Christopher Columbus Smith & Adelaide (aka Ada and Addie) Fagan are the subjects of today’s vintage photo that has gone home to descendants.

This beautiful wedding photo was taken on 7 September 1893 by the Potash Studio in Victoria, Texas.

Both of their families were living in Texas by 1850.

Christopher Columbus Smith was born 1 October 1868, Williamson County, Illinois. He died 24 August 1940, Corpus Christi, Nueces, Texas.

He was the son of Tennesseans Aaron and Rebecca Adaline (Bulliner) Smith, who settled first in Illinois before continuing on to Refugio County, Texas between 1870-1880.

Peter Henry Fagan, born 6 May 1843 in Ireland, was the son of Nicholas and Catherine (MNU) Fagan, who had settled in Refugio County, Texas by the time of the 1850 census.

Peter was the youngest child enumerated in the family and, given the timing, it seems likely that the family left Ireland because of the Irish Potato Famine, which began in 1845.

Peter married Laura Angelique Dubois, daughter of Lucas and Angelique Dubois, both natives of Louisiana.

The reverse side of C.C.’s and Adelaide’s wedding photo notes that Ada was the “daughter of Pete Fagan west side of San antonio River 1894.”

Peter and Laura were the parents of four children, three of who were living in 1900.

Children:

1. Adelaide, born 20 October 1869; died 26 December 1957; married Christopher Columbus Smith, 7 September 1893, Victoria, Victoria, Texas.
2. Oscar Gerard, born 8 October 1871; died 26 November 1950; never married. He was a stockman, a rancher.
3. Frederick William, born 12 October 1874; died 4 March 1954; married Zilpha E. Putnam, 27 April 1904, Victoria, Victoria, Texas. They were the parents of eight children.

Chris, as he was known, and Ada were the parents of five children:

1. Henry Aaron, born March 1895; died 11 February 1942 as a homicide victim; married Susan Ruth Compton. They were the parents of three children, all of whom are deceased, but who have descendants.

2. Morgan Christopher, born January 1897; died 23 December 1940; married Sylma Beatrice Hall. They were the parents of two children, a son and a daughter, and have descendants.

3. Christopher Columbus, born 8 March 1899; died 11 April 1970; married Tennie Leona Stanley, 8 July 1922, but who divorced before 1930. They were the parents of two daughters and have descendants.

4. Laura Adeline, born 26 February 1901; died 2 April 1965; married Henry Horace Compton. They had one son, Robert Booker, born 1933; died 2006, Waco, McLennan, Texas. No further information.

5.Ida G., born 13 October 1904; died 14 November 1971; married Lee Tillman Curry, 7 October 1930. This couple had no children.

Therefore, from this family sketch, it is evident that at least the first three children of Christopher Columbus and Ada have living descendants today.

Their wedding photograph has gone home to one of them. 🙂 Mission accomplished!