GEORGE WASHINGTON MULLINAX
Birth: 10 Apr 1868
Death: 1 Feb 1922
(age 53 years, 9 months, 21 days)
_ George Washington Mullinax was the third child of William Wesley Mullinax
and Susan Townsend. He was born on April 10, 1868 in Pickens County, Georgia,
the first child born after William Wesley, his dad, returned from military
service.
George was married twice. The first wife [name unknown] died after childbirth. The daughter [name unknown] was raised by the mothers family.
George W. married Susan Missouri Hays in 1889, they had the following children:
1) Annie Ethel b. July 1891 in Murray Co., Ga. d. 12 Apr. 1977 M. Will A. Clark both are buried in Clark Cemetery in Parker Co., Tx.
2) Clarence Olen b. 3 June 1893 d. 30 Dec. 1972 M. Willie Daniel. Both are buried in Clark Cemetery in Parker Co., Tx.
3) Lois California b. Jan. 1898 d. 1960 M. Glen Lovell. Both are buried in Clark Cemetery in Parker Co., Tx.
4) Bertha May b. Apr. 1900 d. 1922 of smallpox. m. George Hayes, she is buried in Clark Cemetery in Parker Co., Tx. She was the last child born in Georgia.
5) Harley Tabor b. 6 Sept 1902 d. 9 May 1991 m1} Lesta m2} Linda
6) Arthur Dixon b. 28 Aug. 1904 d. Feb 1983 m. Lola
7) Naomi Pearl b. 16 Nov. 1906 d. 12 Apr. 1971 m. Theo Yarbrough she is buried in Clark Cemetery
8) Ruby Jewel b. 1908 d. July 2005 m. Troy Stewart
9) Mary Marie b. 19 Dec. 1911 d. 14 Nov. 1998 m. Elmer Ayers both are buried in Clark Cemetery
In the 1900 census, taken on June 8th, George W. age 32 and Susan, age 25, are in the Doolittle District, Murray Co., Ga. Their children are aged 8, 6, 2, and 1 month. Susan had given birth to five children---four of whom were still living. Clarence, about 3 years old, had only one faint memory of the death of his baby sister. He went into the room and saw the baby dressed for burial on the bed.
At that time in Murray County, there was a group of people who had formed a "Distiller's Union" {think bootleggers.} They wore white sheets and masks to frighten people. The Distiller’s Union thought that a guy named Will Roper had revealed the location of one of their stills, so they beat, stabbed him, stole his watch, and threw him down into a well or an old mine pit, and left him to die. After 2 or 3 days, Georgw W. came along and found Will--still alive.
By the time George W. located help to pull Will out of the pit it was dark so the men had to work by lantern light. As Will was pulled to the top, George cocked his gun and told the group that he would shoot anyone who pulled a knife [to cut the rope and let Will fall again].
After Will Roper recovered, there was a trial held of those (bootleggers) accused of trying to kill him. He identified his watch, stating, “you said I would get it back on the judgement day."
George W. must have been called as a witness because sometime during the trial, the judge called George W. a liar. So George marched to the bench, caught the judge by his red goatee, and punched him in the nose. Then he left the courtroom and picked up his shotgun and went back to the back of the courthouse. The judge and the bailiff left by the backdoor and as they rounded the corner, they walked straight into this shotgun pointing at them. Both whirled to leave just as George W. shot. The bailiff escaped, but the tails of the judge's frock coat were shot off.
George W. was noted in the area for his talent to sharpen wheat cradles [scythes.] He knew the Distiller's Union would come after him, so he planted these cradles in all the paths leading away from his house (like booby traps?). That night, he put the family to bed, turned down the lamp, left the front door ajar, and laid down on the floor. Sure enough, a knock came. George W. just blasted right through the door. A loud commotion took place, and the next morning, he found trails of blood all around his house.
Shortly after this George W. and his family and his older brother, William Andrew Mullinax and his family, boarded a train and rode to fort Worth, Texas. They both settled near Weatherford. George W. bought a farm by 1 Dec. 1900. William Andrew's wife, Ophelia and a child died soon after. A monument to them is in the Clark Cemetery. William Andrew Mullinax sold his land then and moved to Arlington, Tx. George W. stayed on his farm near Springtown.
In 1910, George W. and family are living on his farm, and the family has grown to include two additional sons and two additional daughters---Harley and Arthur, Neoma and Ruby. Ethel is 18 and will marry soon. Clarence, Lois, Berthie and Harley are listed as being in school.
In the 1920 census, Georgw W. is 52, Susan is 46, Harley is 17, Arthur is 15, Neomi is now 12, Ruby is 10, and Marie is 8.
At the end of January, 1922, tragedy struck. Some migrating families, who must have had smallpox, camped on a creek near the farm. Berthie Mullinax was married by then and her husband George Hayes visited the camp, and shortly after that smallpox struck his family. All four members of the family became ill---George, Berthie, Raymond, and William Wesley, and the house was quarantined. None of the Mullinaxes had had smallpox, so neighbors came in the morning and at night to see after their needs. Their house was in sight of the George and Susan Mullinax’s home, so a code was worked out. A white rag hanging on the clothesline meant that all was well. One morning a red flag was waved frantically which meant there was an emergency. Susan was ready to go to the house, but G. W. would not allow her to do so, reminding her that their young daughters would need her.
Therefore, George W. went into the house. He caught the smallpox and died on 1 Feb. 1922. The small child, William Wesley, died on Feb. 14th., and then Berthie died on Feb. 17th. Grandmother Susan said she could hear the wagon go by in the night, but would not know which one had died until morning. George Hayes survived, but endured the family's blame for bringing home the disease. The son Raymond also survived, but his face was badly scarred for the rest of his life,
Clarence Mullinax came as soon as he heard his father had died, but there was no funeral service. The body had been buried immediately (Clark cemetery). He could not even enter the family home because of the quarantine. He had to talk to his mother and other family members from the yard fence.
Susan Missouri Hays Mullinax lived to be almost 86 yrs old. She died March 1, 1960 and is buried in Clark cemetery next to George W. Mullinax.
WRITTEN BY: George and Dorothy Mullinax (George is the great grandson of George and Susie Mullinax)
Photo Courtesy of Kerry Knox Crawford (great-great granddaughter of George and Susie Mullinax)
Photo taken about 1902: Standing: Clarence Olen, Annie Ethel, & Lois California Seated: George holding Bertha May & Susie holding Harley Tabor.
George was married twice. The first wife [name unknown] died after childbirth. The daughter [name unknown] was raised by the mothers family.
George W. married Susan Missouri Hays in 1889, they had the following children:
1) Annie Ethel b. July 1891 in Murray Co., Ga. d. 12 Apr. 1977 M. Will A. Clark both are buried in Clark Cemetery in Parker Co., Tx.
2) Clarence Olen b. 3 June 1893 d. 30 Dec. 1972 M. Willie Daniel. Both are buried in Clark Cemetery in Parker Co., Tx.
3) Lois California b. Jan. 1898 d. 1960 M. Glen Lovell. Both are buried in Clark Cemetery in Parker Co., Tx.
4) Bertha May b. Apr. 1900 d. 1922 of smallpox. m. George Hayes, she is buried in Clark Cemetery in Parker Co., Tx. She was the last child born in Georgia.
5) Harley Tabor b. 6 Sept 1902 d. 9 May 1991 m1} Lesta m2} Linda
6) Arthur Dixon b. 28 Aug. 1904 d. Feb 1983 m. Lola
7) Naomi Pearl b. 16 Nov. 1906 d. 12 Apr. 1971 m. Theo Yarbrough she is buried in Clark Cemetery
8) Ruby Jewel b. 1908 d. July 2005 m. Troy Stewart
9) Mary Marie b. 19 Dec. 1911 d. 14 Nov. 1998 m. Elmer Ayers both are buried in Clark Cemetery
In the 1900 census, taken on June 8th, George W. age 32 and Susan, age 25, are in the Doolittle District, Murray Co., Ga. Their children are aged 8, 6, 2, and 1 month. Susan had given birth to five children---four of whom were still living. Clarence, about 3 years old, had only one faint memory of the death of his baby sister. He went into the room and saw the baby dressed for burial on the bed.
At that time in Murray County, there was a group of people who had formed a "Distiller's Union" {think bootleggers.} They wore white sheets and masks to frighten people. The Distiller’s Union thought that a guy named Will Roper had revealed the location of one of their stills, so they beat, stabbed him, stole his watch, and threw him down into a well or an old mine pit, and left him to die. After 2 or 3 days, Georgw W. came along and found Will--still alive.
By the time George W. located help to pull Will out of the pit it was dark so the men had to work by lantern light. As Will was pulled to the top, George cocked his gun and told the group that he would shoot anyone who pulled a knife [to cut the rope and let Will fall again].
After Will Roper recovered, there was a trial held of those (bootleggers) accused of trying to kill him. He identified his watch, stating, “you said I would get it back on the judgement day."
George W. must have been called as a witness because sometime during the trial, the judge called George W. a liar. So George marched to the bench, caught the judge by his red goatee, and punched him in the nose. Then he left the courtroom and picked up his shotgun and went back to the back of the courthouse. The judge and the bailiff left by the backdoor and as they rounded the corner, they walked straight into this shotgun pointing at them. Both whirled to leave just as George W. shot. The bailiff escaped, but the tails of the judge's frock coat were shot off.
George W. was noted in the area for his talent to sharpen wheat cradles [scythes.] He knew the Distiller's Union would come after him, so he planted these cradles in all the paths leading away from his house (like booby traps?). That night, he put the family to bed, turned down the lamp, left the front door ajar, and laid down on the floor. Sure enough, a knock came. George W. just blasted right through the door. A loud commotion took place, and the next morning, he found trails of blood all around his house.
Shortly after this George W. and his family and his older brother, William Andrew Mullinax and his family, boarded a train and rode to fort Worth, Texas. They both settled near Weatherford. George W. bought a farm by 1 Dec. 1900. William Andrew's wife, Ophelia and a child died soon after. A monument to them is in the Clark Cemetery. William Andrew Mullinax sold his land then and moved to Arlington, Tx. George W. stayed on his farm near Springtown.
In 1910, George W. and family are living on his farm, and the family has grown to include two additional sons and two additional daughters---Harley and Arthur, Neoma and Ruby. Ethel is 18 and will marry soon. Clarence, Lois, Berthie and Harley are listed as being in school.
In the 1920 census, Georgw W. is 52, Susan is 46, Harley is 17, Arthur is 15, Neomi is now 12, Ruby is 10, and Marie is 8.
At the end of January, 1922, tragedy struck. Some migrating families, who must have had smallpox, camped on a creek near the farm. Berthie Mullinax was married by then and her husband George Hayes visited the camp, and shortly after that smallpox struck his family. All four members of the family became ill---George, Berthie, Raymond, and William Wesley, and the house was quarantined. None of the Mullinaxes had had smallpox, so neighbors came in the morning and at night to see after their needs. Their house was in sight of the George and Susan Mullinax’s home, so a code was worked out. A white rag hanging on the clothesline meant that all was well. One morning a red flag was waved frantically which meant there was an emergency. Susan was ready to go to the house, but G. W. would not allow her to do so, reminding her that their young daughters would need her.
Therefore, George W. went into the house. He caught the smallpox and died on 1 Feb. 1922. The small child, William Wesley, died on Feb. 14th., and then Berthie died on Feb. 17th. Grandmother Susan said she could hear the wagon go by in the night, but would not know which one had died until morning. George Hayes survived, but endured the family's blame for bringing home the disease. The son Raymond also survived, but his face was badly scarred for the rest of his life,
Clarence Mullinax came as soon as he heard his father had died, but there was no funeral service. The body had been buried immediately (Clark cemetery). He could not even enter the family home because of the quarantine. He had to talk to his mother and other family members from the yard fence.
Susan Missouri Hays Mullinax lived to be almost 86 yrs old. She died March 1, 1960 and is buried in Clark cemetery next to George W. Mullinax.
WRITTEN BY: George and Dorothy Mullinax (George is the great grandson of George and Susie Mullinax)
Photo Courtesy of Kerry Knox Crawford (great-great granddaughter of George and Susie Mullinax)
Photo taken about 1902: Standing: Clarence Olen, Annie Ethel, & Lois California Seated: George holding Bertha May & Susie holding Harley Tabor.