The Timeline

Tracing the lives of the Cagle, Wilks, and Bonham families, it is perhaps helpful to put events into the context of a continuous timeline of family events, along with important milestones at the local, state, and national level.

3/15/1800 - Thomas Adam Wilks born in Virginia to William and Nancy Jane Adams Wilks.

6/15/1809 - Martin Gaines Cagle born in North Carolina to Jacob & Catherine Cagle.

1812 - Charlotte (Charity) Bonham, wife of David Bonham, born.

1/24/1814 - Margaret Jane Wilks, Wife of Thomas Adam Wilks, born.

10/22/1814 - Susan Catherine Barkley Cagle, wife of Martin Gaines Cagle, born in Hardeman, Tennessee to Robert Xenophon Barkely and Frances Ward Barkley.

6/30/1831 - Eliza Wilks, the eldest child of Thomas A. & Margaret J. Wilks, is born in Virginia.

1836 - First non-native settlement established in what would become Fannin County on the east side of middle Bois d’Arc Creek (Fannin County historical events taken from The Handbook of Texas Online).

5/24/1836 - Martin G. and Susan C. Cagle marry in Tennessee.

12/14/1837 - Fannin County officially formed.

1838 - Robert Cagle, eldest of the children of Martin G. and Susan C. Cagle, born in Arkansas.

1/16/1843 - Bois d’Arc (later Bonham) becomes the county seat of Fannin County.

1845 - Martha Cagle born, the first of Martin G. and Susan C. Cagle's children to be born in Texas.

12/29/1845 - Texas granted Statehood.

1/1/1846 - Martin G. Cagle recorded on Property tax rolls in Fannin County

1850 - Thomas A. & Margaret J. Wilks recorded in Census records as living in Walnut, Jefferson County, Iowa, along with several children.

1850 - Martin G. & Susan C. Cagle, and several children recorded in Fannin county Census. Martin G. Cagle is also recorded on the United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1850,  as owner of two slaves (a female aged 34 & a male aged 16).

1850 - Martha Cagle dies and is buried in what is to become known as the Wilks Family Cemetery.

12/11/1852 - Martin G. Cagle dies and is buried in the family cemetery.

11/20/1853 - Betty Moore Wilks born. Betty will become the first wife of Thomas A. & Margaret J. Wilks’ youngest son, Milton.

4/1/1855 - Mary Evans Wilks born. Mary will become the wife of Newton Wilks, son of Thomas A. & Margaret J. Wilks.

7/8/1855 - Newton Wilks, son of Thomas A. & Margaret J. Wilks, born in Jefferson County, Iowa.

4/14/1857 - Milton Wilks, son of Thomas A. & Margaret J. Wilks, born in Jefferson County, Iowa.

1/1/1858 - Susan C. Cagle recorded on Property tax rolls in Fannin County.

1860 - Susan C. Cagle appears on 1860 census with children, Robert (23), Edward (19), Mary (13), and John (9). Son, Martin, is believed to have died in 1860, apparently prior to the census being taken.

1860 - Thomas A. Wilks, Margaret J. Wilks, and children are recorded in Iowa in 1860 Census.

1860 - John & Penelope Bonham, parents of Louisa Bonham, and several children are recorded in Arkansas in 1860 Census.

4/12/1861 - Civil War Begins.

8/31/1861 - Susan C. Cagle dies and is buried in what is to become known as the Wilks Family Cemetery.

4/18/1864 - Louisa A Bonham, daughter of John & Penelope Bonham, born in Texas.

5/13/1865 - Civil War Ends.

12/24/1865 - Charity Bonham, wife of David Bonham, dies and is buried in the Bonham Family Cemetery.

1/24/1866 - Louisa A. Bonham, daughter of John & Penelope Bonham, dies and is buried in the Bonham Family Cemetery.

1866 - Thomas A. and Margaret J. Wilks arrive in Fannin County with their younger children: Julia (21), Rebecca (16), Madison (15), Newton (12), & Milton (10); Thomas & Margaret are 66 & 52 years old, respectively.

2/24/1869 - Margaret J. Wilks dies, and becomes the first Wilks family member to be buried in the Wilks Family Cemetery.

4/4/1869 - Rebecca Wilks marries Martin Putnam White in Carson, Texas.

10/28/1869 - Julia Ann Wilks marries Jonas Little in Carson, Texas.

1870 - Thomas A. Wilks, and 3 youngest children (Madison, Newton, & Milton) are recorded in Fannin County Census.

1870 - John & Penelope Bonham and several children are recorded in Fannin County Census.

11/7/1871 - Thomas A. Wilks dies, and is buried next to Margaret in the Wilks Family Cemetery.

8/17/1872 - Florence Ester French Wilks born. She will become the second wife of Milton Wilks.

4/28/1878 - Newton Wilks marries Mary Evans in Carson, Texas.

1/24/1879 - Madison Soloman Wilks, son of Newton & Mary, born in Carson, Texas.

11/18/1880 - Milton Wilks marries Betty Moore.

9/7/1881 - Infant son of Betty & Milton Wilks is born and dies in Carson, Texas. He joins his grandparents in the Wilks Family Cemetery.

9/28/1881 - Thomas J. Wilks, son of Newton & Mary Wilks, is born in Carson, Texas.

10/27/1882 - Noah Wilks, son of Betty & Milton Wilks is born in Carson, Texas.

5/14/1883 - Noah Wilks, 2nd child of Betty & Milton Wilks, dies and is laid to rest in the Wilks Family Cemetery.

2/3/1884 - Emsy E. Wilks, son of Betty & Milton Wilks, born in Carson, Texas.

2/16/1884 - Penelope Bonham, mother of Louisa Bonham, dies in Fannin County and is laid to rest in the Smyrna Cemetery.

8/22/1884 - Fredrick Wilks, son of Mary & Newton Wilks, born in Carson, Texas.

1/27/1885 - Emsy E. Wilks, 3rd child of Betty & Milton Wilks, dies and is buried in the Wilks Family Cemetery.

8/4/1885 - Frank Milton Wilks, son of Betty & Milton Wilks, born in Carson, Texas.

10/20/1885 - Fredrick Wilks, son of Mary & Newton Wilks, dies and is buried in the Wilks Family Cemetery.

3/23/1886 - Elzia N. Wilks, son of Mary & Newton Wilks, born in Carson, Texas.

1/5/1887 - Betty Wilks, wife of Milton Wilks, dies and is laid to rest in the Wilks Family Cemetery.

1/1/1888 - Elzia N. Wilks, son of Mary & Newton Wilks, dies and is buried in the Wilks Family Cemetery.

4/23/1888 - Charles Jefferson Wilks, son of Mary & Newton Wilks, born in Carson, Texas.

6/16/1888 - Milton Wilks & Florence E. French marry in Carson, Texas.

8/31/1888 - Madison Soloman Wilks marries Katheryn Ellender Gilmer in Carson, Texas. Though their eldest children are born in Carson, Texas, they will eventually relocate to Hollis, Harmon County, Oklahoma, as they and their children are buried there.

8/7/1889 - Cora Wilks, daughter of Florence & Milton Wilks, born in Carson, Texas.

10/21/1889 - Cora Wilks, first child of Martin & Florence Wilks, dies and is buried in the Wilks Family Cemetery.

10/27/1896 - Charles Jefferson Wilks, son of Mary & Newton Wilks, dies and is buried in the Wilks Family Cemetery.

12/14/1898 - Julia Kate Wilks, daughter of Newton & Mary Wilks, born in Carson, Texas.

1/13/1899 - Winnie Wilks, daughter of Milton & Florence Wilks, born in Carson, Texas.

1900 - Milton & Florence Wilks along with their daughter, Winnie, and Milton's son, Frank, are recorded in the Fannin County Census.

1900 - Fannin County population peaks, as does the number of farms and businesses.

2/12/1901 - Florence E. Wilks, wife of Milton Wilks, dies and is buried in the Wilks Family Cemetery.

2/25/1901 - Newton Wilks, son of Thomas A. and Margaret J. Wilks, dies and is buried in the Wilks Family Cemetery.

1/29/1908 - Alvie L. Wilks, daughter of Frank Milton and Bonnie Roberts Wilks, grandchild of Betty & Milton Wilks, born.

11/18/1908 - Milton Wilks marries Raymons B. Blue.

1910 - Milton & Raymons B. Wilks are recorded in 1910 census, living with Milton's daughter, Winnie, & Raymons’ son, Raymond.

5/24/1910 - Robert Melton Wilks born to Frank Milton & Bonnie Clara Roberts Wllks in Lamasco, Texas.

12/7/1911 - John Bonham, father of Louisa Bonham, dies in Fannin County and is laid to rest in Smyrna Cemetery.

1914 - WWI Begins.

3/17/1915 - Alvie L. Wilks dies, and is buried in the Wilks Family Cemetery.

1918 - WWI Ends.

Fall, 1918 - Spanish Flu epidemic begins.

9/19/1918 - Raymons B. Wilks, wife of Milton Wilks, dies and is buried in the Lamasco Cemetery, Lamasco, Texas.

1920 - Milton Wilks appears in 1920 census as a widower living with daughter, Winnie, and stepson, Raymond Clark.

1920 - Frank Milton Wilks, son of Betty & Milton Wilks, appears in 1920 census living with wife, Bonnie, & children, Robert M. Wilks (age 9), Verna B. Wilks (age 5), and Odell Wilks (age 2) in Childress Ward 4, Childress, Texas.

1920 - Cotton production in Fannin County peaks.

1/9/1927 - Madison Soloman Wilks, son of Thomas A. & Margaret J. Wilks, dies in Hollis, Harmon County, OK.

8/6/1927 - Milton Wilks, son of Thomas A. & Margaret J. Wilks dies, and is laid to rest between Florence & Betty in the Wilks Family Cemetery.

10/29/1929 - Wall Street Crash - Great Depression Begins.

1930 - Dust Bowl era begins.

4/1/1932 - Mary Wilks, wife of Newton Wilks, dies and becomes the last internment in Wilks Family Cemetery.

4/10/1932 - Julia Ann Wilks Little, daughter of Thomas A. & Margaret J. Wilks dies in Palestine, Texas.

1936 - Dust Bowl era ends

1938 - Beulah Olivia Dizmond, daughter of Winnie Wilks Dizmond, and living informant of this history, born. Now, Beulah Hipp, she is the youngest child of the youngest child (Winnie) of the youngest child (Milton) of Thomas & Margaret Wilks.

1939 - Great Depression ends and WWII Begins.

7/17/1940 - Rebecca Wilks White, last surviving child of Thomas A. & Margaret J. Wilks, dies and is buried in the White Family Cemetery near Lamasco, Texas. Rebecca has living descendants in Fannin County today who have contributed greatly to this history.

1945 - WWII ends.

9/10/1954 - Madison Solomon Wilks, son of Newton & Mary Wilks, dies and is buried in the Lamasco Cemetery.

11/15/1963 - Thomas J. Wilks, son of Newton & Mary, dies and is buried in Lamasco Cemetery.

2/14/1967 - Frank Milton Wilks, son of Betty & Milton Wilks, dies and is buried in Childress Cemetery, Childress, Texas.

12/29/1979 - Julia Kate Wilks Jarrell, daughter of Newton & Mary Wilks, dies and is buried in Lamasco Cemetery

11/26/1998 - Winnie Wilks Dizmond, daughter of Milton & Florence Wilks, dies and is buried in Lamasco Cemetery.

Oct, 2018 - The historic cemeteries of the Cagle, Bonham, & Wilks families are disinterred.