The Life and Times of Agnes Elizabeth Porter Blacklock on the Texas Frontier


Agnes Elizabeth Porter  was born April 29, 1825 in Butler Co. KY to Benjamin  
and his second wife, Matilda J. Wilson Porter.   She was born  the oldest of 
eight children in this family. The others being, Mary who married William Tharp, 
Sally, (Merrifield Phegley), Nancy Ann,  (unknown Thorp), Mattie , (Cortus Jackson ) 
"JW" John Wilson,  (J. Elizabeth Duncan, Ellen Gresham and Jennie MCkinney), William 
(died in infancy) and Martha,  (John R. Frame ).  The Porter brothers and  
descendants were very influential in the settling of Texas, fighting in the 
Battle of Velasco and dying in the so-called 'Black Bean Incident' with the 
Mexicans.

Agnes married Richard Tyrus Blacklock, Feb 4, 1841 in Butler Co. Ky.  He, too, 
was a native of Kentucky.  They started their family in Butler Co.  Then her 
father,Benjamin Porter,  decided to join his brothers in Texas, and according 
to The History of Butler Co. KY page 236.....Benjamin and Matilda had lent money 
to his brother, John Wilson Porter , so that he could establish himself and family 
in Texas.  John wrote Benjamin that he would repay him in land if he would come to 
TX.  Brother, Beverly Porter, had been in Texas since 1830, it would be like having 
a family reunion.  Benjamin, his wife, children, two son-in-laws and slaves made 
ready the wagons and provisions and began their journey in October 1845, choosing 
to travel in winter to avoid Indian raids as much as possible.  They travelled 
slowly, camping long weeks where there was game and water, often camping because 
the weather made travel impossible.  Thomas Lafayette Phegley, son of Sarah Ann 
and Merryfield Phegley, was an infant and only one year old when the journey ended 
March 1846, in Burleson Co. TX.  John W.Porter had died and his widow knew nothing 
of the debt.  They found meadow land that had a spring trees and before long there 
were three log houses built close together--the Porter, the Blacklocks and the 
Phegleys,  They became the parents of a host of Texans.  Matilda J. Wilson Porter 
was an elegant person, conducting herself and family as if they lived in a place of 
distinction rather than in an unsettled wilderness.  Benjamin Porter  died July, 
9, 1849 and is buried in Elizabeth Chapel Cemetary, Burleson Co. TX...Matilda died 
October 2, 1890 and is buried in the Macedonia Cemetery, Burleson Co. with many of 
her children and grandchildren.

When they set forth from Kentucky Agnes was pregnant or was shortly to be, as they 
had the first Blacklock in Texas, John Henry Blacklock was born during  their journey 
in April 1847,  in Red River Co. TX , at Clarksville.  They then travelled on to 
Burleson Co. Tx. and ran into  the problems, with Benjamin's brother's wife who knew 
nothing about the debt.

The following article, an interview between an elderly Negro and a descendant of the 
Merrifield Phegley family, was given to the Burleson County, Historical  Survey 

Committee by Mr. J. C.Storm and Mr. James Connor of Corpus Christi.  We wish to thank 
them and to express our appreciation to Mr. And Mrs. J. E. Phegley and Mrs. Frank 
Stubbs for their help in researching it.  The interview took place in 1941 and is 
surprisingly accurate, even though the old man was 88 years old at the time.  He 
is speaking of the family in Kentucky and then in Texas.
 My mother say that they lived in Butler County, in a big house with big posts in 
front and a long row of Negro quarters in the back that they had lots of sugar maples
and made sugar.  That the white folks went to Louisville to visit.
They fished on Green River.

  "Old Master say that when he was a little boy he and his father went to Hardin County, 
KY., to see about some land he saw.  A hard looking boy that was Abraham Lincoln but 
nobody would have ever guessed it then.  Old Marse was born on April 1st, 1818.  He 
say a boy is not like a horse which you can tell about whats in him, he say he had 
seen many a boy what had hardly no shirt but what had ambition, take up the lead 
when he was a man and he called Col.  I remember the long row of smoke in the evening 
at sunset that gave the place a name, our row of smoke joined in a long smoky row, 
blue, gray-beautiful.  (My mother say not so and we is remembering the Great Smokies)
When Marse Tom see it he say Smoky Row and that was what it was called.
  Old Marster tell that when Marse Tom was little he say Mammy and Daddy.  Little miss 
Mattie was all of thems favorite cause she was so gentle and didn't say nothing or do 
anything to hurt nobody,  just  gentle.  All of them was gentle but she was not meant 
for this world.  Her baby boy was stillborn but miss Angie soaked him for an hour in 
warm water and he began to wiggle a little bit and catched his bref.  Then there was 
little Annie the baby came-her Pa a preachin all the time.

  Old Miss (Matilda Wilson Porter) she wear a black dress with a white lace collar what 
came from Nashville.  Her sister Sallie Borroh gave it to her.  Old Marster gave my old 
Miss a pin, it had a face of a girl on it.  Old Miss was not ever well, and when I go 
out to the white folks cemetery and stand and look at their monuments, I wonder why 
they ever came to Burleson  CO., them and the Porters-away from their place-to a 
wilderness.  They and Miss Matilda and Mr. Ben and Miss Agnes and Mr. Blacklock-they 
built three little log houses in together-their slaves built them, and the white folks 
lived there for a long while. In 1845 they all with Bro.(Elder) and Sister Johnson 
organized the Macedonia Church at Fraimville.  I remember well when oxen drawn and 
covered wagons passed on these roads going to the west and people passed through 
leaving only the ashes of campfires to mark the way they went.  I can remember to 
when a man and women could marry and to out to a piece or land and start off with 
nothing but hard work and achieve a full life and be happy.  Be prosperous in a 
few years started from nothing.  That was in days before they was so much to want
and everyone lived out of his own farm and garden-and had his own poultry and had 
to work.  There was no relief from Gov. which has ruined all the workers and causes 
them to be so sorry and just sit!  And let everything go to waste and ruin for need 
of laborers.  Mr. Bob lived in Yellow Prairie, Mr. Walter married again and was in 
Caldwell in 1868.  Mr. Lummie was a good man to.  Mr. Colie, Mr. Clay and Marster's
girls is all gone.  Marse Tom too- but Miss Sallie is the last.  Old Marster married 
again to Miss Mollie and they had three chiluns.  Old Marster's sister, Miss America 
was born in 1812 a Mr. Martins in Kentucky.  His other sister was Virginia.  His 
brothers were Leo, Cicero, and Marion.  His mothers name was Delilah.  I remember 
bringing in wood for my mistress while my mother,  Misy,   and the other house girl 
cooked dinner.  It's been a long time.
The bells will all ring some day and  I'll be there."

Nevertheless, they were in Burleson County Texas and made the best of it.   Benjamin 
Porter died in 1849 of bilous fever, but Agnes and RT remained near her mother, 
helping and purchasing and selling land back and forth. Between 1856 and 1860 the 
Blacklock's moved on into Milam County, settling near Cameron.  By 1866 all of the 
Blacklock children were born, the last was my great grandfather, Clark Wilson 
Blacklock.  In May of 1872 RT died and was buried in Milam County (we think the 
Pettybone or Adhall cemetery). Agnes stayed in Milam county until about 1890 when 
in 1893 she was in Lampasas Co., Tx, then 1900 she was in Williamson Co. TX until 
after 1900 when she moved for the final time to Hamilton Co. TX, living near her son
Benjamin Thomas Blacklock and his family and son, Jefferson Davis Blacklock and his family.
The years had not been kind to Agnes and her family. In 1855 baby, Mary Henretta was still 
born.   She lost son, William  Honable during the War in Louisana to the measles.  Her 
husband RT,  in 1872 in Milam County.  Daughter, Addie Blacklock Phegley, died shortly 
after childbirth in 1875, leaving son William Burch Phegley to be raised by Agnes.  On 
May 7, 1892, her next to the last daughter, Mattie was murdered by her husband Charles 
E. Logan  on the main street of Cameron, TX, leaving the five Logan children orphans.  
Agnes, widowed 20 years now, and still having the youngest child at home, along with 
Burch Phegley, stepped up and took the five children, at age 67, and raised them until 
she died in  March, 1902, the youngest grandchild, Addie Logan, being 12 years old. 
During this time two grandaughters, Lela and Jewell, daughters of son, Jefferson 
Davis Blacklock died and were buried in Fairy, Hamilton Co. also in 1902.  Agnes and 
the two grandaughters are buried in Fairy Cemetery, Fairy, Hamilton Co. TX
Yes, our grandparents were made of sterner stuff than we are, making do with what they 
had and picking up the load of other family members when felt they were obligated to. 
I'm certainly proud to be a descendant of this strong courageous woman and this 
pioneering family.

Back row: Benjamin, Clark Wilson, Jefferson Davis, Richard Carson Blacklock
Front: Harber Luther "Lute", Elizabeth Ann Blacklock Jones, Agnes and John Henry Blacklock.

Reba Teal Parks rtp071945@hotmail.com great-great-grandaughter 2004