Quest to Reclaim Hill's Prairie

Tornado Hits Hills Prairie

Libby — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:06:17 -0700

See pictures of tornado damage from 08/13/09 here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37563149@N00/sets/72157622045287823/

Book on Hill Brother's Letters Home from the Civil War Available

Libby — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:21:34 -0700

In 1861 the Hill boys of Hill's Plantation (near Bastrop ) rode off to war. They had signed on with Col. B. F. Terry's 8th Texas Cavalry, better knows as Terry's Texas Rangers, one of the most celebrated Confederate regiments.

They left behind their widowed mother who, too sick to run their large plantation, handed those duties to her seventeen year old daughter Mary Scott Hill (called "Scott" by her brothers.)

Speaking at Juneteeth, St. John's Colony, Sat. June 20, 2009

Libby — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:38:50 -0700

Webster Gregg and I are speaking to hundreds of descendants of Hill Slaves this Saturday at St. John's Colony where the freed slaves settled after they left Hills Prairie. It should be an unforgettable experience.

From a Prince to a Slave

Libby — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:58:40 -0700

http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Slave-Slavery-White-House/dp/1599796295/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244548349&sr=1-1

The new book written by a descendant of the Hill Slaves has been published and is now available on ...

Family History

Libby — Fri, 08 May 2009 16:34:55 -0700

Received this from Al Hill who had some new information and information confirming what we have. Hope to meet you some day...Al.

Hills Prairie Restoration and Construction Progress

Libby — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 07:43:44 -0800

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37563149@N00/sets/72157604802542011/

I have posted a flickr link to the photos of our restoration and progress. To review our progress, we ...

Cemetery Restoration

Libby — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 07:26:40 -0800

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37563149@N00/sets/72157614556863108/show/

Click on link to see the amazing before and after photos of the recent cemetery restoration by Glenn Oldham ...

Battle of Mansfield

Libby — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 06:57:39 -0800

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mansfield

http://www.civilwar.org/historyclassroom/hc_mansfieldhist.htm

http://americancivilwar.com/statepic/la/la018.html

Mansfield
Sabine Cross-Roads, Pleasant Grove
Civil War Louisiana

American Civil War
April 8, 1864

By this time, ...

Descendant of Hill Slave

Libby — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 09:03:11 -0800

Webb Gregg says that she claimed to be a descendant of the Hill Slaves. He has not been able to ...

Mary Scott Hill Williams, provided by descendant: Marty Williams

Libby — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 08:49:32 -0800

http://www.cemetery.state.tx.us/pub/user_form.asp?step=1&pers_id=1865
WILLIAMS, MARY SCOTT HILL (1844-1930) Mary Scott Hill Williams was born July 25, 1844, twelve miles outside of Bastrop, ...

For Auction

Libby — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 19:41:31 -0800

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/6131269

Lot 45017 email
save
[William Barret Travis] Broadside Titled at Top:

Streeter lists two copies of this broadside located at the Texas State Library in Austin, and at the San Jacinto Museum of History. This would be the third known copy, recently de-accessed from the collection of the Texas Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (TXUDC), our consignor. The TXUDC received this broadside along with a small archive of documents pertaining to Abram W. Hill, an early immigrant to Texas who served at San Jacinto. They were a gift from TXUDC member Eva Hill Karling, granddaughter of Abram W. Hill. Ms. Karling was the daughter of Augustus M. Hill (son of Abram), who served as a private in Co. B of the 26th Texas Cavalry, Debray's Regiment. As a colonist who arrived in Texas in 1835, it is likely Abram Hill received the Travis broadside upon its original circulation in 1836.

Two Families Named McCain

Libby — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 13:49:55 -0700

This article from Friday, Oct 17 Wall Street Journal is very interesting about the Black and White McCains.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122419511761942501.html

Grandpa Holmes (John Holmes 1820 – 1873)

Libby — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 15:15:56 -0700

Holmes history and Civil War

All The Boys Love Mandy Lane

Libby — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:32:43 -0700

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI9YMPfZKFM

See the YouTube trailer here. Looks like the movie has been released in some markets...filmed here at Hills Prairie ...

Bastrop Historical Society Speech

Libby — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:02:37 -0700

Tonight, Rev. Webster Gregg and I told our stories at the Bastrop Historical Society. Below are my notes, and Webster did an amazing job summarizing his family history from royalty in Africa, through slavery, to today.

Correspondence with Holmes Descendant

Libby — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:54:03 -0800

Using Ancestry.com, I have been able to build out the family tree on the Holmes side. Sarah Elizabeth Holmes was ...

The Watsons (Daughter of Wiley Hill)

Libby — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 15:29:58 -0800

I recently heard from Tom Carter of Westlaco, Texas. Tom is a descendent of Abraham Wiley Hill through ...

Restoration Begins!!!

Libby — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 09:43:30 -0800

I originally started this blog to communicate with family and friends about our restoration. Since we "reclaimed" Hills Prairie in ...

Collecting Hill Descendants

Libby — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:42:42 -0800

I have recently heard from Tom Watson, a desendant of Mary Parks Hill Watson, and Kim Hill a descendant of Middleton Hill.

I didn't have a way to contact them, so if you are a Hill Descendant please also email me at

mslib5@yahoo.com

tell me your story!

McGehee Lineage

Libby — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:42:02 -0700

http://homepage.mac.com/jrgallman/GallmanFamily/genealogy/Gdesc/wc03_022.htm

I found this while looking for information on John Gilmer McGehee

Davy Crockett Letter

Libby — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 22:33:54 -0700

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070905/ap_on_re_us/crockett_letter

Ancient Oaks

Libby — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 07:05:25 -0700

A poem by Eva Hill LeSueur Karling From Leaves from Ancient Oaks

Information on the Hills from various sources

Libby — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 06:56:49 -0700

This information is contained elsewhere on the blog, but I put it all together as source information for the African American Hill book.

Bits and Pieces from Memoirs of Eva Hill LeSueur Karling

Libby — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 06:44:41 -0700

I gathered the information below from Eva and the previous post from Ben for the African American Hills to use as source information for their book. They have traced their family from Africa through Georgia to the Hills and have written a very interesting book about their heritage.

More from Memoirs of Ben O. Hill

Libby — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 06:11:40 -0700

From the Memoirs of Ben O. Hill

I’M Born

December 15, 1883

My sister, Eva (Tia), was twelve years ...

Lucinda Caldwell and House

Libby — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 07:46:52 -0700

I found a picture (which I will have to scan) in the Duff Box of the home of John Calwell, ...

Complete History Of Hills Prairie, Texas

Libby — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 11:22:06 -0700

Source: Bastrop Advertiser Article http://www.rootsweb.com/~txbastro/1910s.htm

OLD FAMILIES OF HILL'S PRAIRIE

Libby — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 11:09:56 -0700

I found a link to this actual story, looks like it was written by Eva around 1910.

Complete History

Libby — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 11:05:05 -0700

I found this on the internet....it looks to be a complete family history by Eva that was published in the Bastrop Advertisher. Some new information here... http://www.rootsweb.com/~txbastro/1910s.htm

Railroad in Hill's Prairie, Post Office, Village

Libby — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 08:14:06 -0700

This is from Eva's article on old Hills Prairie homes, but thought I should post it separately as it is about the railroad versus the old families.

In 1887, the M.K.& T. Railroad laid its track and ran the first trains through the valley. Jay Gould and other notables visited and inspected the Prairie during construction of the road. Dr. A.M. Hill built a store near the track, and R.A. Watson was the Clerk. T.K. Moore and P.J. Gill built a cotton gin and several small houses and a blacksmith shop composed the village. On Saturdays during cotton season there was sometimes as high as 200 tickers to Bastrop sold. That was in the 90’s.