The J. M. Brittain Family

Facts Given by Pete Brittain

Pete Brittain is the last of his generation of Brittains in Jacksonville, but this was the home of many Brittains in his father's generation. At one time, there were eighteen Brittain doctors practicing in the East Texas area. The mother of Pete's father was herself a doctor, and one of the first women to get a license in this country.

Dr. J. M. Brittain came to Texas with brother Frank from Tennessee about 1881. They had graduated in medicine and arrived by wagon. Dr. Frank Brittain opened his office over the Ragsdale store, corner of Main and Commerce, and Dr. J. M. first practiced in the Griffin Community. However, about 1890, Frank moved from Jacksonville, and J. M. came here to take over his office.

Dr. J. M. Brittain had eighteen children, nine of whom survived. His first wife was a Kennedy and she had five children—John, Jim, Billy, Lillie and Wood. When she died, Dr. J. M. married Mary Elizabeth Holcomb, who was a widow with three children. Mary and J. M.'s children were David, Browder, Carson and Pete. Mary died in 1897.

Dr. J. M. then married the widow Aiken, who had eight or more children but J. M. divorced his third wife after a few years of marriage. Pete says, "at one time, there were 28 kids at home." Dr. J. M. Brittain died in 1910 at age 80.

Pete married Pearl Face shortly before his father died. Their son, Bascom, lives in Radcliff, where his wife is postmistress. They have two children and three grandchildren. The daughter, Elizabeth (Mrs. Sam Hammons), who lives near Jacksonville, has four children and seven grandchildren.

When Pete's first wife died with TB, he married Jessie Mae Tyra in 1918. They have four children including Peggy (Boudreaux), who lives in Orange, Billie (Mrs. W. H. Pratt) of Houston, Jo Frances (Rogers) also of Orange and J. M. Brittain who lives in Aransas Pass. There are eleven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren in Pete Brittain's immediate family. He and his wife, Jessie Mae, live on Brady Street in Jacksonville, where Pete is in poor health at age 84. His railroad pension supports him. He first went to work "railroading" in 1904 and serv¬ed as engineer, flagman, switchman and, finally, as conductor, until he re¬tired on pension in 1949.

During those railroading days, there were layoffs and part time work; so Pete opened a garage in 1907, operat¬ing it until 1942. He serviced cars before they had to have a license. He recalls his Buick was the first in town. And, he remembered that it came with the engine, body and wheels with tires and cost $1,800. You had to purchase separately the doors, windshield, lights, horn and other essentials. Among the cars Pete "helped run" were a Sears (from Sears-Roebuck) owned by J. M. Beard (Virgie Acker's father), a Metz, which had a one-cylinder engine, owned by John Ragsdale, and a Rambler (not the modern version) belonging to Charlie Aber. There were many other makes which no longer exist.

After 1942, Pete had various businesses in Jacksonville until his illness, which made him "quit work." He reads without glasses, loves to watch sports events on TV and says, "any of my children can still write a check on me when they get in a tight." And, he continued, "I tell Jessie when we get a letter to tell me how much the check was for."

Dr. J. M. Brittain is shown in a familiar pose for the country doctor of his day. This picture was made shortly after he quit practicing medicine, and the horse and buggy belonged to his son, Pete, who at 84 [in 1972] still resided in Jacksonville.