As I understand it [from father,
T.L. Dykes, and uncle, Dewitt Dykes]:

Back in Barbour and Coffee counties in
South Alabama, David Dykes was a logging
contractor with a crew consisting of his 7
McKinsey brothers-in-law, all of whom, it is
said, “died with their boots on” – or, in
the modern vernacular “suddenly”
and/or “violently.”

It was the responsibility of logging
contractors, in that era, to form the logs
into rafts on the nearest river and float
them down-river to the mills, usually built
near the river-mouth.

At the end of one such “rafting,” during
the “fling” taken in the saloons, as was the
custom, one of the McKinsey boys engaged in
a brawl and was roundly trouncing his opponent
when David Dykes picked him up by the collar
and informed him that was enough fighting;
where-upon, the McKinsey lad, still half-drunk
and very combative, spit in David Dykes’ face.

Regardless of their relationship, David
Dykes did lay a roundhouser right alongside
his brother-in-law’s jaw; thereby shattering
the bones in his right hand. Without adequate
medical help, David Dykes wound up with a
right hand that looked like a claw.

Note: I was told, by Uncle Dewitt Dykes,
that those 7 McKinsey boys did “die with
their boots on” and that their sister [his
grandmother and my great-grandmother], Harriet
M. Dykes, had voiced the opinion that, had she
been a boy, she would have died with her boots
on too !!! Harriet McKinsey Dykes was a rather
small woman and smoked a clay pipe.

David Dykes was on his way to Texas with
his wife Harriet and their six children in
1859 – 1860. The threat of Civil War
apparently caused the family to delay their
move and settle near Berry Brake in Northwest
Natchitoches Parish. The ensuing Civil War
(1861 – 1864) left the South and the
Southerners in dire financial straits and
David Dykes was, more or less, forced to
forego his plan to move to Texas.

Published material concerning
the DYKES Family:

From the book:
Writings of Rev. W.D. Ashby

I will mention Uncle Tom Dykes. I became
acquainted with the family in 1899. Uncle
Tom was sociable, friendly and had a smile
for everybody. He was classed by his
neighbors to be a good citizen and a good
neighbor. He and his wife raised a large
family and in most part their children have
made useful citizens where ever they lived.

From the book: Early Settlers & Later
Families of the Bethany-Jennings Chapel
Community in Natchitoches Parish, La. By
Thomas F. Jennings

David Dykes* was born March 10, 1815
in the State of Alabama and married Harriet
E. McKinsey who was born April 5, 1819 in
the State of North Carolina. They resided
in Coffee and Barbour Counties in Alabama
that we know of and they had 6 children that
we have learned about; James D. (Jim),
Abigail Jane, Pamela, Lucinda Melvina, Mary
and Levi Thomas.

* David Dykes and Harriet McKinsey were
married Dec. 7, 1840 in Barbour County,
Alabama by W.N. Atkinson, J.P. (1st Marriage
Records of Barbour County, Alabama 1838 – 1850)

In 1859 David Dykes and family moved from
Alabama to Louisiana and settled near Berry
Brake in Ward 5 of Natchitoches Parish not
far from Mr. Giles Berry. Mr. Berry owned
much land and in 1862 the record shows he
owned 24 slaves. On March 17, 1866 Mr. Berry
sold or deeded to Mr. Dykes 600 acres of his
land. Mr. Dykes made “his mark”, declaring
that he could not write. (possibly due to his
crippled hand?)

Mr. Dykes stayed on the place near Berry
Brake for several years and then moved to
the Bethany Community, settling on the place
later where Jim Rigsby and his family lived.
The record shows that Franklin Jennings, acting
as Land Agent for James T. Redding, sold 80
acres of the Redding land to the Dykes Family.
The sale was made to Pamela A. Dykes, Abigail
J. Farrow, et al on Dec. 23, 1974 for the sum
of $200.00 cash in hand.

The Dykes Family was Methodist. While
living near Berry Brake David Dykes united
with Beulah Methodist Church in 1861; his
wife, Harriet, and daughters Lucinda and Mary
in 1863 and Thomas in 1869. Thomas withdrew
from Beulah Church in 1877 and Mary was
transferred to another church in 1887. They
had moved to the Bethany Community and were
living not far from the old Philadelphia
Methodist Church, so we think it possible
they might have joined there.

James D., or Jim, as he was called,
married Margaret Varnon and they moved to
what we now know as the Henry Van Meter place.
It was in the northwest corner of this
community, near the line between Natchitoches
& Sabine Parishes, that his home stood. This
was about a half mile north of his father. He
bought 40 acres of this place from Mr. John
Glass for $100.00 cash on Dec. 23, 1893 and
another 40 acres from the New Orleans & Pacific
Railroad on Sept. 16, 1896 for $161.92.

Jim and his family must have lived several
years on the Henry Van Meter Place before he
bought it, for the Census of 1880 shows him
living about there. However, he could have
lived on the 40 he bought from Mr. Glass first,
and moved to the Henry Van Meter place later.
They were adjoining places. The Census of 1880
shows his nearest neighbors as being his father,
David Dykes, Napoleon Byrd, William Glass,
George Glass, Thomas Dykes and Amanda Barnhill.

The Census of 1880 shows Jim giving the
birthplace of his mother & father as Tennessee;
but his father gave Alabama as his birthplace
and North Carolina as the birthplace of his
wife, Harriet. At one time, Tennessee
Territory was a part of the State of North
Carolina, so that probably accounts for both
of the states being given as her place of birth.
As to David Dykes’ birthplace being given as
both Alabama and Tennessee, we have no reason why.

Abigail Jane Dykes was born April 22, 1844
in Coffee County, Ala. And died in La. August
13, 1898. She is buried in Beulah Cemetery.
She was married 3 times: (1) William Farrow,
(2) James Free and (3) Thomas J. Megason.

Of the 80 acres of land mentioned above
that was bought by the Dykes family, Abigail
and her last husband, Mr. Megason, came into
possession of the north 20 acres. At least
Abigail did and after her death her sister,
Mary Woods, and the other children of David
Dykes sold this 20 acres to E.B. Johnson on
Sept. 17, 1902 for the sum of $125.00 cash
in hand. A stream or branch runs thru this
20 acres and the home of Abigail and Mr.
Megason was up on a hill south of the branch
toward the west end.

Pamela Dykes was born in 1846 or ’47
according to the U.S. Census of 1880. She
married H.J. Wilkerson and they had a daughter
named April Geneva who married John Cobbs.
Pamela and April Geneva are buried in the
McCaskill Cemetery. The Census of 1880 shows
Pamela and April Geneva living with David Dykes.
Daniel Brister was also listed as living in the
same household. Fannie Parker, Annie Denman,
Dallas Cobbs and Jack Cobbs are children of
April Geneva and John Cobbs.

We found the following in the land conveyance
records in the Courthouse at Natchitoches:
“Abigail J. Farrow, alias Megason, wife of T.J.
Megason and Pamela Dykes, alias Wilkerson, widow
of H.J. Wilkerson (dead). Abigail divided her
part of the place to Pamela on August 23, 1892.
This was the Jim Rigsby place where David Dykes
and his family lived. The creek that runs thru
the Rigsby place and Melvin Johnson’s place is
called the DYKES CREEK. It runs in to Rocks
Creek down in George Birdwell’s field.

Mary Dykes was born in Alabama on August 3,
1850 and died in La. August 23, 1937. she is
buried in the Spring ridge Cemetery in Sabine
Parish. She married Alonzo L. (Pompey) Woods
and they lived near the McCaskill Cemetery for
a while but later moved about a mile north. They
settled on a place adjoining and just west of
Jim Dykes near Stacy Creek. They were on the
Sabine side of the Parish line and Jim was on
the Natchitoches side.

Mary united with the Beulah Church in 1863
but was transferred in 1887 after moving to
this community. We are inclined to believe that
she united with the old Philadelphia Methodist
Church where she lived, but we do not have the
proof. In later years she united with the
Union Grove Baptist Church. Mary and Alonzo
had the following children: Harriet L., Dewitt
C., Rainey, Alonzo Monroe, Ophelia J., Margaret
L., Benjamin Franklin and William.

Lucinda Melvina Dykes was born June 6, 1852
in Barbour County, Ala. She died in La. Sept.
19, 1934 and is buried in Beulah Cemetery. In
1863 she united with Beulah Church and on Dec.
23, 1869 she married William Rufus Durr. They
had the following children: James David, William
Thomas, Cynthia Agnes, Charles M., Robert J.,
Gilbert, Walter Leo, Eliza Leola, Paralee R.,
Marshall Clifton, Travis Wright, Kelly Franklin
and Arthur Hugh.

Levi Thomas Dykes was born April 5, 1855
in Alabama and died in La. Oct. 14, 1931. He
is buried in Beulah Cemetery about 5 miles
north of Marthaville, La. On the Ajax highway.
He married Alice Strother Crump June 10, 1878.
He united with Beulah Church in 1869 but
withdrew in 1877. It is thought he joined the
old Philadelphia Methodist Church near the
McCaskill Cemetery. It was in 1879 that he
bought a place from Elizabeth Fisher, widow
of Amos Fisher, and heirs. This place lay just
east of the cemetery and he lived on the
Natchitoches side of the parish line.

Levi Thomas Dykes moved from the Fisher
place to a place over in Sabine Parish on the
upper end of Stacy Creek where he remained
until his death. His father, David Dykes,
died at Levi Thomas’ home.

Levi Thomas and Alice Crump Dykes
had the following children:

James Leon Dykes “Leon” b. 1879
married Euna Gaddis

Charlie Dewitt Dykes “Dewitt” b. 1881
married Winter Massey

David Leroy Dykes “Leroy” b. 1883
married Ruby Perley

Leoria Shelby Dykes “Ode” b. 1886
married H.L. McCullough

Harriet Elizabeth Dykes “Lizzie” b. 1888
married Willis Knott

Alice Obedience Dykes “Beadie” b. 1890
married T.W. McCullough

Thomas Levi(Lee)Dykes “Doody” b. 1892
married Nina Hardee

Willie Mae Dykes b. 1895
lived 1 month

Joseph Custer Dykes “Joe” b. 1897
married Ethel Rigsby

Fannie Lea Dykes “Fannie” b. 1900
married Lee Clements

None of the children live in the
Bethany-Jennings Chapel Community today.

The Crump Pages

Sabine Parish, Louisiana

This is the home page of our cousin

Carl Dilbeck.

It is an extensive project that should be the
starting place for anyone looking for roots in
Sabine Parish.

Carl has our Dykes and Crump Databases online.

Samuel D Crump and Elizabeth Varnon

The pictures above belong to
Marvel Crump Phillips. She is just
wonderful and the pictures are
deeply appreciated.

Samuel and Elizabeth are the parents
of Alice Strother Crump. Alice and Levi
Thomas Dykes are Granddaddy's parents.

Granddaddy's sister (Alice Obedience Dykes -
"Beadie") was named after their mother, Alice
Strother Crump, and their mom's sister, Obedience
Crump Winn. Please visit Rod Hendrick's Database.
Rod is a descendant of Obedience Crump Winn.

Although Ed Crump is not related to us,
he is a wonderful genealogist and has done
extensive work on our Crump family.
Please visit his database:
The Crumps of Natchitoches Parish

Corrections to Errors found Online

David Dykes did not marry Lizzy Carter
after Harriet died. David only survived
Harriet a little more than a year and lived
all of that time in the home of his youngest
son, Levi Thomas Dykes - my g-grandfather.
It was David's grandson (David Floyd Dykes
- son of James DeLeslie Dykes) who married
Lizzy Carter.

Levi Thomas Dykes and Alice S. Crump were
not born in Barbour County, AL; nor did
they live and die there. Levi Thomas Dykes was
born in Alabama, we do not know where, and
brought to Louisiana at the age of four. I do
know that Alice Crump's parents were from
Alabama, but they married in Natchitoches
Parish and Alice lived her entire life within
about 20 miles of Pleasant Hill, LA.

Descendancy of Webmistress: Carol Ann Dykes Scott

(1) David Dykes and Harriet McKinsey

(2) Levi Thomas Dykes and Alice Strother Crump
		
     Daughter of Samuel D. Crump and Elizabeth Varnon

(3) Thomas Lee Dykes and Nina Estelle Hardee

     Daughter of John Hamp Hardee and Frances Susan Brown

(4) Thomas Lee Dykes, Jr. and Gladys Lorette Laborde

     Daughter of Emeric Laborde and Ruby Inez Moore