| 11. |  Eliza "Elizabeth" Jane Sparks was born on 27 Oct 1843 in Sabine Pass, Jefferson Co, Texas (daughter of John Sidney* Sparks and Melinda* Jones, (maybe dau?)); died on 10 Jul 1925 in Port Neches, Jefferson Co, Texas; was buried in Sparks Cem, Aurora, Jefferson Co, Texas. Other Events and Attributes:
- Census: 24 Oct 1850, Sabine Pass, Jefferson Co, Texas
- Census: 12 Jul 1860, Sabine Pass (Precinct 5), Jefferson Co, Texas
- Census: 23 Jun 1870, Sparks and River Settlement, Jefferson Co, Texas
- Census: 7 Jun 1880, Jefferson Co (District 41), Texas
- Census: 12 Jun 1900, Port Arthur and Sabine towns (District 2), Jefferson Co, Texas
- Census: 05 Feb 1920, Port Neches (Precinct 2), Jefferson Co, Texas
- Other-Begin: 22 Mar 1936, Port Arthur News, Port Arthur, Jefferson Co, Texas
Notes:
They are shown living in Sparks & River Settlement on 6/23/1870, date of the census. At the time of the 1880 census, also listed in the houshold are Eliza Hayes, age 37; a servant, Eddie Albert, age 27, a carpenter; and William E. Sparks, age 27, a laborer from Texas.
As quoted from the "History of the Sparks Family": First student of schoolhouse in the Sparks Settlement. Teacher was Miss Mary Page from Sabine Pass, who was paid $10 per month for teaching Emma and she was allowed to secure other childo teach. In time a one-room school was built by the settlers and the teacher was given room and board by the parents of her students. The school began in 1881 and is reported to be the first one to be located in what is now the City of Port Arthur. Records do not show how long the village school operated, but it is believed that it existed up to the time the settlement was abandoned in the early 1890s.
Jane, at age 78, and widowed in 1920, found in census living with grandson Walter.
Elizabeth (Eliza) Jane was born on October 27, 1843 in Jefferson County around Taylor Bayou, where her father (John) had Sparks's Ferry. Eliza Jane married Samuel Lee on the 14 of June 1860. Samuel, who was known as "Sam", was from Denmark. He was the Captain of a sailing vessel and had decided to give up his world travels to live in the Unite States, landing at New Orleans. Then once he shipped to Texas and he liked Jefferson County so well that he remained. He took up a claim on Hillebrandt's Bayou; here he lived until he married Eliza Sparks, June 14, 1860, the ceremony being performed by George W. O'Brien, Beaumont justice of the peace. Then he built a house near the site, which John Gates later selected for his mansion.Sam was the one who talked, or ask, Miss Mary Page if she would be willing to come to the Sparks's settlement and start a school. Miss Page described his visit when she later wrote:I was very young when Sam Lee came to Sabine Pass and wanted me to come to Aurora and teach his daughter, Emma. But I'd had advantages the children there didn?t have. We had free school in (in the city of) Sabine Pass for children under 14 and after that we had to pay, but we could continue our studies that way, My father said I was too young to go away from home, to teach, but my mother said "you go" and I went. Beginning in 1871 I taught nearly three years in Aurora and was called home when mother hurt her wrist in a fall and needed me to help her.Although Miss Page was employed primarily to teach Emma Lee, she was permitted to take other children in her school, which was a room in the Lee home.
Later they built a one-room schoolhouse. She taught all of the children at Aurora. She visited her parents at weekends and during vacation, making the trip down the Lake in a rowboat equipped with a mast and sail.Mrs. Jack Beaumont of Kountze, Texas the former Emma Lee, recalled that Miss Page wore "a very pretty bonnet trimmed with a number of artificial roses."
Later during the winter of 1885, the settlement was swept by an epidemic that took a heavy toll of both children and adults. On August 20, 1886, a sever hurricane struck the section, the brunt of it felt at the city of Sabine Pass. (The city of Sabine Pass never rebuilt and soon was no longer called a City.) With all that had happen and very discouraged, the families on the lake decided to move in land, near Beaumont. John Sidney nor his brother, Solomon wasn't still living. We have no records when either one of them died. (may have died during the epidemic in 1885) They dismantled most of the Aurora homes and took them to build new homes. Sam Lee's home remained but he sold his interest in the Beaumont Pasture Company on August 8, 1887, for $10.00 and a deed to 439 acres of land, part of the old Joseph Grigsby head-right on the Neches river near the present town of Port Neches. He later moved to a 700 acres place that is now within the City of Grove, Texas.
Sam and Eliza had only one child, Emma Ann, who was born on New Year's Day in 1867. Her oldest child is Walter Lee Beaumont, who was also born at the same location at Aurora, on 25 of November 1885 and now lives in (or did) Groves where he moved at the age of 6 months. Walter was still living in 1979 at the age of 94. His wife, who was Minnie Albers, lived on the old Sam Lee homestead, that was reduced to 40 acres. Walter had never worked for anyone other than himself. He was farmed, raised cattle and operated a dairy at the same location all his life. Even at 94 he still raise cattle: a Santa Gertrudis herd of about 30 head graze on his 40 acres. From all account, it appears that Walter was the oldest person still living who was born at Aurora, (the Sparks settlement) what is now the site of Port Arthur. In fact, he was probably the ONLY person stilling living who was born in the "SPARKS SETTLEMENT."
If only all the history of the Sparks could have been written down it could have been one of the best book written.
Census:
24 Oct 1850 Sabine Pass
residence 215:
Milton H Bloodworth 25 1825 Louisiana
Nancy (Holt) Bloodworth 18 1832 Texas
Benjamin P Bloodworth 2 1848 Louisiana
William Bloodworth 1 1849 Louisiana
Benjamin Holt 55 1795 Mississippi
Thomas C Holt 50 1800 Mississippi
Thomas D Holt 4 1846 Louisiana
William Holt 53 1797 Mississippi
Mary Ann Holt 17 1833 Texas
Thomas R Holt 26 1824 Louisiana
Charles Holt 28 1822 Louisiana
William C Holt 15 1835 Louisiana
Richard Holt 13 1837 Louisiana
Residence 216
Stockholm, Peter D. 31 1819 New York carpenter
Mary 17 1833 Louisiana
William 2 1848 Texas
Elizabeth 0 1850 Texas
Residence 217
Brewer, William 23 1827 Louisiana
Brewer, Caroline 22 1828 Louisiana
Residence 218
Solomon Sparks 30 1820 Tennessee
Martha C Sparks 30 1829 South Carolina
Lucy Ann Sparks 8 1842 Tennessee
John L Sparks 6 1844 Tennessee
James E Sparks 3 1847 Louisiana
Mary Susan Sparks 1 1849 Texas
Jacob Sparks 22 1828 Tennessee
Residence 219
John S. Sparks 39 1811 North Carolina
Melinda Sparks 29 1821 Tennessee
Albert Sparks 9 1841 Texas
Eliza J. Sparks 7 1843 Texas
John F. Sparks 4 1846 Texas
Sarah C. Sparks 1 1849 Texas
James Court 22 1828 Louisiana
Julia Ann (Sparks) Courts 14 1836 Tennessee
Census:
12 Jul 1860 Precinct No. 5 Sabine Pass
residence 378
James Court 30 mail carrier 500 Louisiana
Julia 24 TN 1856 Tennessee
Mary E 8 1852 Texas
Henry C 6 1854 Texas
Julia A 4 1856 Texas
William F 2 1858 Texas
Elias M 6/12 1859 Texas
residence 379
John Sparks 49 1811 North Carolina farmer 320 2100
Malinda Sparks 41 1819 Tennessee
Albert Sparks 19 1841 Texas
John F Sparks 14 1856 Texas
Sarah C Sparks 11 1849 Texas
Arabella H Sparks 8 1852 Texas
James C Sparks 6 1854 Texas
Worthey C Sparks 4 1856 Texas
Henry E L Sparks 8/12 1859 Texas
residence 380
Samuel Lee 38 1822 Denmark stock raiser 4,000
Eliza 16 1844 Texas
Census:
Residence 77
Coats (Courts) J.M. 40 1830 Louisiana 400, 2,000 farmer
Julia 34 1836 Tennessee
Mary 18 1852 Texas
Clifton 16 1854 Texas
Nasthentha 14 1856 Texas
William 12 1858 Texas
Madison E. 10 1860 Texas
ekner 8 1862 Texas
James 5 1865 Texas
Anna 3 1867 Texas
Lisa 8 1862 Texas
residence 78
Sparks M (Melinda) 51 1819 at home Tennessee widow
James 17 1853 Texas farm laborer
Worthy 14 1856 Texas
John 27 1843 Texas farmer
residence 79
Spark, C (Caroline) 50 1820 SC keeping house widow
Edwin 23 1847 Louisiana
Joseph 16 1854 Texas
Oscar 14 Texas
Court T.J. 27 1843 Texas (Thomas Jefferson - bro of James Court)
residence 80
Brewton W.P. 33 1837 Tennessee
Sarah (Sparks) 22 1848 Texas (Dau of Melinda)
Grace 5 1865 TX
Silas F. 8/12 1869 TX
residence 81
Lee, Samuel 52 1818 farmer 1580 Denmark
Jane E. 27 1843 Texas
Emma 3 1867 Texas
residence 82
Smith. T.J. 34 farmer 500 Indiana (Later would marry Mary Ellen Courts
Sarah 25 Texas
Electra 3/12 Texas
Census:
Note: It appears the first page is the Sparks Settlement. And the 2nd page seems to be the Port Neches, Grisgsby Bluff area, a few miles north.
7 Jun 1880 District 41 Justice Precinct No. 2
Page 1
residence 1
Gentz Fred 35 Dec 1845 laborer Prussia Prussia Prussia
R. Belle 28 Aug 1852 TX NC TN
Welby 8 Jun 1872 TX NC TX
H.M. 7 Feb 1873 TX NC TX
M.J. dau 6 1874 TX
J.W. son 4 1876 TX
Buler 2 dau May 1878 TX
J. Lee 4/12 son Jan 1880 TX
Charlotte 77 mother widow Prussia NC TX
(census taker just carried the NC down the columns.
Only person from NC is Belle's father.
residence 2
Lee, Samuel 62 farmer Denmark Denmark Denmark
E. Jane 36 Oct TX NC TN
Emma A. 12 Jul 1868 TX
Hayes, Eliza Black 19 Jan 1861 servant Texas Texas Alabama
Eddy, Albert 37 Jul 1843 carpenter Ireland Ireland Ireland
Sparks, William E. 27 Mar 1853 TX
residence 3
Melinda Sparks 61 Mar 1819 TN VA TN
Worthy 24 Mar 1856 TX NC TN
James 26 son Dec 1854 TX NC TN
Ella 23 Nov 1857 dau-in-law TX TN PA
Thomas George, Black 8 1872 servant TX
residence 4
Sparks, Caroline 60 May 1820 self widow SC VA SC
Sparks, J.M. 26 Aug 1854 son TX
residence 5
Kilgore, James S 28 1852 Mar Michigan Michigan Michigan
Elizabeth 50 Oct 1830 mother wid Michigan Michigan --
Columbus 28 25 May 1855 brother Texas Michigan Michigan
Susan F. 20 Feb 1860 sister Texas Michigan Michigan
Eugenia 17 Jun 1863 sister Texas Michigan Michigan
Swift, Fuller 3 May 1877 nephew Texas Michigan Michigan
Swift, Ida 3/12 Feb 1880 niece Texas Michigan Michigan
residence 6
Brewton, W.P. 47 Aug 1833
Sarah C. (Sparks) 30 Dec 1850
Grace 15 Feb 1865 TX
Silas F. 10 Oct 1870 TX
Esther 8 Dec 1872 TX
Almond 6 Apr 1874 TX
Inas 3 dau Aug 1877 TX
John Smith 14 June 1866 TX TN PA
residence 7
Gray, H.L. 33 head Sep 1847 Michigan VA MI
Gray, S.E. 33 wife Aug 1847 LA PA Indiana
Carey, Coy 11 son May 1873 TX Indiana Louisiana
Clara 7 dau Mar 1873 TX Indiana Louisiana
Gray H.E. son 9 Sep 1871 TX MI TX
Smith, T.F. 21 Apr 1859 TX TN PA
Courts, E.M. 20 1860 TX unk TX
___________
page 2
8 Jun 1880
residence 8
Yantz (Gentz), Wm Apr 42 1838 farmer Prussia Prussia Prussia
Susan 31 Jan 1849 wife TX GA LA
Leuvinia 12 Jan 1868 dau
William Y. 10 Jan 1870 son
H.L. 6 mos Nov 1879 son
residence 9
J. T. Rogers 28 Aug 1852 TX TN TX
Izzie J. Rogers 27 Aug 1853 TX NY LA
C. O. Rogers 3 Dec 1877
Wm. A. Rogers 1 Sep 1879
Levina Keith 68 Feb 1812 mother-in-law tx ga tn
residence 10
Keith, O 39 Feb 1841 Self TX OH LA
Margaret 39 Jun 1841 TX TN TN
George 7 Jun 1873 son LA TX TN
William O. 5 Mar 1875 son
Berry, Lethean female 11 Jan 1869 servant TX Prussia Prussia
Census:
residence 247
Lee, Samuel Feb 1818 82 m 40 yrs 1860 Denmark Denmark Denmark immigrated 1829
Jane Oct 1843 56 TX NC TN (Sparks)
residence 248
Keith, G.A. TX TX TX
Matilda (Block) wife Feb 1877 23 m 6 yrs, 4 children 4 living TX
Germany Louisiana
Florence T dau Aug 1894 6 TX
William P.J. border Jan 1880 20 MS MS MS
Berry W. C. boarder Jan 1884 16 Iowa Iowa Iowa
Arend son Feb 1895 5 TX
Maggie dau June 1893 6 TX
Alfred son May 1899 1 TX
Residence 249
Beaumont, John C Sep 1859 40 m 15 yrs TX PA Germany
Emma A (Lee) Jul 1868 31 5 children 5 living TX Denmark TX
Walter L Nov 1885 14
Forrest P Feb 1888 12
Goldie B Mar 1890 10
Ruby Mar 1892 8 (son)
Harry S Mar 1895 4
residence 250
Gentz William - age 30, m 9 years, 1891 TX Germany TX
Matilda - age 30, m 9 years, 4 children 3 living TX Germany LA
Edward - son age 7 (1893)
Hale - son age 5 (1895)
Oliver - son age 2 (1897)
Ida M - sister age 15 (1884)
residence 251
Keith, Maggie head Jun 1842 52 widowed TN TN TN
Keith, Oliver W. son May 1875 25 single TX TX TN
Rogers, Oliver R. nephew Dec 1876 23 single TX TX TX
Rogers, Arthur, nephew Sep 1878 21 single TX TX TX
Pevoto, Everett, Boarder Oct 1877 22 single
Census:
5 Feb 1920 Port Neches (Precinct 2), Jefferson County, Texas
Beaumont, Walter, self 34 1886 Texas Texas Texas
general farm
Minnie wife 20 1900 Iowa Germany Germany
Carle son 2 TX
Sammie W. son 0 TX
Lee Jane grandmother 78 WD Texas Tennessee Tennessee
next door: Beaumont, Forest S. Head 31 m 1889 Texas Texas Texas farmer
Cora wife 22 1898 Louisiana Alabama Alabama
Children:
- 5. Emma Ann Lee was born on 30 Oct 1867 in Sparks Settlement, Aurora, Jefferson Co, Texas; died on 05 Sep 1960 in Groves, Jefferson Co, Texas; was buried on 06 Sep 1960 in Greenlawn Memorial Park, Groves, Jefferson Co, Texas.
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Samuel Lee, (immigrant) was born on 16 Feb 1816 in Ringkobing, Jutland, Denmark; died on 17 Feb 1910 in Port Neches, Jefferson Co, Texas; was buried in Greenlawn Memorial Park, Groves, Jefferson Co, Texas. 