Some of the Mills sent to Fort Smith were Thomas Isaac Mills sons. There was a write up in a newspaper which told about the Cabin Courthouse in Mena, Polk Co. Arkansas where Thomas Isaac Mills lived during his duration as a judge in Mena from 1874-1878. Thomas Mills and Nancy E. Lawrence Mills lived in this cabin while he was a judge. The newspaper article stated "The log cabin at this time was occupied by Thomas Mills who had six sons some of whom were known as outlaws." The Newspaper,Hope Star contains the article Unique Courthouse at Mena Has Strange History .
I have the court records from some of the Mills who ran into trouble with the law which were scanned into pdf formats, which unfortunately I can't upload into this blog.
*The Thomas Mills mentioned in the Fort Smith Criminal Records is Thomas J. Mills, son of Thomas Isaac Mills.
**George Mills sometimes used the alias Jack Mills.
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Fort Smith Criminal Records
Last First Charge Year Jacket Aka Et al Unk
Mills Andrew J. Larceny 1880 141 M420
Mills Andrew J. Assault 1884 141 M420
Mills Cobb Assault 1884 141 E M420
Mills Thomas IRL 1866 141 M420
Mills Thomas Rob Mail 1872 141 M420
Mills Thomas Larceny 1892 403 M420
Mills Thomas Larceny 1892 349 Colbert, Hardy M420
Mills Tom Larceny 1892 256 Colbert, Hardy M420
Mills Warren C. Liquor 1890 460 M420
*Sold Liquor to the Indians
Mills Jack Assault 1884 141 Mills, Cobb M420
Mills Jack Assault 1884 141 M420
Mills Jack Larceny 1887 141 AKA Mills, George M420
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AKA - As known as
Et Al- Et al. is a Latin abbreviation for "and other persons". It is used when referring to a number of people, i.e., Robert Cummings, et al. It is typically used in the caption of court documents following the first named party, to signify that more than one individual is aligned on one side of the case, i.e., Robert Cummings et al. vs BP Oil Company
M420-Location of Microfiche and number in NARA
NARA's Southwest Region (Fort Worth) (NRFFA), 501 West Felix Street, Building 1, Fort Worth, TX 76115-3405 PHONE: 817-334-5525, FAX: 817-334-5621, EMAIL: ftworth.archives@nara.gov
Typed up July 20, 2010 by Kathy Mills
Mills family from North Carolina 1821 and their descendants.
Frederick Hugo and Mary Edna (Stagner) Mills 50th
Frederick Hugo and Mary Edna (Stagner) Mills with 7 of their 10 children
Friday, January 14, 2011
Thomas Isaac Mills and Jesse James Connections
Frank and Jessie James "careers" lasted from 1863-1882.
Outlaws Frank and Jesse James were rumored to have stayed with Thomas Isaac Mills in the little cabin/courthouse in Mena back in the 1870's. Thomas Isaac Mills was a judge from 1874-1878, the James brothers hid a cache of gold near Polk County in 1874.
So it is very possible there is some truth to the rumor that the James Brothers did hideout with Judge Thomas Mills in Mena, Polk Co. Arkansas.
It was also during this time that 3 of Judge Mills sons were running into problems with the law.
It is very possible that the James brothers and the Mills brothers may have run in the same circle during this time.
*I will continue to look into the ties between the James brothers and the Mills brothers to try and find documentation of their connection.
**************************************************************************
Below from the website http://www.knightsofthegoldencircle-kgc.com/JessesHideout.ht
m
POLK COUNTY, ARKANSAS:
THE TOWN OF MENA HAS A HISTORY WITH JESSE JAMES AS REPORTS HAVE BEEN MADE OF SOME OUTLAW LOOT BEING BURIED OUTSIDE OF MENA. THERE WAS A DISCOVERY OF GOLD COINS MADE IN 1998 BY TWO BROTHERS FROM CALIFORNIA. THERE ARE ALSO MORE REPORTS ABOUT OTHER OUTLAW CACHES IN THIS AREA.
**************************************************************************
http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=13934
A Wild Bunch Cache
They say that a member of the Wild Bunch named Harvey Logan hung out around Mena and that he buried a large cache of gold coins that were never recovered. Looking on the internet it appears that Mena was founded around 1896 as a railway town. Prior to this there is suppose to be yet another incident involving an outlaw gang and an undisclosed amount of gold coins.
According to this story around twenty years before the town of Mena was founded a robbery happened. A lawman named CAGLE is supposed to have disposed of the robbers and the gold was never found, except there are stories told by later generations that claim to have seen many gold coins that were reburied at some later point. So the town of Mena has at least two gold coin caches to search for.
*Thomas Mills daughter Nancy married Elijah Cagle in 1869 in Mena, Polk Co. Arkansas.
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LEFLORE COUNTY OKLAHOMA:
JESSE AND HIS GANG HAD A CAVE HIDEOUT IN THE TURKEY MOUNTAINS NEAR WISTER JUNCTION.
WITH A POSSE HOT ON THEIR TRAIL THEY HID 4 SACKS OF GOLD AND SILVER COINS WORTH $40,000 IN THE CAVE, FILLED THE OPENING WITH SANDSTONE ROCKS AND FLED TO ANOTHER OF THEIR HIDEOUTS.
*John Wesley Walker Anna Elizabeth Mills Walker's father is buried in Leflore Cemetery, Leflore Oklahoma. John W. Walker died 1897. It is believed some Mills lived in Leflore, Oklahoma in the 1800's.
******************************************************************
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~menaarkans
ashistory/mena.html
More on the Little Cabin/Courthouse in Mena, Polk CO. Arkansas
In 1861, the shadow of the Civil War fell over the cabin and bushwhackers were preying the border. Shelton, realizing that the cabin was no longer a safe place, abandoned it and moved further into the wooded area. The cabin was soon taken up by the lawless and it is said that even Jesse James and his gang stopped here on several occasions.
Although no proof exist of this, it is possible as the James gang was known to travel through the area on their way between Hot Springs and the Indian Territory. It was also quite common to steal horses in Arkansas and sell them in the territory, or vice versa. In fact there is a cave and spring called Horsethief Spring between here and Oklahoma, which is said to be the place the "gang" holed up and hid their stolen horses.
The cabin became home again when Thomas Mills, Judge of Polk County, and his ten children moved into it in 1874. Mr. Mills also contracted with the U.S. Mail to carry mail over six mail routes. He headquartered in the cabin and carried mail from Hot Springs, Fort Smith, Arkadelphia, and points in Howard and Sevier Counties, and on the Stringtown route in Indian Territory. This route was a distance of one hundred thirty-five miles and required eight days. Mail was carried on horses or mules over the winding mountain trails.
Frank and Jessie James "careers" lasted from 1863-1882
Outlaws Frank and Jesse James were rumored to have stayed with Thomas Isaac Mills in the little cabin/courthouse in Mena back in the 1870's. Thomas Isaac Mills was a judge from 1874-1878, the James brothers hid a cache of gold near Polk County in 1874.
So it is very possible there is some truth to the rumor that the James Brothers did hideout with Judge Thomas Mills in Mena, Polk Co. Arkansas.
It was also during this time that 3 of Judge Mills sons were running into problems with the law.
It is very possible that the James brothers and the Mills brothers may have run in the same circle during this time.
*I will continue to look into the ties between the James brothers and the Mills brothers to try and find documentation of their connection.
**************************************************************************
Below from the website http://www.knightsofthegoldencircle-kgc.com/JessesHideout.ht
m
POLK COUNTY, ARKANSAS:
THE TOWN OF MENA HAS A HISTORY WITH JESSE JAMES AS REPORTS HAVE BEEN MADE OF SOME OUTLAW LOOT BEING BURIED OUTSIDE OF MENA. THERE WAS A DISCOVERY OF GOLD COINS MADE IN 1998 BY TWO BROTHERS FROM CALIFORNIA. THERE ARE ALSO MORE REPORTS ABOUT OTHER OUTLAW CACHES IN THIS AREA.
**************************************************************************
http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=13934
A Wild Bunch Cache
They say that a member of the Wild Bunch named Harvey Logan hung out around Mena and that he buried a large cache of gold coins that were never recovered. Looking on the internet it appears that Mena was founded around 1896 as a railway town. Prior to this there is suppose to be yet another incident involving an outlaw gang and an undisclosed amount of gold coins.
According to this story around twenty years before the town of Mena was founded a robbery happened. A lawman named CAGLE is supposed to have disposed of the robbers and the gold was never found, except there are stories told by later generations that claim to have seen many gold coins that were reburied at some later point. So the town of Mena has at least two gold coin caches to search for.
*Thomas Mills daughter Nancy married Elijah Cagle in 1869 in Mena, Polk Co. Arkansas.
**************************************************************************
LEFLORE COUNTY OKLAHOMA:
JESSE AND HIS GANG HAD A CAVE HIDEOUT IN THE TURKEY MOUNTAINS NEAR WISTER JUNCTION.
WITH A POSSE HOT ON THEIR TRAIL THEY HID 4 SACKS OF GOLD AND SILVER COINS WORTH $40,000 IN THE CAVE, FILLED THE OPENING WITH SANDSTONE ROCKS AND FLED TO ANOTHER OF THEIR HIDEOUTS.
*John Wesley Walker Anna Elizabeth Mills Walker's father is buried in Leflore Cemetery, Leflore Oklahoma. John W. Walker died 1897. It is believed some Mills lived in Leflore, Oklahoma in the 1800's.
******************************************************************
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~menaarkans
ashistory/mena.html
More on the Little Cabin/Courthouse in Mena, Polk CO. Arkansas
In 1861, the shadow of the Civil War fell over the cabin and bushwhackers were preying the border. Shelton, realizing that the cabin was no longer a safe place, abandoned it and moved further into the wooded area. The cabin was soon taken up by the lawless and it is said that even Jesse James and his gang stopped here on several occasions.
Although no proof exist of this, it is possible as the James gang was known to travel through the area on their way between Hot Springs and the Indian Territory. It was also quite common to steal horses in Arkansas and sell them in the territory, or vice versa. In fact there is a cave and spring called Horsethief Spring between here and Oklahoma, which is said to be the place the "gang" holed up and hid their stolen horses.
The cabin became home again when Thomas Mills, Judge of Polk County, and his ten children moved into it in 1874. Mr. Mills also contracted with the U.S. Mail to carry mail over six mail routes. He headquartered in the cabin and carried mail from Hot Springs, Fort Smith, Arkadelphia, and points in Howard and Sevier Counties, and on the Stringtown route in Indian Territory. This route was a distance of one hundred thirty-five miles and required eight days. Mail was carried on horses or mules over the winding mountain trails.
Frank and Jessie James "careers" lasted from 1863-1882
Thomas Isaac Mills and Nancy E. Lawrence Mills of Mena, Polk Co. Arkansas
I am researching my Mills ancestors.
I have run into a brickwall with my g g g grandfather Thomas Isaac Mills. Born abt. 1818-1821 in North Carolina. Thomas Isaac Mills. Below is the information I have for Thomas I. Mills. Would love to hear from anyone else researching Thomas I. Mills and his ancestors or descendants.
************************************************************************
Thomas Isaac Mills was born Abt. 1818 in North Carolina and died Aft. 1880. He married Nancy E. Lawrence from Tennessee Bef. 1846 in Alabama. She was born Abt. 1823 in Tennessee, and died Aft. 1880.
Notes for Thomas Isaac Mills:
Isaac may be spelled incorrectly.
The 1880 Polk County, Arkansas census records indicate Thomas was born in North Carolina. The same census indicates his father was born in Virginia and his mother was born in North Carolina. Their names are not known.
Thomas’s exact whereabouts are not known between 1818 and 1846. A record of him was found in the 1850 census for Polk County, Arkansas. The census indicated his first three children were born in Alabama, so we can assume he lived there from at least 1846 when their first son Henry was born until sometime in 1849 when their son Thomas J. was born. Notes from research done earlier by Mary D. Robinson show that Thomas and Nancy were married in Alabama, but we have not been able to confirm this.
In the 1850 census Thomas is listed as a carpenter, and in the 1860 census as a farmer. That census also indicated he had $1,200 in real estate and $1,800 in personal property.
In the 1860’s Thomas I. Mills and his family lived in the log cabin which still exists on its original site, located in Janssen Park in Mena, AR. His daughter Nancy married Elijah Cagle in the cabin in 1869. During this time Thomas contracted to handle the six mail routes out of old Dallas, the county seat, handling mail to and from Hot Springs, Fort Smith, Arkadelphia, and other points in Howard and Sevier counties. The 1860 census shows three mail carriers living in the Mills household.
I have run into a brickwall with my g g g grandfather Thomas Isaac Mills. Born abt. 1818-1821 in North Carolina. Thomas Isaac Mills. Below is the information I have for Thomas I. Mills. Would love to hear from anyone else researching Thomas I. Mills and his ancestors or descendants.
************************************************************************
Thomas Isaac Mills was born Abt. 1818 in North Carolina and died Aft. 1880. He married Nancy E. Lawrence from Tennessee Bef. 1846 in Alabama. She was born Abt. 1823 in Tennessee, and died Aft. 1880.
Notes for Thomas Isaac Mills:
Isaac may be spelled incorrectly.
The 1880 Polk County, Arkansas census records indicate Thomas was born in North Carolina. The same census indicates his father was born in Virginia and his mother was born in North Carolina. Their names are not known.
Thomas’s exact whereabouts are not known between 1818 and 1846. A record of him was found in the 1850 census for Polk County, Arkansas. The census indicated his first three children were born in Alabama, so we can assume he lived there from at least 1846 when their first son Henry was born until sometime in 1849 when their son Thomas J. was born. Notes from research done earlier by Mary D. Robinson show that Thomas and Nancy were married in Alabama, but we have not been able to confirm this.
In the 1850 census Thomas is listed as a carpenter, and in the 1860 census as a farmer. That census also indicated he had $1,200 in real estate and $1,800 in personal property.
In the 1860’s Thomas I. Mills and his family lived in the log cabin which still exists on its original site, located in Janssen Park in Mena, AR. His daughter Nancy married Elijah Cagle in the cabin in 1869. During this time Thomas contracted to handle the six mail routes out of old Dallas, the county seat, handling mail to and from Hot Springs, Fort Smith, Arkadelphia, and other points in Howard and Sevier counties. The 1860 census shows three mail carriers living in the Mills household.
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