He represented Rusk County in the Texas state legislature,
Nov 7, 1853 - Nov 5, 1855 (district 22), 5th legislature session, and Nov 2, 1863 - Aug 6, 1866 (district 13), 10th legislative session.

see: Handbook of Texas Online /articles/fbi42
(Findagrave has asked me to remove all external links to other sites)

The old Birdwell homeplace just north of Mt. Enterprise was the farm of Col. Allen Birdwell, a pioneer of Rusk County. He came from Alabama to Nacadoches County in 1838 to see the country, liked what he saw, and decided to move to Texas. He went home to arrange his affairs and finally moved to Nacogdoches County, Texas in 1842, soon after settling in Rusk County. The two-story log house he erected is preserved today at Monte Verde Plantation. Many family members, including his father, were buried at the family cemetery, along with a number of slaves. When the land passed from the possession of his descendants, the later owners plowed under the cemetery. Trees marking some of the graves were cut down, while the gravestones were thrown into a ditch and covered. A partial list of those known to be buried here was supplied by Mrs. Bohannon of Mt. Enterprise, and a descendant of the Birdwell family.

Allen Birdwell's ledger states he was born "in Roane County, East Tennessee," and "was brought to the Mississippi Territory in 1805, now Alabama , Madison County, 8 miles north of Huntsville. My F.(father) moved to Lawrence County 1818."

"From Col. Allen Birdwell's diary, he moved to the Republic of Texas in 1842 with his entire family, including his father (John) and brother, John Birdwell, Jr.
Also from diary: commissioned Captain in 7th Div. 12th Brigade, 39th Alabama Milita Regiment on 7-19-1836 and on 7-25-1842, elected Col. Commandant of 8th Regiment, 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, 10th Division, Alabama Militia.
Elected county commissioner about 1844.
Elected to Texas State Legislature 1853 and again in 1863.
Served in Military, every rank from Sergeant to Colonel."

Birdwell family notes record the following:
1830 LAWRENCE COUNTY, ALABAMA U.S. CENSUS
Birdwell, Allen",1,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,,2,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0 (1 male 0-5, 1 male 40-50, 2 fem 0-5, 1 fem 20-30)

From the files of Velma Stovey Schonder:
Information sources: Mrs. Arbie Lena Stovey, nee Birdwell, my Mother. Letters from her siblings in 1960 regarding our genealogy.
Libraries: Belleville, Illinois and Salt Lake City, Utah Morman Library.
World Family Tree Volumes: 4;6;14;15;17.
e-mail family trees from the following Birdwell descendants:
Rose & Pete Birdwell; William Lindsey; Diana Conrad; Betty Young Bray; James Cullen Bryant; Peggy & Danny Parker; Simone B. Haslam; Regina A. Roper; Shannon Birdwell; Gladys (Ima Br); Kenneth Blazek.

Moved to Mississippi Territory about 1805.
Moved to Lawrence County, Alabama about 1818.
From Col. Allen Birdwell's diary, he moved to Texas in 1842 with his entire family, including his father, John and brother, John.


1850 Census of Rusk Co., Texas, Rusk District, taken 16 November 1850 by Thomas M. Likens:
Lived next door to Lucinda Birdwell-Vaught, John Birdwell, age 80, and John Birdwell, age 22
Family 839-839
Line 2-12
Birdwell, Allen, age 48, Farmer, b in Tennessee
Sarah J., age 30, b in Tennessee
James R., age 17, Farmer, b in Alabama
William R., age 15, Farmer, b in Alabama
George P., age 13, b in Alabama
Charles A., age 11, b in Alabama
Benjamin F., age 8, b in Mississippi
Joel V., age 2, b in Texas
Henry H., age 1/12, b in Texas
Birdwell, John, age 80, b in Virginia
Ferguson, William, age 25, overseer, b in South Carolina

Allen Birdwell bought over 914 acres in Rusk County in 1851.

1880 Census of Rusk Co., Texas, page 47, S.D. 1, E.D. 77, Justice Precinct #5, taken by W.P. Devereaux on 17 June 1880, page 171:
Family 309-317
Line 10-14
Birdwell, Allen, age 78, Farmer, b in Tennessee, parents b in Tennessee
Sarah J., age 60, wife, keeps house, b unk, both parents b in North Carolina
Henry, age 25, son, farm laborer, b in Texas, both parents b in Tennessee
Jane S., age 20, daughter, b unk, parents b unk
William, age 22, cousin, farm laborer, b unk, both parents b in Alabama

The following notes were taken from Col. Allen Birdwell's diary in August 1944 by Miss Sue B. Mann. The diary was owned by L.G. Ross, who evidently found it in the old log house: 185 acres located on Wooten Creek, Rusk County, near Mt. Enterprise, in earlier days an Indian Village, a Mexican Land Grant to Frost Thorn, Col. Allen purchased in 1851, sold to Henry Birdwell in 1888. Sold to L.G. Ross in 1904.

The Birdwell house has been moved to Monte Verde plantation and restored by Emmitt Lowrey of Texas City, Texas.
It is on private property but is open for tours periodically throughout the year. Take Hwy 2753 to the Glen Fawn Cemetery. Turn right on County Road 4233. The Plantation will be 1 mile on your right and you will see the gate with the name Monte Verde on it.

Notes of Sue Mann:
After rechecking diary by Aggie Birdwell, and discovering his father, John and Uncle Joshua were listed on the tax rolls of Roane County, Tn. spelled Byrdwell, we have decided Allen was born in Roane Co., Tennessee.
Info received from Texas Grand Lodge, Waco, Tx. Col. Allen was initiated into the Mt. Enterprise Lodge #60 of the Masons on 9 June 1855, passed on 13 Oct 1855 and a Master Mason on 10 Nov 1855.
Rusk County Book of Marriage A page 41 shows Allen married to Sarah Jane Vannoy, July 29, 1845 by Robert Gilkerson, M.G.
Listed in the "Index to Applications for Texas Confederate Pension, Civil War" Birdwell, Mrs. A.B. Nacogdoches Co. Texas Application #23296, application approved.

From "Land Records 1790-1907 (Broderbund CD #255)
Patentee Name: Birdwell, Allen
Accession Number: A11240_001 and AL 1240_134
State : Alabama, Volume: 1240, page: 1 and 134
Document Number: 4166 and 4292
Land Office: Huntsville
Aliquot Part Reference: E 1/2 SW--Section Number: 12 and 25--Township: 7 south and 11 South--Range: 6 West
Meridian/Survey Area: Huntsville Meridian
Act/Treaty Authorizing Sale: Sale-Cash Entries
Date Signed: 8 June 1833
Acreage: 79.70 and 80.08
Signed: Yes, the document on file at BLM contains a signature

Patentee Name: Birdwell, Allen
Accession Number: AL3600_495-----State: Alabama
Volume: 3600---Page 495
Document Number: 11683 Land Office: Huntsville
Aliquot Part Reference: W 1/2 NW
Section Numbr: 35--Township: 7 South--Range: 6 West
Meridian/Survey Area: Huntsville Meridian
Act/Treaty Authorizing Sale: Sale-Cash Entries
Date Signed: 1 August 1839
Acreage: 82.02
Signed: yes

Was 92 years old at the time of his death (Source: from E.P. Weatherby, Jr. & from the book "Texas," page 269-270)

"Rusk County, Texas Families" by the Rusk County Historical Society, 1982, page 254:
Agnes (Hunter) and Emmett Floyd Lowry purchased the Monte Verde Plantation home at Glenfawn in Southern Rusk County in 1959 and later restored it. The Allan Birdwell log house was also purchased, moved from Mt. Enterprise to the Monte Verde property, and restored in 1966.

1850 Slave Schedule Rusk Co., Texas
Pg# Ln# Last Name First Name # of Slaves Age Sex Color Fugitive #Man. Deaf #Slave Houses|
200 20 BIRDWELL ALLEN 1 40 M B 0 0 0 0 200 20
200 21 BIRDWELL ALLEN 1 30 M B 0 0 0 0 200 21
200 22 BIRDWELL ALLEN 1 40 F B 0 0 0 0 200 22
200 23 BIRDWELL ALLEN 1 27 F B 0 0 0 0 200 23
200 24 BIRDWELL ALLEN 1 25 F B 0 0 0 0 200 24
200 25 BIRDWELL ALLEN 1 9 F B 0 0 0 0 200 25
200 26 BIRDWELL ALLEN 1 8 F B 0 0 0 0 200 26
200 27 BIRDWELL ALLEN 1 7 M B 0 0 0 0 200 27
200 28 BIRDWELL ALLEN 1 8 F B 0 0 0 0 200 28
200 29 BIRDWELL ALLEN 1 6 F B 0 0 0 0 200 29
200 30 BIRDWELL ALLEN 1 6 M B 0 0 0 0 200 30
200 31 BIRDWELL ALLEN 1 3 M B 0 0 0 0 200 31
200 32 BIRDWELL ALLEN 1 3 M B 0 0 0 0 200 32
200 33 BIRDWELL ALLEN 1 5 F B 0 0 0 0 200 33
200 34 BIRDWELL ALLEN 1 2 M B 0 0 0 0 200 34
200 35 BIRDWELL ALLEN 1 2 M B 0 0 0 0 200 35

By his two marriages, he was the father of 13 children.

Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Texas, 1854-1857, by A.S. Ruthven, Grand Secretary and Past Grand Master, vol. II (1857), p.242:
Mount Enterprise Lodge, No. 60.
p.243: Past Masters.
Master Masons. …Allen Birdwell, John Birdwell