| 10. | William Milam Sparks was born on 1 Mar 1863 in Mentz, Colorado Co, Texas (son of Jacob E "Jake" Sparks and Nancy Johnson); died on 17 Jan 1942 in Nome, Jefferson Co, Texas; was buried in CedarVale Cem, Bay City, Matagorda Co, Texas. Other Events and Attributes:
- Census: 1920, Matagorda Co, Texas
Notes:
written by James Willis Sparks, grandson of Milam, son of Leslie.
"Milam was born on March 1, 1863 northwest of Eagle Lake, Texas or about three miles north of a place called Metz. Milam was raised between the Bernard river and Bernard creek. Why Jacob named three of sons "William" after his father I do not know. But that was the way is was on the Census.
His father owned land there, they raised cattle and some farming. Milam grew up to be one of the best in breaking wild horses. They said even though he was small man of about 5'7" and weight about 145 pounds, was few horses that he ever had to get on twice.
Milam grew up in the hard times. When he was only nine years old his father died. There is no proof but some of us believe that he is the one who was killed over some horses. It has been passed down through the years one of the Sparks's had bought two horses and a colt from two men. a few days or so they came back and wanted to buy the horses and colt back. Sparks said he didn't want to sell the horses, and they had a few words like, we will get those horses one-way or the other. Later he (Sparks) was about to cross the Bernard creek, when his pony jumped sideways, and at the same time of gunshots. Sparks roll out of the saddle with his rifle in his hand and when the shooting was over, Sparks had killed both of the men who was trying to buy the horses back. Later they found out the horses had been stolen and they were trying to get them back before the laws could find them. But later, one of their kinfolks shot Sparks either going to town or in town.
Doris Roberts, Milam's sister-in-law, said that she had heard the same thing from the talks of her husband and his half brothers would have. But there has not been any record to show that was the way it happen, or if it even happen. But most tales like these or mostly right.
Milam grew up with a stepfather, after his father died in 1871, Nancy, his mother remarried to Thomas Jefferson Roberts in 1872. Milam had kinfolks in and around Beaumont, Jefferson County, Tex. What ever the reason was Milam was in that area when he met Sarah Francis Adams from Orange, Tex. and married her on August 2, 1884 in Beaumont, Tex. She had kinfolks living in Colorado County. So she may have been visiting there or Milam may have been visiting his kinfolks in Jefferson County. Any way they lived in Colorado County for a while where Milam and family was for a number of years we cannot say. He and his family did not show on any census from the time he left home, until in 1912 in Matagorda County, Texas some 28 years later.
There are a lot of tales about Milam in his younger days. He worked for some of the biggest cattle Kings of that time. After the Civil War there was a lot of big cattle kings and companies that took over the open range and pushed out all of the small cattle ranchers. Down in what is called the valley was (and still is) King Ranch, which covered hundred of square miles. Was said that no man went across this ranch and reached the other side, the riders shot you on sight. Another ranch was Pierce, was know throughout the state as "Shanghai Pierce." He had like King Ranch, hundred of square miles of land. At one time it cover over eight counties and to this day it is called Pierce Estate, has large amounts of land in three or four counties. They said that he got his name because he sold a lots of cattle, but very few would he let off his land.
He would sell the cattle and when they got 30 or 40 miles away some of his men would kill the drivers and bring cattle back to the home range.
They had the same thing over in Jefferson County and some of the other counties around in the state. They called this one The Cattle Industry in the area received when the "Beaumont Pasture Company" was created on March 14, 1878, With William McFaddin, C.C. Caswell, O.M. Kyle, Valentine Weiss, William, and Sam Lee as members. (This Samuel Lee was married to Eliza Sparks, her father was John Sidney Sparks. This was Milam's Uncle or his father's brother.)
During the time that Milam could not be found, as records of census went, he was working for Shinghi Pierce, most everything south of the town of the town of Columbus, Texas or at that point any thing south of the Colorado River was Pierce's land and cattle. Milam also worked for a cattle company named Dallas. He named one of his sons Dallas Reed Sparks. Reed said that his Dad named him after the company and the foreman over the cattle drive.
Later part of the 1800's, Milam and his two half brothers kind of went in business for them self. Now this is another one, we have nothing but stories that has been passed down. Milam and his two half brothers, Thomas (Tom) and Lee Roberts, would slip a few head of cattle of Pierce across the river and put their brand on them and later sold them. They also did a lot of trading of horses and cattle. But they gave up around the early 1900's.
Lee Roberts in later years became a Texas Ranger to help stop cattle rustling. Tom became the Constable in the town of Eagle Lake, Colorado County, Texas. I guess you would call this the wild days of a young man.
Milam and Sarah Francis lived in and around the home place in Metz, Columbus, Eagle Lake in Colorado County. Sarah Francie died May 2, 1897, seven months after her last child, Myrtle Frances was born. Maggie George the oldest girl was almost ten years old when her mother died.
Here Milam was with four children so young. Where he lived was close to his mother, Nancy Johnson Sparks Roberts or not and if she would have help if she had. They said she was ruff and a mean woman. (more hear say) But I'm sure he was needing some one bad. Maggie said she could remember standing on a box of a sort and washing dishes and trying to cook.
Seven months and two days later Milam had found him a new bride. He married Viola "Vee" (Court) Nobles on December 4, 1897 in Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas. There again she was distance kin, as Julia Ann Sparks (John Sidney daughter) married James M. Court. This is where Vee or Viola was born and her family lived. I'm sure they went back to Colorado county soon afterwards, some one was keeping the four kids there. Viola had been married to Leroy E. Nobles and they had one son Loid (not Lloyd) born October 1897. They were living in a place called Spanish Camp (which is still there) about four miles north of Wharton, Texas.
Here again John Sidney's granddaughter, Helen Clair Gentz married Matthew Nobles and had 12 children. Don't know if Noble died, killed or divorced, but the baby was only a few months old when Milam and Viola married. She was living (probably with her parents) at Beaumont, Texas at the time the baby was born. There again we're not sure where Milam and Viola were living. At one time they were living at Lissie in Wharton County.
Doris Roberts and I went to a rest home in Eagle Lake to talk with Bonnie Parker that was living there, (no this is not the great woman outlaw Bonnie Parker.) she was 96 year old and her mine was sharp as a tack. I ask her if she knew a Milam Sparks; she said Oh, Lord yes. He had a pretties little wife named Vee and had a house full of kids. Their oldest boy Merril, I believe his name was. When she called Frank, Merril, I knew for sure that she knew them, because very few people knew his name was Merril.
I asked if she knew Maggie George and she said I don't guess I did. I told her that Maggie George Sparks and Arthur Worthy Sparks got married there in Lissie (where Benniers family was living at the time) on October 27, 1903. She laughed and sad if they got married in Lissie, then my Daddy was the one that married them, because he was the Baptist preacher and the only preacher in town. She said, she was living in Eagle Lake at that time. Bonnie never was married and died at the age of 98 Married 2nd Viola "Vee" (Court) Nobles
Milam's oldest child, Maggie George and her husband, Arthur Worthy Sparks (they were cousin) moved to Lessie, where some seven years earlier they had gotten married. Their son James Leslie born July 6, 1904 was now six and almost 7 years old.. In the first part of 1911 or the last part of 1910 Arthur, Maggie and James Leslie pack up and headed west in to Wharton County some 200 miles away to a little town of Lissie. Where they had gotten married back in 1903 and still living in the area was Maggie's father Milam. They were there for a short time, a few months.
When Milam along with his family and oldest daughter Maggie and her husband, Arthur and his grandson, left Lessie, heading south east to Matagorda County some 150 miles or so. They lived on a place on row Creek about half way between Markham and another little town Clemville. Clemville was just beginning to be a booming oil field.
Here Milam and Viola had their last child, Dallas Reed on July 3, 1911. Then shortly after Maggie and Arthur had their second child, Alvin Brooks on September 28, 1911. Vee just never really recovered, and in January of the following year, 1912 she died. I guess, knowing that she was going to die, had wanted her body shipped back to Jefferson County.
In January of 1912, Milam shipped Viola's body to Port Arthur, Texas, where she was buried in the Sparks Cemetery. (Now at the end of DeQueen Blv. and Lake View Drive. Was once a Sparks settlement, named Aurora, Texas before the name was change in 1897 to Port Arthur, Texas. This cemetery was later (part of) moved to Forest Lawn cemetery in Beaumont, Tex, by Court Order.
Again Milam and family out into the area they call Old Gulf and later Maggie and family did like wise. What year they moved, some 30 or 40 mile closer to the Gulf of Mexico we don't know.Milam married again in 1915 for the third time to Alice Williams who was 18 years old and Milam was 52 year old. Milam and Alice, they lived around Wadsworth, Matagorda County, Tex.. You would think that it was time to retire but not Milam. Alice and Milam had nine children. He was 74 when his last child was born, and he died in 1942 at the age of 79.
Milam and his new wife later moved back up close to the little oil field town of Clemville, Tex. Loid Nobles was still living with Viola and Milam. They did some farming and Milam did his horse trading, I don't know if he was still breaking horses or if some of the boys were doing it. There was a place they called Northern Head Quarters about seven or eight miles north of their place. I would think he and some of his boys sure would have been working out there. Milam's boys didn't much like working in the oil field, they were farmer. In later years they became rice farmers. Milam probably had four or five kids at home from the last marriage.Then again in the 1920's probably around 1925, he moved out on the edge of Clemville, where he lived till he died in January of 1942. All though he did not die in Matagorda County at Clemville. His oldest son, Milam Arthur "Bud" Sparks was living in China, Jefferson County, Tex. near Beaumont, Tex. He took his father home with him because he had been sick for a while. He wanted to take him to a Doctor and to see if they could find what was wrong with him. He was there only a few months when he died. Bud brought his father body back to Bay City, Tex. to be buried in the CedarVale Cemetery with other Sparks's that were buried there.
Alice and the family three of her kids moved up closer to the store in Clemville.I remember my Great Grandfather, Milam very clear, I was 15 years old when he passed away. I would say that he was the same height as my father, James Leslie Sparks who was Milam's grandson, which was 5"7" tall, weight 145 pounds, and 7 or 71/2 shoe or boot. Milam wasn't built like my father with heavy muscles in the upper part of the body.
Milam always had horses and a few cows. He was buying and selling in his late years. This was back when they still was having a lot of trouble with screwworm. My Dad, Leslie was gone a lot, he was a driller and was off looking for oil. When we need a cow or calf needed doctoring Grandpa Milam would come down and doctor it. He said back when he worked for them big cattle company, hides would bring almost as much as the whole cow. So when a number of cattle would die for what ever the reason would be. He had eat his dinner sitting on the side of a dead cow a many time. The way he doctored for screwworm was he took his finger or a stick (if he had one) and clean out all the worms that he could, he had some kind of mixture that he mixed up to kill the worms. Put that in the hole and then packed dry manure in on top. He said the medicine would kill most of the worms and the dry manure would be come wet and smother the rest, as this healed it would push out the cow manure.
Milam last home was about a quarter of a mile or so from his oldest child, Maggie. He would ride down there and have coffee as many did. They had open range then (no fences only pens) so it was left up to you to keep your stock in your area. There was a man that lived up in town that like to think that he ran the town. Any way, word was that this man told Milam that he was going to have to pen his cows. Milam told this guy: You may run that part of town where you live, but don't come down here trying to tell me what I'm going to do or not going to do. The best thing you can do is get your *#*++* ass back over there and don't mess with me because I'll shoot your *#*++* ass off. I Don't believe he ever said any more to Milam after that. He didn't mess with any one and he didn't want you to mess with him.
Milam would set on the front porch in a straight back chair for hours at a time looking out across open land. Probably think about the old days when he used ride all over this part of the country.I remember Bud (his oldest son) had bought his Dad a new pair of cowboy Boots. He looked at them and pitch them back in the box, "I won't wearing them dam Drug Store Boots". All he would ever wear was what they call the stove top boot, that came up almost to the knee. Bud though they would have been easer to get on and off. He wore those long-johns, two pair of pants the year round with no shirt in the summer.
Now if he went some place he would get all deck out in his best boots and hat. The story goes Milam was as good as they came when it came to bronco-busting, his son Arthur (Bud) was they said just as good. My father, Leslie told me this happened; There was a group of men standing around drinking. When one said, I got a horse out there tied to a tree has never been rode and can't be rode. Milam said for $50 dollars I'll ride him right now.
Well Milam got on that horse and after a few jumps Milam came off. Bud said Pa would have rode that horse if he hadn't been drunk. That man laughed and said can you do any better? Bud said yes; if you got a $100 dollars when I step down off that horse. The man laughed again and said hell yes. Bud put on his chaps and tied down his spurs and said hold his head. Before the horse gave up, Bud had that horse bleeding as far down as he could reach and dragging his spurs up the shoulder and neck. Bud stepped down off that horses and took that $100 and said if you all have more of them horses that no one can ride for a $100, Pa and I will take you money.
I went down to Grandpa Milam's and played with Clair Lee, who was about my age and Milam Lloyd was a little younger. (every one call Lloyd "Bull") One day I was over there and it was time for me to go home, Bull went and ask Pa (Milam) if he could go home with me for a while, Grandpa said no and you are not leaving this yard. Well in the mean time it had started raining. Grandpa Milam had gone out to the barn about 30 yards from the house to relive him self. Grandma Alice (I don't believe any one called her Grandma, Just Alice, why I don't know Because kids just didn't call adults by their first name) gave me Bull's coat and cap to wear home to keep from getting wet. I went out the back door and out in to the cow lot around the barn and started climbing over the board fence. As I was climbing over the top of the fence, Grandpa Milam grabbed me off the fence at the same time started whaling the hell out me. Saying Bull, I told you not to leave this dam yard. I was yelling Grandpa this is not Bull. Finally he said oh Hell I though you were Bull.
All these years Loid (Milam's stepson, most ever one knew Loid by the nick name of Duke.) "Duke" lived with Milam and helped support the family. If it hadn't been for Duke, for ten to fifteen years before Milam died and that long or longer after he died, the family could never have made it without him. Duke gave his whole life to supporting Milam's families. Seem like my Dad said that Bud took Duke to Beaumont to see a Uncle Nobles and some of his kinfolks, but I don't know which of the Nobles it was. Duke's father was Joseph G. Nobles from Beaumont, Tex. I don't guess his father ever came to see him or his father may have been dead. He lived his last days with a half sister Pauline (Sparks) Stoffer.
About ever one knew Pauline as "Peggy" as this was what Duke call her. Pauline was married to Vernon Stoffer at that time, Varian died 2/4/1980 and later married John Landrum (/18/1981.Of all the years that Duke lived around Clemville, I have for the first time to hear any one say any thing bad about him. Duke would help any one and would not ask for any pay. But all the people around spoke well of Duke and was always giving him extra work to do. Milam had 13 girls and 7 boys, he always said that he had 22 children. Alice lost two children, don't know if any of the other wife did.
I guess you would have to say that Milam was the last of the rough riders, for he surely was a breed of his own. He and his brother were probably like their father ;Jacob. All of Milam's boys were a little on the rough side also. To tell the truth I don't think there is a Sparks that would walk away from a fight.
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/3139485/person/-1604307211/media/1
Census:
Milam Sparks 1863 TX TX TX
Alice Sparks, wife 1899 TX TX TX
Wilford 1901
Ellis 1903
Ruby 1905
Frank 1908
Lilly 1810
Dallas Reid 1912
Lorene 1819
Eloise 1920
William married Sarah Frances Adams about 1886. Sarah was born in 1868 in Orange Co, Texas; died on 02 May 1897 in Colorado Co, Texas; was buried in Allyton Cem, Colorado Co, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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1931 - 1931 (0 years)
James Leslie Sparks was born on 6 Jul 1904 in Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas (son of Arthur Worthy "Slim" Sparks and Maggie George Sparks); died on 31 Jan 1988 in Five mi north of Old Ocean, Brazoria Co, Texas. 
Arthur Worthy "Slim" Sparks was born on 11 Jan 1884 in Sparks Settlement, Aurora, Jefferson Co, Texas (son of James Christian (Coleman) Sparks, Sr and Ella Janet Smith); died on 29 May 1957 in Bay City, Matagorda Co, Texas; was buried in Cedarvale Cem, Bay City, Matagorda Co, Texas. 
James Christian (Coleman) Sparks, Sr was born on 10 Dec 1853 in Sabine Pass, Jefferson Co, Texas (son of John Sidney* Sparks and Melinda* Jones, (maybe dau?)); died on 12 Dec 1898 in Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas; was buried in McFaddin, TF Smith Homestead, Forest Lawn Cem, Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas. 
Ella Janet Smith was born in Nov 1857 in Texas (daughter of Thomas Floyd Smith and Ella Ann Lowrey); died on 21 Nov 1928 in Beaumont, Jefferson Co, Texas. 