Samuel BOLES

The following bio was taken from page 119 of the book entitled “Rusk County History” compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Gloria Riley

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

There has been a Boles family in Rusk County since 1856 when Samuel Boles settled at Caledonia. Samuel M. Boles, born August 28, 1826 in Franklin County, Georgia, was one of eight children born to Richard R. and Nancy (Morgan) Boles. His paternal grandparents were William and Elizabeth (Chalmers) Boles and his maternal grandparents were Samuel Morgan, Jr. and Eleanor (Garrison) Morgan. Samuel grew to manhood in Benton (now Calhoun) County, Alabama where he married March 9, 1848 Celia Ann, daughter of Joseph and Rebecca Nolen. Celia was born February 22, 1826 in Blount County, Tennessee. When Samuel moved to Texas he left brothers and a sister in Alabama whose descendants are still living there. Two of his sisters, Melisa Ann (Mrs. James Calvin Todd) and Martha Eleanor (Mrs. Francis M. Todd) moved with him. Later a brother, Caleb Garrison Boles moved to Texas settling in Jacksonville. Caleb was the grandfather of John Boles, the movie actor. Samuel, through his industry, accumulated substantial land holdings in Rusk County. He was a Mason and a Charter Member of the Concord Baptist Church. Samuel died in 1877 and Celia in 1908. Both are buried in Walnut Grove Cemetery located just across the county line in Nacogdoches County. Their children were: Amanda Josephine (b. 1849) married William S. Bridwell; William Clayton (b. 1850) married Mary Pickens; Nancy Camilla (b. 1852) married Joseph B. Craig; Calvin Ross (b. 1854) married Mary Frances Turner; Daniel M. (b. 1854) married Annie Alexander; Joseph Nolen (b. 1859) married Beulah Dennard, James Garrison (b. 1861) married Theodosia Thompson; Emily Victoria (b. 1864) married Edward Tisinger, Jr.; Angelo Antonio (b. 1867) married Mattie Irwin and Ida Ann (b. 1869) never married. Written by Ruth Cohlmia