.............................Welcome to the      BOYD - BROWN FAMILY WEBSITE.    

 If you are a Boyd, Brown, Tinch, Stovall, Wood, Moore, Beasly, Eagans, Green, Turner, Willard, Goodseal, Harper,  Woodard, Landrum, Taylor or your family roots started near Humboldt, Kansas or  Pittsburg, Kansas *** THIS IS YOU !! WELCOME! *** Otis Anderson and John Boyd were the first BLACK  members of the UNION VETERANS of the Civil War-Vicksburg Post Humboldt, Kansas and Otis Crawford and  Robert Boyd II  are the first Black officers of The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War,  Humboldt Post.  We want to HONOR Robert Boyd III for working his 5th YEAR on his DOCTOR"s   DEGREE fromSouthern Illinois University, Champagne, Illinois.  Please review the information and update and correct all of my errors and send  me photos to go with the names.
                             
                                    THE  NEW BOYD CLAN  STORY  Thanks to Caroline Whitaker and the Humboldt Kansas Historical Society, we have a NEW Clan Story  that is very different from our first story.  We will begin with Mr. Boyd whom we shall assume is  the dad of John Boyd.  He was married to Sarah Boyd who was born about 1818 in South Carolina in  Slavery.  Although he listed Indiana as his home, it appears that he was also born into slavery in  South Carolina.
 Mr. Boyd also had daughters with his son and they lived in South Carolina as a family, or As close  to a family as slaves could live. We imagine that he imagined that one word for many years, and  his head was set on it, FREEDOM!! 
 Then he decided to do it, run away.   He had a wife, daughters, and son. son-n-Law, family and  friends. But one day he heard that word that put his whole family’s life in dangers, RUN. The allure of Freedom was always in the back of his mind, and we don’t know what set it off or why  he decided to run at that time, but he ran with his wife, children, and in laws. We believe that  he was helped by the Underground Railroad in the area.  They passed through the well known  underground railway area of Maysville, Kentucky to Brown County Ohio, and then down the river to  Princeton, Indiana, which is just above Evansville, Indiana. Now in Princeton, FREEDOM was the word, but we are forgetting about the details that make the  difference.  John Boyd had a first wife named Matilda Wiggins, whom he married in slavery in South  Carolina.  No children were ever recorded from this marriage.  Not only was he married to her but  her brother, William Higgins was married to his sister.  To make this occurrence more meaningful  is that when John Boyd decided to join the service in the co 1, 55 Massachusetts Infantry (Colored)  army for the Civil War his Brother-In Law William Wiggins joined also.  William Wiggins died of  Typhoid Fever during his tour of South Carolina in 1863.
 Eli Jones married Martha Boyd on October 30, 1859 in Gibson County, Indiana and was a 19 year old  male mulatto from Virginia. He recorded his family in 1860 Patoka Township, Gibson County,  Indiana.  They included Martha Jones, a 19 year old female from South Carolina.  Sarah Boyd 42,  female from South Carolina, Nancy Leonard, a Black 36 year old female from South Carolina, and  Martha Cline, a 16 year old female from South Carolina. 
 Back to John Boyd, he had a second sister named Lavina Boyd whom was born in 1865, whom then  married William Wiggins on March 1, 1860 in Gibson County Indiana, Matilda’s brother.   John Boyd enlisted into the service on June 13, 1863 as a 22 years old, 5’4”, dark complexion, at  Readville, Massachusetts, as an Indiana Farmer for three years.  He was registered by Lt. Fowler.   He and his brother – in - law (William Wiggins) enlisted at exactly the same time.  His battles  took him back to South Carolina where he was stationed.  There was also the pay battle that he  endured, which lasted for over 1 year.  He traveled to Florida in the failed Battle of Olustee,  and the Battle of Honey Hill.  A list of his battles and campaigns are listed in Stories of this  web site.
 While some of the men in the regiment were from Massachusetts, there were also many from Ohio,  Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Illinois.  They faced the same racism from the public and the military  that the 54th battled, and fought alongside the 54th for pay equity. They stayed in the area until  the fall, and on September 25, 1865, they were finally mustered out of service in a parade on  Boston Common.
  
 He went back to Princeton Indiana and continued his traveling ways.  He moved to other homes until  he went to Vigo County, Indiana in 1870.  It appears that he was 33 years of age and ended up on  the Drum Creek Roll of Montgomery County Kansas in 1880 where he is listed as divorced.  During his time in Indiana he is smitten with a young lady named Mary Norton whom is 10 years  younger his age with an Indian complexion.  On about November 26th, 1880 in Independence, Kansas  he married Mary Norton as his second wife.
 Now the question is where to go?  They decided on a small Black-Indian town less than 30 miles  away, named LaDore, Kansas.  Despite it’s past; this was to be home for many years.  The small  town was located in Neosho County 7 miles west of Parson, Kansas.  It was made up by blacks,  Indians, and was about 20% white.  The railroad (MKT) was set to come through LaDore (Originally  Called Ft. Roach) and the population grew from 43 to 1363 persons.  It was said that the black  people of LaDore, Kansas wanted too much money for the land, but the railroad minutes of MKT showed  that a black town as a depot was not desirable, so they moved the tracks 5 miles south and created  a new town now known as Parsons, Kansas.  The white residents now left LaDore, Kansas for other  parts of Kansas and for Parsons, Kansas.  Blacks and Indian were not allowed to purchase property  in Parsons for the first 5 years, until the government was established. LaDore Kansas served as his home base, where he practiced his craft as a farmer, getting involved  in local politics in a racially charged Neosho County Kansas.  This is where he got a word from  the Lord and became an itinerant Methodist Minister.  He had strong sons to keep the farm going and  he started to spread his ministry.  At first he would spend a few days away preaching the Gospel,  until he would be away for weeks at a time.  He was good at his profession, serving many churches  in Southwest Kansas.  The Lord took over and he founded several churches in Mound City, Kansas,  Oswego, Kansas, Chanute, Kansas, Iola, Kansas, Independence, Kansas, Burlington, Kansas, and  LaCyne, Kansas.  He was counted in the current Church as an African Methodist American C0-Founder  in Southeast Kansas. He died in Neodesha, Kansas at the ripe old age of 72. It is in LaDore Kansas that he raised 5 Children, 3 Boys – Henry Boyd, Earl Boyd, and Vernon  Boyd. He also had 2 girls, - Merty Boyd and Resa Boyd.  Henry Boyd joined the railroad to be a  porter and moved to Oklahoma.  Earl Boyd joined the army, married Birdie Tinch and moved to  Humboldt, Kansas.
   
 Vernon Boyd joined the Army also and moved around several places and died in Oklahoma City,  Oklahoma.  Merty Boyd married Dale Bean and eventually moved to Chandler Oklahoma to start a  family.  Resa Boyd married John H Stovall and they started a family in Oklahoma. None of the children of John Boyd are alive today as John Boyd died in 1910.  He was injured in  the Civil War and Mary Boyd was able to collect his pension as Earl Boyd graduated from 8th grade  in Chanute Kansas.
  Authored by Robert D Boyd II  
                                               Henry Boyd
 Henry Boyd was the oldest boy, who graduated 8th grade from Chanute Middle School, and moved off  to join the railroad as a porter. He ended up in Oklahoma City, OK where he had several children  and grandchildren.
                                  Earl Boyd – 9/16/1893 – 3/04/1974 Although Earl had only an eighth-grade education, he had inaccurate mind for figuring on his own  and kept the books of his work. He loved to pour over his ledger, and in another time and place, he  would of found employment as a bookkeeper. After Earl graduated from 8th grade he joined the US  Army. Earl was blessed with many talents: farmer, cement finisher, bricklayer, hog raiser, hunter,  storyteller, and fisherman extraordinary.  Twice he caught catfish over 60 pounds on his trot  lines in the Neosho river.  The feat was noted with the fish being displayed in the watering tank  on Main Street of Humboldt Kansas with a write up in the weekly newspaper.  Earl and Vernon followed in the army tradition by serving in the army during World War I. Mary Norton, now a widow decided that she would move to Humboldt Kansas after her husband’s death  and lived at 516 S Sixth Street, for 30 years until her death. Earl served his time in the Army and returned to Humboldt Kansas to Live.  After saving up his  money in the Army, he teamed up with his brother-in-law, James Stovall, and had Mr. Stovall buy up  5 blocks square of land in Humboldt, Kansas.  For 5 Blocks of 2nd Street, he and James Stovall  owned it all.  Before Mr. Stovall purchased the land, blacks were not allowed to purchase any land  of the City Proper os Humboldt and lived beside the railroad tracks on the South side of Monarc  Cement Plant.  James Stovall was a very High Yellow Man (Pale) and being a mulatto passed for  white in the real estate dealings with his real estate agent.  After a month the Boyd family moved  into one house and Stovall family moved into another house and the Black Invasion Began. He worked at farming for the only few big black farmers in the area, William Tinch of Neosho  falls.  He worked in Neosho falls for years before the Ku Klux Klan Started running Negroes away.  His mother, Mary Norton, passed away on 8/20/1943 after spending 30 years in the town of Humboldt,  Kansas. 
 Earl learned the value of real estate while working for his future father-in-law. He began to sell  lots of his property, many on credit, in return for money and animals.  Soon he would have Horses,  Cows, Goats, Dogs, Pigs, and Chickens.  He planted an Alfalfa field for his animals, planted  gardens for his household, built a barn, fireplac, and retired to fishing.  Boasted of his  property Earl Married Birdie Tinch of Neosho Falls, the daughter of William and Belle Tinch of  Neosho Falls on January 15, 1972 and then they began to having children. The art of having children  take their cost on the mother and they had 15 children of whom eight lived to Adulthood. Those who  lived to adulthood were five boys-William Boyd, Robert Boyd, Thomas Boyd, John Manuel Boyd, and  James Earl Boyd, and three daughters, Darlene Boyd, Earlene Boyd, and Marjorie Boyd.   On 6/16/1948  after 15 Child births Birdie Boyd passed away. 
 Earlene Boyd returned home to Humboldt to sacrifice her life to rear the smaller children after  her mother’s death.
                                                Vernon Boyd
 Vernon Boyd was born on March 14, 1896 and was raised in Chanute, Kansas and followed in the  footsteps of his father.  He became a Pvt in the US Army and fought the Spanish-American war  around the turn of the century and World War I.  After he returned from war he lived with Robert  Boyd in Humboldt, Kansas.  He lived with Bob Tinch in Pittsburg Kansas, with Alma Bean in  Chandler, Oklahoma and with Henry Boyd in Oklahoma City, where he passed in 6/11/72 and was buried  in Humboldt Kansas.  
                                                 Merty Boyd
 Merty Boyd was born in June 1890 in Humboldt,Ks. She is described as being short in  stature,having" lots of hair" and having a great sense of humor.  She married Dell Bean,also of  Humboldt, on February 12th, 1906.   According to their marriage license,they were married by   Merty's father, Rev.John Boyd ,who was the Pastor of an A.M.E. Church. Merty and Dell had 8  children ; Robert,Alice, Ruth, Harold , Ellsworth, Elmer,Alma and Thelma. Most of  their children  were born in Humboldt. Records indicate Ruth and Elmer died before reaching adulthood. By 1918 the family had moved to Wichita,Kansas and later relocated to Chandler,Oklahoma. Dell provided for the family financially while Merty took care of the family in an equally  important role as the homemaker.
 Robert was the oldest of their children. He served in the United States Army in the 466th  Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion. He was killed during World War II in  December,1943,while serving in the Pacific. His death occurred 2 years after the attack on Pearl  Harbor. Merty and Dell received a letter from President Franklin Roosevelt acknowledging Robert's   service and sacrifice to our country. Robert's name is engraved in a military monument in  Honolulu, Hawaii and is also engraved in a monument in Chandler, Oklahoma. During the time  the family lived in Wichita ,Alice met and married Robert Craig at age 17. Both  mothers signed the marriage license. Alice and Robert had 3 young children when Alice died in a  tragic car accident. Harold was a military policeman in the United States Army. He received The  Philippine Liberation Good Conduct Metal.Ellsworth was affectionately known as Jack,which was his  middle name. He served in the United States Army Air Corps during WWII. Ellsworth and Harold both  enjoyed gardening. The family had a lot fresh and canned food from their gardens. Alma enjoyed cooking,sewing,and worked in the restaurant industry. She traveled some and joked  about the saying " If you leave Oklahoma with the red dirt on your shoes you will always return."  Once she saw someone take their shoes off and leave them at the bus depot. Alma of course, always  chose to return to Oklahoma.
 Thelma is the youngest  of Merty and Dell's children and their only surviving child. She is the  only one of them born in Oklahoma rather than  Kansas. She still resides in Chandler,Oklahoma.  Thelma was a hard worker, a characteristic she passed on to her 4 children. One of her greatest  passions was babysitting her grandchildren. Thelma is a historian and she recorded the names,  birth dates and dates of death of family members to insure that no one is forgotten.    
 Submitted by  Merty's great-great  granddaughter, Sheila Craig- Western and Merty's grandson,  Darnell Bean.
                                               Resa Boyd
 Reea Boyd married James H Stovall of Humboldt, then moved to Iowa, and we will hear their story  shortly. 
  
                                           EARL BOYD's CHILDREN We will begin with William Boyd.  He married Marie Martin who already had 2 children, Mike and Kim  Martin.  They had additional 2 children Todd and Billy Boyd who almost got old and died, but we  shall hear that story shortly.
                                                 Robert Boyd
 Robert Boyd was born in Humboldt Kansas 11/19/28 and passed away 4/4/82. He was a farmer and graduated from 8th Grade at Humboldt High School.  He did farm work for Robert  J Townsend and later was hired by Monarch Cement Company of Humboldt, Kansas.  Robert fell in love  with Maxine Brown of Crow berg, Kansas and began courting.
 Robert decided to go for the big money, quit Monarch Cement Company and headed for Wyoming to work  for the pipeline companies and bigger paychecks.   Robert worked several years for the pipeline  companies until an industrial accident crushed his ribs and his back.  Unable to perform pipe- laying duties he became a cook and worked in many camps in Wyoming.   Love knows no boundaries, so Robert moved back to Humboldt Kansas and convinced Maxine Brown to  leave college in San Francisco, California and return to Kansas.  He was working for Robert J  Townsend when Monarch Cement Company rehired him.  He spent the next 24 years working as a packer  because he could not read nor perform arithmetic’s functions. He began to have children and decided the family house of his mother was too small.  He built a  kitchen and added a bedroom open to the house and change the Electricity from one light bulb to a  fully functioning house.  After 13 years he bought a bigger house fully wired at 1020 Ohio Street,  Humboldt, Kansas.  He remodeled the house into a home for the Boyd Family. He became known for his  fishing attributes and got his children involved in farming and they worked for Robert J  Townsend.  When he was forced to retire from Monarch Cement Company he began Boyd Construction  Company with his two brothers, James and John Boyd, It Kept him busy in his daily life.  During  his later life he began to travel, visiting San Francisco, California, San Jose, California, Lake  Tahoe, Nevada and Reno, Nevada.  He fished until he couldn’t fish anymore and went to that fishing  hole in the sky.
 AUTHHORED BY Robert D Boyd II
 Again, lets make this our website and we can always rename it later and expand  it or put links to it.  Contact Us. (PLEASE!!)