WILLIAM AND MARY ATWOOD

James Manor received two land grants in what was at-the-time Bastrop County in the Republic of Texas; one for 640 acres of land and the other for 1280 acres. Both officially became his land when they were surveyed on November 12, 1838. 

Soon thereafter, he built a log cabin near Gilleland Creek and made his home there. Later he built a larger, two-story house and used the log cabin as the kitchen. 

William W. Atwood was born January 4, 1804 in Maine. He was a merchant in Bolivar, TN when he married Mary Catherine Neely (born January 16, 1811) on June 10, 1829. In 1839 the Atwoods, with 2 daughters, Mary Josephine and Adelia, moved to Texas, first settling in southeast Texas; some records say Matagorda County. On May 16, 1839 he was issued Certificate #57 for 640 acres of land.

Certificate 57 granting Atwood 640 acres of land in Texas

Certificate states "This is to certify that William W. Atwood is entitled to a conditional Headright of Six Hundred Forty acres of land agreeably to the provisions of an act passed January 4th, 1839 extending donations to late emigrants."

Map showing 640 acres of land surveyed for Wm W Atwood in Colorado County, Texas

About one year later they moved to Bastrop County, which would later become Travis County,  where they met James Manor. Four more children were born into the family after the move to Texas – Rufus, Jane, Octavia and Charles.  

Travis County deed records appear to indicate that the first sale by James Manor of any of his land was made on January 1, 1840. On that date an agreement was signed between James Manor and William Woods Atwood and his wife, Mary Catherine Atwood. Details of the agreement were as follows:

1. James Manor would make the Atwoods a “good and valid title to two hundred acres of land, on the waters of Gilleland’s Creek, on the northwestern part” of his 1280 acres of land. 

2. If he failed to do so, he would be required to pay “Mary C. Atwood and Adelia Atwood, children and wife of Wm W. Atwood” the sum of $2000. 

3. The Atwoods agreed to make a settlement on Manor’s land, “thereby enhancing its value”. 

4. The Atwoods would also give James Manor a “good and valid title” to 640 acres of land owned by them “located on the waters of Sandy (creek) west of Columbus.” This was the land grant in Colorado County that was given to William Atwood by the Republic of Texas. 

5. If they failed to do so, the Atwoods would be required to pay James Manor "one thousand dollars in promissory notes of the government” or "five hundred dollars in specie" (gold coin), with interest from the date of the signed agreement. 

6. Two separate Travis County deed records both dated September 25, 1845 state that Mary C. Atwood paid James Manor $200 for 200 acres of land in his 1280 acres land grant, and that James Manor paid William Atwood $200 for his 640 acres in Colorado County. 

Excerpt from deed by James Manor to Atwoods dated Jan 1, 1840

The 1850 U. S. Census shows James Manor and the Atwoods as neighbors on the land. 

William Atwood served as a Travis County Commissioner from 1846-1847. As such, he would be a member of the Commissioners Court many times, deciding issues affecting the future of the Travis County area. 

Also, Frank Brown, in his "Annals of Travis County and of the City of Austin", Volume 3, records a time in 1840 when William W. Atwood and James Manor served on a Grand jury together. 

Travis County Grand Jury - 1840

In “The Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas” by John Henry Brown, an article about Mary Josephine Atwood says, “The Atwoods were people of prominence, members of an old and aristocratic family.”

In a footnote from a book titled “John B. Armstrong, Texas Ranger and Pioneer Ranchman” by Chuck Parsons, it says, “In 1860…Atwood was a successful stock raiser with $6,000 in real estate and a $3,000 personal estate”. 

On July 31, 1843 the Atwoods recorded brands for cattle and horses, along with earmarks for sheep, goats, hogs, etc. with Travis County. This was done for both parents as well as the four children born by that date. The youngest child was Jane - 2 months old. The others were Rufus - 2 years old, Adela - 5 years old, and Mary Josephine - 13 years old. 

Travis County Record Books showing brands and marks for Atwood family

The Atwood home on Gilleland Creek was said to be known as “Atwood Place”. In an article from the Austin Genealogical Society Quarterly of March, 1999, a story compiled by Rufus Atwood Palm, Jr. (born November, 1887) states that it was “a log cabin with a loft and shed room. The walls were cedar logs with auger holes bored through them for the purpose of sighting a rifle at Indians, should they attack. The holes were covered with removable blocks of wood on the inside of the building. Later he built a large house modeled on a combination Texas ranch style architecture blended with Southern Colonial. All the house timbers were hand hewn. The huge barn was of hand hewn timbers.” He then says, “I never saw the Atwood homestead because it had been destroyed by fire before I was born.”

The Atwoods were said to be well known for their good citizenship and hospitality. 

William Atwood died January 2, 1871 at the age of 67. Mary Atwood was 85 years old when she died on August 19, 1896. 

Both are buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Austin.