This web site was originally published by my dad, H. D. "Dan" McCrummen, Jr. On April 15, 2005 he was called by our heavenly Father to join our ancestors, to hear their stories first hand. I have taken up his work and will endeavor to maintain this page with accurate information, as he would have. His children, Nancy, Sandra, Mary and myself, therefore dedicate this page in his memory.

With permission, we have extracted a major amount of information from the book authored and published by Sonny McCrummen. The listings that follow are not complete. Not even as complete as the book. This is an ongoing project that I hope will continue as long as there are descendants of Malcolm and Mary McCrimmon. I do not know if there are any copies of the book still available for purchase. There are a number of copies out there and I would expect that one could be found that you could inspect. This is a first attempt by me to place a site on the world wide web. I hope I am successful. I will be updating the site as I have time. If you have any information that you feel would be of help to others who might be studying this history, please send copies to me and as I have time I will add it to the site.

H. D. "Dan" McCrummen, III
Email: HDMc3*alaska.net (replace * with @)
USPS: 6742 Sherri St.
Juneau, AK 99801



To go directly to the family tree, click here

To go directly to the History of John McCrummen, click here






From McCrimmon to McCrummen
From Scotland to Texas
a book by Robert A. “Sonny” McCrummen
3701 Fairfield Drive
Carrolton, Texas 75007
Published August 1, 1996




SCOTLAND TO AMERICA

The name, McCrummen, comes from the Gaelic MacCruimein and has taken several different forms. Dr. I. F. Grant in her book "The MacLeods", states that "even in the 18th Century I have found McCrumen, McCrimmond and so late as 1824, MacGriumen." Frank Adams in his "The Clans, Septs, and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands", states "of the hereditary clan pipers the best known were the MacCrimmons or MacCrummens, pipers to the MacLeod of Dunvegan." Poulter and Fisher in "The MacCrimmon Family" found the following forms of the name in two of the MacLeod documents: 1614 MacCruinnein 1616 MacCriummen 1626 MacCrimon 1664 MacCrimmon 1717 MacCrumen 1792 MacCrummen 1815 MacCrimmon. Mr. Donald F. MacDonald of Glasgow, who writes under the pen name of Allan Douglas for the weekly Scotsman newspaper, feels that the name comes from Old Norse, as found on one of the ruins ª inscribed crosses at Kirk Michael on the Isle of Man. Mr. MacDonald's sister-in-law, a Celtic language honor graduate of Edinburgh University concurs with his opinion. They feel, along with others, that there is no basis for the fanciful Italian origin of the MacCrimmons repeated by Mr. Fred T. MacLeod in "The MacCrimmons of Skye". It appears that the MacCrimmons were established in the Outer Hebrides prior to 1200. The Bannatyne Manuscript describes the MacCrimmons as holding lands in the South of Harris during Norse rule and under the rule of Paul Baalkasom, Sheriff of Skye. Sometime about 1500 the family became associated with the MacLeod family. The MacCrimmons became the hereditary pipers for the MacLeod of MacLeod in exchange for land on the Isle of Skye. It was here on Skye that the MacCrimmons established their famous piping college. The relationship between the MacLeods and MacCrimmons ended about 1770. There appears to have been two or possibly three branches of the family; the MacCrimmons of Skye, of Inverness and of Glenelg. The MacCrimmons of Skye were the more prominent branch. The conditions in Scotland after the Battle of Culloden in April, 1746, encouraged the Highlanders to migrate to Canada and the United States. The 1770's were years of large migrations to North Carolina. Most Scots who came to the United States landed in the Cape Fear region of North Carolina. From the Cape Fear region they moved inland (I feel that our ancestors settled in Moore County, NC). The census records of the State of North Carolina for 1790 spelled the name as McCremon, with members of the family living in Moore, Robeson, and Cumberland counties. The first primary source that I have found, that can be traced to our family, that spells the name as McCrummen, is the marriage record of John McCrummen in Bibb County, AL. Evidently, the name was at one time pronounced as if it were spelled "McCrimmon." My grandmother, Mrs. Clyde McCrummen, still pronounces it as if it were spelled McCrimmon. Today, it is still pronounced as McCrimmon by people in Cherokee County, TX who know the family. I have found the name spelled in several different ways but I feel it will be difficult to determine the exact spelling used by our immigrant ancestor when he came from Scotland. It is possible that it was spelled as McCrimmon. It is more possible that it was spelled McCrummen, in that it was spelled that way in the 1700's during the time our ancestor came to America.
Sonny McCrummen




MALCOLM McCRIMMON - WHAT WE KNOW

It is believed that Malcolm McCrimmon was born in 1742 in Scotland. It is assumed that he was born on the Isle of Skye, as this is the traditional home of the McCrimmons. However, some of the family were living across from the Isle on the mainland during the time Malcolm emigrated to North Carolina. There is no record of his parents and there are few extant records in Scotland for this period of time

It is believed that Malcolm arrived in North Carolina in the early 1770s. An old family letter indicates that he married a Mary Monk, who came over on the same ship. The same old letter indicates that there were two sons, John and Daniel, however, the 1790 census indicates three small male children were in the home. The old letter also indicates that Malcolm served a seven year indenture to pay his passage. This would indicate an individual of limited means as were most of those arriving from Scotland at this time.

It is believed that Malcolm claimed his first land grant in Moore County in 1786. There are numerous other later land grants to Malcolm McCrimmon but the identity of the individual claiming them is confused as another Malcolm McCrimmon arrives on the scene sometime around 1800. This individual was born in 1775 in Scotland and was the son of Norman McCrimmon. This father and son arrived in Cumberland County around 1788 and lived there for several years. They then moved into Moore County. However he came of age around 1790 and was eligible for land grants. It is evident that many of the land grants were his. The earliest of these grants however can be assumed to be those of our ancestor.

The "other Malcolm", the son of Norman, remained in Moore County and became a prominent citizen. He had a large family and his son, Norman, was the enumerator for the 1850 census for Moore County. His descendants remain in the area today.

Our Malcolm is again identified as living in Moore County as he is listed in British Aliens in the United States 1812. It is this publication which gives us his birth date and the approximate date of his arrival in North Carolina. In 1813 he is listed as being 70 years old with a wife and seven children. Three of these are assumed to be the three male children noted in the 1790 census.

Malcolm seems to disappear at this time. It is possible that he may have moved west. A Malcolm McCrimon purchased land in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama in 1821. In addition, an elderly Malcolm is listed in the 1830 Tuscaloosa County census. The census indicated he was between 80 and 90 years of age. The same old family letter indicated that our ancestor lived to be 106-7 years of age. Also, Tuscaloosa County is very near Bibb and Perry County to which Malcolm's son and grandson eventually moved.

There are no other known records of this individual.
Sonny McCrummen

If you have additional information, we would like to hear from you. Dan




  • Malcolm McCrummen
    m. Mary Monk
    1. Daniel McCrummen b ?/?/1784 d. 10/7/1873
      m. Hannah Dunlap
      1. John McCrummen b. 8/1/1822 d. 3/20/1909
        m. Mary A. Suttle b. 5/16/1822 d. 11/15/1901
        1. Daniel H. b. 1840 AL
        2. John S. b. 1841 AL
        3. Mary Elizabeth b. 1845 AL
        4. Margaret Evalin b. 1847 AL
        5. Jessee Cornelius b. 1850 AL
        6. Sarah Monteray b. 1852 TX
        7. William Talley b. 1855 TX
        8. Malcolm Caruth b. 1857 TX
        9. Luther Myars b. 1860 TX


    This link will take you to the site of the Myrtle Springs Cemetary where
    Daniel McCrummen is buried. Also other members of the McCrummen family are buried there.
    CLICK HERE

    This link will take you to the site of the Cedar Hill Cemetary, also in Cherokee
    County where additional McCrummen family members are buried.
    CLICK HERE

    This link will take you to a site of the Lubbock cemeteries where several McCrummen family members are buried.
    CLICK HERE


    This link will take you to the site of the Evergreen Cemetery in Lamar County where
    several more McCrummen family members are buried.
    CLICK HERE



    NORTH CAROLINA TO TEXAS

    Malcolm McCrummen, born in Scotland, immigrated to North Carolina around 1770 and married Mary Monk, who also immigrated from Scotland on the ship with Malcolm. To pay for their passage to the United States, both Mary and Malcolm worked for seven years before they married sometime around 1780. (There is some speculation that Malcolm left North Carolina and went to Canada with his father for three to five years between 1772 and 1778. He then returned to North Carolina, when his father returned to Scotland.) They had at least two children, Daniel, in 1784 and John, in 1787. Both were born in North Carolina. Some sources seem to indicate daughters and more sons were also members of the family. Daniel's brother John seems to have stayed in North Carolina. Daniel married Hannah Dunlap and they had a son, John in 1822. Hannah died shortly after John's birth and Daniel married her sister, Mary Dunlap. Young John married Mary Suttle on 2/7/1840 in Bibb Co., AL. They moved from Bibb County, AL to Cherokee County, TX around 1851. They settled in a town called Lone Star, which no longer exists. The town of Ponta remains, which is near where Lone Star was and is where Daniel McCrummen is buried. Daniel died on 10/7/1873 and is buried in Ponta, Texas.
    Sonny McCrummen


    History of John McCrummen

    This is the life history of John McCrummen who was born in 1822 in Moore County, North Carolina. He was the son of Daniel and Hannah Dunlap McCrimmon and the grandson of Malcolm and Mary Monk McCrummen. This document was prepared about 1928 with the author being unknown. A small part of the final pages of the original manuscript has been destroyed by time. An attempt has been made to retain the original sentence structure, spelling, and punctuation. This manuscript was provided by Mrs. Marie McCrummen Rodgers of Lindale, Texas.

    Chapter 1
    Ancestry and Boyhood of John McCrummen

    We have no difinite trace of the ancestry of John McCrummen at hand, except the fact of Scotch descent. This is proven by the change in the spelling of the name which will be noted at the proper time. John McRimmon was born on August 1, 1822, in Moore County, North Carolina. His mother died when he was four weeks old. She could not be reconciled to die until God impressed her he would care for her infant son, then she dedicated his life to the Lord and died peacefully.

    His father, Dan McRimmon, later married again. They lived on a worn out farm. The parents were of very limited means so the son, John McRimmon was deprived of the advantages of an education. In his early boyhood his father moved to Bibb County, Alabama and lived on a farm there as poor and worn out as the one he left in North Carolina. They worked hard for a bare living. It was during this period of his boyhood that he batched with a negro boy, called Al, a slave of his father. The chair he used than and sat in at night studying by a log fire is still in the family. His characteristics of thrift was shown early in his life when as a young boy he would go th the county fair and sell Ginger Cakes and cider.

    Chapter 2
    Young Manhood

    At the early age of seventeen years John McRimmon married Miss Mary Ann Suttles on the 9th day of February, 1840. He and his wife were very near the same age, her birthday having been May 15th, 1822.

    They moved themselves to a one room log cabin on his fathers farm, with a wedding present of one slave from her faather. The furniture was of a crude home-made sort. It was the day of puncheon floors and seats. The table and seats were made of hewn logs. The bedstead was made by placing the ends of poles into holes bored in the log walls of the house. These things do make for strong character in people: but there can be no question as to the lack of luxury.

    They lived very economically. His first year store account was twenty dollars. From this statement we get a more concrete idea of the privations. Even now one can see the bare clay hills of a large portion of Alabama and wonder how folks can make a living there. In truth, it is very much now as it was then.

    There is, then, no doubt that these hardships and privations had a direct bearing as a cause for their immigration to Texas. We know something about the wonderful stories they were hearing then of the country in Texas and this in turn explains to us why they were willing to undertake a journey so dangerous and difficult. People becoming dissatisfied with their surroundings, will, if accompanied by sufficient courage, make some effort to better conditions.

    During the time they lived in Bibb County, Alabama, five children were born. They were Daniel H., John S., Mary Elizabeth, Margaret Evaline and Jessee C.

    Chapter 3
    Emmigration To and Early Life in Texas

    In 1849 John McRimmon loaded his wife, five children, seven slaves and all his possessions in wagons and together with several other families interested in emigration, formed a train of covered wagons, some drawn by horses, other by oxen, they started for Texas. The slaves and some of the white people walked most of the way. The women and children rode in the wagons with the household goods.

    After a journey of six weeks they arrived in Cherokee County, Texas. Some relatives had preceded them by train and boat to this place. These relatives reached Shreveport and lost two of their number from yellow fever.

    The family we are tracing built a log cabin with puncheon floors, a few miles east of Rusk, Texas, the County seat. This cabin was located three miles from Coney Creek. They were so far from their neighbors that they had to blaze their way to their house- that is cut a large chip off the tree now and then to mark the road to follow through the dense forests-.

    There was no regularity about the homestead location, each family built near a spring for water. They were happy to find a fertile country and one where corn grew as high as the house.

    Having worked and saved they were able to buy and improve a better and more desirable place, located on the main road from Henderson to Rusk. As soon as sufficient shelter for the family was built they moved and the little daughter, Margaret Evaline, then five years old, insisted on running along behind the wagon. Now, Mrs. Eva Knight at the age of 81 years said, "I wanted to move and gathered the idea, when two years old, from our journey to Texas, that when moving, one must move oneself."

    The new home was a very large house built of split pine trees and ceiled with planks. They built the huge fireplace and chimney of sticks and mud. The kitchen was built apart from the house about fifty feet. The reason for this was the fact that cooking over an open fire would make the house dirty and smoke scented. The food then needed to be carried to the house to be served. A well, which was an unusual luxury, was dug near the house. The slave quarters were some distance from the house.

    Here, too, they kept the stage stand. This carried with it the responsibility of feeding all the passengers on the stage, also the care of the teams of relay horses. As the stage came down a long sloping hill about one half mile from the house, the driver, Bill Rickets, would blow his bugle. At this signal the food, which was always bountiful and ready punctually, was served on the table ready for the travelers, usually numbering as many as could possibly ride inside and on top of the stage. The Hostlers had the fresh team harnessed and ready to hook up immediately upon the arrival of the stage. This particular part could be done while the people were eating. Promptness, however, always prevailed and the stage stop was requlated only by the time taken up by the diners. Mrs. Knight said, "Everything was on time at our house." This was a regular dailly occurrence for breakfast and dinner. The travelers were not fed when the midnight stage came, but Bill Ricketts always found a pot of hot coffee on the hearth of the living room. He always found time to hurriedly drink a cup of coffee while the teams were changed. The stage stand was not the only activity. The improvement of the home and farm went on systematically. The number of slaves had increased and the boys were large enough to work.

    They built a cotton gin, griss mill, and a syrup mill. By working hard they could gin and press two bales of cotton in fourteen to sixteen hours. They also raised sheep for wool to make their clothes. After clipping time in the spring the wool was washed, and carried to the nearest carding machines. After it was carded it was put away until the time came to spin and weave it.

    John McRimmon rose at four o'clock every morning, and personally supervised the preparation for the days work. He then went back to bed and stayed until a late breakfast.

    M. C. McCrummen said, "there was a little creek that ran through our lot. It was called Comey Creek. About a mile from our house it ran into Mud Creek. Here they had fish traps. After all were through with their work on Saturday afternoon they would go there to hunt and have a good time. Here the boys learned to swim."

    The children went to school to a very efficient school teacher at the settlement school house, which was about three miles away. They usually walked but when it was muddy toe smaller children rode a little mule called "Bird."

    John McRimmon was an excellent disciplinarian and controlled his entire household with kindness and positiveness. This kindness was evidenced by the cows, horses, chickens, the inhabitants of the entire barnyard following him when he arrived on the scene. Each nudging the other out of the way to receive one of his caresses. We was exceedingly fond of all kinds of animals and gradually accumulated a considerable number of them. He always kept them fat and slick and when in that shape, they were fine to him.

    A traveler came through the country and when he reached the McRimmon place had a sick mule. He told John McRimmon if he would let him have a mule he would leave his sick mule and when he reached home would send him a deed to a track of land in Lamar County, near Paris, Texas. John accepted the trade. In about a month the deed arrived and his confidence in the man was confirmed. By this time his entire life broadened. The number of slaves had increased and others were bought. His other assets had grown and he had reached the stage of a successful farmer. He was much beloved and honored by friends, family and slaves. He was a man whose business came before pleasure, but he always enjoyed the recreation time himself, and would often spend the twilight hours being entertained by the music and songs of the slaves. Especially did he like the knocking of bones held between the fingers of one negro boy, they called this tomborees and it was accompanied by such dance steps as, out the pigeon, knock the back step, chicken in the bread tray picking up dough, etc. At Christmas time he would tell his slaves they could take Christmas just as long as the back log of the fire lasted. Invariably they searched through the thick forest, for the largest hickory tree that they could find. After the selection was made and the log was cut, it was rolled in the creek to soak full of water. This water-soaked green hickory log would burn for about three days and nights and the slaves would have a fine vacation.

    John McRimmon enjoyed having dances and parties at home for his children and sat smilingly patting his foot as he saw his children and their friends promenade and swing their partner in the old square dance, minuet, and other fiqure dances. In the meantime Mrs McRimmon was personally seeing that the guests were all enjoying themselves and having abundant refreshments.

    Early in the evening was a busy time on the farm and among other things, the considerable number of both white and black children were bathed, fed, and put to bed, before the farm hands reached the house. The regular supper for the negro children was a large pan of bread and milk, placed in the back yard. Each "pickaniny" with a spoon, big white eyes, and a circle of white around the black mouth as they scraped the pan, was a sight to be remembered. The yodel of the negros, slowly plodding their way home, with their hoes on their shoulders, was the signal to all the children on this farm to go to sleep.

    The negro women each had their regular tasks and the name of the house girls were Rose, Caroline, Rhodie and Harriett. The cooks were Rachal and Sock and a few other slave names were Big Jerry, Little Jerry, Lot, Ben, Bose, Miles, El Morris, Wess, Abe and others.

    For several years, John McRimmon lived happily and prosperous. The Golden Rule was his guide. He believed all men were honest until they proved otherwise. His own word was as good as any mans bond, and to question his word was to question his honor. This was a very dangerous thing to do to this calm, kind, fearless, six foot Pioneer Scotsman.

    John McRimmon, after awhile, became a money lender and for a long time only gold was handled. When a man borrowed a certain amount of gold he would obligate himself to return it at a certain time and would ride miles in any kind of weather to make his word good by returning the gold. He liked to help people who tried to do something, the unfortunate and sick but did not care to help the shiftless kind of folk.

    A little story that is remembered evidenced this fact. A man came to his house one winter day and was seated by the big fire-place in the living room. He talked of things in general, for several hours. During this time he struck a number of matches to light his pipe. Finally he stated his business. He wanted to borrow some money from John McRimmon. The latter simply stated, it would not be his policy to lend money to a man who would waste matches when there were plenty of fire-coals within easy reach.

    During all these years John McRimmon had not ceased to study. He never aspired to learn or follow a professional life. Judging from this his study must have been along the lines of business administration. We find at different times during his life, contracts or papers of that character which he had written with a short lead pencil in just sort of blank paper, held in the courts. This proved true in several cases after one or more transfers from him.

    Chapter 4
    Civil War Period

    John McRimmon was over-age when the civil war broke out. But he was a true Southerner in that sense of the word.

    By this time he had several slaves and he formed a company of negroes. It is presumed he got other negros around the community besides his own. He intended to take this company of negroes someplace to be outfitted for service. He got to some point near Houston, or Beaumont, Texas where the negroes became frightened or hungry. They "pulled up stakes" and returned home. Thus they left John McRimmon to return from his war experiences alone.

    His oldest son, Daniel, was just the right age to make the best soldier. He was ready and enthusiastic to go the the war. He was among the first group to leave that section of the country. The night this group of young men gathered preparatory to leaving for the army, they camped on the creek near the house of John McRimmon. The people came with their husbands, sons, and sweethearts. The following day a big dinner was served. It was a picnic dinner served on the creek bank from baskets of food brought by these people. Daniel was in the midst of the group of young men, dressed in a new and hansome uniform. All were happy. Laughter and shouts of greetings echoed throughout the crowd. The one who would have failed to enjoy the dinner was not there. Some time after dinner the bugler blew assembly, the young men in their new uniforms seemed instantly to be standing by their fat, slick and spirited horses. Then another bugle call and all were in the saddle and gone like a flash. Weeping that had been more-or-less absent before, began in ernest now. They seemed to realize the changes to befall before these men were to return.

    John McRimmon had consoled himself after the negros had abandoned him, and the expedition to Beaumont or Houston, by doing his utmost at home in the way of helping to care for the soldiers, but when his oldest son, Daniel, left for the war, it was almost more than the father could stand. He prayed throughout the war for the safety of his son.

    The women and negroes carded the cotton by hand, spun the thread on a spinning wheel, made the cloth on the loom and made all the clothes for the family, besides clothes for the soldiers and slaves. John McRimmon was very proud of his baby girl, Sarah Monterey, then about nine years of age. She could spin about twelve cuts of wool in a day. Three cuts would make a yard of cloth. This depended of course upon the coarseness or fineness of the cloth.

    A certain slave tanned all the leather and made shoes for the entire household and for the soldiers. This negro dug a square hole in the ground and filled it with bark, from red oak trees, and water. This was called red oak coze. The hides were placed in this vat and left until they were tanned.

    On Saturday afternoons the wives of the soldiers would bring their sacks to the grist mill and have them filled with a week's supply of meal. John McRimmon did all he possibly could to help them. John S. McRimmon, the second son, seventeen years old, could not join the army because of defective eye sight, so he was given a courier line to ride in North Texas from Clarksville to Honey Grove. On this courier line he had some very interesting rides, and several narrow escapes from the Yankees.

    About this time his younger brother Jesse C. who was then about twelve years old left home burdened with clothes to carry to his brother John S. Before he left the women had made him a handsome suit to wear on the trip. It was made of blue and black thread twisted and woven. On the road his mule got sick, and a stranger who liked the boys looks and appreciated his nerve to make a serval hundred mile trip at such times so young, he let him have a mule to finish his journey on.

    During the war the Stage Stand was not such a pleasant business. Before it had been the house by the side of the road. But with the war began the transportation of prisoners. When they came on the stage chained together, they caused no little fear and trembling among the women and the children of the household, and a great sigh of relief was heard when the driver cracked his whip and the horses dashed away with their unwelcome passengers.

    Chapter 5

    Reconstruction

    John McRimmon plodded on through the years, praying always, working always, helping always, until one day the news came that Lee had surrendered. He knew then that the negroes were freed, which meant to all the South financial disaster. Facing this bravely and without complaint, as he believed it to be the will of God. John McRimmon carried on. His slaves stayed with him, some he rented land to, others he paid wages. He continued his stock farming with very little disturbance and the great thing he had to be thankful for, was that his son Daniel was soon to return uninjured. The day Daniel came home, his brothers and sisters went up the road to meet him. The negroes ran in every direction, all trying to get the first glimpse of Marse Dan -- and when this splendid specimen of young manhood did appear, there was great rejoicing. He wore a pair of trousers made of a wagon sheet which he cut out with his knife and made with his hands with the needle and thread that his mother had put in his kit. It was interesting to hear him tell the story of their last encounter which was near the historic old town of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

    The Yankees were on one side and the Confederates on the other of a rounding hill. There was a pass through the hill. The Confederates discovered the Yankees could see them as they went across this open space. They only had a little hand full of men and they knew they were much outnumbered by the Yankees; so they had their men ride by this open place over and over again. The Yankees thought that there were hundreds of them and did not attack. The Confererate dared not attack because of their few men and practically without ammunition, so in the middle of the night they loaded a couple of wagons with all their belongings, wrapped the wheels with blankets so that they would not make a noise, set fire to the rest of the wagons and stealthily slipped away. In the meantime the Yankees know they would have no chance if they came to battle with such a great number of men in gray and they just as stealthily slipped away miles in the opposite direction. When the sun of early morn spread its golden mantle over the expected battlefield, only the smoke from the burning wagons raised shadows against the rays. The enemy were far apart. Soon thereafter the end of the war came and these brave fellows with tattered clothes, bleeding feet and heavy hearts, started on their long hike to San Antonio, across the desert, and then to their respective homes.

    Not long after arriving home Daniel was quite himself again and with a new suit, a buggy and a pair of fine horses he started across the creek to pay a visit to a fair young lady. As he dashed along he said the owls would say, "Who, who, who are you" and with great pride he would rear back and pull the reigns over the slick backs of his horses. After a pleasant evening, with all his gallantry he bid the "fair-one" good night and started home. Just as he reached the creek bottom where the road was muddy and dark as midnight under a "skillet," something about his harness broke. He tried repeatedly to find it but couldn't. His clothes were all muddy, his boots which had been so perectly blacked, were ruined. He felt very much discouraged and he said the owl above his head, sitting in one of those pine trees so tall the top tickles the feet of angels, said to him, "Who, who, who are you now."

    Records show D. H. McCrummen, Fifth Sargent, Company F, Seventh Texas Cavalry

    Soon after the war was over some Yankees came to John McRimmon's farm and demanded his mules and horses. John McRimmon argued with them and tried to persuade them to let him alone. They persisted and started after the mules. His eldest daughter, then about sixteen years of age, was in the yard listening. John McRimmon turned and said, "Elizabeth, bring my gun." She rushed in the house and brought the gun to her father and bravely stood by his side while he convinced the Yankees that he meant to keep the stock, which he did.

    Many people were ruined entirely and moved from one place to another in their discontent.

    A man came by one day who was sick and trying to reach some of his folks. He told John McRimmon that he would sell him about three hundred acres of land near Beaumont, Texas, at twenty-five cents per acre if John McRimmon would buy it. John McRimmon bought it, he didn't even know the exact location. He let the sick man have the money and the man went on his way rejoicing.

    John McRimmon had made a great deal of cotton during the war and did not sell it until after the war when he sold on a very high market and used this money to help people get their farms started again. John McRimmon sent the older children away to school, and then the younger ones to Rusk for awhile. Later he rented a house and had the oldest daughter go there and take care of the younger children until they finished the Rusk Academy. The children remember with tender feelings Old Miles, one of the slaves that went with them to look after them all.

    Dr. John Joss was president of the Rusk Academy. He was a most intresting man, a native Scot, and often spent his week-ends on the McRimmon farm, going home with the children on the Stage Coach. He and the father became good friends because they had so many things in common. John McRimmon's people having died when he was so young and having left his old home he had lost track of his ancestors, except that he knew that his grandfather came from Scotland. Dr. Joss had known the McRimmons in Scotland and with many other interesting things told him, his name was spelled Mc-C-r-u-m-m-e-n. John at once adopted the correct spelling of his name.

    When the old professor came out, all the best hunters in the country were notified and they would have great deer hunts. They carried pans on their heads with pine torches in them to shine the deer eyes. On one occasion M. C. McCrummen, then quite a youth, went along and was given supposedly the very worst stand. While all were eagerly waiting for the big game to appear the air was rent with yells. Everyone near enough rushed to the spot and found the youth had killed a huge buck and his ecstasy was amusing. As he continued to jump up and down to yell. The father and Professor were much pleased by the nerve and the "crack" shooting displayed by the lad.
    (Note--M. C. McCrummen, known by his brothers and sisters as "Makey", now lives in Lubbock. He moved there in 1901.)

    The children were sent on to higher school, the best available. The youngest son finished business education in Poughkeepsie, New Yark. The fourth son, W. T. McCrummen went to Lamar county, to the land that his father had traded the mule for, and to his surprise found a fine black land farm, which later sold for eleven thousand dollars.

    John McCrummen became interested in the mercantile business, and he and his sons engaged in this business for many years though never diminishing his stock farming. His childdren married one by one and he told an amusing story of how he acted when the oldest son, Daniel, married. He went to bed and tried hard to be sick. Later years he loved Daniel's wife like a daughter and thought his first grandson, Lee McCrummen was the finest boy in the world.

    John McCrummen also tells how E. A. Frazer asked him for his baby girl, Monterey. When he approached John McCrummen with more fear than he showed at seventeen in the first skirmish of Walker's Division during the late war. Ed said, "Mr. McCrummen a short horse is easy curried. I want to marry your girl."

    It was quite a fad for young ladies to dip snuff at this time and John McCrummen didn't want his daughters to do this so he gave each of them a set of jewelry composed of breast pin, ear rings,bracelets, if they would not use snuff.

    After the children had all married and left home John McCrummen gave two orphan boys a home and kept them until they were grown.

    John McCrummen moved to Lone Star, a little town about ten miles away, and sold his home and bought another and added a farm after farm to his estate and continued to own gins, mills, a blacksmith shop and General Merchandise.

    Religiously, John McCrummen was a Universalist in belief and in this little town of few Churches the other denominations wouldn't let a minister of this belief preach in their churches so he built a church and with the help of a little hand full of people, installed seats, organ, etc., and had the best place in town to worship and it was open to all denominations. After a few years the other churches being unkept were unsafe to worship in and their following preached their own doctrine in John McCrummen's church.

    On the Golden Anniversary of John and his good wife the children and grand-children all met at their home for one great reunion and the famous grooming of the table with the good things to eat was very evident.

    At some later date John McCrummen decided to have a revival meeting at his church. The preachers, singers, and visitors were all welcome and at home at John McCrummen's house. At the first meal he announced in his hospitable way, "You people will be welcome just as long as the coffee is strong," and much to the amusement of the guests, when Mrs. McCrummen raised the coffee pot and proceeded to fill the cups, she discovered that the cook had only boiled the water and had forgotten the coffee. Although much embarrassed and amused after her husband's fine speech, she soon had the cups filled with delicious coffee of the right color and aroma.

    John McCrummen's faith in his fellow man was shown clearly in the filing of important papers in a combination safe that sat on the front porch. This was his office where most all his business was transacted and he kept his money in a little trunk that was never locked, under the head of the bed. The children constantly feared that someone would harm their father with intention to rob him, but he made no change as long as he lived at this place.

    Things went along very uneventfully for afew years, when suddenly one day a telegram came asking if John would sell eleven acres of land near Beaumont, which he had paid twenty-five cents an acre for. He immediately sent his son J. C. McCrummen to see about it. He found that the Wildcat, Lucas Gusher had blown in, flowing hundreds of barrels of oil a day. John McCrummen closed the deal for the eleven acres for a large sum of money and had the balance left in a rice farm which sold later for a good price.

    John McCrummen was getting along very well and his nine children also. They did not need this money for any immediate use so John McCrummen and the good mother decided to divide this money into ten parts and give each child a part and keep one for themselves. Then arose the question of investment. They all got together and decided to send M.C. McCrummen and the oldest grandson, Lee McCrummen to hunt cheap land as a investment. They were charged by John McCrummen not to hunt kinfolk nor friends but go till they found good land. They went to Big Springs on the train and over land on stage to Lubbock, while they seemed to make fairly good time, they never did overtake two men who were carrying a stick on their shoulders with a barrel on it. They found it proved to be a mirage. Arriving at Lubbock they were unloaded at the old Nicollette Hotel. They soon looked over the thirty houses in the town, met most all the people and all gave them the same glad hand and made them feel that Lubbock was the biggest little town in the west. Alshough it was very dry, they believed this to be the right place to invest and after looking around they bought eventeen sections of land, the old Butler ranch, later added nine sections to that place. Then still later bought fourteen sections four moles notrhwest of Lubbock from A.M.Clayton. This land had been homesteaded by a man whose name was Shannon. In the section used for horse pasture nearest town, there is a spring which is supposed to be the source of the Brazos river and not far from this place was located the first Post Office of Lubbock in a little store. That same year, 1901, M.C.McCrummen moved to the Butler ranch and others in the family began talk of moving west. John McCrummen and his wife decided they, even, wanted to go west. He began to sell off his lands and was soon to be going. When the helpmate through all his trials and posterity became ill and on November 15, 1901, died. It was a truly an affecting scene, the gray haired sire who had walked hand in hand with this sweet spirited woman over half a century, leaning against the pillow upon which lay the head of his dying wife, six noble and tender hearted sons and three devoted affectionate daughters standing around the couch to watch the first link drop from the circle and the youngest son was forty-two years old.

    John McCrummen then seemed more anxious than ever to move west as he must take up a different life without his ............ .......... .... John McCrummen, together with his daughter ....... ....... L.M.Knight loaded emigrant .......... the stage, to Lubbock. They resided in a well built ranch house built of lumber hauled from Colorado City, Texas, more than one hundred and twenty miles.

    As the weeks passed conditions were discouraging and their location very lonely as about the only noise heard was the howling of the coyotes very near the house. The nearest neighbor was four miles away. Coal, groceries, and everything that they used was freighted by wagon from Big Springs or Canyon.

    There had been no rain in Lubbock for several months and this was rather discouraging as John McCrummen had been accustomed to having his seed all planted by April, and it was now June. But the spirit of the west was shown in the becoming face of Uncle Gus Carlysle when he would say, "We have plenty of time to make a crop." The first of July came without rain. John tried to assume the western spirit, but was somewhat dismayed. About the fourth of July a reavy rain fell. The seed was soon in the ground and a fine crop harvested. John McCrummen was then convinced of the virtue of the soil and knew he had invested well. The cattle on the ranch were properly cared for and as a whole the first year was profitable.

    ABOVE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
    to be continued
  • 
    


      GENEALOGICAL TREE

      Explanation of outline used for tree:

    1. 1 Malcolm McCrimmon b: abt. 1742 d: abt 1848
    2. 1 Mary Monk b: unknown d: unknown
      • 2 Children
        m. spouse
        • 3 Grandchildren
          m. spouse
          • 4 Great-Grandchildren
            m. spouse
            • 5 Gr-Gr-Grandchildren
              m. spouse
              • 6 Gr-Gr-Gr-Grandchildren
                m. spouse
                • 7 Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Grandchildren
                  m. spouse
                  • 8 Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Grandchildren
                    m. spouse
                    • 9 Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Grandchildren
                      m. spouse
                      • 10 Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Grandchildren
                        m. spouse
                        • 11Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Grandchildren
                          m. spouse


    We hope this tree is of assistance to you in understanding your heritage.
    To identify a certain location so others can find it please use the numbers and letters in full. As an example, my name is located at 1,2C,3C,4E,5J,6C. Some names will go on for 10 or 11 numbers. I hope this method will assist in faster viewing of the desired people.
    Some dates are given as month - day - year.
    Where possible, the location of birth and the location of burial is given.

    1A The Family of Malcolm and Mary McCrimmon 2nd Wife of Frazer McCrummen
    m. Marvel ??? ??? ???
    5H Wilburn Wade McCrummen 1901 -1938
    m. Lorene Ruby Wood 1905 - 1973 8B Jennifer McCrummen 12/24/1996 - 4I Luther Myars McCrummen(Paris, TX)1860 - (El Paso, TX) 1929
    m. Hettie Garon Rives (Brookstone, TX)1868 - (Spokane, WA) 1939

    2nd Wife of Daniel McCrimmen
    m. Mary Dunlap unknown - 1860 2D John McCrimmon unknown - unknown
    m. Sallie Dunlap unknown - unknown

    To identify a certain location so others can find it please use the numbers and letters in full. As an example, my name is located at 1,2C,3C,4E,5J,6C,7B. Some names will go on for 10 or 11 numbers. I hope this method will assist in faster viewing of the desired people.
    Please advise me of any errors, corrections, updates, and/or additions that you may know of. Thank you.
    Dan McCrummen
    Last update: March 25, 2007



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