James Bryan (mining executive)
James Bryan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1789-10-18 Haycock Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | 1822-07-16 Hazel Run, Missouri, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Mining businessman, landowner |
| Known for | Prominent Missouri mining businessman; landowner; related to early Texas settlers |
| Spouse | Emily Margaret Brown Austin (m. 1813) |
| Children | Stephen Austin Bryan, William Joel Bryan, Moses Austin Bryan, Guy Morrison Bryan, Mary Elizabeth Bryan |
James Bryan (1789–1822) was a prominent American mining businessman who played a significant role in the economic growth of Missouri. In 1806, he managed "Bryan's Mines" located on Hazel Run, north of Big River; this location is also referred to as "Hazel Run Lead Digging."
His holdings in Missouri included extensive land and a plantation, and he contributed land for the establishment of public facilities. A property transfer from his father-in-law, mining pioneer Moses Austin, later became central to the 1885 United States Supreme Court decision in Bryan v. Kennett, which is considered an affirmation by the Court of the Louisiana Purchase. Bryan was also recognized as a major landowner in Arkansas by the Arkansas History Commission.
Family and Influence on Texas Development
James Bryan established a lineage that significantly influenced the early Anglo-American settlement of Texas. He was married first to Emily Margaret Brown Austin, was brother-in-law to Stephen F. Austin, son-in-law to Moses Austin, and father to early Texas pioneers such as William Joel Bryan, Moses Austin Bryan, and Guy Morrison Bryan. The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas maintains his documents and letters cataloged under "Bryan, James," including collections like the "Austin Papers, 1676, 1765-1889" and "Bryan (James) Papers, 1799-1822." Among these archives is a memorandum sent by Moses Austin to Bryan around 1819.
Personal Background and Family Life
Born on October 18, 1789, in Haycock Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, James Bryan passed away on July 16, 1822, in Hazel Run, Missouri. He wed Emily on August 31, 1813, at Durham Hall in Mine au Breton, Washington County, Missouri. The couple initially resided at Emily’s family estate, Durham Hall, until 1814 before relocating first to Hazel Run, Missouri and subsequently to Herculaneum, Missouri.
James and Emily had five children:
- Stephen Austin Bryan (July 17 – August 12, 1814)
- William Joel Bryan (December 14, 1815 – March 13, 1903)
- Moses Austin Bryan (September 25, 1817 – March 16, 1895)
- Guy Morrison Bryan (January 12, 1821 – June 4, 1901)
- Mary Elizabeth Bryan (July 5, 1822 – August 4, 1833)
Moses Austin died at Bryan’s residence in 1821. James Bryan’s final resting place is in Hazel Run.
Descendants of James Bryan continue to honor their heritage by gathering annually at the Austin-Bryan-Perry reunion held in Jones Creek, Texas.
Although certain aspects of James Bryan’s middle name and lineage remain uncertain, his impact on Texas business history is firmly recognized.