Charles Fordtran - Texas Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Per the Texas Historical Commission's Online Handbook:

"Charles Fordtran, early settler and surveyor, son of John H. Fordtran, was born in Minden, Westphalia, on May 7, 1801. He immigrated to America in 1830 and in January 1831 joined Friedrich Ernst to move to Texas, where they began the settlement that developed into the town of Industry. Fordtran surveyed Ernst's grant in Stephen F. Austin's colony for one-fourth of the land. He marked the boundaries of Samuel M. Williams's land. Fordtran was in poor health and spent some time with Henry Austin at Bolivar Point and some time in Mississippi before he purchased a half headright now in Austin County in 1833. He made a contract to secure 800 families for Austin's colony but became discouraged and gave up the idea. In 1835 and 1836 he was a member of Capt. James Bird's company of Spy Rangers and, as such, helped move Texas families out of reach of the Mexicans and protected the communities from Indian attacks. Fordtran married Almeida Brookfield on July 4, 1834, and they had nine children. The family home was in Austin County, where Fordtran died on November 1, 1900."

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An even better and more detailed accounting of Charles Fordtran can be found in an old 1895 biography, when he was still alive and one of the oldest living Texans at that time:

"CHARLES FORDTRAN, now residing in Austin county, is, both in point of age and residence, one of the oldest living Texans, having been born in the year 1801 and a resident of Texas since 1829. He is a native of Prussia, was educated in the best schools of Germany, and at the age of twenty-six emigrated to the United States, whence after brief stops in the cities of New York, St. Louis, Missouri, Natchez, Mississippi, and New Orleans, Louisiana, he came in 1829 to the Mexican state of Texas and Coahuila, taking up his abode in Austin's colony. Marrying in 1833 he settled permanently on a headright granted to one Ernst, one-half of which he purchased, and where he has continuously lived for the past sixty-six years. In the Revolution of 1835-6 he was a volunteer in the patriot army, being detailed by General Houston to assist in removing the families of soldiers beyond the reach of the Mexicans. Mr. Fordtran has never been before the public in any official capacity, having a distaste for everything savoring of politics and scramble for office. As a farmer and stock-raiser he has met with noteworthy success, and in all the essentials of good citizenship has risen to the full stature.

The wife of Charles Fordtran bore the maiden name of Almeda [sic] Brookfield, was born in Detroit, Michigan, a daughter of William and (Lalliet) Brookfield, who emigrated from New York to Texas in 1831. William Brookfield settled in what is now Fayette county, this State, soon after coming to the country, and there his daughter met and was married to Charles Fordtran. Mrs. Fordtran died in November, 1888. As a civil engineer and Indian fighter, William Brookfield had considerable to do with the early history of Austin's colony and of Texas, and is remembered for his patriotic services by the few of his old associates still living. He was a man of wide reading, an orator of ability and an author of some note, having published just previous to his death in 1847 a book in defense of the Jews. He raised a family of four sons and two daughters. His eldest son, Charles, served on the side of the colonists in the Revolution of 1835-6; Charles, Frank, and Walter were volunteers in the Texas contingent of the United States army in the war of 1846-8, Walter dying in Mexico, Charles being supposed to have been murdered by his Mexican servant, while the youngest of the four, Edward, was frequently in the ranging service helping to keep back the marauding bands of Indians and Mexicans before their final dispersion and removal. The daughters of William Brookfield were Mrs. Emma Evans, wife of Vincent Evans, and Mrs. Almeda Fordtran, wife of Charles Fordtran.

The issue of Charles and Almeda Fordtran was four sons and five daughters, in the order of their births as follows: William, who died in Fayette county, Texas; Portia, wife of Dr. G. C. McGregor, of Waco; Eugene H.; Frank, who died in the Confederate army during the late war; Charles, Jr., of Waco; Louisa, wife of M. A. Healy, of Brenham; Ann, who was married to J. L. Hill, of Galveston, both of whom are deceased; Josephine, wife of G. H. Mensing, of Galveston; and Sarah, wife of James B. Baker, of Waco.

Eugene H. Fordtran was born in Austin county, Texas, March 15, 1840, and was educated in the neighborhood schools and at Soule University, Chapell Hill, Washington county. Quitting school at the age of eighteen he was engaged in clerking in the mercantile business, in farming and in teaching school till the opening of the late war. In September, 1861, he entered the Confederate army, enlisting in Captain J. S. Lauderdale's company, which became part of the Tenth Texas Infantry, commanded first by Colonel Allison Nelson and after his death by Colonel R. Q. Mills. He served with this command until the fall of Arkansas Post in January, 1862, when he was captured, taken to Camp Douglas at Chicago, Illinois, and held there until 1863, at which time he was paroled. After the re-organization of his command it became part of the Army of the Tennessee, with which he subsequently served. At Tupelo, Mississippi, February, 1865, he was furloughed and was at home, his furlough not having expired, when the general surrender took place.

After the war Mr. Fordtran went into the milling business near Fayetteville in Fayette county, and followed this till 1868, when he sold out and embarked in real-estate operations, continuing this till 1883. That year he moved to Galveston and from 1884 to 1892 he was a member of the firm of King & Fordtran, wholesale liquor dealers, having since severed his connection with that firm and resumed the real-estate business. Mr. Fordtran's career has been that of a business man, and it is generally understood that he has met with a fair degree of success. He was once County Commissioner of Fayette county, and had served one term as a member of the Board of Aldermen of Galveston, but with the exception of these two positions he has never filled any places of public trust.

In 1866, Mr. Fordtran married Miss Letitia Satterfield, then residing in Fayette county, Texas, but a native of Halifax county, Virginia, her parents being John N. and Ann (Cook) Satterfield. Her mother died in Virginia, and her father moved in 1849 to Texas, settling in Fayette county. Mr. and Mrs. Fordtran have seven children living: Eugene H., John S., Charles G., William B., Edgar, Walter L., and Frank.

From History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of the Cities of Houston and Galveston, Lewis Publishing, Chicago, 1895, pp. 712-713."

Marker Number: 1941 Marker Text: (May 7, 1801-Nov. 1, 1900) In Jan. 1831 Charles Fordtran, a German of Huguenot descent, joined the colony of Stephen F. Austin. His first work was to survey land for Austin's partner, Samuel May Williams. He was given a league (4,428.4 acres) as his fee. Soon he brought in two families of settlers who worked for him for a time, then obtained their own land in present Fayette county. On July 4, 1834, he married Almeida Brookfield (1817-1887), daughter of a noted Indian-fighting family. Fordtran also fought Indians who stole livestock and kidnapped the wives and children of colonists. In the Texas War for Independence, he joined the "Spy Rangers" under Capt. John Bird, defending civilians who were fleeing to escape the Mexican invaders. Charles Fordtran was one of the first Teutonic settlers in Texas -- arriving some years before the main tide of German immigration. Music and good living abounded in his home. He and his wife had 14 children, with nine living to adulthood. Of four sons in the Confederate Army during the Civil War (1861-1865) two survived. His descendants have made contributions to Texas history as industrialists, engineers, lawyers, physicians, and teachers. This marker stands on land he received in 1831. (1976)

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