State Congressman William Means

Notes:

Middle name variously shown as ADDISON and MARSHALL.

Per "The Handbook of Texas, Vol II" William Means was a native of Georgia and he came to Texas in 1832 and settled in present Sabine County, where he received his headright certificate on February 4, 1838. He served in the Texas Army from January 21 to April 21, 1836. During the battle of San Jacinto he was assigned to guard the baggage at a camp near Harrisburg. He was sheriff of Sabine County in 1836, and served as tax collector sometime before 1846. He represented Sabine County in the Eigth and Ninth Congresses, 1843-1845. He sold his headright certificate to H.M. Kinney. (He moved to DeWitt County by 1850.)

Per "Refugio" by Hobart Huson (appendix) Wm. Addison Means was a State Legislator from Refugio County in 1863. Wm. Means was a member of the Texas Republic Congress in 1843 and 1845.....in 1860 he is in San Patricio Co, also for 1870. So he must have been representing both San Patricio and Refugio in 1863. He died in 1876 in San Patricio.

On the 1860 San Patricio, Co TX census, he and his wife Francis are shown living with their son William, age 19, and four younger children Eliza (4), Hugh (4), Sam (2), and John (1).

MEANS - GARNER FUED taken from " The history of Patricio County Texas"
A former sheriff and the sheriff in office were shot and killed in San Patricio County in the early 1870s in a bitter controversy that disrupted the entire Meansville community and may have caused its abandonment. William Means was the son of Rachel Means, who came to Texas from Georgia with three children in 1832 and received a head right to 4, 605 acres in 1838 on land that is now part of the Lyndon B. Johnson Ranch. Means served in the Texas army and was later a Representative from Sabine County and served as the County's first sheriff before moving his family to San Patricio. His son, W. B. Means, was sheriff of San Patricio when Josiah Rodriguez was tried for murdering John Savage.
Means was a law-abiding citizen, respected in the community, however his three younger sons, John, Hugh and Alley, were in constant trouble with the law. Ed Garner was elected sheriff in 1874. The trouble between Garner and Means was supposed to have started as an outgrowth of an effort to stem the epidemic of Mexican cattle ticks. The loss in cattle was trememdous, and to combat the ticks cattlemen built dipping vats to treat the animals. All ranchers in the San Patricio area participated except the Means family. Finally ranchmen petitioned the sheriff to get a group of cowboys to round up and dip all of the Means cattle. This was done, and Means was billed for an amount said to be less than $35, which he refused to pay.
On January 30, 1876, Means' three sons rode to Papalote where they made the rounds of the saloons, rode up on the porch of one of the general merchandise stores, and began shooting up the store, hitting such targets as a barrel of lard, and a barrel of black strap molasses. The young men then retreated to their father's home in Meansville. Since Papalote was in Bee County, Sheriff W. K. Clark was summoned. He answered the call and sent word to Sheriff Ed Garner to meet him at Means' home. It was evidently in the early morning hours when the posse arrived. Sheriff Clark called out to Means to send the three sons out. After some time, Means appeared on the porch, wearing a long white nightshirt and carrying a rifle. Words were exchanged. No one seems to know who fired the first shot, but members of the posse reported that all Hell broke loose. Means went down. His daughter, Sarah, requested permission to go to her father, and, seeing that he was dead, ran back in the house screaming, "Pa is dead!." After the posse threatened to burn the house, the three fugitives filed out to be arrested. As Alley Means passed Sheriff Garner he said, "You killed my father. This isn't the end of it."
On Sunday, August 26,1876, the Garner family joined others in the community for evening worship at the Meansville church, Ed Garner saw Alley Means through the window and got up to go to the rear, leaning over to whisper to Marion Garner. "Alley Means is out there and I believe he is going to shoot me right here in church." These were the last words the Sheriff spoke. As he neared the door, a shot rang out from outside the double front door. Garner was hit. He turned and started back as another shot was fired, hitting one of the pews and ricocheting upward . Garner fell across one of the benches and died without saying a word, in full view of his wife, his children, and the entire congregation.
Alley Means was arrested for the murder and tried in Nueces County after the case was moved from San Patricio County. The Criminal Court of Appeals upheld the guilty sentence. Means family tradition holds that John Means, rather tha Alley, fired the shot that killed Ed Garner, anf that Alley was set up since he was young and single and more likely to draw a lighter sentence. In the report of Alley Means versus the State, Means descendants claimed that Means' body was riddled with double O buckshot, even in the soles of his feet. Both sheriffs turned themselves in after booking the Means boys. Both were no-billed by the Grand Jury.
After Garner's murder, a reign of terror prevailed in the community. No one lit a light at night in fear of attack by the Means family. Conditions eventually reached the point that the Texas Rangers were called in and an ultimatum was issued to the Means Clan to pack up and leave the County. Oldtimers said that 23 covered wagons headed up the trail as they left. Deed records bear out the fact that members of the Means family sold all their possessions in San Patricio County and were gone by the early 1880s.
Gov. John Irciand granted Alley a full pardon on May 9, 1885, after he served four years and two months of a life sentence. Means descendants have contended that $500 was paid for the pardon. Alley and his wife raised a family in Real County, apparently without anyone knowing about his past record. Other members of the Means family settled in Real County.

(Research):

Census Listings:

1850 Census
Texas, Dewitt County,
Enumerated 11 Sept 1850
48-48
William Means 40 M Farmer $10,000 Ga
Francis Means 39 F Miss
Ferdinand B. Means 19 M La
Margaret L. Means 17 F Tx
Sarah F. Means 13 F Tx
Napolean F. Means 11 M Tx
William B. Means 9 M Tx
Francis Blackburn 82 F SC

1860 Cemsus
Texas, San Patricio County,
Enumerated 7 July 1860
Page 24?
623-623
Britton Means 29 M Stockraiser $2000 $642o La
Virginia Means 24 F Tx
William Means 5 M Tx
Missouri Means 2 F Tx
Napolean Means 21 M Stockraiser Texas
624-624
William Means 50 M Stockraiser Ga
Frances Means 48 F La
William Means 19 M Tx
Elizaa Means ( F Tx
John Means 6 M Tx
Hugh Means 4 M Tx
Sam Means 2 M Tx

1870 Census
Texas, San Patricio County, Subdivision 4, P.O. Refugio, Refugio County
Enumerated 18 Aug 1870
Page 6
41-41
Means, William 61 M W Farmer $500 $1000 Georgia
Means, Frances 58 F W Keeping House La
Means, John 16 F W Tx
Means, Hugh 14 M W Tx
Means, Allison 12 M W Tx
Means, Britton 38 M W Retail Merchant ---- $1000 Tx
Roberts, Williams 40 M W Laborer La
Roberts, Rachel 20 F W Keepign House Miss
Roberts, Reece 2 M W Tx

William married Frances Amelia Blackburn on 8 Mar 1830 in Marion County, Mississippi. Frances (daughter of Gabriel Blackburn and Frances Tyner) was born on 10 Apr 1812 in Marion County, Mississippi; died on 14 Jul 1875 in Meansville, San Patricio County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

(Research):

Census Listing:

1860 Cemsus
Texas, San Patricio County,
Enumerated 7 July 1860
Page 24?
623-623
Britton Means 29 M Stockraiser $2000 $642o La
Virginia Means 24 F Tx
William Means 5 M Tx
Missouri Means 2 F Tx
Napolean Means 21 M Stockraiser Texas
624-624
William Means 50 M Stockraiser Ga
Frances Means 48 F La
William Means 19 M Tx
Elizaa Means ( F Tx
John Means 6 M Tx
Hugh Means 4 M Tx
Sam Means 2 M Tx

1870 Census
Texas, San Patricio County, Subdivision 4, P.O. Refugio, Refugio County
Enumerated 18 Aug 1870
Page 6
41-41
Means, William 61 M W Farmer $500 $1000 Georgia
Means, Frances 58 F W Keeping House La
Means, John 16 F W Tx
Means, Hugh 14 M W Tx
Means, Allison 12 M W Tx
Means, Britton 38 M W Retail Merchant ---- $1000 Tx
Roberts, Williams 40 M W Laborer La
Roberts, Rachel 20 F W Keepign House Miss
Roberts, Reece 2 M W Tx

Margaret married Lazarus Nichols before 1860. Lazarus was born about 1826 in Mississippi; died after 1880. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Richard Bass. Richard was born about 1824 in North Carolina; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Name: Eliza Jane Baker
Death Date: 14 Sep 1933
Death Place: Medina, Bandera, Texas
Gender: Female
Race: White
Death Age: 8 years 5 months 3 days
Estimated Birth Date: 1925
Birth Date: 11 Apr 1851
Birthplace: Sanpatricia Co., Texas
Marital Status: Widowed
Spouse's Name:
Father's Name: Wm. Means
Father's Birthplace: Georgia
Mother's Name: Francis Blackburn
Mother's Birthplace: Georgia
Occupation: Housewife
Place of Residence:
Cemetery:
Burial Place: Medina, Tex.
Burial Date: 15 Sep 1933
Additional Relatives: X
Film Number: 2115618
Digital Film Number: 4166772
Image Number: 3409
Reference Number: Cn39585
Collection: Texas Deaths, 1890-1976


(Medical):See attached sources.