OUR AUSTIN / MCMAHEL PHOTOS

These photos are from albums of Pearl [AUSTIN] Girty (b. 1897) and a few from her sister, Inez [AUSTIN] Head (b. 1911). These sisters were both children of John Marcus AUSTIN Jr. and Minnie Inez [MCMAHEL] Austin and were born at Okay, Pope Co. Arkansas. They had another sister, Agnes "Tollie" [AUSTIN] Stout (b. 1898), four brothers, Noel Austin (b. 1901), John Huston Austin (b. 1903), Benjamin Austin (b. 1905), and Earnest Austin (b. 1909).  Some of the photos in this collection  are of cousins, aunts, uncles and family; many of whom we no longer have names or exact relationships.  One of the  purposes of the page is to elicit information from family regarding the identities and other information.

The Austin and McMahel families came to Pope County Arkansas after the Civil War and homesteaded land in an area called Lost Corner.  John Marcus Austin Sr. (b. 1837, Kennels, Stanley Co., North Carolina) had fought with the 52nd North Carolina Volunteer Infantry, Co. "I", CSA and lost his left arm during Picket's Charge at Gettysburg.  Robert S. McMahel (b. 1843 in Crawford, Indiana) had served with the 143rd Indiana Infantry  Co. "K", USA.  Both men brought their families to Arkansas for a new beginning.

note: Pearl [AUSTIN] Girty later said, "Momma said that  I never saw Grandpa McMahel until I was 3 years old".  Old animosities run deep, something like the Montagues and the Capulets, I suppose.
Living on neighboring farms, the children, Minnie Inez McMahel and John Marcus Austin Jr. met, fell in love and married.  They  then began a family of their own, "up on the mountain" (as their daughter Pearl used to say). In the 19 'teens, the John Marcus Austin Jr. family moved from Okay "down" to Atkins on the Arkansas River and then on to Vian, Sequoyah Co., Oklahoma about 1918, taking John Marcus Sr. with them. The family continued farming but added a poultry house business to the family enterprises.  A genealogy page for the Austin and McMahel families will be added in time, so check back, won't you.





Grandfather John Marcus Austin Sr.
Inez Austin (Granddaughter)
Earnest Austin  (Grandson)
This photo was taken shortly before the family moved from the mountain in Arkansas.  Grandpa Austin died Mar 13, 1919 and was buried in Vian, Oklahoma.
You cannot see his left arm.  His daughter, Pearl AUSTIN Girty said that he always hid that arm stub that was the result of his wound at Gettysburg on July 3rd, 1863.




Another photo of Grandfather, John Marcus Austin Sr.
(note, again the hidden left arm)
Earnest Austin, John Marcus Austin Sr., John Marcus Jr. (holding Marshall) and Inez. This photo was evidently taken back "up on the mountain" on White Oak Mountain, Arkansas near Lost Corners and Okay- In Pope County.




This may be an earlier photo of John Marcus Austin Jr.  We are not sure just who the two youngsters are.



 
 

John Marcus Austin Jr. with his horse.
Taken near Okay, Pope Co. Arkansas
circa 1900
 


2nd from the left is John Marcus Austin Jr.
and members of the "WHITE OAK MOUNTAIN baseball team". (Early 1900s)
White Oak Mountain is the predominant geographical point upon which
Okay, a community near Lost Corners Arkansas was located.



Minnie [MCMAHEL] Austin
At the grave of her husband, John Marcus Austin Jr. in the Vian, Oklahoma Cemetery.
John Marcus Austin Jr. died in Vian, OK  on Feb. 11, 1928

Minnie was killed two years later  in a truck accident on the highway between Vian and Muskogee.  She was delivering a load of poultry in a new Ford truck, Apr 13, 1930


Inez Austin with Minnie [MCMAHEL] Austin and Earnest Austin
likely taken at Vian, Sequoyah County, Oklahoma circa.
 
 

"Grandmother" Austin: Minnie [MCMAHEL] Austin feeds her chickens at Vian, Oklahoma - date uncertain.
 
 
 
 

Pearl Austin
Noel Austin, Baby Benjamin Austin, Tollie Austin

(circa 1908) 
 
 
 
 

NEW HOPE SCHOOL, OKAY, ARKANSAS - CLASS OF 1908
New Hope School was near the community of Okay and was "about 40 miles from Atkins" .
The "New Hope Cemetery" is located on Dabney Road.
(note the teacher's class bell held by the boy to the teacher's left)

TOP ROW:  #2 - cousin, Reece Hatley, #4 -cousin, Enoc Hatley, #5 - TEACHER, #7 - cousin, Will Hatley

THIRD ROW:  #3 -cousin, Jessie,  #4 PEARL MARJORIE AUSTIN, #5 - sister AGNES "Tollie" AUSTIN

SECOND ROW: #7 "Baby Doll" ( close friend, real name unknown), #11 - brother NOEL P. AUSTIN

FIRST ROW: #3 - cousin John Hatley
 
 
 
 

Agnes "Tollie" [AUSTIN] Stout

younger sister of Pearl M. [AUSTIN]  Girty
 
 
 
 


Inez [AUSTIN] Head,
Vian, Sequoyah Co. Oklahoma circa 1920s
youngest sister of Pearl M. [AUSTIN] Girty)
 
 
 


Return to Genealogy page
 

COME BACK SOON,  MORE PHOTOS WILL BE ADDED.

click on the bird to contact Charles Prichard