Collins Family
Stacey was born in South Carolina in 1776. Everytime someone got between him and the sunset he'd move, first to Georgia, then Mississippi where he raised thirteen children. In 1852 he was too old to lead the clan west so 19 year old Warren loaded the ox wagons with the Collins family, Stacey Jr., Stacey Sr. and their families, including Warren and his brothers Newton and Edwin and made the 500 mile trip to the Big Thicket. They settled three miles southeast of Village Mills where old Stacey died, about 1853. In 1854 Warren returned to Mississippi and married Eboline Valentine. Soon after they moved deeper into the Thicket to the Honey Island area. Edwin brought poplar trees to plant at their new home. They built a log cabin and cleared ten acres for corn. Wild hogs, deer and bear provided their meat. His two poplars grew into trees and the name the Old Poplar Tree place took over. He was short, square, and long armed, a tough, hammer fisted Irishman who ruled with an iron hand. He refused to fight for anything, including for slavery. Many of his clan hid out in the canebrakes of Bad Luck Creek and were hunted by Captain Charley Bullock who set fire to the Thicket in the area in an effort to root them out but to no avail. He rode up to the cabin one day and asked Mrs. Collins if Warren was there. She told him no and the house was searched. Warren soon came home with a deer and heard from his wife what happened. The neighbors were warned while a second group failed to find its quarry at Stacey's home nearby and warned the women to be quiet and withdrew to hide. When the Union men came over for breakfast, the forces met in the yard. Old Man Lilly, and innocent bystander, ran between them and was the only one to die. Stacey was shot in the hip and fell to the ground. Edwin, the youngest, died at Sabine Pass. Stacey and Newton moved to Hays County and Warren later moved his family to Old Hardin in 1877 and then to Tyler County where he died. Stacey and his wife are buried somewhere off Mustang Trail Road, east of the Big Thicket visitor's center. From the Big Thicket Guidebook