James Randolph Kidd Family in Texas

INSIGHTS INTO LIFE IN THE LATE 1800s,
& EARLY 1900s OF KIDDS IN TEXAS

(CREDITS: Narrative compiled and provided by
Rosa ‘Rose’ E. Kidd Austin, Ft Worth TX)

Many interesting insights into early day life of the KIDD family in Texas are found in letters written by Rachel Susan Kidd (wife of James Randolph Kidd) and her two nieces Cora and Mattie Anderson, and others, to Mrs. George French Kidd.
(Note: George F. was one of J.R.'s younger brothers. kdk)

These letters have been preserved and shared with us by Nannie Lou Kidd Simerly, daughter of G.F. Kidd, to whom we are grateful and owe a great debt for being the 'Tennessee Connection' with the Texas Kidds after contact had been lost when the older generation passed away. Nannie Lou passed away in 1985.

Mattie Anderson wrote from Daughtery, Texas in 1901, "The first week in Texas we made $7 dollars and we didn’t work the first two days, the next week we made $12 dollars. The cotton is real easy to pick and I can pick 100 pounds a day. That brings $.50 cents! I have never seen the like! Little tomatoes are growing in the cotton patch! Many others are working with us and eight of them are staying in one room of our house. We share the kitchen and it sure gets hot in there at meal time. There are many peaches here and they even make pies out of them. I haven’t tried them yet, but I’m sure I wouldn’t like them. A peddler goes by every day and sells peaches, apples, and beaf (beef). There are 'singings' and 'baskets on the ground' (Note: church social gatherings. kdk) and I’ve never seen the likes of food. One family even brought theirs in a wash tub! I’ve seen food brought in lots of things, but a wash tub? They bring all kinds of vegetables, cabbage, beans, peas, and even onions."

James and Rachel‘s youngest son, Roy Houston (nicknamed Little Huse) had diabetes and the doctor told Rachel to go to a Mrs. Gaston to learn how to cook for him. She wrote that gluten flour was $12 per hundred pounds and that she could only afford to get a few pounds at a time. Saccharine had been invented by then, but was expensive and hard to find. In a letter written by Rachel to Annie Kidd, wife of G.F. Kidd in 1908, she was going to take Little Huse to Oklahoma to visit her son Wiley Edmond and his wife Ola Tant Kidd, and also her son Oliver Burnside Kidd, who was soon to be married to Hellen Ridley. Little Huse was doing poorly and she had sewed warm clothing for him and made him a feather bed. They attended Oliver‘s wedding while they were there. Upon returning to Kaufman, Texas they were met by Rachel's son James R., Jr in a horse and buggy. On the way home an accident resulted in an overturned buggy. Fortunately there were only minor scrapes and bumps and a blackeye for Rachel. Everyone thought it was funny, except Rachel of course!
Little Huse only lived about a month after they returned from their Oklahoma visit. The brokenhearted parents hung his little wagon on the wall never to be played with again.

After living in East Texas, the J.R. Kidd family moved to Tarrant County and lived on farms for many years and finally settled in Fort Worth where James bought and sold many tracts of land. It could be said he was a land dealer in his latter days. Their home was at 405 Cromwell St, Ft Worth for most of their later years, where James died in 1926 and Rachel continued to live until the time that she was unable to care for herself. She then went to live with her son James R., Jr in Dallas Texas.
In March 1945 Rachel took an unfortunate fall and broke her hip from which she never fully recovered. She was never able to walk again and passed away in 1947 after being an invalid for over two years.

As has been stated above, J.R. Kidd, Sr dealt in purchase and resale of land in his latter years. His first land transaction recorded in the Tarrant Count Courthouse was in April, 1919 for Lots 4 and 5 of the Highland Park Addition, price $700.00. August 5, 1919, he sold the land to his son, Oliver Burnside Kidd. Rachel S. Kidd and E.T. and Minnie Mae Kidd sold 135.25 acres out of the Shelby School land for $16,875.00 (no date given). August 3, 1921 J.R. Kidd bought lot #4 being 20x20 feet of Block #32 of Mount Olivet Cemetery, Ft Worth TX, price $200.00.

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	INSIGHTS INTO LIFE IN THE LATE 1800s, & EARLY 1900s OF KIDDS IN TEXAS
	(CREDITS: Narrative compiled and provided by Rosa ‘Rose’ E. Kidd Austin, Ft Worth TX) Many interesting insights into early day life of the KIDD family in Texas are found in letters written by Rachel Susan Kidd (wife of James Randolph Kidd) and her two nieces Cora and Mattie Anderson, and others, to Mrs. George French Kidd. (Note: George F. was one of J.R.'s younger brothers. kdk) These letters have been preserved and shared with us by Nannie Lou Kidd Simerly, daughter of G.F. Kidd, to whom we are grateful and owe a great debt for being the 'Tennessee Connection' with the Texas Kidds after contact had been lost when the older generation passed away. Nannie Lou passed away in 1985. Mattie Anderson wrote from Daughtery, Texas in 1901, "The first week in Texas we made $7 dollars and we didn’t work the first two days, the next week we made $12 dollars. The cotton is real easy to pick and I can pick 100 pounds a day. That brings $.50 cents! I have never seen the like! Little tomatoes are growing in the cotton patch! Many others are working with us and eight of them are staying in one room of our house. We share the kitchen and it sure gets hot in there at meal time. There are many peaches here and they even make pies out of them. I haven’t tried them yet, but I’m sure I wouldn’t like them. A peddler goes by every day and sells peaches, apples, and beaf (beef). There are 'singings' and 'baskets on the ground' (Note: church social gatherings. kdk) and I’ve never seen the likes of food. One family even brought theirs in a wash tub! I’ve seen food brought in lots of things, but a wash tub? They bring all kinds of vegetables, cabbage, beans, peas, and even onions." James and Rachel‘s youngest son, Roy Houston (nicknamed Little Huse) had diabetes and the doctor told Rachel to go to a Mrs. Gaston to learn how to cook for him. She wrote that gluten flour was $12 per hundred pounds and that she could only afford to get a few pounds at a time. Saccharine had been invented by then, but was expensive and hard to find. In a letter written by Rachel to Annie Kidd, wife of G.F. Kidd in 1908, she was going to take Little Huse to Oklahoma to visit her son Wiley Edmond and his wife Ola Tant Kidd, and also her son Oliver Burnside Kidd, who was soon to be married to Hellen Ridley. Little Huse was doing poorly and she had sewed warm clothing for him and made him a feather bed. They attended Oliver‘s wedding while they were there. Upon returning to Kaufman, Texas they were met by Rachel's son James R., Jr in a horse and buggy. On the way home an accident resulted in an overturned buggy. Fortunately there were only minor scrapes and bumps and a blackeye for Rachel. Everyone thought it was funny, except Rachel of course! Little Huse only lived about a month after they returned from their Oklahoma visit. The brokenhearted parents hung his little wagon on the wall never to be played with again. After living in East Texas, the J.R. Kidd family moved to Tarrant County and lived on farms for many years and finally settled in Fort Worth where James bought and sold many tracts of land. It could be said he was a land dealer in his latter days. Their home was at 405 Cromwell St, Ft Worth for most of their later years, where James died in 1926 and Rachel continued to live until the time that she was unable to care for herself. She then went to live with her son James R., Jr in Dallas Texas. In March 1945 Rachel took an unfortunate fall and broke her hip from which she never fully recovered. She was never able to walk again and passed away in 1947 after being an invalid for over two years. As has been stated above, J.R. Kidd, Sr dealt in purchase and resale of land in his latter years. His first land transaction recorded in the Tarrant Count Courthouse was in April, 1919 for Lots 4 and 5 of the Highland Park Addition, price $700.00. August 5, 1919, he sold the land to his son, Oliver Burnside Kidd. Rachel S. Kidd and E.T. and Minnie Mae Kidd sold 135.25 acres out of the Shelby School land for $16,875.00 (no date given). August 3, 1921 J.R. Kidd bought lot #4 being 20x20 feet of Block #32 of Mount Olivet Cemetery, Ft Worth TX, price $200.00.

		To include your stories and other information in this site, Email us at Webmaster.
Comments, suggestions, additional info are always welcomed., Please contact: Webmaster