The Astin Family
December 25, 1916
Bryan, Texas

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This Astin family picture was taken Christmas Day 1916 at the home of Mrs. James Hugh Astin on E. 29th St. Bryan, Texas .

The following is A brief story of each family member pictured:
1. Ervin H. Astin was the son of James Hugh and Onah Ward Astin. Born May 18, 1889, he graduated from A&M College. Ervin played on the A&M football team. He served as President of the A&M College Board of Directors from 1912 to 1919. Later he served as President of the Texas Penitentiary Board and was President and Chairman of the Board of City National Bank. Ervin married Myrtie Conway and they had two daughters, Onah Astin Barwise and Myrtle Dillard Rawlins. He died May 1956 and is buried in the Bryan City Cemetery.
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Ervin H. Astin farmed the fertile land on the Brazos bottom his whole life.

2. Joe P. Astin was the fourth son of James Hugh and Celia Alsbrook. Eleven days after his birth, his mother died. James Hugh sent the baby to his sister Sara to raise. When Joe was seven, his father brought him home to be raised by his wonderful stepmother Onah. Joe moved to Stamford, Texas when he was grown and married Nina F. Heard. He had two sons, Hugh and Raymond.

3. William Edgar Astin (1869-1949) son of James Hugh and Celia Alsbrook Astin. When his mother died James, his father, remarried Onah Ward and she raised him and his brothers.
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William attended Southwestern University at Georgetown and was a charter member of Kappa Segma Fraternity. He married Ida Newton
March 18, 1891 in Austin. He farmed a 724 acre plantation in the Brazos /bottom for over 50 years. The plantation was part of a
1833 Land Grant to A. Manchaca from Coahuila Mexico and The Republic of Texas. William’s father James bought the land in 1892
and gave William his part of the estate in 1895. The property was sold in 1944 and William died in Houston September 24, 1949.

William and Ida had four children, William Edgar Jr. who died in infancy, James Newton Astin (1892-1965), Clara Ida Astin Taylor who lived in San Antonio, Texas and Janie Astin Tyler of Houston who died at 52 in 1958.

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Mrs. William E. Astin and her daughters Clara and Janie 1916 Pretty ladies in pretty dresses

William’s oldest living son James Newton was born in Bryan, Texas, May 27, 1892. He graduated from Allan Academy and attended South Western University where he was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He moved to San Antonio in 1912 to serve as Assitant Cashier of Gaurenty State Bank. June 6, 1917 he married Hazel Adams in Victoria, Texas. They had one daughter Hazel Nelle who married Morris Sheppard Buchaman and had three children, Barbara, Albert Bill and Hazel Nelle. James Newton served as an officer for the Alamo National Bank in San Antonio, Texas from 1942 to 1960.

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William’s son James Newton Astin and James Newton Astin’s wife Hazel Adams Astin


4. James Robert Astin was born July 16, 1866 the son of James Hugh and Celia Alsbrook Astin.
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He obtained a law degree from the University of Virginia and was admitted to
the Texas Bar in July 1887. He served on the Texas Supreme Court in 1893 and was a State Senator from Robertson County..
Bob married Mabel Franklin Smith late in life. He farmed in the Brazos Bottom at Mumfard from 1887 until his death in 1930.

5. John E. Astin was the third son of James Hugh and Celia Alsbrook. John and his wife Mollie White Harrison lived on a plantation on the Brazos River that his father gave him. Later they moved to Bryan and built a beautiful home on College Ave. The marriage was not blessed with children.

6. Roger Q. Astin was the youngest son of James Hugh and Onah Ward Astin.
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He was married to Nina Heard of McKinney, Texas. They had three children, John Heard, Nina Bess and Daisy Jane who died when she was only 2 years old. The family lived in Bryan, Texas. Nina Bess had a doll house that was a copy of their home in the back yard. Nina Heard Astin’s sister Bess Heard of Mckinney gave a memorial park bird sanctuary in memory of her nieces and nephew.

7. Daisy Astin Perkins was the only daughter of James Hugh and Onah Ward, After her marriage to Dudley Perkins she moved to McKinney, Texas and had two children, Florence Perkins Higgs and John Astin Perkins.

8. Onah Ward Astin was born February 28, 1856 in Phillips County, Arkansas. She was the daughter of William A. & Caroline Ward. Onah married James Hugh January 16, 1878 and lived on their plantation home on the Brazos until James Hugh died October 7, 1897. She was a great mother raising their six sons a one daughter. Onah moved to Bryan, Texas in 1901.

Onah’s husband, James Hugh Astin was a true pioneer. Born in Marion County. Alabama November 1833 the son of James M. and Cynthia Young Astin he came to Texas in 1854. He then went to California to be a miner but returned to Texas to enter the Confederate Army, He served in Company I, Fourth Texas Cavalry, Hood’s Brigade until severely wounded at the battle of Chickamauga, James returned to Texas and in 1864 married Celia Allsbrook in Navarro County.. A year later he moved to Bryan, Texas. He tried several occupations and in 1867 he moved his wife and baby boy on to a rented piece of land in the Brazos bottom. His sole possessions were a wagon, team and ten dollars in money.

Celia died in 1874 leaving him and their four sons. James made his first land purchased 10 years later in 1877 and in 1878 he married Onah Ward of Bryan. When James Hugh Astin died October 7, 1897 he owned over 7,000 acres, 6000 under cultivation and was considered one of the wealthiest planters in the state.

Plantation home in the Brazos bottom built in 1880 by William Edger Astin
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Mrs. James Hugh Astin
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Onah Ward Astin with her great grand daughter Hazel Nelle Astin, The picture was taken during Onah’s visit to San Antonio, May 1935, for Hazel Nelson’s graduation from Thomas Jefferson High School.
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Hazel is the daughter of James Newton Astin and Hazel Adams and grand daughter of Will Saunders & Ella Cole Adams of Bryan, Texas.

Onah’s husband James Hugh Astin
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James’ first wife Celia Allsbrook
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This is a picture taken Christmas 1916 in Bryan Texas that shows the extended family of those hearty Astin pioneers pictured on the family wall.
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1. Ervin H Astin 2. Nina F. Astin, wife of Joe P. Astin 3. Joe P. Astin 4. Myrtie Conway Astin, wife of Erwin H. Astin 5. F. Dudley Perkins, husband of Daisy Astin 6. Onha Ward Astin, 2nd wife of James Hugh Astin. 7. James Robert Astin (State Senator 8. William Edgar Astin (Hazel Nelle’s grandfather) 9. Mollie White Harrison Astin, wife of John E. Astin) 10 John Ethelbert Astin 11. Roger Q Astin 12. Nina Bess Astin, daughter of Roger & Nina Astin. 13. Hugh Astin, son of Joe and Nina F. Astin. 14. Raymond Astin, son of Joe and Nina F. Astin/ 15. Ida Newton, wife of William Edgar Astin (Hazel Nelle’s grandmother) 16. Nina Heard Astin, wife of Rodger Q. Astin 17. Onah Astin Barwise, daughter of Ervin & Myrtie Astin 18. Florence Perkins, daughter of Daisy and Dudley Perkins 19. Clara Astin Taylor 20. Daisy Astin Perkins 21. Jane Astin Tyler 22. John Astin Perkins 23.. John Heard Astin

Donated by Hazel Nelson