How the Trapps Came to Texas

I recently saw a short presentation on tips for doing genealogy work, and it led me to reaching out to a local library in Delta County, Texas to see if they have any resources. I want to learn more about my great-grandparents James Duncan Trapp and Ella Tatum, who lived for over ten years in and/or around Cooper, TX.

I sent an email to a the only email address I could find for the Delta County Library, and I was very surprised to actually get a response at all, which came the next day. I specifically had asked about available old local newspapers which might be available. A librarian responded and said that the microfilm for the Cooper Review had been sent to UNT and over the course of the next year they would be digitizing it, which is great!

She also asked me for a bit of information about my family history in the area, and she passed my phone number to a distant relative of mine who I didn't even know existed. Eddie Trapp is an elderly gentleman who lives in the area. He called me this afternoon and we shared a brief but very good conversation. I haven't confirmed any of this with Eddie, but it looks like Eddie is a retired science teacher who was beloved by his students. See this article here:
http://www.myssnews.com/news/2008/October/nt101308-2.html

Also, this is the Facebook picture for Eddie Trapp living in Cooper, TX:

Eddie's genealogy:

William Simpson Trapp

William Wright Trapp (g-grandfather)

Eugene Tanksley (went by "Tank") Trapp

Tommy (Thomas?) Trapp

Eddie Trapp

My genealogy:

William Simpson Trapp

William Wright Trapp (g-g-grandfather)

James Duncan Trapp

JD Trapp

LeeAnn Trapp

James Stutz

So W.W. Trapp is Eddie's g-grandfather, and is my g-g-grandfather. Eddie is my 2nd cousin 1x removed.

Eddie mentioned that as far as he knew there is no information beyond William Simpson Trapp, because the "Yankees" destroyed the courthouses and all the records in the south. We actually do have some information, including names, beyond W.S. Trapp but in our brief conversation I wasn't able to mention it to him. I'll have to call him back sometime.

Eddie related the following information to me:

William Simpson Trapp married to Augusta Clarissa Trapp (which is extremely helpful, as I've been struggling to get her name right; the records are confusing). After the Civil War they left Atlanta to seek a new life because Atlanta and all the South was in ruins. Everybody was moving to Texas in those days, so decided to go there too. The train stopped in Mississippi because of a flood, and while they were waiting of the flood to go down Augusta got real sick so they ended staying there for 10 years. They lived in Iuka, and in the town of Eastport which he said is currently under a lake (I'm not sure I totally understood that detail).

After about 10 years they started their journey to Texas again, saw the beauty of east Texas as they passed through it but stayed on the train further west, toward Childress/Midland area (two cities he specifically mentioned), but decided they didn’t like how it looked and wanted to live in the big trees back in east Texas. They got back on the train and went back east. One of the sons said he was getting off in the Paris area and they could all do what they wanted, but they all got off together and “scattered like quail” from there.

W. S. Trapp and Augusta were eventually divorced, There is a fine picture of William and his five sons (below). Augusta referred to the picture as the devil with his 5 angels.

(Top left to right: James Simpson, Dorman, & Nathan. Bottom row left to right: William Wright, Land Lott, William Simpson. This according to Eddie Trapp.)

I'm very grateful that Eddie called me and I hope we get to meet someday.