Josiah Dawson Hudgins

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Josiah Dawson “J.D.” Hudgins, born in 1852, was one of four sons of Joel and Rachel Northington McKenzie Hudgins to survive to adulthood. Hudgins’ ancestors had come from Wales to Virginia in 1742; his father, Joel (d. 1873), came to this area of Texas in 1839 and served as Wharton County Commissioner. In 1850, Joel and Rachel purchased a tract of land from her father, Andrew Northington, an early area settler. There they built the Hudginsville School to educate their sons and other area children. In 1877, J.D. married Mollie Juline McKinney. In the early 1880s,he opened a general mercantile store and saloon in Quinan. The New York, Texas & Mexican Railroad came through the area in 182, missing Quinan by a half mile, so the community moved to be nearer the depot at the new town of Hungerford. J.D. and his brothers formed the J.D. Hudgins & Bros. Partnership, buying land and cattle, as well as a cotton gin and gristmill. J.D. was a charter member of both the Wharton Masonic Lodge and the Methodist Church. J.D. and Mollie built a large family home in Hungerford in 1918 to be nearer his businesses. In 1906, J.D. bought several Brahman cattle, imported into Texas from India because of the breed’s tolerance for conditions of the Texas gulf coast. J.D. and his son, Walter, worked to develop what came to be called the American Brahman breed. They were also early leaders in the American Brahman Breeders Association and helped in Wharton County’s efforts to control Cattle Tick Fever during the early 20th century. After J.D.’s death in 1928, Walter continued his father’s efforts to develop one of the largest registered American Gray Brahman herds in the world. J.D. Hudgins, Inc. perpetuates their legacy. (2004)