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Note: He came to Grimes County, Texas from Florida with his father at a young age, and later worked as a clerk in retail stores in Dallas. He married his first wife, Delia Boatner, in Anderson County, Texas in 1877, but by 1879/80 he had abandoned his wife and child according to her testimony at the divorce proceedings. He is not listed in any census after 1870. Dallas city directories show he was in Dallas in 1878/79 [last time listed] living at Veale Street, and records indicate that he was divorced in Dallas in 1883, but did not show up from the court proceedings. He was involved in several law suits against his siblings relating to his father and mother's probate in the early 1880's. He moved to Bell County, Texas where he married Eula Mims in 1885. Records are sparse, but he apparently worked as a Mule and Horse Broker [used car salesman of his day]. He died of an attack of Bright's Disease in Taylor, Williamson County, Texas at a relative young age [early forties] according to an affidavit his second wife executed later for his first wife. Taylor is about 40 miles south of Belton where he supposedly lived. He may have been on business in the city, but apparently his wife was with him. He may have become ill and she came to him. It is unknown whether he is buried in Taylor or Belton, but likely his grave is not marked.
Enoch Grigsby Mays, Jr. has not been found in the 1880 census. He does not
appear in any census after 1870. The last documentation of him living in the
city of Dallas is in the 1878/79 city directory. He was about 26 years of age in
1880. Based on the divorce petition filed by his wife, Delia Mays, he deserted
her in November 1879, and she was residing in Gainesville, Cooke County, Texas
in 1880. She is listed in this census. It is unknown if he left her while living
in Cooke County or they were living in Dallas and she subsequently moved to
Cooke County of her own accord after the separation. My speculation is that he
left them in Cooke County. Delia was back in Dallas County by 1882 because she
filed for divorce this year and met the residence requirements. Delia testified
to the court that she thought that Enoch was living in McClennan County Texas in
1882, but the Sheriff of the county was unable to locate him to serve papers. In
Ruth Mays' Obituary in 1959, [one of Enoch Jr. daughters from his second
marriage] it states that she was born in "South Texas". On Myrtle Mays Baker's
death certificate [another daughter from his second marriage] in 1935 it states
that she was born in the city of Belton in Bell County. Enoch married Delia
Boatner 1877 according to Samuel Elias Mays writing in 1929, plus other
supporting documentation for this marriage has been uncovered. E. G. Mays Jr.
works as a clerk for a Mr. Beauchamp in 1873. According the 1875 city
directory, E. G. Mays Jr works as a clerk for Clark, Bryan, and Blake at 201-203
Main Street, and resides at the home of his father. C. B. and B was a wholesale
merchant of dry goods, and groceries located on Lamar Street fronting the Texas
and Pacific Railroad. There is a photo preserved showing this building in
Dallas achieves. Enoch G. Mays (Jr.) resided on the east side of Veale between
Wood and Young in the 1878/79 edition. Since E.G. Mays Jr. married in 1877 he
now has a separate home. My speculation is that Enoch Mays Jr. was either a
traveling salesman or a merchant because of his traveling and wandering ways.
In the divorce court proceedings in 1882/83, E. G. Mays apparently did not show
up or have representation during the hearing.
I speculate that E. G. Mays Jr. worked as a traveling salesman [I know now
that he was involved in the horse and mule business while he lived in Bell
County] because he moved around a lot, he was in Anderson County in 1877, back
in Dallas County in 1878, and then in Cooke County in 1878/79, maybe in Tyler,
Smith County at some point, and apparently in McClennan County after 1880 for at
least a while. He was married in Bell County in 1884. Records indicate that one
of his daughters was born in "South Texas" in 1894 and another one was born in
Belton Texas in 1888.
During this period, and continuing for a few years after his divorce,
Enoch was involved in several lawsuits in Dallas County against members of his
family relating to the inheritance left by his father, who died in 1875, and
then his mother who passed away in 1884. There may have been some fiction among
the siblings in Dallas over how the inheritance was to be divided up. E. G. Jr.
apparently was the odd man out with the family and this may have caused his mood
and demeanor to be bad during the period 1878-1883 and could have contributed to
the breakup of his marriage. Delia gave no reasons for the breakup of the
marriage. She states that she did nothing to cause him to abandoned her and the
child and appeared puzzled by it. Of course this was only the side presented at
the divorce hearing since E. G. did not show up to defend himself. Something
happened to cause him to left her but we will never know what it was. He may
have lost some of the law suits, but probably received a settlement of some
type. After the law suits ended in the mid 1880's and the divorce was granted he
apparently left Dallas County for good. This was also about the time frame that
Samuel R. Mays left Dallas County for Tarrant County. In addition, D. B. Mays
disappears from Dallas County about this same time. The family scattered.
As I stated earlier, Enoch Grigsby Mays Jr., disappears from history after
1878/79 when he was last listed in the Dallas city directory living at a
separate home than his mother, brother and sister. In all prior years, he has
lived with them at 62 Bryan Avenue, his father Enoch Mays' home place. To me
this clearly indicates that something has changed in his life. He has acquired a
wife and needs a separate home? Information from several sources indicate
that E. G. Mays Jr. married Delia Boatner in 1877 in Palestine, Anderson County
Texas. I have no idea why he was in Anderson County in 1877 or how he came into
contact with his future wife. Apparently, he returned to Dallas with his new
wife after the marriage for a short period before leaving again for parts
unknown. I had concluded prior to finding Eula in Fort Worth that E. G. Mays
Jr. had died at a young age and faded from history just as his brother D. B. Mays did. This belief was based on the 1880 Cooke County Texas census where his
wife Delia Boatner Mays indicates in the record that she is a widow, and E. G.
has not been found in the census of 1880 or any other census. I considered the
possibility that there was another Enoch G. Mays living in Texas about the same
age, both being born in Florida. Maybe this was the one that Eula married. By
the time I picked up the trail of his second family in 1900, Enoch Jr is
deceased and Eula is a widow. I know now that he was living in Bell County,
Texas from about 1883 to his death November 10, 1898.
County records indicate that E. G. Mays married Eula Mims Sunday, July 6,
1884 in Bell County, Texas.They were married by the paster at the Methodist
Church in Belton, Mr. H. L. Helms. It was a leap year. Records in Volume G of
the Bell County Marriage records record this event. The 1883 Bell County tax
records indicate that a A. E. Mimms owned 187 acres of land, and paid state and
county taxes in the amount of $23.67 on property valued at $1070.00. A year
later in the 1884 tax record the property is in the name of Mrs. A.E. Mimms and
appraised for $1500.00. No tax was charged probably since she was a widow. This
was repeated again in 1885. It is unknown if this was Eula's family. No probate
records have been found for a Mims in Bell County during this period. In
the1885 tax records, E. Mays has 1 1/2 acres of land valued at $300.00 and was
charged a tax of $3.17. In 1886, E. Mays is listed again with the same
property which is now valued at $310.00 and tax was $4.01. He is not within the
city limit jurisdiction. In 1886, E. G. Mays was assessed taxes on property
valued at $660.00. The amount of taxes were $6.53. This consisted of a wagon
worth $65.00, 11 horses or mules valued at $400.00, 2 cattle valued at $40.00,
and $155.00 cash on hand. In 1888, E. G. Mays had property valued at $610.00.
This included 15 horses and mules, valued at $500.00, 2 cows worth $10.00, and
money on hand in the amount of $100.00. He paid taxes of $4.95. This indicates
that during this time he was involved in horse and mule trading from the number
of horses and mules he had on hand and the small amount of land.
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