RAY, Elijah, Beeville Bee, 2 Mar 1906:

DEATH OF A PIONEER, ELIJAH RAY
In the death of Elijah RAY, which occurred at his home in Goliad County eight miles east of 
Pettus, last Thursday, there was removed from the activities of life one of the oldest pioneers 
of southwest Texas. Coming to the state in 1847 and permanently settling here two years 
later, except for a few he may have been possibly the oldest citizen of this section both in 
point of years and residence. 

His life reached back to 1826 during the second year of the incumbency of John Quincy Adams, 
the sixth president of the United States, being born on May 7th of that year in Fayette County, 
Alabama. When a child his father became a citizen and a landholder of Choctaw County, Mississippi, 
where Mr. Ray grew to manhood. On attaining his majority with the spirit of migration that has 
extended the civilization of the Saxon over the greater part of the continent, he came to Texas 
prospecting in 1847. 

His first stopping point was at Houston, then a town containing a frame hotel and three or four 
businesses. From there he made the trip on horseback to San Antonio, traversing en route some 
of the territory in San Antonio Valley he was destined to own. Returning to Mississippi in 1849 he 
was united in marriage to Miss Mary Wallace DAVIS, moving a year afterwards to Texas, accompanied 
by his widowed mother-in-law and other members of the family. With them they brought a number 
of slaves the most of whom contracted cholera on board the vessel that landed the party at Port Lavaca, 
and their mistress soon followed them, leaving to her youthful son-in-law the care of the family. 
This property loss, and the expenses attendant left the family fortunes sorely depleted, and when an 
accounting was had about enough remained for the purchase of a wagon and team to continue the 
journey inland.

Stopping at Victoria, Mr. Ray undertook farming and again met with misfortune, the drought practically 
ruined his crop. Some men would have become discouraged under such conditions and have returned 
to a more resourceful country, but with the determined spirit that characterized the pioneer, the following 
year found him still in Texas and located on the Escondido in Karnes County where with the assistance 
of a slave he erected a home of logs. Later he purchased land near Helena, where the young wife who 
bad shared his earlier hardships, died in January 30, 1854, leaving two children: James Fayette Ray who 
is a resident of and one of the most extensive landowners of Bee County and a daughter. Martha Jane 
Ray, who died in 1886, the wife of B. B. ADKINS, a most estimable citizen of this county. 

On the 10th of April 1856, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary M. COX, a native of Natchez, Mississippi, 
who was his companion until death claimed her on December 21, 1900. By this second union there are five 
children, George Albert, Jennie Elender, Mary Louiza, Julia Emma, and Fannie Sallie.

In June 1892 Mr. Ray was married for the third time to Miss Margaret SMITH, a teacher of this county and a 
most estimable lady. In 1864 Mr. Ray settled on the place which became his permanent home and at first this 
holding constituted but a few hundred acres, but with thrift that characterized his life he added to them till he 
became one of the largest landholders of this section.