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The son of Joshua and Jemimah (Hazelton) Griffith, Pennsylvania native Henry Griffith (c. 1797-1869) moved to Johnson's Bayou near Opelousas, Louisiana, about 1819-20. There he met and married Amelia "Milly" Barrow (c. 1802 -?), daughter of Reuben and Mary Jane (Johnson) Barrow, in 1824. Two years later they moved to this area, which was still under Mexican rule at that time. In 1830, the Griffiths received a land grant in the Atascosito District, where they reared their family, farmed the land, and raised cattle and horses. In 1835, Henry Griffith sold 1,047 acres of his land to William Duncan, including the big hill on the property, also known as Barber's Hill, which the deed stated would hence be called "Mont Bellview." More than 50 years later, the area was settled enough to warrant a post office, which was named Mont Belvieu. In 1865, Reconstruction-era governor A. J. Hamilton appointed Henry Griffith as sheriff, and he served until 1868, one year prior to his death. Amelia's death date is not known, and neither of their gravestones survives. Oral histories indicate that their burials are near this site, where the original Griffith house once stood. At least two other members of the family are known to be buried there. As citizens of Texas under the flags of Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States and the United States, Henry and Amelia Griffith bore witness to important events and activities in Texas history. Their significance also lies in their early landholding of the property that became the community of Mont Belvieu. (2001) |
