My great great grandfather, Col. Britton Dawson's plantation was made into a museum after he died. It was an example of a kind slaveowner. His slaves voluntarily stayed on with him after the civil war. QUOTE]
Is this your grandfather?
http://www.frontiertimesmagazine.com/1134.html
Britton Dawson told many interesting stories to his children and grandchildren most of which stories have been repeated by his only living child, Mrs. Armanda Jane Fread, of Dawson, It was from this silver-haired lady, past 73 years old, that the writer has been able to gather much of interest about Dawson. She thinks it is good that people should know and appreciate the history of their own city and State. This writer, who has always known Dawson to be a peaceful, contented little town can hardly realize that less than a century ago Indian raids and massacres, horse thievery and cattle rustling made existence stirring for the first white settlers. Britton Dawson was born in Alabama July 15, 1817. His mother was Elizabeth Patterson and his father Dread Dawson, who was born in Greene County, Georgia, and served as a soldier during the second war with Great Britian. He was a farmer by occupation. At an early day he moved to Alabama, where he became a prominent and wealthy planter, having at one time as many as 100 negroes. In 1825 he disposed of his property and came to Texas, settling in Robertson County, where, he died in 1847.
Further Mentions: Miss Elizabeth Walker, a native of Mississippi., three children, Sarah, Henry and Elizabeth, Ritchie, Susanna Cannon, six children were born: Nancy, Mary, William Dread, David E., Louise and Armanda Jane, a grandson, Clint Lawrence, Mr. Berger, Only four children were born to the Dawsons after they moved into the new home, Anna, Emily, Britton C. and Elijah Franklin. Uncle Brit, as he was known, saw a lot of the history of Navarro county made. The county was created by the first session of the Legislature in 1846 and was organized during the same year. At that time it contained all of the territory now comprising the present counties of Navarro, Ellis, Tarrant, Hill, Johnson and part of McLennon. One of the most tragic Indian massacres of Texas History occurred near where Dawson now stands. It was after the well known Tehuacana massacre of the surveying party that Mrs. Dawson then a girl in her teens, helped pick up the wolf-eaten bodies of the unfortunates and Brit Dawson and others gave them burial.
