Annie Houston Mullins 1874 - 1906

For those of you who have heard the old tale about having a grandmother who was a full-blooded Indian it may be this line. None of the other lines have even come close for me in my studies on the family. I remember Dad talking about his father's grandmother being an Indian. I sure couldn't find evidence of it, but I was thinking only of the Mullins or Wright lines. When I went further and got into all the census records, I realized that James lived with his grandparents for a while after his mother's death. He even continued to live with or next door to them after he was grown, but they were HOUSTONS, not Mullins or Wrights.



As sketchy as the Houstons are, I have found references to Nathaniel Houston's wife thought to be an Indian. So before I get into what I know about Annie, I thought I bring up that this could be the line that ends up with the real Indian grandmother.



My oldest known Houston relative is James Houston who was married to Lucinda Ryan. Their son, Nathaniel Houston is the one who was thought to have married an Indian woman. I do not know her name yet.



Nathaniel's daughter was Hannah Houston. She was born April 20, 1830 in Pike County, Kentucky. Hannah had a son by an Abraham Potter. They were not married. She named her son for her father. He was called Nathaniel "Thaney" Houston. He was born on August 1, 1846.



On September 10, 1852 when Thaney was six, Hannah married Charles Yonts. She had five children with Charles.



In 1860 the Yonts family was in Letcher County, Kentucky. Charles 27, Hannah 30, Nathaniel 12, Mary 7, Levisa 4, Solomon 2 and Elizabeth 2 months.



On January 22, 1868 Thaney married Elizabeth "Betsy" Fleming, daughter of Frederick Nelson "Fighting Fred" Fleming and Nancy Ann "Annie" Wright. Nancy is the daughter of Joel Martin and Susannah Wright. We have a double dose of Wright genes being descended from two of Joel and Susannah's children (the other being Joel Ellis Wright & his wife Eliza Agnes Bates.)





This picture came from Ma's (Cora Wright Mullins) trunk which Aunt Ival had. It said it was the wedding day picture of Joshua Mullins and Annie Houston. I have seen it in the Letcher County Picture books listed with another couple's name. I am going by what my grandmother had written on the picture and finding it in her trunk.



In 1870 Charles Yonts is 38, Hannah 42, Polly (Mary) 17, Lavica 14, Solomon 12, Elizabeth 10 and Henry 4.

Elizabeth "Betsy" Fleming is married to or has a baby by Robert "John" Frazure. Nancy Jane Frazure was born April 12, 1861.

On January 22, 1868 when Thaney is 21 and Betsy, 27, they marry. In the 1870 census they are listed as Nath 23, Betsey 32, Nancy 10, Mary 2 and Preston 3 months.

Fighting Fred passes away in 1878. Anna Wright Houston is the head of her household in 1880 census with Jefferson 24, twins Solomon and Clarinda 19 and Elijah 18 in her home.


In Nathaniel & Betsey's household Nathaniel is 30 and Elizabeth 29. Betsy's daughter, Nancy has married William Teague Quillen. Mary is now 12. Preston has died. The children born since the last census are Hannah 9, Annie, 7, Lina 5, Rinda 3 and baby Aulden 11 months.

Again, we have a twenty year gap in census records. Mother Annie Wright Houston is now 78 and living with her son, Elijah. She reports that she has had 12 children and 10 of them are living in 1900.

Nathaniel and Betsy have had one additonal child, Oliver Denton Houston in their family. The census shows that they have been married for 28 years. In the household is Nathaniel 53, Elizabeth 59, Olvin G and Oliver D. Betsy reports that she has had 9 children and 8 of them are living in 1900.

Next door to Nathaniel and Betsy live their daughter, Annie and her husband Joshua Mullins. They married on June 8, 1892. In 1900 they report that they have been married for seven years. Anna says she has had four children and all are living. The family is Joshua 31, Anna 25, James 6, Nan V. 5, Coettie 2 and William A. is two months old.

There are four more children born after 1900: Marion, Melvina, Elizabeth Varley "Betsy" and Ellis.

On October 31, 1906 Annie dies while trying to give birth. The child dies, too. This picture of Annie and the baby were sent to me by our cousin Lois in Delaware. I do not know where Annie and the baby were buried.