The Tale of The Tidwell's

My dad worried that I would spend all of my vacation time in Salt Lake City Utah, at the Family History Library and not do anything else so I had to reassure him that I would do some sightseeing. Here are some of the sights I seen:

Okay, okay....

I did see some other sites:

The Fountain in Temple Square Salt Lake City

Mostly, though I spent my time at the Family History Library (hee hee hee). I met my great great paternal grandfather there in a book called Bradley Co. Arkansas 1890.  This book helped me close some of the 1890 sink hole for the Tidwell family. My dad's maternal great grandfather, Andrew Tidwell was born into slavery in 1844 Arkansas, and wasn't a free black, in 1860. Andrew was the father of my great grandfather Millard Tidwell born (1879-1925).  Millard, was the father of my dad's mother Neoma Tidwell (1912-1933).  According  to the 1880 census Andrew's parents were born in Alabama.  In 1870, Andrew owned real estate valued at one hundred dollars, and possessed one hundred seventy-five dollars of personal estate. 

1870 Census Clay, Bradley Arkansas ancestry.com
Year: 1870; Census Place: Clay, Bradley, Arkansas; Roll: M593_48; Page: 498B; Image: 203; 

He was called Andrew G. Tidwell on 23 March 1867 in Bradley, Arkansas when he registered to vote for the first time. In 1870 he was the head of household of eight others, which included his wife Evaline, and children Sallie, age five born 1865; Franklin, age two born 1868; and Julia age one born 1869, two other families, namely Ellis Marks age thirty born in 1840, and Ellis's wife Marzee Bragg born 1834, and their sons George Marks, age nine and William Marks age four born 1866, and also William Faulkner born 1820 and Agness born 1820 all lived under his roof.  Their neighbors were Sterling Bragg, born 1811,  George Bragg born 1840, Wm Cox 1843, George Rice 1831, Elizabeth Crowel 1831, and John Feazel 1841.  Each successive census year following 1870 a Bragg family lived in proximity to Andrew Tidwell and family. His property according to the book Bradley County Arkansas 1890 was located at Township 13 S, Range 11 W, Section 20, 5th PM purchased in 1877.

Property owned by Andrew Tidwell

Ancestry.com. U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: 

I can't fathom how my great great grandfather was able to purchase eighty acres of  land only twelve years after the end of slavery?  By 1890 he owned 160 acres. I've been searching for answers as to this question, such as where  did the money come from?  Could he have made this money from subsistence farming alone?  I  haven't found any answers yet. although, I do have some insight  as to who may have owned the land before him.  According to page 58 of the book Bradley County Arkansas 1890, Andrew Tidwell's property bordered George Tidwell and Sterling Tidwell both owning acreage on sec 29, Township 13, range 11, 160 acres to Sterling Tidwell and 80 acres  to George Tidwell issued 24 Apr 1890

Property owned by George Tidwell
Ancestry.com. U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: 

Property owned by Sterling Tidwell
Ancestry.com. U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: 

Sterling Tidwell born 1858 married Sallie Belin and George Tidwell born 1840 married Anjaline Calhoun, My great great grandfather Andrew married Evaline (possibly Faulkner) and I am told that the land he owned housed a church  that he built and a modest home with a wide wrap-around porch that looked like this: