Individual Details
James Louis Rountree
(1 February 1806 - 13 April 1888)
The Rowntree name has been variously spelled -- Rowntree, Rountree, Roundtree -- however, the Burnet County family preferred the Rowntree. Most of the family members insisted on that spelling in spite of the fact that court recorders, census enumerators, etc. most often recorded the name as Roundtree. It has been noted as a quirk of fate that the name is also incorrectly spelled Rountree on James L. Rowntree's tombstone in the Old Burnet Cemetery.
Some information concerning James Lewis Rowntree's early life in Texas is found in an article by F. S. Rowntree, published in the Dallas Morning News in 1929 under a column entitled "Pioneers and Veterans";
"In Milam County, where Rowntree first settled, the Indians were quite troublesome. Three different times the Indians stole every horse he had. On one occasion when the Indians had made a raid on the settlement, six men had made preparations to follow the marauders. Mr. Rowntree was one of the six. They overhealed the Indians the next day on the prairie. They killed the Indians and recovered the horses.
J. L. Rowntree attended the treaty Sam Houston held at Waco in the 1840's. The Indians surrendered their captives and so did the whites. Mr. Rowntree was present when the Indian Chief surrendered John McClellan (sic.) to General Houston. Despite the fact that the Indians had kept him twenty years, McClellan (sic.) became a fine citizen. He was captured when only five years old and could run a trail better than an Indian. He became a lifelong friend of Rowntree after his release."
It is believed James L. Rowntree moved to Burnet County in the late summer of 1852 (some place the date in 1851). In the Deed Records of Burnet County (Vol. A, Page 46) J. L. Rowntree was deeded 195 1/4 acres of land from John B. Holland and wife on August 28, 1852, which land was located on the South San Gabriel about 25 miles from Georgetown (actually the land was on Oatmeal Creek, a tributary of the South San Gabriel).
James continued to live in the Oatmeal community until 1881 when he sold his last acreage to his daughter and son-in-law, Josephine and Robert Lewis. During this time he served, at least for a period, as Justice of the Peace and for some 20 years operated a store and served as postmaster for the Oatmeal post office (one of the earliest in the county), which was later moved to Bertram. It is thought that the store and post office were located about one and a half miles west of his farm at what was known as the Nagiller Spring on Oatmeal Creek.
After selling his Oatmeal farm Rowntree purchased a ranch southwest of Burnet in Backbone Valley, but it is not known at this time if he continued to live there until his death. According to Rufus Alonzo Parks of Lynchburg, Tennessee, who visited his grandfather at his ranch in Backbone Valley for a short time in 1883, Rowntree was of average build and weighed about 200 pounds at the time. Parks related that Rowntree died of a broken neck, received in a fall from his corral fence.
The appraisement of his estate indicated he owned 320 acres in Backbone Valley and a house and lot in Burnet. According to Joseph Gus Rowntree of Beeville, TX, James L. Rowntree and his first wife, Musadore had 14 children and he and his second wife, Martha Ann had nine -- a total of 23.
The Rowntree name has been variously spelled -- Rowntree, Rountree, Roundtree -- however, the Burnet County family preferred the Rowntree. Most of the family members insisted on that spelling in spite of the fact that court recorders, census enumerators, etc. most often recorded the name as Roundtree. It has been noted as a quirk of fate that the name is also incorrectly spelled Rountree on James L. Rowntree's tombstone in the Old Burnet Cemetery.
Some information concerning James Lewis Rowntree's early life in Texas is found in an article by F. S. Rowntree, published in the Dallas Morning News in 1929 under a column entitled "Pioneers and Veterans";
"In Milam County, where Rowntree first settled, the Indians were quite troublesome. Three different times the Indians stole every horse he had. On one occasion when the Indians had made a raid on the settlement, six men had made preparations to follow the marauders. Mr. Rowntree was one of the six. They overhealed the Indians the next day on the prairie. They killed the Indians and recovered the horses.
J. L. Rowntree attended the treaty Sam Houston held at Waco in the 1840's. The Indians surrendered their captives and so did the whites. Mr. Rowntree was present when the Indian Chief surrendered John McClellan (sic.) to General Houston. Despite the fact that the Indians had kept him twenty years, McClellan (sic.) became a fine citizen. He was captured when only five years old and could run a trail better than an Indian. He became a lifelong friend of Rowntree after his release."
It is believed James L. Rowntree moved to Burnet County in the late summer of 1852 (some place the date in 1851). In the Deed Records of Burnet County (Vol. A, Page 46) J. L. Rowntree was deeded 195 1/4 acres of land from John B. Holland and wife on August 28, 1852, which land was located on the South San Gabriel about 25 miles from Georgetown (actually the land was on Oatmeal Creek, a tributary of the South San Gabriel).
James continued to live in the Oatmeal community until 1881 when he sold his last acreage to his daughter and son-in-law, Josephine and Robert Lewis. During this time he served, at least for a period, as Justice of the Peace and for some 20 years operated a store and served as postmaster for the Oatmeal post office (one of the earliest in the county), which was later moved to Bertram. It is thought that the store and post office were located about one and a half miles west of his farm at what was known as the Nagiller Spring on Oatmeal Creek.
After selling his Oatmeal farm Rowntree purchased a ranch southwest of Burnet in Backbone Valley, but it is not known at this time if he continued to live there until his death. According to Rufus Alonzo Parks of Lynchburg, Tennessee, who visited his grandfather at his ranch in Backbone Valley for a short time in 1883, Rowntree was of average build and weighed about 200 pounds at the time. Parks related that Rowntree died of a broken neck, received in a fall from his corral fence.
The appraisement of his estate indicated he owned 320 acres in Backbone Valley and a house and lot in Burnet. According to Joseph Gus Rowntree of Beeville, TX, James L. Rowntree and his first wife, Musadore had 14 children and he and his second wife, Martha Ann had nine -- a total of 23.
Some information concerning James Lewis Rowntree's early life in Texas is found in an article by F. S. Rowntree, published in the Dallas Morning News in 1929 under a column entitled "Pioneers and Veterans";
"In Milam County, where Rowntree first settled, the Indians were quite troublesome. Three different times the Indians stole every horse he had. On one occasion when the Indians had made a raid on the settlement, six men had made preparations to follow the marauders. Mr. Rowntree was one of the six. They overhealed the Indians the next day on the prairie. They killed the Indians and recovered the horses.
J. L. Rowntree attended the treaty Sam Houston held at Waco in the 1840's. The Indians surrendered their captives and so did the whites. Mr. Rowntree was present when the Indian Chief surrendered John McClellan (sic.) to General Houston. Despite the fact that the Indians had kept him twenty years, McClellan (sic.) became a fine citizen. He was captured when only five years old and could run a trail better than an Indian. He became a lifelong friend of Rowntree after his release."
It is believed James L. Rowntree moved to Burnet County in the late summer of 1852 (some place the date in 1851). In the Deed Records of Burnet County (Vol. A, Page 46) J. L. Rowntree was deeded 195 1/4 acres of land from John B. Holland and wife on August 28, 1852, which land was located on the South San Gabriel about 25 miles from Georgetown (actually the land was on Oatmeal Creek, a tributary of the South San Gabriel).
James continued to live in the Oatmeal community until 1881 when he sold his last acreage to his daughter and son-in-law, Josephine and Robert Lewis. During this time he served, at least for a period, as Justice of the Peace and for some 20 years operated a store and served as postmaster for the Oatmeal post office (one of the earliest in the county), which was later moved to Bertram. It is thought that the store and post office were located about one and a half miles west of his farm at what was known as the Nagiller Spring on Oatmeal Creek.
After selling his Oatmeal farm Rowntree purchased a ranch southwest of Burnet in Backbone Valley, but it is not known at this time if he continued to live there until his death. According to Rufus Alonzo Parks of Lynchburg, Tennessee, who visited his grandfather at his ranch in Backbone Valley for a short time in 1883, Rowntree was of average build and weighed about 200 pounds at the time. Parks related that Rowntree died of a broken neck, received in a fall from his corral fence.
The appraisement of his estate indicated he owned 320 acres in Backbone Valley and a house and lot in Burnet. According to Joseph Gus Rowntree of Beeville, TX, James L. Rowntree and his first wife, Musadore had 14 children and he and his second wife, Martha Ann had nine -- a total of 23.
The Rowntree name has been variously spelled -- Rowntree, Rountree, Roundtree -- however, the Burnet County family preferred the Rowntree. Most of the family members insisted on that spelling in spite of the fact that court recorders, census enumerators, etc. most often recorded the name as Roundtree. It has been noted as a quirk of fate that the name is also incorrectly spelled Rountree on James L. Rowntree's tombstone in the Old Burnet Cemetery.
Some information concerning James Lewis Rowntree's early life in Texas is found in an article by F. S. Rowntree, published in the Dallas Morning News in 1929 under a column entitled "Pioneers and Veterans";
"In Milam County, where Rowntree first settled, the Indians were quite troublesome. Three different times the Indians stole every horse he had. On one occasion when the Indians had made a raid on the settlement, six men had made preparations to follow the marauders. Mr. Rowntree was one of the six. They overhealed the Indians the next day on the prairie. They killed the Indians and recovered the horses.
J. L. Rowntree attended the treaty Sam Houston held at Waco in the 1840's. The Indians surrendered their captives and so did the whites. Mr. Rowntree was present when the Indian Chief surrendered John McClellan (sic.) to General Houston. Despite the fact that the Indians had kept him twenty years, McClellan (sic.) became a fine citizen. He was captured when only five years old and could run a trail better than an Indian. He became a lifelong friend of Rowntree after his release."
It is believed James L. Rowntree moved to Burnet County in the late summer of 1852 (some place the date in 1851). In the Deed Records of Burnet County (Vol. A, Page 46) J. L. Rowntree was deeded 195 1/4 acres of land from John B. Holland and wife on August 28, 1852, which land was located on the South San Gabriel about 25 miles from Georgetown (actually the land was on Oatmeal Creek, a tributary of the South San Gabriel).
James continued to live in the Oatmeal community until 1881 when he sold his last acreage to his daughter and son-in-law, Josephine and Robert Lewis. During this time he served, at least for a period, as Justice of the Peace and for some 20 years operated a store and served as postmaster for the Oatmeal post office (one of the earliest in the county), which was later moved to Bertram. It is thought that the store and post office were located about one and a half miles west of his farm at what was known as the Nagiller Spring on Oatmeal Creek.
After selling his Oatmeal farm Rowntree purchased a ranch southwest of Burnet in Backbone Valley, but it is not known at this time if he continued to live there until his death. According to Rufus Alonzo Parks of Lynchburg, Tennessee, who visited his grandfather at his ranch in Backbone Valley for a short time in 1883, Rowntree was of average build and weighed about 200 pounds at the time. Parks related that Rowntree died of a broken neck, received in a fall from his corral fence.
The appraisement of his estate indicated he owned 320 acres in Backbone Valley and a house and lot in Burnet. According to Joseph Gus Rowntree of Beeville, TX, James L. Rowntree and his first wife, Musadore had 14 children and he and his second wife, Martha Ann had nine -- a total of 23.
Events
| Birth | 1 February 1806 | South Carolina | |||
| Marriage | Abt 1825 | South Carolina - | |||
| Marriage | 29 March 1850 | Travis County, Texas - | |||
| Death | 13 April 1888 | Burnet County, Texas | |||
| Burial | Old Burnet Cemetery |
Families
| Father | Thomas Hart Roundtree (1765 - 1828) |
| Mother | Mary Gilbreath (1787 - 1815) |
| Sibling | Catherine Rountree ( - ) |
| Sibling | Mildred Rountree (1811 - ) |
| Sibling | Nancy A. Rountree (1813 - ) |
| Sibling | Elizabeth Rountree (1815 - ) |