RESEARCH LOG: Southwestern Historical Quarterly 1930, History of Fannin Co., TX, 1836-1843, by Rex Wallace Strickland, PP 84-101, 117; Genealogy of the Vaden and Related Families (1970) Tennie Vaden Winn PP 9-10, 29-51, 279-295; Newspaper articles in Dallas, Denison, & Sherman, TX, papers regarding early settlers and Indian raids; Indian Depredations in TX (1890) by Wilbarger PP 379-422; Grayson Co., TX, deed from Daniel and Catharine Dugan to G.D.F. Whiting dated 1857; Sherman Democrat newspaper article, 12 August 1979, regarding history VA Point Methodist Church; 1840 MO Census lists Arnold Hutton; 1850 Sonoma Co., CA Census Records list Arnold Hutton Compiled by: Lora B. Tindall Email: loratin@wf.quik.com CATHARINE VADEN ###19### (1789-1866) CATHARINE VADEN, daughter of William Vaden, Jr., was born in Shelby Co., KY, 14 Nov. 1789. The identity of her mother is unknown. When about forty, her father married second, Hannah Johns. They were parents of James Harding Vaden, born 25 September 1808; Lydia Vaden; Benjamin J. Vaden; Catherine English Vaden; William Vaden; and at least two others. Catharine Vaden married Daniel Dugan 10 April 1808 at Little Prairie, MO, on the banks of the Mississippi River. This thriving little town, located on the New Madrid fault and a short distance below the present town of Caruthersville, MO, was destroyed by a series of earthquakes in 1811 and 1812. Catharine's father, William Vaden, Jr., born in VA, was living in Shelby Co., KY, when Catharine was born in 1789. Her father married his second wife in Smith County, TN, in 1807, and died there in 1849. We can trace the Dugan family by birth records of their children. The first ones were born in Jefferson Co. MO. Other children were born in Greene County, Illinois. So from Missouri, the family went to Illinois and on to Arkansas, before settling in Texas. The Dugans were the parents of Cynthia, born 23 Jan. 1809; Millicent, born 10 March 1811; George Cox, born 7 Oct. 1812; Mary, born 26 Aug. 1814; Daniel Vaden, born 1 Jan. 1817; Mary (again), born 11 Aug 1819; Emily, born 8 Feb. 1822; William Burks, born 20 July 1824; Catherine Cleopatria, born 25 Dec. 1826; Henry Patrick, born 19 Sept.1829; and James Martin, born 11 Feb. 1833. In 1835, George Cox Dugan, came to Texas to evaluate conditions, while his family waited in Arkansas. His account being favorable, the Dugans began their covered wagon journey to Texas. Eight of the eleven Dugan children accompanied Catharine and Daniel to TX. They were: George Cox, 24; Daniel Vaden, 19; Mary, 17; Emily, 14; William Burk, 12; Catherine Cleopatria, 10; Henry Patrick, 7; and James Martin, 3. Cynthia, who had married Arnold Hutton and two were deceased. It is believed that Cynthia and Arnold Hutton moved to California because he is found on the 1850 Sonoma Co., CA Census Records. In later years Catherine, the ten-year-old daughter, recalled "Our first camp fire on that journey is a bright spot in my memory, and will always be as long as I live. I would paint it if could draw figures. The camp fire was burning low, the wagon, with its white cover, stood near by and the oxen were grazing not far away. Our beds were spread on the grass under the trees, among which were beautiful dogwood, with its pale green leaves quivering above the dim firelight. Mother was sitting in one of the two chairs we had brought with us. Father soon came, and standing by mother's chair, joined us in singing a hymn; then we all knelt down while he prayed for God's mercy and protection." On 25 July 1836, the Dugan family arrived at Red River, and it was at that time that James, their youngest child, died. Catharine was most distressed over the death of her little son. This was due not only to a mother's natural reaction to the death of a child, but also due to the place and manner of burial necessary. Catharine, not wanting to leave her child's grave along the trail to Texas, at least wanted a Christian burial. They had placed the child in the hollowed-out log casket, ready to attach the lid; when a circuit-rider preacher appeared on the scene. After conducting a Christian burial, he promised that the Methodist circuit-rider ministry would find them in Texas. After crossing into Texas the Dugan family continued their slow travel onward, leaving the first wagon tracks in the Honey Grove and Bonham area. They proceeded on to a point on Bois d'Arc Creek, near present-day Orangeville, Fannin County, which is about three miles north of Trenton. George had chosen this location because of its natural resources on Chinaquepina Creek. But the perils of the elements and danger from the Indians induced them to return to Rocky Ford for a short time. When conditions improved they came back and built a cabin, which became the nucleus of the middle Bois d'Arc settlement. Because of increased Indian hostilities and better land northward, the Dugans left this first homesite in Jan. 1838 to move near Choctaw Creek, then Fannin Co., but now Grayson Co. This new location was not far from Fort Warren, which afforded the family refuge in times of Indian uprisings. Feeling that they were here to stay, the Dugans built a large cabin with a barn, and began clearing land. They planted a vineyard, an apple orchard, and other crops. Daniel and his two older sons filed land claims, which were granted by the Republic of Texas. The Dugans gained more land by trading a a horse and saddle for land; so that the owner could return to civilization. The Dugan home was small by modern standards, but was palatial for that time. The house proper was a long log building of two large rooms separated by a long open hall between running north and south. The kitchen, a large separate cabin, was built at the west end of the house, a part of it projecting beyond far enough to allow a port hole at the that end to command a view of the yard and one side of the house. The men and boys slept in the east section where beds ranged around the room and faced the large fireplace. The west section of the house was reserved for the parents and girls of the family. It was likely arranged somewhat differently from the other section in order to allow for more privacy. Heat would have been provided by a fireplace, as in the other two areas. The kitchen, a separate cabin large enough to accommodate the family and their quests when eating or visiting, was the focal point of the home. It served as a utility room, play room, and living room, as well as kitchen. At times, the kitchen was used for sleeping. In hot weather, the family could escape the heat from cooking by crossing over to the larger cabin to work or sleep. A separate kitchen was a common practice at that time as a precaution against fires. About 1838, a stranger rode up to the Dugan gate. As Catharine gazed at him, she turned to her daughters and said, " Girls, that is a Methodist preacher, as sure as I live. Leave your work and get supper quick; kill some chickens and churn. Henry, blow the horn for your father!" Catharine's prediction was correct and the traveling preacher, a Rev. Brown, stayed and preached the word, conquering the hearts of many that heard him. He made an appointment for a regular stop with the Dugans as he traveled his three-hundred-mile circuit. Because the settlers gathered at the Dugan home for preaching, their home was referred to as Dugan Chapel; and the Dugan family burying ground in the pasture behind the cabin became the chief graveyard for the community. In 1846, Catharine's grandson, George Dugan Frederick Whiting, was the first child baptized in this church. When more settlers arrived, mostly from Virginia, a building was erected a few miles east of the Dugan Home. This church is known today as Virginia Point United Methodist Church, and is thought to be the oldest church in north Texas. Their hopes that this new location would provide better protection from the hostile Indians proved futile. Their second son, Daniel Vaden Dugan, and a neighbor, William Kitching, were brutally killed and scalped by Indians 27 July 1841, as they cut logs for Daniel's new cabin about two miles northwest of the Dugan home. Young Daniel had planned to marry William's sister come fall. An impressive funeral service was held the following day at Dugan Chapel as both young men were buried in the Dugan Cemetery, known then as the Indian Cemetery. As the graves were covered, Daniel Vaden's sister, Catherine, vowed to avenge her brother's death. From the beginning, the Dugans along with the other settlers, had been plagued by Indian raiding parties seeking horses and other livestock to steal. Soon after Daniel's death, several Indians approached the Dugan home on such a mission. Being home along, Catherine and Emily were alerted to danger by the action of the animals about the place. Looking out a porthole, they saw Indians bobbing up and down, while making wild turkey noises. This was done to attract the attention of anyone who might be in the house. Upon believing no one at home, the Indians became bolder, and one stood tall. Both girls took aim through the portholes, and one girl got off a true shot. The Indian fell dead near the wood chopping block, and the other Indians fled. The girls pulled the Indian's body to the block, chopped off his head, and nailed it to the gatepost to warn other Indians to keep away. Daniel's death was avenged. This Indian skull was later attached to the top of the spinning wheel, and finally placed in an old trunk. It was handed down to Emily's son, George Dugan Frederick Whiting, then to his son, Claude Whiting. Claude gave it to George Dugan, a descendant of George Cox Dugan. George Dugan handed it down to his nephew, Billy Dugan; Billy Dugan gave it to his son, Billy Ellis Dugan. James Harding Vaden, Catharine's half-brother, left Smith County, TN, for TX in 1843. He, along with his wife, Elizabeth, stopped first in Red River County, but in 1845, they moved on to what is now Grayson County. They stayed for a time with the Dugans. James later bought land from the state for $2.00 an acre northwest of Sherman. Their children were William, Samuel, Josephine, Maria, Jefferson, James, Elizabeth, Catherine, Henry, and Frank. Henry, son of Catharine (Vaden) Dugan, and Henry, son of James H. Vaden, were best of friends. For generations, descendants of Catharine Dugan and James Vaden addressed each other as "cousin," as was often done in those days. George Cox, the eldest Dugan son, received a Republic of Texas land grant, and married Harriet Jane Wall on 7 January 1849. They were parents of seven children: William Preston, born 15 Oct. 1849 and died 23 Aug. 1910; Daniel Dudley, born 1851 and died 1919; George Anna, born 1853; Kate Clyde, born 1855 and died 1873; Luta de Vere, born 1857; George Henry, born 1859 and died 1889; and Mollie J., born 1864. George Cox, who was active in early day government affairs, helped decide the site of the county seat when Grayson County was organized. He died 5 Jan. 1881. Mary Dugan, born 11 Aug. 1819, married Daniel Montague, on 8 Nov. 1841. The wedding was held at the Dugan home; and celebration lasted several days. When the Montagues left for their home a few miles away, Emily and George accompanied the newly-weds. By nightfall, 15 November 1841, Emily and her brother returned home. It was that very night that Indians staged an attack on the Dugan home. It was a fact that the Dugans and the Indians had an on-going feud. No settlers were disliked more by the Indians, unless it was Daniel Montague. Being a surveyor and leader of several raids to clear the area of hostile Indians, Daniel Montague was considered by the Indians to be their greatest threat. So it was believed that the Indians were unaware that Montague had returned home and were hoping to kill him along with some of the Dugans and any friends and neighbors who might have lingered after the wedding. Indians gained entry to the men's quarters by digging out the damp mortar which William Dugan and young Green had recently placed between the logs near the door. The Indians unlatched the door, and fired two shots toward the beds of the sleeping men. The men and boys awoke; and Gordon, managed to push the Indians out the door and secure it. When the melee was over, Henry Dugan, aged 12, shook the Green boy, a neighbor, saying, "Wake up, the Indians are upon us!" But Green had been killed instantly by one of the shots fired by the Indians. The other bullet had hit Hoover leaving him with a bad flesh wound. Henry Dugan had reluctantly given his usual sleeping place to Green that night. Daniel and Mary (Dugan) Montague became the parents of two children: James Newell Montague, born 9 Jan, 1843, died 12 July 1843, and Catharine Vaden Montague, born 21 October 1845 and died 1849/1851. Mary Montague died 15 December 1846 of lung fever. She and her children were buried at Dugan Chapel. Emily Dugan, our ancestor, married Frederic Parker Whiting, 19 April 1845. Frederick Parker Whiting, born 10 June 1814, was the son of John and Nancy (Lowell) Whiting of Union, Maine. Frederic Whiting had sojourned to Houston, TX, where the Dugan boys, George and Henry, met him in 1844 when they went there to collect a load of horses ordered by their father. Frederic agreed to help the Dugans drive the horses overland to north Texas. Soon after his arrival at Dugan Chapel, he and Emily were married; and a child, George Dugan Frederick Whiting, was born 13 March 1846. But December 15, 1846, Emily died of lung fever; and a few days later, 24 December, Frederic Whiting died of the same disease, likely a flu epidemic. Emily and Mary Montague, her sister, died on the same day. All three are buried in the Dugan Cemetery. William Burks Dugan, another of Catharine's sons, died 19 December 1943, and was buried in the Dugan family plot. He died of a disease, likely typhoid fever. Catherine Cleopatria Dugan married Rev. Barton Walton Taylor, 19 Sept. 1849. His being a Methodist minister and educator, must have pleased the Dugans very much. The first boarding school for boys in Grayson County began in 1851 when Rev. Taylor opened a school at the corner of Mulberry and Travis in Sherman, TX. But after several years, he and Catherine moved to Santa Cruz, California. They were the parents of six children: Mary, Ferdinan, Andrew J., Columbus, Elizabeth, and William. Perhaps they were drawn to California because Cynthia Hutton was there. Eliza M. Inge Pritchett bought the Taylor home and land when she settled in the Bells/Ambrose area. Daniel Dugan died in 1861 and Henry remained with his mother and nephew, George Whiting, at the Dugan home. On 8 Jan. 1866, Henry Dugan married Ann Eliza Spotts, daughter of Rev. J.S. and Julia (Pritchett) Spotts. Catharine (Vaden) Dugan died later that year, and George Whiting continued to make his home with Henry and Ann Eliza until his marriage, 19 December 1870, to Mollie Inge Fitzgerald, a first cousin to Ann Eliza. George built a home on a nearby hill on land left him by the Dugans as his mother's portion of their estate. Henry and Ann Eliza Dugan had no children, while George and Mollie Whiting were parents of eight: George Frederick, Henry Patrick, John Albert, Lora Lydia, Birdie Mae, Daniel Dugan, William Preston, and Claude Vernon. When Henry Dugan died, 31 March 1894, George (G.D.F.) Whiting was his sole heir. In 1889, Catherine (Dugan) Taylor's daughter, Mary, in remembering early day visits to her grandparent's home, gives us a glimpse into the past. She wrote: "Fried chicken! Magical words that carry me back through memory's halls to that same old log kitchen, and I see that same table bountifully spread and surrounded by loved ones...I see a rosy cheeked little girl (likely Mary Taylor) in "linsey-woolsey" dress, sitting at her dear grandma's right hand, and cousin George (Whiting) on the left, while between the two a jealous rivalry exists as to who will secure the greater number of drumsticks and wishbones, requiring great tact and diplomacy on the part of the white haired, white capped saint, to prevent a bloodless war, ready to be declared, should she give one an extra drumstick more than the other." Catharine (Vaden) Dugan, who died 23 September 1866, was buried at Dugan Chapel next to other family members. Also buried in this cemetery were many Indians, many other early day settlers, and people just on their way westward. One such couple was James Timberlake and his wife, Caroline. When they arrived with a small son, both were very ill; and neither recovered. The Timberlakes were related to the Vadens in some manner. The Dugans kept their son, James, for several years before he got back to his grandparents in Virginia. The Dugan family graves were each covered by a brick and cement rectangle, about six feet long, three feet wide, and two feet high. Each was marked only with the initials of the person buried beneath. About 1932, George Whiting, and his son, Claude Whiting, placed a large monument to mark the family graves. The original ones remain today, but are crumbling. The Dugan/Indian Cemetery holds hundreds of graves, but few are marked. Those still legible in 1960, besides the Whitings, Dugans, and William Kitchings, were: Jasper Harris 1833-1853; Millie, wife of M.H. Harris 1798-1861, likely mother of Jasper Harris; and six children of M. and R.C. Watson, born between 1850-1869: Robert, Newt J., Mattie, Paul, William and Alvin.