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Visiting History: James Stephen's Texas Land Grant

Last month, the Hubs and I took a camping trip in south central Texas. We stayed in LaGrange and that put us just a short drive to where his fourth great-grandfather owned land back in the 1830s. Field trip time! James Stephen (abt. 1795-1857) received a Spanish land grant in 1831 after settling in the area in 1829. He was granted a league of land ( 4,428.4 acres),  on the Caney Creek in Washington County by the Coahuila y Tejas government on 8 March 1831. 1   James Stevens (sic) land shown on a 1976 map. 2 At the time of Stephen's settlement, witness Samuel M. Williams, swore that Stephen was, "...married and a man of very good habits, much honesty and industriousness." 3 This endorsement met all the criteria of Stephen F. Austin's conditions for settlers, demonstrating that Stephen had "the most unequivocal and satisfactory evidence of unblemished character, good morals, sobriety, and industrious habits..." and "...sufficient means to pay for their l...
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SWAGGER


31 Days of Writing Family History Challenge

January 2, 2022:   My Dad - Joseph John Gilbride, Jr. (1937-2018)


By Nancy Gilbride Casey

This is by far my favorite photo of my father, Joseph John Gilbride, Jr. It was taken about 1955, when he was about 17 or 18. The photo was taken by his uncle, Pete Gambino, and I'm guessing it was taken at one of the Cleveland Metroparks, given the woodsy background.1

Dad always said that Uncle Pete was a great photographer, and I can see why he thought so. Pete truly captured Dad's young swagger, a trait he carried throughout his life. 

Dad quit high school in the 10th grade and at 17 he enlisted in the Air Force.2 Maybe he was thinking of what adventures lie ahead. Dad seemed always on the lookout for the next big opportunity—a trait sometimes both optimistic and frustrating to himself and those around him.

The photo also captures familial resemblances. I see in his face echoes of both my brother Joe and my son James. It's amazing how children can be the reflections of their parents and sometimes even grandparents or other ancestors at different points in their lives, proof that lies in the photos we are lucky enough to keep.


Bonus Photo: My great uncle Pete Gambino, Dad's photographer.3



NOTES

1 Joseph Gilbride, photographed by Pete Gambino, about 1955. Personal collection N Casey [address for private use], 2022. Photo in album belonging to my father Joseph Gilbride, who gave me the album and provided identification of photos.

2 U.S. Department of Defense, Enlistment Record - Air Force, Joseph John Gilbride, Service # AF 15 528 204, 31 August 1954; National Archives Personnel Records Center, St. Louis, Mo.

3 Pete Gambino, photographer/date unknown. Personal collection N Casey [address for private use], 2022. Photo in album belonging to my father Joseph Gilbride, who gave me the album and provided identification of photos.

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