William M. and Nancy J. Hughes Cochran
By William Foster Jacoby, Dallas TX
From Proud Heritage, Vol 1 by DCPA. This 300 page hardcover book is available online.

Nancy Jane Hughes, the daughter of William (June 11, 1785 - October 10, 1872) and Ailsey Carr (July 3, 1791 - October 3, 1870) Hughes, was born in Stokes County, North Carolina on October 24, 1817. About 1828 William and Ailsey and their children moved (possibly by way of Bedford County first) to Columbia, Maury County, Tennessee. William, son of John (1762 - July 23, 1828) and Margaret McClanahan (April 7, 1773 - May 20, 1853) Cochran, was born April 7, 1807 near Abbeville, South Carolina.

John died about 1830 so Margaret and her eleven children moved to Columbia where William entered the mercantile business in the firm of COCHRAN & GILMER; he is said to have worked in a bank at one time also. William M. and Nancy Jane were married in Columbia on September 21, 1837 and set up housekeeping there. In late 1840 they moved from Columbia to Greene County, Missouri where they were joined by Isaac Blackmon and Mary Hughes Webb. They had planned to move near Mt. Vernon Post Office in Barry County, Missouri but Isaac made a horseback ride to Nacogdoches County, Texas where he met the Keenan Family at Mustang Branch (later changed to Farmers Branch). He liked the location so much that he took a sample of the soil back to Missouri. It appears both families decided to move to Texas instead.

March 1, 1843. Cochran Family arrived at Mustang Branch (Peters Colony issued land certificate #2116 to him). William M. was a farmer and introduced wheat and cotton to the area; he also planted pumpkins, corn, peach trees, apple trees, and cherry trees.

Early 1845. Residents of Mustang Branch erected the first church and school house; school was taught by Thomas C. Williams (husband of Sarah Matilda Hughes Williams).

December 29, 1845. Texas became the twenty-eighth state of the United States. February 19, 1846. Republic of Texas turned over political control to the State of Texas. First legislature created twenty-eight counties in 1846; Dallas County created April 18, 1846.

July 13, 1846. First election in Dallas County; William M. Cochran elected County Clerk.

1847-1849. William M. elected first Dallas County Representative to the state legislature.

1849-1850. Cochran built second cotton mill (with corn mill attached) in Dallas County.

April 30, 1851. Perry Dakan sold 640 acres of Wilson Baker Survey on Browning Creek to the Cochran's. Cochran Chapel Church and Cemetery are on that land.

May 15, 1852. At a mass meeting of Peters' Colony settlers, a five man committee was elected to draft resolutions against the Texas Emigration and Land Co. assuming the right to exercise judicial powers in determining the rights of citizens and to eliminate many persons by classes from the benefits of the act of 10 February, 1852. William M. Cochran was on that committee.

April 24, 1853. Death of William M. Cochran from typhoid fever. He is the second person buried in Cochran Chapel Cemetery. Nancy Jane was left with six children, the oldest only 15, and a cotton gin which she sold to Col. Coit in 1856.

July 11, 1856. Nancy Jane prepared deed and surveyed the land for Cochran Chapel and cemetery, the first deeded church in Dallas County.

1856-1877. Nancy Jane sent the four oldest boys through McKenzie College in East Texas. All four joined the Confederate Army when the war broke out. James Monroe Cochran was the only son to be wounded. These four boys returned from the war and made substantial contributions to the advancement of Dallas County.

July 13, 1875. Nancy Jane elected one of the four Vice-Presidents of the Dallas County Pioneer Association in the first election of that organization.

October 15. 1877. Death of Nancy Jane Hughes Cochran; she is buried next to her husband in Cochran Chapel Cemetery.

Children of William M. Cochran and Nancy Jane Hughes Cochran:
John Hughes Cochran born 28 June 1838, Columbia, Maury County, Tennessee; married Martha Jane Johnson; died 21 October 1929, Sweetwater, Nolan County, Texas.
Archelaus Madison Cochran born 28 September 1839, Columbia, Maury County, Tennessee; married (1) 22 February 1866, Laura Knight; married (2) 22 January 1871, Mary Jenkins Collins; died 1 November 1871.

William Porter Cochran born 24 January 1841, Greene County, Missouri; married 30 January 1867, Amanda Maria Lawrence; died 5 January 1906, Dallas County, Texas. Margaret Elizabeth Cochran born 27 September 1842, Greene County, Missouri; died 1 January 1848, Farmers Branch, Dallas County, Texas. She is buried in Farmers Branch Cemetery near the old depot..

Mary Maria Cochran born 26 July 1845, Farmers Branch, Dallas County, Texas; died 1845, Farmers Branch, Dallas County, Texas. Buried in Farmers Branch Cemetery near the depot.

James Monroe Cochran born 1 June 1846, Farmers Branch, Dallas County, Texas; married (1) 23 November 1846, Margaret B. Lively; married (2) Nannie M. dark; married (3) 26 March 1884, Mary Harriett (Hattie) Bowlin; died 25 December 1924, Dallas County, Texas.

Martha Alice "Mattie" Cochran born 25 December 1848, Farmers Branch, Dallas County, Texas; married 9 April 1867, William Harris; died 16 September 1908, Dallas County, Texas.
George Washington Cochran born 11 January 1851, Farmers Branch, Dallas County, Texas; died 16 January 1872, Dallas County, Texas.

Sarah Jane Cochran born 29 March 1852, Dallas County, Texas; died 7 April 1853, Dallas County, Texas of typhoid fever. The first person buried in Cochran Chapel Cemetery.