George Washington Allard b.10-13-1846 Hopkins Co. TX married Sarah Elizabeth Brecheen. d.7-15-1939 Byers, Clay Co. TX. Daughter Ada, married James T. White.

- Terry Sosebee Dixon

Added: Oct. 21, 2006

Birth: 13 Oct 1846 —Texas

death: 15 Jul 1939 —Byers, Clay, Texas

burial: 16 Jul 1939 —Byers, Texas

parents: Aaron Allard, Polly Weaver

spouse: Sallie Allard

record title: Texas Deaths, 1890-1976

name: George W. Allard

death date: 15 Jul 1939

death place: Byers, Clay, Texas

gender: Male

race: White

death age: 92 years 9 months 2 days

birth date: 13 Oct 1846

birthplace: Texas

marital status: Married

spouse's name: Sallie Allard

father's name: Aaron Allard

father's birthplace: Missouri

mother's name: Polly Weaver

burial place: Byers, Texas

burial date: 16 Jul 1939

digital film number: 4030455

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ALLARD, GEORGE W.

Throughout practically all the period since the Civil war in which he served in the uniform of grey, Mr. Allard has been identified with the chief industries of the Lone Star State—farming and stock raising. For the past seventeen years he has had one of the finest stock farms in Sterling county, a place which illustrates the possibility of the soil of west Texas when cultivated in an up-to-date manner, and with irrigation.

Of a family of Irish descent, George W. Allard was born October 13, 1845, in Delta county, Texas, in what was at that time Hopkins County. His parents were A. H. and Mary Allard, formerly of Missouri, where a number of relatives still reside. They made the journey to Texas about 1842, and were among the very early pioneers of Hopkins county. The father was a rancher and cattleman, and continued to be actively identified with that business until his death in 1865. There were eleven children in the family, and of these George W. was the youngest, and now has but one brother living, J. B. Allard of Erath County, Texas.

Owing to the unsettled condition of the country in which he spent his youth, Mr. Allard had only about three months schooling altogether, but his practical energy and native ability have allowed him to suffer little from these early handicaps. His father was one of the largest cattlemen in the state in his time, and before the war owned a large plantation and operated it with many slaves. George W. Allard was about sixteen years old when the war broke out between the states, and he was a volunteer in the Ninth Texas Cavalry in Company G under Colonel Sims. He fought at the battle of Elk Horn, Missouri, and after that his regiment was dismounted and sent to Memphis, Tennessee, as an infantry regiment. He was in the two engagements at Corinth and Luka at Holly Springs, and received his discharge at Lumpkins Mills in Mississippi and returned home in 1864. He then joined the Texas Rangers, in a company organized in Erath County, and was on the frontier engaged in scouting and Indian fighting until after the war. He was in the noted Indian battle at Dave Creek in January, 1865. About one thousand Indian warriors were engaged in that fight against five hundred rangers under the command of Captain Totten. It was Glentine's Company, though Captain Totten commanded at the fight. The engagement lasted about five hours, and resulted in the death of some twenty rangers killed, and twenty-five wounded. The number of the killed and wounded among the Indians was never ascertained, since the Indians carried most of their wounded and dead from the field before the rangers succeeded in occupying the contested position. This was one of the last great battles in West Texas, and broke the strength of the Indians for a number of years.

In 1866 Mr. Allard returned home and engaged in farming in Hunt county. He remained there for a number of years, and in 1896 sold out his farm, and moved to Sterling county, where he bought twenty-two hundred acres of land on the North Concho River five miles west of Sterling City. Since that time he has become closely identified with affairs in this county, and there is probably no resident of Sterling county who does not know Uncle George Allard, as he is affectionately called throughout this district. Mr. Allard on his ranch raises almost every crop that is possible in Texas, though his chief product from the soil is alfalfa. He has ditches leading from the North Concho River and irrigates all the land devoted to this crop. When the river is too low for the use of the dam, he uses gasoline engines to pump the water from the river bed. He is engaged in the raising of cattle, mules and horses, and is unusually successful. Seventeen years ago when he first came to the county, cattle sold for about fourteen to sixteen dollars per head, and the same cattle are now worth from forty to fifty dollars per head. In politics Mr. Allard is Democratic, is affiliated with the Masonic Order and is a supporter of religion. In 1867 he was first married to Miss Sarah Brackeen, of Delta County, Texas, a daughter of William and Elizabeth Brackeen. Her father was a farmer of that county, and continued to live there until his death. The mother is still living. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Allard was married about 1880 to his present wife. There are seven children by the first marriage and three by the second, and all of them are married and have homes of their own, though all do not own their homes, so that Mr. and Mrs. Allard are alone in the possession and enjoyment of their old home in Sterling City. (A History of Texas and Texans, Volume 3 By Francis White Johnson . Texas Genealogy Trails website)

Note by Katherine Mead : George Washington Allard was my 3rd great grandfather. He served as a Texas Ranger in the 1880's, and his saddle is on display at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum. Please see attached newspaper article.