Hugh Read & Leila Belle (Webb) Read

Haskell and Knox Counties

Hugh Read & Leila Belle Webb

From data furnished by Gene Davenport which includes information from the Read Family Bible

James Riley Read came to Texas in the late 19th century. His first wife, Matilda P. Reno, had died. He married his second wife, Martha Vaughn Read and the family came from Kentucky to Texas.

J. R. Read (as he was often called) was born 13 Jul 1843, and died in Texas on August 12, 1882. He married Matilda Parlee on December 1, 1867. They had two children: Robert Read born Oct 19, 1868, and Annie Read born March 2, 1870. Matilda died 3 Jun 1870, and James soon married again to Martha Ann Vaughn on January 25, 1871.

Among the children of James and his second wife, Martha, was Hugh Read born March 10, 1877. Hugh had a brother, Oscar, born in March 1880, and 2 sisters: Hattie born October 23, 1872 and Clyde, born February 10, 1876. Clyde was born in Kentucky but Hugh and Oscar were born in Texas. Hattie died as a child on November 26, 1876.

By about 1900 the Read family was in Haskell County and lived in the Weinert area. Hugh married Leila Belle Webb on July 19, 1903. She had come to Texas from Alabama with her older siblings after their parents died. Hugh and Leila Belle lived in the northern area of Haskell County near the town of Cliff. His mother, Martha, died 18 Feb 1902, and was buried in the Cliff Cemetery there. Her tombstone photo is below.

Leila Belle Webb and Hugh Read had four daughters:
Gladys Read b. 28 Apr 1905 in Munday, TX
Ira Read b. about 1911 in Haskell County, TX
Ora Mae Read b. 12 Mar 1912 in Weinert, TX
Eva Read b. about 1916 in Knox County, TX
Finis and Gladys Read Williams, Haskell County, Texas
Charles Calvin and Alma Webb
Read sisters, Haskell County, Texas
Eva (Read) Wells, Ora Mae (Read) Thompson,
Ira (Read) Lee and Gladys (Read) Williams.

Hugh was a farmer. The 1930 census for Knox County showed the daughters were "Farm Laborers" - helping their parents with the farm work. Gladys was married by that time but Ira, Ora and Eva were the family helpers.

Gladys married Finis C. Williams on 31 Oct 1927 in Knox City, Knox Co., TX. She died on 10 Feb 1992 in Breckenridge, Texas, and is buried there at the Breckenridge Cemetery.

Ira married Cecil Lee and Eva married J. B. Wells. Ora Mae married William Felix Thompson. He died 14 Oct 1982 and Ora Mae died in 1993. She is buried at Bethel Cemetery in Anson, Texas.
McCann Store in Cliff, Texas
McCann Store in Cliff, Texas
The photo of the McCann Store in Cliff, Texas, shows a large group of the men in the town assembled around a display of farm equipment. It is thought that members of the Read and Webb families are in the picture. The McCanns are probably related to the Reads or Webbs but the relationship is uncertain at this time. Mrs. McCann is buried at Brushy Cemetery in Haskell County - a photo of her gravestone is below.
Mrs J S McCann, Haskell County, Texas
Cliff Cemetery, Haskell County, Texas
Martha Vaughn Read, Haskell County, Texas
Brushy Cemetery, Haskell County, Texas
Family research is ongoing for this Read-Webb-McCann family. Information from others will be a welcome addition.
Gene Davenport, July 2006