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Samuel Jackson Isaacks |
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SAMUEL JACKSON
ISAACKS Samuel Jackson Isaacks boyhood ambitions were to be a newspaper publisher, locomotive engineer and lawyer. He accomplished two of them and then much more. S.J. Isaacks grew up in Bell County and Travis County. He arrived in Bastrop County, Texas at the age of 19 years and became a schoolteacher. He was in McDade, by 1887 when his second child, Rena, was born on December 13. S.J.
Isaacks was publishing a newspaper called The Plain Dealer in 1893 in McDade. The Plain Dealer
was a weekly publication devoted to the policies of the Populist Party.
The newspaper was discontinued after 1895 and the Isaacks family
moved to Elgin where S.J. met his teacher-lawyer friend C.W. Webb.
Together the two men purchased a newspaper known as the Elgin
Courier on September 1, 1898 from retiring editor S.T. Cain. One year later C.W. Webb sold his half interest to S.J.
Isaacks who published the Elgin
Courier during the day and went to law school at night. He was admitted to the Bar of the State of Texas in 1900.
In Elgin he served as the first secretary of the city of Elgin
and he worked to incorporate the city of Elgin.
In 1901 S.J. sold the Elgin Courier to Dr. W.C. Smith of Temple, Texas and by 1903 he
served his first term in the Texas House of Representatives from Bastrop
County. Due to health
reasons he and this family left Elgin in 1905 moving to Midland then in
1916 on to El Paso where again he served as a State Representative from
El Paso County from 1938-1945 and died there in 1959. His
oldest daughter Maude Isaacks, who never married, followed in her
father’s footsteps as a teacher and the State Representative from El
Paso County, Texas. She
served 3 terms. S.J.’s
ancestry goes back to Wales or Scotland through the following
generations: 1.
Samuel Isaacks Sr. (the immigrant) b. ca. 1685/ Dec. 4, 1750 in
Frederick County Virginia. His
wife is unknown. On
February 11, 1744 in Frederick County, Virginia attorney Gabriel Jones
was recommended as the attorney for a case where a Dooues was charged
for assault and battery on a Samuel Isaacks, the first trial to be held
in the new Court of Fredericks County. 2.
Samuel Isaacks Jr. b. ca 1710 Fredericks County Virginia died
1760. 3.
Col. Elijah Isaacks, a twin to Elisha, born 1730 and died 1799,
wife was Sarah_______. 4.
Samuel Isaacks born 1754 Frederick County Virginia died September
6, 1844 in Lincoln County Tennessee and wife Mary Morgan Wallace
(Wallis), daughter of Joseph Morgan Jr.
and wife Martha________ or second wife Nancy Curtis.
(not sure which wife was the mother of Mary). Mary Morgan Wallace Isaacks was the granddaughter of Joseph
Morgan Sr. and Elizabeth Lloyd. Mary
was a niece of Gen. Daniel Morgan.
She was also a cousin to Daniel Boone. 5.
Elijah Isaacks born February 22, 1775 in South Carolina died
November 1, 1859 in Jasper, Texas and wife Esther Donaho, wed 1797.
The 1850 census of Jasper County, Texas lists Elijah Isaacks age
as 75 with no wife and no children but James Morgan age 22 years born in
North Carolina was living with him. 6.
Samuel Isaacks III born April 21, 1804 Tennessee died 1878 in
Texas and wife Nancy Allen born July 12, 1802 died May 28, 1828 and 2nd
wife Martha Richardson. Samuel
and Nancy moved to Texas with William Andrews and were located somewhere
on the Brazos River when Stephen F. Austin brought his colonists to
settle. Austin needed 300
families to fill his contract with the Mexican Government, so he drafted
the Isaacks family as one of the “Old Three Hundred Colonists”.
Samuel received his land grant on July 15, 1824.
He and his two wives were parents of 10 children. 7.
Wesley Carel Isaacks born May 31, 1832 died February 4, 1909, wed
1860 to Purity Annis Foreman born April 26, 1845 and died April 18,
1918. They were living in
Salado, Bell County in 1869 when their son Samuel Jackson (S.J.) Isaacks
was born on February
18, 1869. He died October 29, 1956. 8.
Samuel Jackson Isaacks born February 18 1869 married November 4,
1884 to Minnie Willard Rutledge and they were parents of 7 living
children. Their
children are as follows: 1.
Eula Maude Isaacks b. 26 Oct. 1885 Austin, Texas died January 22, 1980
El Paso, Texas. 2.
Rena Capitola Isaacks b. Dec. 13, 1887 in McDade, Bastrop County, Texas,
died March 17, 1977 and Wade Knight Johnston, wed Dec 19, 1913 in
Midland. 3.
Cisco Isaacks b. McDade. 4.
Ernest Buford Isaacks born 6 Oct. 1890 in McDade, died 27 Mar 1984.
Ernest served as Dean of Randolph College and Pastor of the First
Christian Church of Clebourne. 5.
Inez Irene Isaacks born 26 Feb. 1893 in McDade, Bastrop County, Texas
died December 4, 1965. 6.
Chilton Rutledge Isaacks born 28 February 1895 in McDade, Bastrop
County, Texas died 15 August 1963.
Chilton served as attorney in Pecos, Texas. 7.
twin boy b. March 10, 1897/10 March 1897 8.
twin boy b. March 10, 1897/ 10 March 1897 9.
Jackson Willard Isaacks b. 15 Dec. 1898 Elgin died 12 August
1954. 10.
William Isaacks b. 23 June 1906/12 Feb. 1986. Our
subject, Samuel Jackson Isaacks made his presence known in Bell County,
Travis County, Bastrop County, Midland County and El Paso County.
He was a schoolteacher, editor/publisher, mayor, city secretary,
legislator and postmaster. McDade is proud to have had such a worthy citizen pass
through our town leaving his mark in our history. References
used; Shenandoah
Valley Pioneers and their Descendants/A History of Frederick County,
Virginia, Elgin A History of Elgin, Texas 1872-1972, Bastrop County
1691-1900 by Bill Moore, The Handbook of Texas Vol. 1, and Descendant
Gary D. Isaacks. Photos
courtesy of Gary D. Isaacks. Submitter Audrey Rother |
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Family of SJ Isaacks |
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