Allred
Family Organization
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Back to the main Newsletter page Newsletter Issue #14, pg 2, January 1993 Renne Allred 1804-1869 (Renne, William, William) by: Renne Allred (his grandson) Click here to see Renne's burial place I am of the house of Renne, who I will call the black sheep of the family, because he refused to take a switching for violating the code his father William demanded of his sons. He was only 13 years old when he left home and he worked for three different men, helping each to build his house, dig his well and clear land as he worked his way to east Tennessee. When sixteen he got a wage and when he was 21 he had saved enough to buy him a home. He married at the age of 23 and had a son and a daughter. The son was my father. His wife died and he was struggling along caring for his children, William and Elizabeth, and trying to farm. He had a friend who had gone to Texas and enlisted in Sam Houston's Army and after the battle of San Jacinto, 30 miles from here, he settled on Red River about half way between Sherman and Bonham, but there existed only one store called Warren and they had to freight all supplies from Jefferson, Texas. IN the spring of 1837, this friend wrote him in substance the following letter: "Renne, you ought to come to Texas. This state will give you a head right of land to live on. Grass is as high as a man on a horse and stock lives all year without feeing. There is all kind of game, buffalo, bear, antelope, deer, turkeys, etc. and you don't need a thing but bread and salt." When Renne read this letter he sold everything he had and he and the children took the steamboat to New Orleans. When he arrived, there were lots of Germans going to New Braunfels to colonize so he bought a yoke of oxen, a prairie schooner, food supplies, etc. He traveled with them for awhile and when they turned west he knew he was bound for Red River on the North and told he new German friends that he would have to leave them. They told him it would be suicide and tried to get them to go with them. They were prepared to repel and Indian attack, but "No, I must go to my friend." So the first road leading north he drove out of their convoy. They followed the road to the end and struck out on the prairie, digging banks of creeks and draws to get by, making an average of 10 miles a day. Eventually he came to a great river that had never been crossed. He stopped and turned the steers to grass and he and the children explored the banks of the river on both sides for miles. He found a place to dig down and one to dig out and got his wagon and camped near the place and set to work to make a crossing. It took him exactly 7 days to effect a crossing and when he drove out he found a great, fine forest. He took his axe and cup sapling and wormed his way through to a vast prairie in front. It was the hot summer month of August. He had no compass but watched the north star at night to keep direction. There was no sign that Indians or whit men had ever been there. By digging and spading his ditches he discovered some wagon tracks and followed these tracks until he found a dim road which led his to Warren where he found his friend who showed him where to take his head right. He built the best house in the country at the time, consisting of four 16 X 16 foot rooms and an 8 foot open hall east and west, north and south, and a circular shaped attic 16 X 40 feet and hauled all the lumber by ox teams from Jefferson, Texas and this attic was used for the first court, preaching, dancing, school, etc. free of charge. That speaks for itself. He believed as my father and myself that every tub should stand on it's bottom and if a person speaks the truth and pays his debts, it covers a multitude of sins. Now Renne took unto himself a wife, a widow with one daughter, which made five in the family and two girls were born to that union and his wife died. After a few years he took fancy of a girl and married her and to that union was born five girls and two boys, making 11 and a step-daughter. He lived here until his death and is buried on that land. I am tired and will close Most respectfully yours, Renne Allred, Sr., Blaine Blvd. Belaire, Texas |
North Carolina Allreds in the 1750's North Carolina History Timeline |
