Cochran's : A First Texas Family Joseph Sidney Cochran: Republic Of Texas "First Texas Family" Source of information COCHRAN FAMILY RECORDS COPIED FROM MEMORANDA SET DOWN BY his son, John Lewis COCHRAN in JULY 1862, Lemaster and Margaret Herberger pub 1965 p 105, FOUNDERS AND PATRIOTS OF TEXAS, GLYMPSES OF NEWTON CO HISTORY compiled by Newton Co Historical Commission, JOSEPH & HENRY COCHRAN FAMILY'S WERE EARLY NEWTON COUNTY SETTLERS newspaper article by Jasper Co Historical Commission, MY NEWTON COUNTY TEXAS ANCESTORS, SOME EARLY SOUTHEAST TEXAS FAMILIE'S by Thomas Wilson edited by Madalian Martin pp 112-116,and COCHRAN's PLACE 2010 Pedegree Chart,Terry Lee Cochran, ggg grandson, tcochran7@austin.rr.com. In Glimpeses of Newton Co it says that JS Cochran was one of the first county commissioners. This group is the general governing body of the Co. The same book says, "In the year 1827 three Cochran brothers, together with Col Lewis' family came down the Ohio River from Evansville, Indiana where the Cochran family had settled after migrating from Mass. They entered the Mississippi River at Cairo, Ill and thence on to Baton Rouge, La and settled in Ouachita, La. Then in 1831 they went overland to Salem, Tx, already an important settlement on the Sabine River to settle in the Bevil District. Henry Cochran was single, but his two brothers, Nathaniel and Joseph, were companied by their families. Joseph Sidney Cochran was married to Elizabeth Lewis, one of Col Samuel S. Lewis' daughters. Col Lewis settled in Zavalla, Tx, but the 3 Cochran's each preempted a league of land (4,428 acres)in what was then a part of the Mexican Province of Texas and later became Newton Co." On 1850 census Joseph's occupation is farmer and he owns property worth $2000. Joseph's wife Elizabeth Lewis was the daughter of Col. Samuel S. Lewis and she was the great great granddaughter of General Andrew Lewis of the Revolutionary War. Newton County Texas has seen a number of JAILS since becoming the county seat. The first official jailhouse was a log structure built in 1857 by J. S. Cochran for $780. It was located across the square on the west side where the Phillips 66 gas station now stands. It was unique in that it had three log walls. The inner and outer walls were horizontal dovetailed logs while the center wall had logs running vertically. In 1874 a two-story framed jail was erected on the square's east side near the present Newton County Historical Marker. In 1898 a brick jail with a hangman's gallows in the center of its stairwell was built in the area between the existing courthouse and the water tower. Sheriff Dave Humphreys was killed in it in 1932. That jail was razed in 1935 and replaced by a jail attached to the courthouse. -From newton county historical marker at the jail........ {Biography by: Terry Lee Cochran} Newton County was originally part of the Spanish"Atascosito District" and under Mexican rule it became "Liberty District." In 1835, the present county was part of what was known as "Municipality of Bevil" or Bevil's District. After Texas's independence, the district was divided into Liberty, Jefferson and Jasper counties. At that time Jasper county included the land between the Neches and the Sabine rivers, but in 1846 Jasper county was cut in half, and Newton county was created from the eastern half. Children of JOSEPH COCHRAN and ELIZABETH LEWIS are: JOHN LEWIS COCHRAN, b. 1828, Ouachita Parish., Louisiana; d. September 05, 1888, Newton Co, Texas. Buried in the Old Belgrade Cemetery. MARTIN BATY COCHRAN, b. September 04, 1831,in the Mexican Province of Texas, Spanish "Atascosito District" that later became Newton Co., Newton, Texas; d. March 09, 1907, Truitt, Runnels, Texas. Served in Confederate States Army. He was named after his uncle, Martin Baty Lewis. SAMUEL COCHRAN, b. 1837, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana; d. Newton Co, Texas. WILLIAM ALFRED "Stiff Leg" COCHRAN, b. October 20, 1839, the Mexican Province of Texas, Spanish "Atascosito District" that later became Newton Co., Newton, Texas; d. March 11, 1923, Bivens, Beauregard, La.. Served in Confederate States Army. FRANCIS M. COCHRAN, b. abt 1842,the Mexican Province of Texas, Spanish "Atascosito District" that later became Newton Co., Newton, Texas, Republic Of Texas. ELIZABETH COCHRAN, SAXON b. abt 1845, Republic Of Texas, the Mexican Province of Texas, Spanish "Atascosito District" that later became Newton Co., Newton, Texas; m. BENJAMIN B. SAXON, 1865, Beauregard Co, La.. Married to Benjamin B. Saxon. JOSEPH SIDNEY COCHRAN, Jr., b. November 08, 1847, Newton Co, Texas; d. Beauregard Co, La.; m. DULCINIA PARALEO PEAREE, July 28, 1872; d. December 03, 1899. JAMES HARPER COCHRAN, FOSTER b. abt 1854, Newton Co, Texas. Died aft 1873. JULIA A.P. COCHRAN, b. 1854, Newton Co, Texas; d. 1873; m. JOSEPH ALEXANDER FOSTER, November 30, 1871, Newton Co, Texas. Children of JOSEPH COCHRAN and NANCY WATSON are: MARTHA J. COCHRAN, b. 1862, Newton Co, Texas; m. ALFRED MURICK, June 23, 1881, Orange Co, Texas. CORNELIA COCHRAN, b. 1864, Newton Co, Texas; m. WILLIAM H. POINTER, February 26, 1880, Orange Co, Texas Joseph and Elizabeth's grave site. The Old Belgrade Cemetery is located near the league of land that Joseph received from the Mexican Government. This cemetery was found in very bad condition and was reclaimed from the wild undergrowth in the area (The Big Thicket). Their oldest son, John Lewis Cochran is also buried in the Old Belgrade Cemetery "First Texas Family" Terry Lee Cochran great-great-great grandson's submission of Joseph Sidney Cochran and his wife Elizabeth (Lewis) Cochran, daughter of Col. Samuel S. Lewis to the Texas State Genealogy Society, has documented them a founding family of The Republic Of Texas, and a "First Texas Family, as certified by Texas State Genealogy Society,24 July 2009. His biography and certified TxSGS application will be kept at the University Of Texas, History Dept for viewing by researcher's of the founding families of Texas. i.e. Cochran's a founding Texas family. Joseph Sidney Cochran and his wife Elizabeth Lewis were also certified, as "Citizen's Of The Republic of Texas" by the Son's Of The Republic of Texas" on 10 August, 2010. Submitted by Terry Lee Cochran, ggg Grandson. (bio by: Terry Lee Cochran ) 17 Feb 2011, TSGS files and records including the First Family of Texas have been moved to the East Texas Research Center at Stephen F. Austin Universiy at Nacogdoches.