MILAM FAMILY HISTORY By Robert M. Wilbanks IV 2013 Robert M. Wilbanks IV, Scottsdale, AZ CHAPTER 61 DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM W. MILAM, OF FLOYD COUNTY, GEORGIA Parents Unknown (last updated 1/2/2004) William W. Milam William W. Milam was born December 25, 1815 in South Carolina, or possibly Georgia. Discussion regarding possible parentage of William W. Milam At this time, the parents of William W. Milam cannot be determined for certain. He possibly could be connected to one of the two sons of Samuel Milam of Abbeville County, South Carolina in the 1790 and 1800 census. These sons are Dudley and Benjamin who are later found in early Georgia records just after 1800: Dudley of Wilkes County (Chapter 4) and Benjamin of Jasper County (Chapter 5). Dudley seems to disappear after 1809. It is always possible that Dudley could be the father of William, but at this time there is no indication that he even had a family. Benjamin later migrates to Harris County, Georgia and dies leaving a will in 1832 in which he appears to name all of his children. William is not included in the will, and since he would still be a minor, it would be odd for him not to be included in the will. Additionally, there are no apparent probate or guardianship papers making provisions for any minor children. Lastly, William s date of birth does not allow him to fit into this family as either a son or grandson of Benjamin. Other Milams also appear in early eastern Georgia records and then move onward, but I cannot place William W. Milam in these families as well. These other possibilities were either too young to be William s father, and/or there wasn t an appropriately aged young male in their household. For example, there is a record of a Wiley W. Milam who marries a Matilda Thomson in Jasper County in 1824 where he continues to appear in the 1830 and 1840 census. The census records would indicate his birth as between 1800 and 1810, thus preventing him from being the father of William who was born in 1815. The same occurs for a Thomas F. Milam (Chapter 32) who appears in Jasper County in the 1820s before appearing in Newton County, Georgia in 1830. His birthdate is about 1797, making him only barely possibly old enough to be the father of William. However, he doesn t appear to marry until about 1821. The 1830 census shows no males over the age of 10, thus eliminating him as a potential father of William. At this point, after extensively going through the various Milam families of South Carolina and Georgia, I cannot find other potential options for the potential father of William W. Milam. 2013 Robert M. Wilbanks IV, Scottsdale, AZ Chapter 61 Wm W. Milam Floyd Co GA Page 1
A great deal of research on William W. Milam and his children and descendants has been done by Betty Cason of Rome, Georgia who I had corresponded with in the early to mid-1990s. William married an Elizabeth Phelps on October 20, 1833 in Jasper County, Georgia. Elizabeth was born May 12, 1817 in Jasper County, Georgia to Aquilla Philip and Jane (Hanson) Phelps. It is known that William and his family migrated to Floyd County, Georgia before 1840. In fact, according to a 1908 Rome newspaper article, they may have settled in Floyd County as early as 1836. The Georgia 1840 census lists W. Milom, next door to Aquiller Phelps, in Floyd County, 859 th District Georgia Militia, page 259. In his household is one male under 5 years of age, one male between 20 and 30, 1 female under 5, and 1 female between 20 and 30. I could not locate the William Milam family in Floyd County, Georgia in the 1850 census, nor could I locate them anywhere in Georgia for that matter. The Georgia 1860 census, dated June?, lists William Milum, with family, in Floyd County, Floyd Springs District, post office at Floyd Springs, page 142, dwelling and family number 83. He is listed as a farmer, 46 years of age and born in Georgia, with real estate valued at $1200 and personal property valued at $400. The Georgia 1870 census, dated July 20 th, lists William W. Milam, with wife and three youngest children, in Floyd County, Subdivision Number 49, post office at Rome, page 154 (aka 241B), dwelling number 1184, family number 1157. He is listed as a farmer, aged 57, born in South Carolina, with real estate valued at $800, and personal property valued at $500. The Georgia 1880 soundex lists William W. Millam in Floyd County, district number 923 Texas Valley, enumeration district number 67, sheet 9, line 46. He is indicated as aged 67 and born in South Carolina. Living with him are his wife Elizabeth, age 64 born in Georgia, youngest daughter Laura, aged 18 born in Georgia, grandson Marcellus Gelly, aged 7 born in Georgia, and his son James C. Millam, aged 22 born in Georgia. Elizabeth died on December 20, 1895 in Floyd County, Georgia. She is buried in the Antioch Baptist Church Cemetery in Floyd County, Georgia. Sometime thereafter, William went to live with one of his daughters in Alabama. In the September 24, 1908 issue of the Rome Tribune-Herald, in the community news for Texas Valley, there is an article that states W. W. Milam age 97 came to visit Rome He came to this county in 1836 and settled 3 miles above Rome on the Oostanaula River. There was only one store in Rome which was owned by William R. Smith and a few log cabins. An old Indian Chief named Ross lived in a double log cabin in Desota. William appears to have died circa 1910. It is believed that he died, and is buried, in Alabama. Issue of William and Elizabeth (Phelps) Milam: I. Sarah Jane Milam Born May 31, 1837 Floyd County, Georgia II. George Washington Milam Born July 19, 1839 Floyd County, Georgia III. Jeremiah Jefferson Milam Born January 25, 1841 Floyd County, Georgia IV. Mary Ann Milam Born September 28, 1843 Floyd County, Georgia 2013 Robert M. Wilbanks IV, Scottsdale, AZ Chapter 61 Wm W. Milam Floyd Co GA Page 2
V. Aquilla Philip Milam Born April 22, 1845 Floyd County, Georgia Died July 22, 1864 VI. William J. Milam Born January 17, 1847 Floyd County, Georgia VII. Martha Adeline Milam Born January 7, 1849 Floyd County, Georgia VIII. Thomas Gladna Milam Born March 6, 1851 Floyd County, Georgia The Georgia 1870 census lists Thomas G. Milam in the household of Robert J. Franks, subdivision # 49, near Rome, as a worker on his farm. Living in same area as parents. IX. Eliza Nevada Milam Born December 22, 1852 Floyd County, Georgia X. Jesse Lucius Milam Born January 15, 1855 Floyd County, Georgia XI. James Claude Milam Born May 22, 1857 Floyd County, Georgia XII. Jane Milam Born circa 1858 Floyd County, Georgia Died before 1870 Floyd County, Georgia XIII. Laura N. Milam Born May 5, 1861 Floyd County, Georgia Children of William W. Milam William J. Milam, son of William and Elizabeth (Phelps) Milam, was born January 17, 1847 in Floyd County, Georgia. The Georgia 1870 census, dated July 20 th, lists William J. Milam, aged 23, in Floyd County, Subdivision Number 49, post office at Rome, page 156 (aka 242B), dwelling number 1196, family number 1169. He is found in a household with a Lewis Dye, farm worker, black, and Harritt Smith, house servant, white. William is also listed as farm worker, with no real estate, and personal property valued at $100. William married Sarah Catharine Hardin on July 20, 1871 in Floyd County, Georgia. She was born June 10, 1852 in Floyd County, Georgia to Eli and Jane (Bolt) Hardin. William and Sarah are not found in Floyd County, Georgia in the 1880 census, nor in Alabama where his siblings are known to have settled. However, a William and Sallie Milam and family do appear in Faulkner County, Arkansas by 1880. Their ages, as well as the ages of their children, with places of birth as Georgia, do correlate with them coming from Georgia. In fact, later records of William and Sarah and their children in Arkansas do indicate that they came from Floyd Springs, Floyd County, Georgia, also correlating with the William and Elizabeth Milam family of that location. Additionally, and solidifying this fact, is the 1900 Arkansas soundex which lists William J. Milam, born January 1847 Georgia, and Sarah Milam, born June 1852 Georgia, in Hardin Township, Faulkner County. William and Sarah Milam migrated to Faulkner County, Arkansas in about 1877. The Arkansas 1880 soundex lists the William and Sallie Milam family in Faulkner County, Union District, enumeration district number 57, sheet 11, line 7. 2013 Robert M. Wilbanks IV, Scottsdale, AZ Chapter 61 Wm W. Milam Floyd Co GA Page 3
The Arkansas 1900 soundex lists the William J. and Sarah Milam family in Faulkner County, Hardin Township. It is interesting to note that missing from their household are daughters Ethel, Maud and Della, and included in their household is a grandson named Alvin Fry, born August 1896 in Arkansas. Meanwhile, in the household of a John A. Fry, also in Hardin Township, is Fry s daughter, Fanny Milam, born August 1878 Arkansas, and his granddaughter Mattie Milam, born December 1897 Arkansas. Issue of William J. and Sarah Catharine (Hardin) Milam: I. Ethel Milam Born 1872 Floyd Springs, Floyd County, Georgia II. Arthur L. Milam Born December 1874 Floyd Springs, Floyd County, Georgia III. Maud Milam Born 1876 Floyd Springs, Floyd County, Georgia IV. Della Milam Born July 1878 Faulkner County, Arkansas Found in Pope County, Arkansas, 1900 census, as a sister-in-law in the household of the Duncan family, dwelling # 381, family # 391. V. Minnie Milam Born January 1883 Faulkner County, Arkansas VI. Laura Milam Born September 1885 Faulkner County, Arkansas VII. Harrel Milam Born January 1889 Faulkner County, Arkansas VIII. Exer Milam (daughter) Born April 1892 Faulkner County, Arkansas Grandchildren of William W. Milam Ethel Milam, daughter of William J. and Sarah Catharine (Hardin) Milam, was born in 1872 in Floyd Springs, Floyd County, Georgia. This place of birth is stated as such on a son s birth certificate. In 1890 Ethel married a John Dancer in Arkansas. John Dancer died. The Arkansas 1900 census lists a Ethel Milam, born 1872 Georgia, with parents born in Georgia, in Pope County, Lee Township, dwelling number 133, family number 137. In her household is a son John, no age, birthdate, or other details. Also in her household is a Harry Milam, relationship unidentified, born January 18?5, Georgia, with parents born in Georgia. Note that also in Pope County in the 1900 census, Dela Milam, born July 1878 Georgia, with parents born in Georgia, is found as a sister-in-law in the household of a family named Duncan. This census information is clearly confusing and incomplete and needs to be researched again. It is probable that this is Ethel Milam Dancer, and Harry and John are actually sons born about 1895 and 1897 to her and John Dancer. This clearly needs to be investigated more clearly. Ethel married a John Freeman in 1906 in Arkansas. Issue of Ethel Milam: 2013 Robert M. Wilbanks IV, Scottsdale, AZ Chapter 61 Wm W. Milam Floyd Co GA Page 4
I. John Milam? Born Arkansas? Issue of John and Ethel (Milam) Dancer: Issue of John and Ethel (Milam) Dancer Freeman: I. Jay Loyce Freeman Born 1907 Arkansas 2013 Robert M. Wilbanks IV, Scottsdale, AZ Chapter 61 Wm W. Milam Floyd Co GA Page 5