This article about old Negro families in the Valley Mills area has been written by Gordon Nowlin after considerable research of county records, old maps and conversations with descendants of these older families who were mostly from 75 to 85 years of age, and who had lived in the vicinity most of their lives. The memories of most of these interviewed were not perfect as is normal, and probably some of the names are misspelled, and other facts not exactly correct. However, the article will be as factual as we have been able to ascertain.

The earliest negro family to settle in the Valley Mills area, insofar as we have been able to find, is that of the BIBLE family who owned land about half way between Valley Mills and Crawford now known as the Bible hill. The deed records show that J. M. Bible obtained by patent 320 acres of land on June 14, 1859. On May 21, 1873 Nelson Bible acquired by patent some 160 acres and on July 21, 1881 JOHN BIBLE by patent acquired also 160 acres and this 160 acres was later acquire by Will Henry Murphy who married Luticia Bible and they had three children, P. J., Calvin and Elecra. GEORGE SNELL, an old timer, also owned land adjacent to the Bible property acquired about the same time.

JOHN BIBLE and his wife, Phebe, had seven children: Gilbert, Wyatt, Willie, Philip, George, John Isaac and Rosie. GILBERT BIBLE married Almeda Sadler, and their children were Artie, Ollie Belle, Hallie D. (Who married Tommie Odie), Clara Belle, Mary Belle and Eloise. John Bible also had a brother, Nat Bible that once owned land in the Bible Hill area. According to Hallie D. Odie, the Bible family came to Texas from Virginia.

The second oldest negro family to own land in the Valley Mills area was that of WASHINGTON LOCK who acquired 160 acres of land by patent on August 15, 1874. The land was located on the mountain north of the old Lowry H. Scrutchfield farm now owned by Jake Bearden and was known as the Wash Lock Hill. It was here that in 1891 the Westpoint United Methodist Church, now located in Valley Mills, was organized. WASH LOCK as he was called, was married twice.

A son, HANDY LOCK, married Georgia Andrews and their children were Ira, Emit, Louis (called Louie, who married Frankie B. Johnson), Walter, Sarah Gladys, Lena, Ima and Eloise.

The largest family by far both in numbers and in land owned was the SADLER FAMILY. Three Sadler brothers and a sister bought and in 1878 in what is called the Negro Colony located some 5 miles N.E. of Valley Mills. The patriarch of the family apparently was JAMES B. SADLER (called Rev. Jim) who organized the Cumberland Presbyterian Church on his land) which church still exists and will be honored with an historical marker soon. JAMES B. SADLER bought from H. E. Conger et al 545 acres of land on December 19, 1878 at a price of $1445. His children were: U. G. (Grant) who married Lizzie Standifer and they had one daughter, Beatrice; John K. who married Frankie Revis, Green who married Fannie King, Howard who married Frances Lewis, (who according to descriptions furnished by several of the older ones who knew her, had blue eyes, a fair complexion, and straight hair), Baker (Bake) who married Lula Sadler, Minnie who married Ed. Steele, Thulie who married Jeff Snell, Delia who married Joe Wright and Lula who married Sanders Kenner. (Irene Dabbs is a daughter).

HOWARD SADLER, a brother of Rev. Jim married Frances Lewis and their children were : Isaiah (Ike) who married Emmaline Odie and their children were William, Ollie, Isaiah Jr., Almeda, Gladys, Claudine, Dorothy and Frances; Jimmy who first married Texana Odie and later to Margaret Sinty; Woodson first married Betty Sinty and their children were Geneva, Jimmie, Marjorie and Charley and his second marriage was to Laura Thomas and their children were Hazel, Laura, Dewitt and Woodson Jr. Howard bought 270 acres also on Dec. 19, 1878 at a price of $687.04.

ARCH SADLER, another brother of Rev. Jim, married Elizabeth _________ and their children were Frances (who married Mose Johnson), Arizona, America, Martha, Timothy, Charlie and Logan. LOGAN SADLER, a son of Arch Sadler married Nancy Sinty, whose father was Mack Sinty and their children were Vassie, Melvin (Boots), John Bunyan, Fannie, Louise, Esther, Ed and Jack.

GRUNDY SADLER first married Arizona Sadler and their children were Lonzo, Jettie B., Minnie, Willie D. Worthy and Gene. His second marriage was to Sallie Sedberry and they had no children. However, Sallie Sedberry had a son by a previous marriage, Herbert Allen, who was the father of Jack Allen who lives here now. No one interviewed seems to know Grundy Sadler's father's name.

MACK SINTY, also a preacher, settled in the colony at the same time as Rev. Jim, Howard and Arch Sadler and bought 64 acres of land from Mary A. Conger, et al on December 19, 1878 at a cost of $245.00. He was married to Sarah ________, and their children were OLIVER (who first married Valera Belle Sadler and his second marriage was to Fannie Revis); Mary married Ed Edwards; Henry married Bessie Snell; Nancy married Logan Sadler and Betty married Woodson Sadler.

HODGE SADLER was an old timer but no one interviewed seemed to know much about this family. Hodge was the father of Robert, L. B. (Candy) Sadler, and Pearl. Hodge was a brother of Aunt Mary Brown.

MARSHALL SADLER was the father of Alf and Alex Sadler, but they were not related by blood to the Rev. Jim, Howard, Arch and Logan Sadler families.

ALF SADLER married Delia Mayberry and their children were John Oliver, Verdel, Amos, Rosa Mae and Cleo.

ALEX SADLER married Mary Ella Allen and their children were Sam (Sambo), Geneva, Mattie, and Texana.

The McLENNAN family was an old and highly respected family. Aunt Cindy McLennan lived to be well over 100 years of age when she died here in Valley Mills. No one living seems to know her husband's first name. Her son JOHN HENRY McLENNAN was married to Matilda Sadler who was a sister of Alf and Alex Sadler. Their children were Lizzie, Thulia, Emma, E. R. (Tony), Jr, Johnnie (Shine) (who married Lucy Wortham and whose children are J. L. and Hershel).

Tony married Geneva Sadler, a daughter of Woodson Sadler and their children are Valera Bell, Maud, W. D., Van, E. R. Jr., Billy, Gladys, Raydell and Marva. Tony is now 85 and worked on the Santa Fe Railroad from 1908 until his retirement. It is thought that the old McLennans were slaves of the family for which McLennan County is named for, but there is no positive proof of this. A daughter of Aunt Cindy's and a sister of John Henry, Lizzie, married J. L. Downing.

BUD WORTHAM married Lizzie Allen and their children were Eula, Ida, Jerry, Lowry, Lucy, Arnie, John Louis and Manuel. They were an old family and once lived on the old Lowry H. Scrutchfield place later owned by S. L. Patterson. After Bud Wortham's death, Aunt Lizzie, as she was affectionately called, married GEORGE KENNEDY who was highly respected by everyone and they had no children. Aunt Lizzie died in 1967 at the age of 93.
[Source: "Valley Mills Tribune," September 5, 1975]