The only mention we could find of Rowena Loggins in Bosque County TX is in an old biography book that was published in 1896.
Rowena Loggins was a daughter of John and Sarah (Hairston) Russell. She would have been born in either IL or MS. Rowena married James Loggins (probably in MS). They came to Bosque County Texas in 1858. She died in 1861 and was buried in the Meridian Cemetery under a tombstone made from local limestone and engraved by hand with a chisel.
The biographical sketch of her brother reads as follows:
"WILLIAM HENDERSON RUSSELL, M. D. — Bosque county has few, if any, citizens more worthy of biographical honors than he whose name adorns this page, — Dr. W. H. Russell, — a man of great versatility, who has been closely connected in many ways with the interests of Bosque county, has kept pace with its progress and aided in its development, and stands to-day as one of its best and most honored citizens. To
the portrayal of such a life the biographer reverts with no little satisfaction, finding both interest and profit therein.
Dr. Russell was born in Pulaski county, Illinois, July 6, 1827, son of John and Sarah (Hairston) Russell, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Virginia, both having emigrated to Illinois, where they first met and at length were married. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Peter Hairston, was a Virginian by birth, served
all through the Revolutionary war, and at [page 269] its close, greatly broken in health by exposure in the army, settled in South Carolina, where he died shortly afterward. Of the history of the Russell family very little is known back of the Doctor's father, John
Russell. John Russell moved with his family to Mississippi in 1835, and was for a number of years one of the wealthy planters and slaveholders of that state, being public- spirited and occupying a prominent and influential position in his community. In his political views he harmonized with the Democratic party, but he never sought official honors. Both he and his wife were devoted Christians and consistent membersof the Baptist church. She died in July, 1847, and he survived until 1852. They were the parents of six children, one of
whom died in infancy, and of the others we make brief record as follows: Anastacia and her husband, D. Adair, both deceased, left
four children: Mary G., deceased, was the wife of Ruben Loggins, and was for some years a resident of Texas, having emigrated to this state in 1856; Rowena, wife of James Loggins, came to Texas in 1858.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Loggins are deceased, and left two children; Dr. W. H., the fourth born, is the subject of this article; and Eliza and her husband, John Johnson, both died in Mississippi, leaving two children.
W. H. Russell was reared on his father's Mississippi farm and received his early training in the common schools near his home. He continued to reside in Mississippi for some years after his marriage, engaged in farming there, and in 1856 came to Texas and pitched his tent in Cherokee county, where he carried on agricultural pursuits
until i860. That year he became identified with Bosque county. Selecting a location on Steel's creek, be purchased two hundred acres of wild land and settled upon the same, there being at that time only a few white families in this vicinity, and they all engaged in the stock business. Later he added to his original purchase another two
hundred acres, and now owns four hundred acres. Like the other primitive settlers of the community, the subject of our sketch
turned his attention to the stock business, raising both cattle and horses, and continuing the same until 1870. In the meantime he had begun the study of medicine under the tutorship of Dr. William Bateman, of Bosque county, had pursued his studies diligently for four or five years, and in 1870 went to New Orleans and entered the State Medical University of that city, where he attended a course of lectures and received the degree of M. D.
On his return from New Orleans, Mr. Russell entered upon the practice of his profession, being the first regular practitioner of his locality. Here he soon built up a practice that grew with the settlement of the country and that ramified into the surrounding districts for a distance of twenty miles, his faithfulness and his sympathetic devotion to those whom he served being at once apparent and gaining him a marked popularity. This high standing as a physician he still maintains, and although he has for several years tried to retire he finds it almost impossible to do so, his old patrons insisting upon his attention.
As early as 1875 Dr. Russell opened up a stock of drugs and groceries in his residence, which was a great convenience to the pioneer community, saving the settlers many a long trip for supplies. Also he helped to secure a post-office, known as Russell's Gap, for the settlement, being appointed postmaster, and serving as such for a number of [page 270] years. When the railroad threaded this part of the country, Dr. Russell was among the first to see a business opening at Walnut Springs, and with a partner erected the first store building in the town and opened up a line of groceries, drugs and hardware. This store they conducted successfully for about three years, after which the Doctor sold his interest in it. Since then he has ventured no more in merchandising. Reverting to his farmstead, we further state that about 1868 he began the cultivation of some of
his land, increased the cultivated acreage from year to year, until now he has half of the tract under plow and producing excellent crops. He has a fine orchard of his own planting. The springs which furnish the water supply for his farm are among the best in the county. He has a comfortable residence, good farm buildings, and, in
short, is pleasantly situated.
Dr. Russell is a strong advocate of Democracy. He has always taken an enthusiastic interest in politics and has frequently been an attendant upon the conventions of his party, but his interest has not
been a selfish one, for he has cared little for official preference. About the only office he ever filled was that of district clerk, in
which position he served four years, until the reconstruction period, when he was released from further official duty.
Dr. Russell was married in 1847 to Miss Sarah A. Holt, a native of South Carolina, born March 12, 1825, daughter of Israel and Elizabeth (Nelson) Holt. Mrs. Holt was a daughter of Maj. William Nelson, who
served through the Revolutionary war as a major-general, and died in South Carolina, some years after that war. Israel Holt was married in South Carolina, and from there came with his family to Texas in 1858, first making settlement in Cherokee county. Afterward he lived in Shelby county, and inthat county passed the closing years of his
life and died. He was a man of learning, educated above the ordinary, and was by occupation a teacher and surveyor. Both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, south. A record of
their family of seven children reads as follows:
John, who is one of the first settlers of eastern Texas, died in Shelby county;
Mary, deceased wife of J. A. Lomax;
Sarah A., wife of Dr. Russell;
Martha, wife of Henry Carey, died in Shelby county;
Leodicia, widow of Isaac Rundell, a resident of Bosque county; William, of Mississippi; and
Elizabeth, wife of E. Covington, Shelby county.
The Doctor and his wife have a large family, including children, grand- children and great-grandchildren. Of the children, eight in number, we record that
Sarah Elizabeth is the wife of Calvin Wilbanks. Walnut Springs; Samuel H. is a widower and resides with his parents;
Lucy A. is the wife of B. F. Brown, a teacher, farmer and stock-raiser of Stephens county;
Mattie and her husband, Joseph Hale, are both deceased, and left a family of five children;
Julia is the wife of R. A. Cureton, a farmer and stock mao of Bosque county;
Kate, wife of Thomas Garbro, a farmer and stockman of Bosque county; William E. is a practicing physician of Duffau, Erath county, Texas; and
Jessie, the youngest, is the wife of Dr. W. C. Jones, of Walnut
Springs, Texas.
And besides rearing their own children. Dr. Russell and his wife have
brought up nine grandchildren, the four of their son Samuel and the five left by their daughter, Mrs. Hale; and more than this, they reared the Doctor's niece, Miss Johnson, who is now the wife of T. N. Savage, [page 271] of Walnut Springs. The family tree has branched out until now the grandchildren of this honored pioneer number thirty-four, and the great-grandchildren four; and the families are among the most respected in the communities in which they live.
The Doctor and his wife are church people, each, however, adhering to the creed in which reared, and showing by their lives that Christianity does not consist in creeds. He is a member of the Missionary Baptist church and she is a Methodist." [end]
Source: History of Texas, Supplemented with Biographical Mention of Many Prominent Persons and Families of the State: A Concise History of the State from its Earliest Settlement to the Present Date; Together with Biographical Sketches of Many of the Leading Families of CENTRAL TEXAS (1896) (
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