The Baird Family - Family Histories - Coleman County, Texas

     R. H. Baird brought his family from Logan County, Kentucky, to Coleman County, in 1882. They came by train - getting off the train at Baird, traveling by wagon to Coleman. Looking for a profitable business, in the mid-1880's, he bought a flour mill on Hords Creek, south of the present airport road. This was the only flour mill between Ft. Worth and Pecos. He bought part ownership in the cotton gin at Trickham, and later was the sole owner of a cotton gin at Rockwood, which he operated for a year or two before lightning struck it and it burned. He bought and sold mules during this time. He died in 1909 and is buried in Coleman, his wife died in 1908.

     Helping him in the cotton ginning and mule buying businesses were his four sons: Charlie, born 1872, Claude, in 1874, both in Logan County, Kentucky; Tom, in 1883, R. W. in 1886, both in Coleman. They had a daughter, Kitty, born in Coleman, married Armistead Martin in Coleman in 1909. She died in 1912, buried in Coleman (see M. A. Martin). Claude worked in Chickasha, Oklahoma, but is buried in Coleman. Tom followed oil field work, buried in Overton. R. W. worked for Santa Fe railroad about 2 years, went on strike, and then went into the butcher business. He is buried in Temple.

     Charlie remained in Coleman, working with his father in the Trickham and Rockwood gins: and then in 1903 bought a cotton gin at Dressy, about 3 miles north of the Coleman County line in Callahan County. In 1914, Charlie married Nora Virginia (Lowrie) Wagnon, whose first husband, Johnny Wagnon, had died (See Robert Edmund Lowrie). They had a daughter, Gladys Wagnon, who married Merlin Garrett, they live in Cross Plains. They have a son, Harold, and a daughter, Barbara, both living in Cross Plains. To Charlie and Nora were born 5 children.

     Charles Donald. born in 1915, married Frances Witherspoon; they live in Coleman. They have three children: John, in Dallas, Becky, in Houston, and Mark, in Howard Payne University in Brownwood. Donald built a cotton gin in 1967 at Echo and operated it 15 years, retiring in 1982.

     Robert Vernon, born in 1917, married Willie Gaye Stacy of Cross Plains. They have three sons: Charles, in Waco. Robert, in Round Rock, Glenn, in Ft. Worth. Vernon died in 1966, buried in Coleman. Willie Gaye lives in Coleman.

     Virginia Belle, born in 1920, married Bill Pope; they live in Cross Plains. They have six sons: Walter, in Cottonwood; Baylis, in Cisco; Joe, in Stephenville; Richard, in Burkett; Ronald, in Cross Plains; and Donald (Dr. Donald Pope) in Coleman.

     Kitty Sue, born in 1922, married Allan Vine, they live in Cedarville, Ohio. They have a son, Phillip, in Bowling Green, Ohio, and a daughter, Judy, in Cedarville, Ohio.

     Winnie Beth, born in 1924, married Ed Fertsch, they live in Lubbock. They have a son, Jim, in Houston, and a daughter, Debra, in Lubbock.

     Charlie and Nora moved their family to Dressy in 1920. He operated his gin there until it burned in 1936. After retiring, he and his wite moved back to Coleman; he died in 1950, his wife died in 1967, both buried in Coleman.

(Images to be added)

Old Gin at Trickham: Cheatham, left; Robert H. Baird on horse; Charley Bard in doorway [with vest open - 2nd from right of door]

Vernon, Donald, Virginia Belle, Nora, Charley [in back],
Winnie Beth [in lap, Kitty Sue Baird