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-■irwe putsghters, Mrs. C. L. Roystonand Mrs. E. W. Huff, of Beaumont and Mrs. G. R. Fondren, Wood-ville; four sisters, Mrs. M. A. Daley, Extension, La., Mrs. D. M. Melton, Shreveport, Mrs. C. O. Wright, St. Louis, Mo., and Mrs. T. H. Baker, Port Arthur, 16 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.Fort Teran StoryAfter the Law of April 6, 1830 was inflicted upon the people of Spanish territory of Texas, small forts were established at stragetic points of East Texas to inforce this law and, part ticularly to prevent the coming of Americans into this area. One of these forts was Teran, named for T. Mier y Teran, a violent Centralist of Mexico who in 1830 was made commander of the eastern internal provinces,and whose idea it was to build the forts. R. B. Blake of Nacogdoches, authority on his tory of East Texas, locates the fort as below and across the Neches from the mouth of Shaw ness Creek, which places it in Tyler County. Work on the fort, he says, was begun in Ocotber 1831 by the commander, Col one 1 Ellis P. Bean and complet ed in 1832. A small garrison was stationed there from 1832 to 1834; however,a few straggling soldiers remained there until the following year when it was abandoned permanently.Homer S. Thrall in his Texas History published in 1879, as well as other early historians, verify Mr. Blake’s location of Fort Teran and early maps show it to be at the intersection of the old Nacogdoches and Liberty Road and the Coushatta Trace which crossed the Sabine at Burr's ferry and guided the Co ushatta Alabama Indians, as well as adventurous Americans, into Texas. From the fort this road extended westward through the county on or near places which later came into existance: near the old Fann place, through th*lane directly in front of die Hayes place, at the foot of die hill upon which was the William Mann home, across Billum Creek to the old Davis place and across die Trinity by way of the Indian (Peachtree) Village and Moscow. A later road leading from Nacogdoches through Mount Hope and south to Liberty intersected the Coushatta Trace, thus affording connecting link with Anahuac, San Felips and other points to the south.Following the battle of New Orleans, which was fought inJanuary, 18IS many boys who had a part in this battle came Texas in search of further adventure. Among these were the Bowie boys,Levi Mann, Ben Milam and his good friend, Sam T. Belt. Pages of history record these men as exploring rivers, engaging in fights with Indians and Spaniards, as prisoners in Mexican dungeons and again enjoying the freedom of long tramps through the woods of East Texas. Ben Milam openly asserted himself as against the cruel Mexican emporer, Itur-bide.whcihbrought on much trouble for him. He once boasted that he had been in every prison between Mexico City and the Rio Grande, and we may be assured that in many of these frightful situations his friend, Sam Belt, was with him. On one of their wanderings in central or south Texas the two men were taken captive by an Indian chief. After some moments of bickering they bought their freedom by giving the chief a hundred silver dollars which the Indians placed on a blanket and tossed again and again into the air.At about the time that Fort Teran was being evacuated, Sam Belt left his companion, returned to the Neches and located at the fort where heihis point with which to convoy his troops Across the Neches on their march to Nacogdoches during the Run-swty Scrape. Had he won at San Jacinto, he would have found no rafts waiting at Teran, as die settlers had used them in making their way down the river to safety, During one of these times of danger, either at the evacuation of the Mexicans from the fort or at die fleeing from Santa Anna, Mrs. Belt buried her money, got into a skiff with her oldest child, Mack, and her husband and escaped to the mouth of the Angelina and up this river to Be-vil’s Port. After the trouble was over, the family returned to their home to find that it had been burned to the ground. Their home was made of logs as was the store house and old fort, as was recalled by Argalus Belt, who was born only ten years after the Texas Revolution and was familiar with the family like around Fort Teran. Leaving the home on the Neches, the Belts moved to Belt's Creek west of Colmesneil on what is now Hurst Ranch and here Sam built a large two-story house of hewn logs and, retaining a natural love for the outdoors, he kept mounted panthers and rattle snakes in his home.In his fights with Indians and Mex icians.he had received a wound in his lower leg which hasten ed his death. Helen Belt lived in the home of her son, Argalus for several years after the death of her husband.Fort Teran later became known as Boone's Ferry. Here steamboats used to stop with materials from the States and ladies for miles around would come on horseback to buy their materia Is, pins and needles, and i occasionally in the evening to attend a big ball on the deck of the boat.. Headin Woo, Tmoperated a ferry for some time. He had been granted a league of land here under the Mexican government which he sold to Frost Thorn of Nacogdoches July 7, 1845, the first deed recorded in the Tyler County Deeds Records.He married Helen Taylor, sister of President Zachary Taylor and to the wife of A. G. P a r k e r of the Parker Survey on which most of the land around Sunny Dell Church is located. Sam and Helen Belt had several children Mack,Elizabeth, Spicey, Ann, Argalus, Susan, and Truman.Sam Belt'sgrand-children who reside in Colmesneil recall incidents told by their father, Argalus. As the Texas Revolution grew and the fighting became more intense, it is said that the settlers around Teran , and Bevil's Port made an attack on Fort Teran and forced the Mexican s o 1 d i e r s out of East Texas.lt is also said that SantaAnna had rafts constructed atThe ann winning r Magnolia Federatioi was made the Worn; their meei Twin Lak Pearl To* Risinger a The clu president' ace winne vention in Grimes wa she presei tin of Hilli on the topiHReYOU■YTFMORA1,M ON D A Y11:30Choose From Our A| Of FINE FiWoodJL
Newspaper Details
Woodville Pineywoods Press
Woodville, Texas, US
Thu, Mar 26, 1964
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Catherine B.
USA 15 Oct 2023
Other Publications Near Woodville, Texas
Woodville Star
Woodville Pineywoods Press
Woodville Tyler County Messenger
Woodville East Texas Optimist
Woodville Eureka
