident he is writing about. (I would love to know the true story behind this – It has to be funny).
Letter from Melissa McLamore - This letter also dated August 5, 1894 was from Richard S. McLamore's youngest daughter, Melissa to her sister older Lillian. Melissa was born November 20, 1879. She would have been 14 years old, a few months before her 15th birthday when she wrote this letter.
Letter from Samantha Francis "Fannie" McLamore Mixon - Fannie was the oldest surviving daughter of Richard S McLamore. This letter was written for her by her son Jesse Josephus "J.J." Mixon, dated August 31, 1894. It mentions the out come of the infamous "Outhouse" arson trial and the spiritual revival in the area among other things.
Letter from Sena Tetnie "Teddy" McLamore Till - Teddy was the second youngest McLamore daughter with Charlie born between she and Melissa. She was born March 26, 1874 and died at the age of 93 in November of 1967. She married George Houston Till about 1892.
Letter from Samantha Francis "Fannie" McLamore Mixon - This letter includes some fabric swatches "piece goods" that Fannie sent to Lillian to show her fabric being used to make clothing for Lilla, Blanche, Lee and Eva Collins, their nieces & nephew. This letter is dated September 15, 1897.
I have 40 letters. Although I have them all scanned, I do not have them all transcribed. If you are interested in seeing more of them or would like to help in transcribing, please contact me. I will add these as I have time to transcribe them.
Section II - Pictures
Richard Steth McLamore
September 21, 1830 - June 15, 1906
He married Mary Davison about 1851. She and Richard made their home near Meridian, MS. In earl 1860 they moved to Winn Parish, LA. Shortly after the move the Civil War broke out. Richard enlisted. The following is his CSA Record from LA GenWeb, Winn Parish, Archives:
Civil War Record: McLemore, Richard S, Age: 31 as of 5/7/1862, Occupation: Farmer, Height: 5ft. 7in., Complexion: Florid, Eye color: Blue, Hair Color: Light, Birth State: VA, Regiment: 27th Louisiana Infantry, Beginning Rank: Private, Ending Rank: Private, Other Names: (A.K.A.) McLamore. He was captured on 7/4/1863 in Vicksburg, MS. He was paroled on 7/7/1863 and reported for exchange at Shreveport, LA on 4/1/1864.
He and Mary had 13 known children. In Winn Parish, LA they bought land and settled near Wheeling. Mary died in 1885 from Blood poisoning caused from a bite or boil on her lip. They had a family farm and Richard served on the Police Jury and was a well respected member of the community. He married Sarah O'Neal in 1890. "Miss Sarah" as she was called by the Richard's then grown children was a spinster lady, having never been married.
Samantha Francis "Fannie" McLamore Mixon
February 19, 1854 - April 17, 1930
Fannie was the oldest surviving daughter of Richard Steth McLamore and Mary Davison McLamore. The oldest child and sibling, Olivia J McLamore born about 1852 died in childhood at about age 12. Fannie married Hardy Caxton Mixon on December 15, 1872. They had 7 children, with the last 2, being twins who died shortly after birth. They lived near Wheeling, LA on land very near the Old McLamore homestead of her father, Richard. The McLamore, Mixon property abutted the Old "King's Highway". Hardy farmed and had a Limestone quarry.
Mixon Family Scrapbook <--- Click here to see Hardy and Fannie's Family
William Thomas McLamore
November 30, 1859 - November 9, 1903
William Thomas McLamore, oldest son of Richard S. and Mary Davison McLamore married Rebel Lee Hargis on December 5, 1883. They settled and had 6 known children in Winn Parish, LA. Both died fairly young at age 43 and 46 respectively, leaving the younger children orphaned to be raised by their older siblings.
William Thomas McLamore Family Scrapbook <---- Click here to see William's family.
Hughey Steth McLamore
February 25, 1861 - June 9, 1938
Steth married May Flower Hall. There is some deliberation as to May Flower's last name. Steth farmed and served as Deputy Sheriff in 1900 and Justice of the Peace in 1916 for Winn Parish, LA.
Hughey Steth McLamore Family Scrapbook <---- Click here to see Steth's family.
Eliza Anne "Annie" McLamore Smith
June 1, 1865 - November 27, 1930
Annie married Wylie W Smith about 1880. By 1900 she had given birth to 7 children with only 5 surviving at that time. Carl the youngest son, pictured in her lap, weighed 16 pounds at 5 weeks of age according to one of Fannie's letter dated September 15, 1897. Her children, in order of age, are Mary Ann, Pearl, Bertha, Dewey and Carl.
Lillian Leota McLamore Houston
July 19, 1866 - January 29, 1941
Lillian married George Lafayette "Fate" Houston on November 23, 1890. They made their home and settled in Jonesboro, Jackson Parish, LA. Fate was the town Blacksmith and owned his own Shop. They had 6 children, 4 of which died in infancy. This tin type was taken in 1882 some time after her 16th birthday.
Houston Family Scrapbook <---- Click here to see Lillian's family.
Reserved for
Photo of George Weston
George Weston "West" McLamore
January 14, 1869 - December 2, 1947
West married Altie Smith before 1891 and had one child. After the death of Altie he married Julia Demaris Lee on July 1, 1900. They had 9 known children. They lived in East Texas until about 1903 and moved to Hugo, then Oklahoma Territory. (Oklahoma did not obtain Statehood until 1907).
George Weston McLamore Family Scrapbook <---- Click here to see West's family.
Reserved for Photo
of Ella L. McLamore Taylor
Ella L. McLamore Taylor
April 19, 1871 - October 22, 1898
Ella married Augustus B. "Gus" Taylor on November 6, 1890. They had 4 known children. Ella died in child birth with Lloyd at the age of 27. Gus evidently had a hard time of it after her death and pawned the children of on relatives, leaving them for long periods. Veva, in recalling her childhood to her children said she felt very alone, orphaned and at the mercy of the good will of what ever family she was left with.
Taylor Family Scrapbook <---- Click here to see Ella's family.
Charles Travis "Charlie" McLamore
May 19, 1872 - April 22, 1959
Charlie married Ada Hardy about 1892. They had 3 known children. After Ada's death in 1939, Charlie remarried twice, first to Hattie Mathis and last to Lula Shepherd. I have no verification of marriage dates of the last 2 wives.
Charles Travis McLamore Family Scrapbook <---- Click here to see Charlie's family.
Reserved for Photo of
Sena Tetnie "Teddy" McLamore Till
Sena Tetnie "Teddy" McLamore Till
March 26, 1874 - November 1967
Teddy married George Houston Till about 1892. They had 3 known children. They first lived in Winn Parish but moved to Grant Parish by 1904.
Till Family Scrapbook <---- Click here to see Teddy's family.
Dr. Arthur Columbus McLamore, MD
July 27, 1876 - December 13, 1929
Arthur married Alice Marcella Worsham April 16, 1903. In 1917 he and Alice were living in Coushatta, Red River Parish, LA with only one known child, per census and WWI Draft Registration record. They later moved to Harlingen, TX, where he practiced until his death.
Melissa McLamore Dick
November 20, 1879 - May 17, 1964
Melissa married Mathias Cornelius "Doc" Dick on September 21, 1904. Mathias was a widow with children. He had 6 more children with Melissa. She wrote Lillian a letter after her marriage apologizing for not telling her or any of the family about her marriage "my name change". She was the youngest of Richard and Mary Davison McLamore's children and the last to leave home.
Dick Family Scrapbook <---- Click here to see Melissa's family.
Charles Travis "Charlie" McLamore
May 19, 1872 - April 22, 1959