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Stephen Hendrickson Everitt

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EVERITT, STEPHEN HENDRICKSON (1806–1844). Stephen Hendrickson Everitt, politician, merchant, and speculator, was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, on November 26, 1806. He moved to Texas in 1834, acquired land now in Jasper County, and was elected a delegate from Bevil Municipality to the Consultation of 1835 and from Jasper Municipality to the Convention of 1836. He signed the Texas Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the Republic. Everitt also served as one of three commissioners appointed to close the land offices in the Department of Nacogdoches and gained several mail contracts in Southeast Texas. He married Alta Zera Williams, and they had four children. Although Stephen was not a practicing physician in Texas, he was often referred to as "Doctor Everitt". He was a strong supporter and close friend of Mirabeau B. Lamar and represented Jasper County as a senator in the first five congresses of the Republic of Texas before resigning in December 1840.[1] As a speculator, he operated stores in Bevilport and on Sabine Pass and owned town lots in Bevil, Jasper, and Belgrade. He died in New Orleans on July 12, 1844. His home in Jasper County has been made a historical landmark. [2]

Early Life

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On 26 Nov 1806, Stephen Hendrickson Everitt was born at 527 Main Street in Poughkeepsie, New York, to Abigail DeGraaf, age 36, and Richard Everitt, age 57. His birth home today is the home of the New York State Historical Site called the Clinton Home at 527 Main Street, which is used by the Dutchess County Historical Society.

On 17 Oct 1827, Stephen Hendrickson Everitt married Julia Ann Foster in Brooklyn, New York when he was 20 years old. He had two children, Thomas Peter Everitt and Louisa Rachel Everitt.

From 1827 – 1831 Stephen owned and operated a Dry Goods Store on Bowery Street on Long Island, New York.[3][4] Surrogate Court records in Poughkeepsie state that he went broke and went to Texas to escape debtor’s prison. Stephen abandoned his wife and children with no known divorce found.

In 1834 Stephen arrived in Jasper, State of Coahuila, Mexico.

In January 1835 Stephen Hendrickson Everitt married Alta Zera Williams in Coahuila de Zaragoza, Mexico, when he was 28 years old.

On 28 Feb 1835, Stephen purchased one league of land on Thickety Creek[5], a branch of Cow Creek that runs into the Sabine River near Nacogdoches, State of Coahuila, Mexico.

On November 25, 1835 Postmaster John Rice Jones awarded Stephen a contract to carry the mail from Jefferson to San Augustine[6][7].

In 1835 Stephen Hendrickson Everitt lived in Bevil Precinct (west of Jasper).

Texas Revolution

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Stephen was a delegate to the Consultation of 1835 at Columbia from October 16 to 17, 1835, and at San Felipe de Austin from November 1 to 14, 1835. [8]
On 7 Nov 1835, Stephen signed The Consultation of 1835 at San Felipe, Austin Colony, State of Coahuila, Mexico.

Stephen was a delegate to the Convention of 1836 at Washington from March 1 to 17, 1836. [9]

On 02 Mar 1836, Stephen signed the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Texas at Washington-on-the-Brazos, Austin Colony, State of Coahuila, Mexico that “officially created the Republic of Texas”.
On 17 Mar 1836, Stephen signed the Constitution of the Republic of Texas at Washington-on-the-Brazos, Republic of Texas.

Republic of Texas Senator

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1st Congress of The Republic of Texas On 03 Oct 1836 Stephen, who represented the District of Jasper and Jefferson, was elected a Republic of Texas Senator to the 1st Congress. Stephen served as Texas Senator for the Republic of Texas in the 1st Congress at Columbia from October 3, 1836, to December 22, 1836, and at Houston from May 1, 1837, to June 13, 1837. [10] In 1836 Stephen Hendrickson Everitt lived in Texas City, Texas. On 12 Oct 1836 SH Everitt Notice to Empresarios in the Telegraph and Texas Register Notice to Empresarios from SH Everitt to forward information to the new Republic of Texas government about the land grants that had been issued by them, including numbers and names of families. On 21 Oct 1836 a transcript of a letter from SH Everitt as Chairman of Committee on Public Lands to Stephen F Austin asking for copies of all contracts with Texas colonists. Conforms with the newspaper and Everitt ran a few days before asking the same of all former Mexican impresarios. [11]

2nd Congress of The Republic of Texas On 25 Sep 1837 Stephen, who represented the District of Jasper and Jefferson, was elected a Republic of Texas Senator to the 2nd Congress. Stephen served as Texas Senator for the Republic of Texas in the 2nd Congress at Houston during three time periods of September 25, 1837, to November 4, 1837-Called Session, November 6, 1837, to December 19, 1837-Regular Session and April 9, 1838, to May 24, 1838-Adjourned Session. [12] Stephen served as President pro tempore. [13] On 01 Dec 1837 Stephen Everitt wrote an Open Letter to Lamar and others encouraging Mirabeau B. Lamar to replace Sam Houston as president.

3rd Congress of The Republic of Texas On 06 Nov 1838 Stephen, who represented the District of Jasper and Jefferson, was elected a Republic of Texas Senator to the 3rd Congress. Stephen served as Texas Senator for the Republic of Texas in the 3rd Congress at Houston from November 6, 1838, to January 24, 1839. [14] Stephen served as President pro tempore. [15] On 25 Jan 1839 at Houston, the Republic of Texas, The Third Texas Flag of the Republic of Texas Flag passed the 3rd Texas Congress as the official Republic of Texas Flag and approved by Texas President Mirabeau B. Lamar.

4th Congress of The Republic of Texas On 01 Nov 1839 Stephen, who represented the District of Jasper and Jefferson, was elected a Republic of Texas Senator to the 4th Congress. Stephen served as Texas Senator for the Republic of Texas in the 4th Congress at Austin from November 11, 1839, to February 5, 1840. [16]

5th Congress of The Republic of Texas On 02 Nov 1840 Stephen, who represented the District of Jasper and Jefferson, was elected a Republic of Texas Senator to the 5th Congress. Stephen served as Texas Senator for the Republic of Texas in the 5th Congress at Austin from November 2, 1840, to February 5, 1841. [17] On 09 Dec 1840 Stephen resigned from the 5th Congress, Republic of Texas Senate.

Businessman

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In 1841 Stephen became a merchant at Bevilport, west of Jasper.

With his Bevilport business thriving, from 1842-1844 Stephen laid out the City of the Pass, near present-day Sabine Pass. There he conducted an export-import business. He was engaged in expanding his facilities by building wharves and warehouses on Doom Island (now underwater in Sabine Lake about 1800 feet SW of Stewts Island)[18] at the mouth of the Neches River near the City of Pass. On 31 Aug 1843 Dr. Everitt in New York City, deeded half of his extensive real estate properties in Texas to brother James Carr Everitt of New York City to resolve his prior debts. [19]

On 11 Jul 1844, Stephen took a business trip to New Orleans and stayed in the St. Charles Hotel, 215 St. Charles at New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, USA. The St. Charles hotel burned down many times over the years.

Death and Probated Will

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Death. On July 12, 1844, Stephen Hendrickson Everitt died in New Orleans, Louisiana, when he was 37 years old. Stephen was found dead on 12 Jul 1844 at 1:00 PM in the St. Charles Hotel from yellow fever as reported in obituaries published in the New Orleans Picayune newspaper on 13 Jul 1844 and in The New Orleans Bee newspaper on 13 Jul 1844.[20]

Buried. On 14 Jul 1844 Stephen was buried at Girod Street Cemetery[21]; now defunct. It was located between 1450 Girod Street and 1450 Poydras Street; near the present-day Champions Square Parking Garage just outside the Superdome.

Probated Will. Stephen H. Everitt's will took 12 years to probate from 1844 to 1856. On 03 Aug 1844 SH Everitt’s estate was inventoried in New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, USA. On 05 Aug 1844 an accounting of everything in the possession of SH Everitt when he unexpectedly died in a New Orleans hotel. A leather trunk of clothing, an umbrella, a gold watch, a US Treasury Note for $100, various letters, a deed for a Mexican land grant, and partnership papers with Z. William Eddy, who worked for Everitt at his dry goods store in Texas and who was the executor of Everitt's estate in Texas. On 10 Sep 1844, Z. William Eddy of New York City, New York was the administrator of Mr. Everitt's estate. On 25 Nov 1856 Stephen H Everitt’s Will was finally probated at Jasper, Jasper, Texas, USA. The estate was divided between the following heirs of Mr. (Peter) Everitt: Louisa R. Broad, William Hendrickson Everitt, Sarah Ann Everitt, and James C. Everitt. (Book L, pp 69- 70, Deed Records of Jefferson County).

State of Texas Centennial Marker. On 02 March 1936 a State of Texas Centennial Marker was erected for Stephen H. Everitt on the west side of FM1747 near Jasper, Texas.[22]

Reinterment. In 1957 Stephen H Everitt’s remains were reinterred at St. John Cemetery (Hope Mausoleum[23]), 4841 Canal Street, New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, USA (was buried in Girod Cemetery, now defunct).

References

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  1. ^ Kemp, L. W. (1959). The Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Salado, Texas: The Anson Jones Press. p. 109.
  2. ^ Robert Wooster, “Everitt, Stephen Hendrickson,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed January 05, 2021, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/everitt-stephen-hendrickson. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
  3. ^ "New York City directory - 1827-28". United States, New York, New York (City) - Directories. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  4. ^ Martin, Madeleine (January 1, 1978). More Early Southeast Texas Families (First ed.). Quanah, Texas 79252: Nortex Press. p. 130. ISBN 0890151989.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  5. ^ "Texas General Land Office Holdings" (PDF). Entry for Stephen H. Everitt. The Texas General Land Office. p. 277. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  6. ^ Kemp, L. W. (1959). Signers if the Texas Declaration of Independence. Salado, Texas: The Anson Jones Press. p. 108-110.
  7. ^ Adams, Willena (November 1970). Fifty-nine for Freedom, the Texas Signers. Austin, Texas: Graphic Ideas. p. 46.
  8. ^ "Biographical Directory of the Texan Conventions and Congresses, 1832–1845" (PDF). Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved 5 January 2021.,page 14.
  9. ^ "Biographical Directory of the Texan Conventions and Congresses, 1832–1845" (PDF). Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved 5 January 2021.,page 16.
  10. ^ "Biographical Directory of the Texan Conventions and Congresses, 1832–1845" (PDF). Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved 5 January 2021.,Page 18.
  11. ^ "[Transcript of Letter from S. H. Everitt to Stephen F. Austin, October 21, 1836]". The Portal to Texas History.
  12. ^ "Biographical Directory of the Texan Conventions and Congresses, 1832–1845" (PDF). Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved 5 January 2021.,Page 20.
  13. ^ "Biographical Directory of the Texan Conventions and Congresses, 1832–1845" (PDF). Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved 5 January 2021.,Page 21.
  14. ^ "Biographical Directory of the Texan Conventions and Congresses, 1832–1845" (PDF). Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved 5 January 2021.,Page 22.
  15. ^ "Biographical Directory of the Texan Conventions and Congresses, 1832–1845" (PDF). Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved 5 January 2021.,Page 23.
  16. ^ "Biographical Directory of the Texan Conventions and Congresses, 1832–1845" (PDF). Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved 5 January 2021.,Page 24.
  17. ^ "Biographical Directory of the Texan Conventions and Congresses, 1832–1845" (PDF). Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved 5 January 2021.,Page 26.
  18. ^ "Doom Island". Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  19. ^ Martin, Madeleine (January 1, 1978). More Early Southeast Texas Families (First ed.). Quanah, Texas 79252: Nortex Press. p. 131. ISBN 0890151989.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  20. ^ Martin, Madeleine (January 1, 1978). More Early Southeast Texas Families (First ed.). Quanah, Texas 79252: Nortex Press. p. 132. ISBN 0890151989.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  21. ^ Huber, Leonard Victor (January 1, 1961). To glorious immortality: the rise and fall of the Girod Street Cemetery, New Orleans' first Protestant Cemetery, 1822-1957 (First ed.). New Orleans, Louisiana: Alblen Books.
  22. ^ "Dr. Stephen H. Everitt — Jasper County". Texas Historical Sites Atlas. Texas Historical Commission. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  23. ^ "Stephen H Everitt Memorial Page". Find A Grave. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
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