Jackson Goen Missed Four Headrights
But Finally Acquired Land In Texas
Jackson Goen had been drawn to Texas all his life. He had heard that Texas had land to burn! An immense domain of virgin land it was, and you could have all you wanted, just for the taking. When the call came to his native South Carolina for volunteers from the embattled Texans in their Revolutionary struggle, Jackson Goen longed to go. The Texas government offered a First Class Headright of a league and a labor–4,602 acres–to every man who joined in their fight for independence.
But Goen delayed, and on March 2, 1836, Texas won its struggle for independence, and the first class grants were withdrawn. Texas still needed settlers, and it offered Second Class Headrights of 1,280 acres. Again Goen procrastinated, and in 18 months, this second land offer was withdrawn. On October 1, 1837, Texas, still needing citizens and taxpayers, offered Third Class Headrights of a section of land. The offer was withdrawn January 1, 1840, and Jackson Goen had missed out again.
On January 1, 1840 the Republic of Texas announced its Fourth Class Headright program which still offered a section of land with the requirement that 10 acres be placed into cultivation. Jackson Goen felt a stronger attraction to Texas and began to make plans for a move.
He finally arrived in Nacogdoches, Texas in 1850 long after the headright program had terminated.
Jackson Goen was born March 15, 1811, according to his tombstone in Thomason Cemetery at Nacogdoches as recorded in “Nacogdoches County, Texas Cemeteries.”
He was recorded in the 1850 census of Nacogdoches County as “age 23 [?], single, carpenter” living in the household of Constantine Hardeman, Household 45-45, a farmer who was born in South Carolina. Jackson Goen was married February 2, 1854 to Miss Martha F. A. Thomason, daughter of David Thomason and Martha Jane Thomason, according to Nacogdoches County Marriage Book 1, page 590. David Thomason was born in
Virginia in 1796, and Martha Jane Thomason was born January 5, 1809.
Jackson Goen finally acquired some Texas land, but sold his 200 acres January 19, 1855 to Peter B. Fewell for $75, according to Deed Book L, page 590. Jackson Goen was enumerated as the head of Household 529-529 in the 1860 census of Nacogdoches:
“Goen, Jackson 47, born in Georgia[?], farmer,
$1,774 in personal property
Martha 31, born in Tennessee, wife
Betty 6. born in Texas, daughter
Durham 3, born in Texas, son”
He served in the Texas Third Brigade during the Civil War. He was registered to vote in 1867 and reported that he had been in Texas for 17 years. Jackson Goen received a pre-emption certificate for 81.7 acres of land located 10« miles east of Nacogdoches from the State of Texas August 15, 1871, according to the Texas State Land Commission File No. 3992.
Jackson Goen died September 19, 1887 and was buried in Thomason Cemetery adjacent to his father-in-law who had died in 1877. Martha Jane Thomason died October 3, 1899. “Martha Goyen,” regarded as Martha A. F. Thomason Goen, died March 16, 1910 at age 83,
according to Nacogdoches County death records.
Children born to Jackson Goen and Martha A. F. Thomas Goen include:
Betty Goen born about 1854
James Durham Goen born about 1857
Goyen Family Tree 