ROLAND THORNTON BRYARLY was born in 1813 at White Post, Frederick County, Virginia to Richard Samuel Bryarly and Susannah Conway Fitzhugh-Bryarly.

Republic of Texas claims document that Roland Thornton Bryarly delivered bacon and other supplies for the Texas Melitia as early as 17 April 1838 by steamboat. His land grant for 640 acres is dated 7 March 1839. R.T. Bryarly's Republic of Texas Land grant file documents that he founded the town of Rowland, (later called Old Rowland), in Red River County, 17 miles N.E. of Clarksville, and about one mile down stream of the present-day town of Bryarly. The town of Rowland served as a landing on the Red River where Roland T. Bryarly also owned a two-story warehouse store with a basement. Steamboat trade was intrical to the commerce of early Texas trade between Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana. Cotton was the main commodity traded, but hay, sugar, pork, beef, linen cloth for sheets and clothes, hides, beeswax, molasses, frilly gifts like dolls from New Orleans, snakeroot, and general farm supplies were also traded. Snakeroot was a wild herb that was dug-up, dried, and "processed" into a medicinal formula that was bottled and sold as a cure-all.

There is a Plat survey map held at the Texas Land Commission in file #590 dated 8 Aug 1905 for Roland Thornton Bryarly, which draws the boundaries for Rowland (associated with his 640 acre land grant dated, 17 March 1839, File #186). Roland Bryarly entered a Deed of Trust selling lot 19 fronting Main Street to Forbes & Aaly, on 24 April 1839, in the town of Rowland. Other streets in Rowland included Darwin, Chewing, Tate, Grenade, and Lamar.

The Paris News, Tuesday, 27 May 1958 documents Rowland as the first of 3 communities abandoned in the Bryarly township area of Red River County, Texas, and one of the 3 major trading ports along this section of the river. The other two being, "Pecan Point, near Bowie County line, and Jonesboro near the present community of Blakeney." Parts of Rowland caved into the Red River during a rise, and trading shifted to Mound City (presently known as Bryarly). Mound City was founded by Capt. Joseph Lupton Bryarly, (son of Thomas F. Bryarly and nephew of Rowland Thornton Bryarly), who later renamed the town "Bryarly" when he became Postmaster in 1892. The "Old Rowland" cemetery is said to be all that remains of the town of Rowland today. Headstones for John Monkhouse buried there in October 1849, and his wife, Ann Monkhouse buried there in December 1863 were documented as still standing in the article. The article also stated that Fred Chapman of Ardore, Oklahoma owned the land at the Old Rowland town site at that time.

There is no record of Roland T. Bryarly ever being married, or having children.

Trade of Roland's snakeroot medicinal formula became so successful that he expanded his route to Virginia, New York, and other Northeastern states. It became more economical for Roland to bale the dried snakeroot and process the medicinal formula in the Northeastern states. However, on a business trip in June of 1866 to New York, Roland passed away of dysentery. Rowland's remains were sent to his family homestead in White Post Virginia, and he was buried at the Bryarly Family cemetery on the lands of his childhood home, Walnut Grove Plantation. R.T. Bryarly's will left, in addition to an equal share of his estate, blocks 1 and 13, the storehouses, warehouses, and use of $5000 to his nephew, J. L. Bryarly.

Sources:
Birth: from 6 September 1860 Clarksville PO, Red River County, Texas Census, (Stamped 115B, Sheet 118, Family #763, Line 23), Head of Household, R.T. Bryarly, born 1813 in Virginia.

Clark, Pat B., (1937), "The History of Clarksville and Old Red River County," H. David Maxey, Online Editor 2004, p. 183.

Crow, Corinne E. (1969). Interview with Mary Bauchman Swann, East Texas State University Oral History Program (Special Project), 1-33.

Texas Land Commission in files #186 & #590 for R.T. Bryarly.

Steamboat Information: The Wooldridge Steamboat List.

The Paris News, Tuesday, 27 May 1958, Sand Bar Halted Red River Traffic.

Death Record: (Barber Collection), New York County, Letters of Administration Index, 24 August 1866, Liber Page Bond Book: 84-339-PA.

©Mark Morrow