The parents and siblings of Archibald Willingham (1786 - 1856) are still a mystery and there is no clue as to how Archibald lived his childhood. He first appears in records when on the 6th day of December 1809, he married in Columbia County, Georgia to Eleanor Belcher.

Archibald served as Sgt. in the War of 1812 from Georgia under Captain Thomas D. Carr and Colonel Ignatius A. Few. He was Captain in the Monroe County, Georgia Militia in 1823.

All of Archibald and Eleanor’s children were born in Georgia and came to Texas with him with the exception of his first born child William who died while carrying mail across a creek in Georgia. Entering the Republic of Texas at Sabine County, December 1839, he received a head-right 1 Jan 1840. This land was awarded by the Washington County Land Board. Archibald made his home first in Washington County, Texas and later in Milam County, the part that later became Bell County. He was credited with settling the town of Salado, Texas and a Texas natural landmark recorded 1967 located on Salado Creek in Salado, Bell County, Texas reads . . . Quote: "First Anglo-American settler was Archibald Willingham 1851". Note: Proof of kin to Archibald qualifies one for the Daughters or Sons of the Republic of Texas.

Archibald Willingham was a Dr. by apprenticship, rancher, surveyor, and reputed to have worked on original survey of the capital of Texas building in Austin, Texas. An account of his descendants appear in the following pages. NEXT