Hall Medlin (October 7, 1806 - October 11, 1883) was born in South Carolina and died in Burnet County, Texas. He was the son of Captain Lewis and Rachel (Smith) Medlin. His parents moved to Fairfield District of Rutherford County, Tennessee when Hall was age two. His father was a Lieutenant in the State Militia. In March 1812, he was elected Captain. With several more relatives, they then lived on Sinking Creek, Bedford County, Tennessee. The district was called Captain Medlin's District. In 1821 or 1822, they moved to Marion County, Alabama and on to Cole County, Missouri in early 1832. This area, later Moniteau County, was where his Uncle Robert and Mary (Smith) Medlin had moved in the 1820's from Bedford County, Tennessee. Robert Medlin's widow and children came to Texas in 1847 from Moniteau County, Missouri and reportedly, Hall went back to lead the wagon train to join their kin in Texas.Hall's wife, Lucinda, died in January 1842 in Platte County, Missouri. He and family are enumerated in the Platte 1840 census near her parents, Isaac and Sarah Eads.
Hall had four small children when he married his second wife, Nancy Baker, daughter of Larkin Baker.
By the first day of April, 1844, Hall Medlin and his family, his mother Rachel Medlin, brother Owen Medlin, three of his sisters and their husbands, James Gibson, James P. and John Hallford, his wife's father, Larkin Baker and his sons with about ten more families made the dangerous trip into Texas. They arrived at White Rock and Peter's Colony in late June 1844. As they had built no cabins, we have no proof of where they lived. John Hallford built a store about a mile north of the later counties of Dallas N.W. and Tarrant's N.E. corners. Tarrant was not organized until 1850. There is much evidence that the county lines were not established between Tarrant and Denton County in December 1853. Evidently some believed Denton Creek above the later Grapevine was the line.
The Lonesome Dove Church minutes prove Hall Medlin lived near enough to the later Grapevine in February 1846 to be elected church clerk and served regularly into October 1847.
The first person to have major surgery in present Tarrant County was Hall Medlin. He was hunting buffalo near Blue Mound when a buffalo charged his horse. Medlin was thrown to the ground, and the buffalo almost disemboweled him.
Hall Medlin requested his letter from Lonesome Dove Church in November 1849. His wife Nancy was dead. He married in January 1850 in Travis County to Catherine Bradford. They left Travis County, Texas in time to make the nine month trek to California in time to be enumerated in the 1860 census for San Bernardino County. He returned to Texas after his son, Jarret Medlin, died during the war between the states. Jarret's family, with some of the Bradfords, left Hays County, Texas April 15, 1868, in a wagon train led by Hall Medlin.
Note: In the story told by Kate "Malone" Medlin, widow of Jarret Medlin she tells about the Captain of the wagon train and the Captains family who is traveling with the train. Kate Medlin's Wagon Train
Hall Medlin's children numbered twelve by three wives. Four children were born to Hall and Lucinda (Eads) Medlin. Marion Medlin (born about 1835) married Elizabeth Spencer October 16, 1852 in Travis County, Texas. He married his third wife, Catherine "Kate" (Malone) Medlin, widow of his brother, Jarret, in California.
Jarret Medlin (born about 1837) married July 2, 1857 in Travis County, Texas to Catherine Malone. She was a niece of Reverend John A. Freeman. Her father was Perry Malone, her mother was Mary Ellen Harris, sister of Freeman's wife.
Sarah Medlin (born about 1839) married Orion Wade in Travis County August 9, 1855. She was named in a Texas oil lease as Sarah E. McKean.
Isaac Medlin (born January 15, 1842 in Platte County, Missouri) married a cousin, Sarah C. Mulkey, at Fiskville, Texas in 1872.
Lewis Larkin Medlin (born about 1846, Texas) was the only child born to Hall Medlin by his second wife, Nancy (Baker) Medlin. Lewis never married. Oil was discovered on his land. He died in 1917 in Hansford County, Texas, leaving his estate to his brothers and sisters.
The following seven children were born to Hall Medlin and his third wife, Catherine (Bradford) Medlin. Susan M. Medlin (born February 22, 1852, Texas) married William Freeman February 9, 1869 in California. He was the first child of John A. Freeman. Elizabeth Rebecca Medlin (March 4, 1854 - March 8, 1936). Rachel Malissa Medlin (born March 1856, Travis County, Texas). Nancy S. Medlin (January 19. 1859 - February 3, 1950), Hall Medlin (1860 - December 17, 1866), Laura A. Medlin (born June 16, 1864) married Theo Farris in Knox County, Texas in 1890. She was called the "red headed school teacher". James Medlin was born January 15, 1871 in California. He died January 15, 1938 at Leedy, Oklahoma.
By Pearl Foster O'Donnell
