Hood County Texas Genealogical Society

THE POWELL MIGRATION TO TEXAS 1854-1856

by O.B. Powell - Published in 1933

The following account is from the book entitled Some Interesting Sketches in the History of Various Powell Families compiled by O.B. Powell during the years 1921-1933. Nancy Bowen, a daughter of O.B. Powell, has given permission for James Barrett, a descendent of W.G.W. Powell, to transcribe the material, and for the Hood County Genealogical Society to post it on the internet for historical and genealogical purposes.

SECTION ONE

MIGRATION TO HOOD COUNTY, TEXAS

My father, Lewis Jasper Powell, was about four years old when the Powells removed from Arkansas to Texas. The date when this removal actually took place is not definitely known. From the best records that I have obtained, it must have been during the year 1856. In talk with my three uncles, Jackson, Robert (Bob), and Charles Powell, who were attending father's funeral at Spur, in January 1921, it was impossible for them to agree upon any exact date.

From this conference with my three uncles, it was agreed that grandfather, William George Washington Powell, together with several other families, left Scott County, Arkansas, early in the year 1856. From their best recollections, the trip was begun perhaps around April 1, 1856. In Ewell's "History of Hood County", one entire chapter is devoted to the early experiences of the Powells' when they first came to the country now known as Hood County. The date he sets, is in the spring of 1853 or 1854. As Ewell said that he obtained his information, first hand, from grandfather, and as he wrote this history ten years before grandfather's death in 1897, it may depended upon to be fairly accurate. Ewell states that he obtained his information from a personal conference with grandfather and that he was not certain, himself, just when he settled in Hood County. In McGaughey's "Reminiscences of the Early Settlers in Hood County," as published in the "Tolar Standard", a local newspaper then published at Tolar, it is stated that "Uncle Billie" Powell first arrived in Texas on a scouting and hunting trip in 1852 or 1853 and later settled permanently on Squaw Creek, Hood County, about July or August first, 1856. He based this statement on conversations that he stated occurred between him and "Uncle Billie" on many occasions.

In 1932, I talked with Uncle John R. Powell, the only surviving member of my father's family, and he set the date when grandfather made settlement on Squaw Creek, at about July 1, 1856. He based his conclusion on the fact that an older brother, George Powell, was born in Scott County, Arkansas, on March 14, 1856, just before they embarked for Texas. He declared that it was a known fact that grandfather and the others made a trip to Texas, prospecting and hunting, several years before they actually settled here. This accounts for McGaughey's statement that the party landed first in Texas about 1852 or 1853.

I made a special trip to Tolar, Texas, in 1932, and talked with Owen West, who was a lifetime neighbor of the Powell families and whose father came to Texas and settled on Squaw Creek, adjoining the Powells', about 1860. He was emphatic in declaring that the Powell's settled on their old homestead place on Squaw Creek four years before his father came to Texas. This would make the date be 1856.

My father has told me, many times, that he was a lad about four years old when they settled on Squaw Creek. He was born in 1852. This agrees with the above references. 

Since the party was some two months getting to Dallas after leaving Arkansas, camped near Dallas and Fort Worth for several days before going to the frontier, then camped for several days near what is now known as Thorp Springs, before going into permanent settlement on Squaw Creek, a few miles West from Thorp Springs, it would seem that the above date is pretty accurately fixed. I am, therefore, saying that the party left Waldron, Scott County, Arkansas, about April 1, 1856, and landed near Thorp Springs in the early summer of 1856. They remained camped here till late summer or fall of 1856 when they went into permanent settlement slightly Northwest of Comanche Peak, on what is now known as Squaw Creek, in Hood county. This was about September 1, 1856.

This caravan of immigrants came along the trail marked out by the old Butterfield stage coach line from Waldron, Arkansas, on for several hundred miles, then turned Westward through what was then Indian Territory and on to Texas. The road crossed Red River at Colbert's Crossing, about four miles North of where Dennison, Texas, is now located. They varied from the regular traveled road through Clarksville, Texas, which was farther East. They preferred doing this in order that they might pass through a region less settled and where civilization was more in the raw.

Colbert's Crossing was the only entrance point into Texas near this region after leaving the crossing on the main traveled road through Clarksville. The ferry boat there was a mere barge, owned and operated by an Indian by the name of Colbert, which had given the name to Colbert's Crossing. The ferry was small and capable of carrying only one wagon and team at a time. A few head of cattle could be carried across at one time.

Such a barge as this one operated by a rope stretched from bank to bank across the river. The operator held onto this rope, either with his hands or a hook, while mules or a team of horses pulled the load across the stream. During times when the river was low, cattle would be driven across by forcing them to wade the water. The river would have to be very low for wagons and other vehicles to ford across.

The charge for conveying wagons and immigrants across was usually about twenty-five cents per wagon with one team or seventy-five cents for a double team. Each person was charged five cents additional which was also the charge for a single cow or other animal. Sheep and goats were transported at about half the usual rate for a horse. A man riding a horse was usually charged ten cents.

The Red River was up considerably at the time the Powell party reached it. Some ten or twelve wagons were in the party as well as several horsemen. The river was too high to be forded so all that they could do was to take their chances and cross on the ferry.

Trains of immigrant wagons were headed for Texas in long chains at this early date. This fact, coupled with the slow movement of Colbert's ferry, held immigrants, oftentimes, for several days at a time before their turn came to cross. This was true with the Powell party. When their train reached the crossing, there were already a number of wagons waiting on each side of the river to be ferried across. All that could be done was for the party to go into camp and wait for their turn to cross.

This delay of a day or so proved quite worthwhile, however, as it gave travelers a chance to talk with others who were coming and going at the time. This gave opportunity for each to learn conditions of the country from the other which was especially interesting to a traveler coming into Texas from the older settled states. It was very common to find a train of immigrants that would camp for a week or so before crossing into a new country such as Texas and make inquiry from every traveler chancing along before they could make a final decision to go on. It was common for a long train of pioneers to turn back if the accounts related to them were too discouraging. Some of these people who had become disgusted with the raw frontier life, could tell some weird tales concerning the hardships of the settler and the ravages of the Indian. Regardless of the truth or falsity of the story, impossible as it might appear to us today, these early folk always accepted it without question and directed their lives accordingly.

Perilous encounters with the Indian proved to be the most fascinating and exciting tale that could be related. Many were the bloody encounters with the vicious "red man", yet there was always a note of encouragement to the "newcomer" since the settler was always victorious even if he had numerous wounds and scars to show for his experiences. Such stories, together with those dealing with the abundance of wild game roaming the hills and river bottoms, served to give added zest and hopefulness to the Powell party then headed for Texas. They were accustomed to hardships and were headed for Texas. They were not to be discouraged by anything.

Grandfather and his party were not headed for any particular part of Texas. They had scouted over the Eastern and North-central parts of the state previously. They liked most any part of it but preferred the wilder, less settled regions. Frontier life meant nothing to them as they were accustomed to such experiences. They had braved frontier life in Georgia, Alabama, then Arkansas. Natures wilds had simply hardened them to the tasks and perilous undertakings. Several of the older men in the party had seen service in fighting the Indian before. Grandfather had served in the Creek Indian war fighting the Seminole Indians in Southern Georgia and Northern Florida when young man. Other members of the party had had similar experiences. These were trained frontiersmen and had little to fear of such hardships as they knew awaited them.

Grandfather had left Georgia at the age of 21 and with a young bride, had settled in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, about 1839, where he lived a life on the frontier and reclaimed a farm from natures wilds. After about ten years here, he joined others on the Westward march of progress and settled in Scott County, Arkansas, which was then but a wilderness country. Here he remained some five years among Powell relatives that had settled previously. It was while living here that he had made plans to remove to Texas.

Isaac Powell, my grandfather's father, had joined the movement to go to California with the rush of the "forty-niners". It was on this west bound journey that many Powells settled in Kentucky, Arkansas, Texas, and Indian territory. Some had come on several previous occasions while others actually left for the gold fields of California. Grandfather's party had decided however, to come to Texas in preference to going to California. This location had been their desires for many years. Some kindred Powells' had already come to Texas and settled in the Southern and South-central parts of the State. Here thousands of other American families had left Georgia and Alabama and settled. It was Texas for them and to Texas they were bound.

There were numbered in this caravan bound for Texas, several families of Powell's, including grandfather, two or three of grandfather's brothers, his father, Isaac Powell, two or three of Isaac's brothers, a family of Whitlock's, Ben West, one family of Arrington's and others not remembered by those living today. Each family had a number of children of various ages, which all told, made quite a number in the party. These people had intermarried and now constituted a rather large family of kin people.

While these pioneers were camped for their turn to cross Red River, they made up their minds to settle some where either in Denton County, or at some point in Dallas County, or perhaps a few miles West. As I have stated previously, members of this group had been to Texas before. Such information as they had about the State had come through this early experience and glowing accounts communicated to them by others who made the trip at an earlier time and had returned to the "old states" to visit folks. Many land companies had filled the older states with glowing advertisements boosting this new country and its opportunities. Such land agencies were the means of settling up a new region such as Texas at the time. After Texas gained their independence from Mexico and became a Republic, and later joined other American forces to route Mexico from all claims to Texas in 1848, great immigration companies spent thousands of dollars inducing settlers to come and make settlements. Land was cheap or free to the homesteader and nature most generous in supplying man's needs. It was indeed the one chance for the poor man.

After a delay of nearly a week, grandfather's party at last came to their turn to cross Red River. As they had some ten or twelve wagons, pulled by from one to two span of horses or oxen, it required some time to get all across. As these people were coming to make permanent settlements, they had brought all of their earthly possessions along with them. The wagons were loaded with household goods, farm implements, and supplies of all descriptions. The stuff was sticking out under openings in the wagon sheets, tied to the sideboards of the wagon, swinging from the coupling poles, and any and all places where stuff could be hung safely.

The women and small children usually rode all of the time while the men either rode horse-back or walked along behind, at the front, or even at the side of such an outfit. The women usually drove while the husband walked or rode a horse beside the wagon. The older children often took turn about walking to lighten the load on the teams. They usually enjoyed a certain part of the walking for exercise and to while away the time during the slow progress of the wagon train. It was common to stack most of the household goods in wagons other than the ones used for travel by the family.

When the weather was bad, they would all crowd into the wagons which increased the load on the weary teams doing the pulling. It was common to have an extra team trailing along to be used while the other team rested. Sometimes two such teams were trailing along.

Along with such a caravan, would be cattle and other domestic animals that were brought along. The cattle were driven, sometimes, ahead and sometimes, behind the family wagon. A pack of hunting dogs or hounds usually trailed along. The dog was always a part of the early settler's necessary defensive equipment for hunting and rounding up the stock. All chickens, ducks, geese, etc., were in coops tied on behind or at the side of the wagon.

It has just been stated that several families made up this immigrant train. In addition to the ones mentioned, there was a family of Lockridge's also, who married into the Powell family. All of these people had large families which sometimes required more than one wagon, even to care for one family, not to mention the necessary wagons to care for household supplies and provisions.

As stated, grandfather's two brothers, Seaborn and Whitt, were in the party. It is also likely that one or two of his sisters were along. His immediate family consisted of eight or nine children, ranging in age from 30 years down to only a few weeks for the youngest. The West family was large as was also the case of every other member of the party. Ben West was a brother-in-law of grandfather, he having married Sarah Powell, one of grandfather's sisters. The Lockridges had not yet married into the family but later one of the Lockridge boys married another sister of grandfather. One of grandfather's boys also married one of the Lockridge girls a few years after they settled in Texas. Another daughter married one of the Arrington boys. The most of these marriages occurred later and will, therefore, be left for discussion later in this story.

It required the greater part of one whole day for the wagon train to be ferried across Red River. After a good part of another day checking up and getting everything rounded up, the caravan again headed for central Texas. They were a happy lot now for they were really on Texas soil.

Sometimes people moving into Texas as these were doing, secured a guide to direct them through the unmarked country. This party found no need for such assistance and began to wind its way along partially marked freighter lines as best they could. A few large farms were already in a good state of improvement along the red River. Scattered along all the way to the Denton County line, they encountered several rather thickly settled communities for the time. A number of these farms were settled by Indians. These were a semi-civilized tribe representing various mixtures of whites with the early Indian bloods. Such people as this were great traders and everytime that a traveler stopped to talk with them, they had offers to make concerning some article that attracted their attention. Necessary supplies could be obtained rather easily from these Indian people. It could be depended upon that every settlement in which they passed, extended a welcome to them to stop and rest for a few days or weeks as they chose. Some settlers even offered to feed and shelter the entire party, people, cattle, and all, without any charges whatsoever, if they would stop and camp with them for a few days. Such sounds like great hospitality but it was more nearly based upon the desire of such people to get information from "back yonder" where they had once lived and from settlements where they had kinfolks living. When a party came by from their old home, they were always welcome to stop over and give them the news of the day.

The Powell party found the roads rather well marked out on the first day or so of the journey. After this, the roads grew dim with often only a bare trail to guide them. Continued spring rains delayed and annoyed them as well as to help blot out any marks or signs along the road. A few times they were forced to go into camp till roads would dry up enough for them to travel. They were delayed often, till pole bridges could be built over small streams and mud holes. Occasionally they were forced to throw rocks and brush in mud holes before risking to cross them. They did not permit such conditions to worry them much as it gave them opportunity to scout over the country more. While some patched up the roads and attended to other duties about the wagons, others had more time to hunt for game and explore the country round-about. Sometimes those riding horseback would stop and talk with other travelers or with some settlers for an hour or more getting all the information possible about the country or to learn any news that might be passed along to them. They could soon strike up a gallop and again join the slowly moving wagon train. When they did so, it was always interesting to the entire group for them to report any information concerning the people or the country where they had been.

All sorts of wild game common to the region were to be found in great abundance. This enabled the party to keep an ample stock of provisions. Corn had been purchased from the Indians just after crossing Red River so plenty of bread was to be had at all times. They had sufficient lard and cooking oils packed away with them. Their greatest difficulty was that of getting fires started readily with so much rainy weather. This problem was solved, finally, by packing live coals of fire in a bucket of ashes, then swinging it under the wagon to the coupling pole. When they came to a camping place, they would take this bucket and turn the ashes and coals out and soon have a roaring fire. Before leaving, they were certain to refill the fire bucket and replace it on the coupling pole so that it would be ready at the next stop.

The early pioneer was fond of hunting and fishing so a good supply of ammunition was always carried along. Power horns served to store the powder in a dry place while plenty of cotton and paper were carried along to serve as wadding in loading the old muzzle-loading rifles and pistols. Plenty of grass could be found along to furnish for the team and stock. An occasional prairie fire alarmed them. It was always necessary to take every precaution possible to see that the wagons and teams were protected from such a fire in case it broke out. The much rain and wet weather tended to help protect them from this danger. Too, these fires were not so common then as they were a few years later after the country settled up more. Many thought such fires were caused by the Indian as he attempted to drive the white settlers out.

Sufficient guns of all sorts available at the time were owned by various members of the party. Every child, woman and man, were good shots in those days regardless of the weapon used by them. Grandfather had purchased a famous Colt's "cap and ball" revolver, known as a six-shooter, just after he crossed the Red River. He struck a trade from a party and swapped a yoke of oxen, valued at the time at $75, for the gun. He was very fond of the gun and lost no time in using it to great advantage on the hunt and chase. He used this old "six-shooter" all through the rest of his life and on many a hunt for wild game and Indians. It was in the family possession till 1914 when brother Vernon's house at Tolar, Texas, burned. After the fire, some one picked the steel part of it up and took it away. I have tried, in vain, to locate this gun but no trace of it has been found.

The Indians had not yet become troublesome in North Texas at the time the Powell party was coming to Texas. The many Indian farmers and hunters scattered along the route were friendly traders and trappers or just plain wanderers meaning little harm to any one.

Most every settlement reached, after the third day's journey, was a new settlement just being developed. Occasionally the party drove upon an older community but only one or two of them were sufficient magnitude to be called a town. The main settlements and towns were East from this region in Texas. Most settlers encountered were originally from Missouri or other places in older states. Quite a large settlement of such people were encountered just over the line in Denton County. These people were from Missouri and Alabama. Since grandfather's party had once lived in Alabama, they all felt quite neighborly and it was with considerable difficulty that grandfather's party was allowed to go on without stopping for several days visit among them. Grandfather decided to go on as the country was too thickly settled for him. Grandfather remarked to the members of his group that when as many as two or three houses could be passed in a day's journey, (about fifteen or twenty miles) it was too thickly settled for him and he would go on.

After this brief rest, they again headed for Dallas and Dallas County. The name Dallas had been the central point of conversation for many days. To the traveler of that day, it meant North Texas.

It was a pleasant experience for them after two or three days journey when they camped near a settlement of people and were informed that they were in Dallas County. At last, Dallas, was only a few miles farther on. More rain began falling and the black mud was almost impassible. The heavy wagons, drawn by muddy teams, moved along slowly. At the very best possible rate of travel, only a few miles could be made each day. By the time they were in Dallas County, several other wagons had joined the party. There were now some twenty-five or thirty wagons stringing along in the caravan. When the rain would cease, the mud would get thicker and waxier. Occasionally, one of the heavier wagons would mire down entirely and could not be moved till extra teams were hitched to the end of the wagon pole to aid in pulling out. In several instances, it required four teams to pull one wagon out of a mudhole.

As slowly and almost impossible as the party moved along through this almost impassible mud, the town of Dallas was reported to be just ahead. According to plans previously made, the party was to camp near the city, rest their teams and scout about over the country before deciding definitely what to do. This was the first town of any consequence located this side of the Red River and on the route selected by the caravan.

Dallas had not been settled as a village many years before this time. As grandfather recalled it, there was a small general store, a confectioners shop, a blacksmith shop, and a good sprinkling of houses scattered about used as residences. The most of these houses were of logs or semi-log and clapboard. The town was built right on the banks of the Trinity River which had been out of banks for several days due to the heavy rains. The tall, fine grass around what is now White Rock and Oak Cliff, attracted them and they spread camp for several days. I have heard my uncles say that as a horse or cow entered this tall grass which grew right on up through the very village itself, it came up to the animals back which almost hid them from view. It was a splendid place to graze cattle and tired teams such as was then in the possession of the Powell party. From the descriptions given me, this party must have camped somewhere in the regions of where Highland Park is now located or perhaps nearer in toward the main business district of present day Dallas. Anyway, the river was up and after they decided to camp for a few days, they drove back a few miles from the little village then called Dallas.

After a few days of rest, the party decided to go across the trinity River and Westward toward the village of Fort Worth. The raging Trinity had somewhat subsided by this time and traffic was beginning to move across it. It was not possible for the Trinity to be forded so the semi-ferry boat was their only chance. This ferry did not appear any better, if as good, as the one used in crossing the Red River into Texas. This ferry was used as a boat when the river was up and simply as a bridge across the lower banks of the stream when low water time in the river. The party took their time before risking a crossing where the banks were slippery and muddy such as they were here.

When the water receded from flood-stage, the banks were left so muddy and with so much fresh slime and silt deposited all along the banks, that a team could scarcely pull a load up out of the lower bottoms to the upper banks. The roads were poorly marked out so after being ferried across about all that could be done was for the driver to look about for the clearest looking spot to be seen and head straight for it. This was often a very hazardous undertaking since many wagons slipped into bog marshes or were turned over into shallow ditches under such circumstances. If a wagon under such circumstances could ever manage to be gotten up on the grassy banks, it was usually safe and could go on its way. Most of the drivers were familiar with such conditions and usually managed, with assistance from other drivers in the party, to make the crossing safely.

The first wagon to cross sank down deeply in the soft mud and slime on the opposite bank as was expected. Each wagon was finally pulled safely across by doubling teams as was done in crossing Red River. It required almost a whole day to get the entire train across the Trinity here at Dallas. Of course, after the first wagons crossed, the mud had to be dragged away sufficiently for another one to cross, which helped clear the way for those following. The last wagons to cross made the crossing comparatively easy after mud had been cleared away somewhat. The cattle were next driven across and the caravan was again through with one of the most exciting experiences encountered by the traveler.

The charges for ferrying a party across a river such as the Trinity here at Dallas was rather expensive. The customary fees were as follows: 25 to 50 cents for a wagon and one team, 75 cents to one dollar for a wagon with two teams, ten cents for a rider on a horse, 5 cents for each foot passenger, head of cattle, etc. By the time an entire train of fifteen or twenty wagons and their cattle had crossed, the bill mounted up considerably.

After crossing, the party again struck camp as soon as a high and dry location could be found. Such a place was located on Chalk Hill, just Southwest from Dallas. Here the grass furnished splendid grazing for the cattle. This land was already under claim and it was not quite as far West as the party desired, so after a short while the caravan moved on. At this time, the party split up into two groups. Grandfather and his party wanted to pass on West from Fort Worth, while others more recently joined to the Powell group desired to turn South more in the direction of Cleburne. After the usual well wishes and good luck salutations had been exchanged, the two parties moved on, perchance, never to see each other again.

Grandfather's party moved on Westward till it came into the regions now known as Grand Prairie. Here the grass was so fine and the weather had cleared up so beautifully that they decided to camp for a few days rest and relaxation. After taking the much appreciated rest, camp was again broken and the party headed for Fort Worth. Fort Worth was nothing more than a Government post at the time. Only a short time was spent here, after which the party drove to Birdwell (Birdville), which was the county seat of Tarrant County at this time. This small village was only a few miles from Fort Worth and located in a very beautiful country when viewed in the early summer after so much rain and fine growing weather.

The party again went into camp near Birdwell. While here, grandfather and several members of the party made a scouting trip through Erath and Parker Counties. Only a few settlements were encountered in this entire region. They found plenty of open range and unsettled land wherever they went. They visited the government post at Comanche Peak which was nothing more than a supply store and lookout point established to safeguard the interest of the settlers against any dangers from the Indian. Here, they were told where the unclaimed land was located and just how claims could be made. Several days were spent in such exploration and investigation. Finally Grandfather and his party decided to stake their claims along tributaries of the Brazos River, in the Eastern edge of Erath County, just over the Western boundary line of Tarrant County.

To any one who has traveled over the hills and rolling prairies between Weatherford and Fort Worth and through the region where Cression, Hood County, is now located, will have an understanding of what a pretty country is really like. Especially is this true when made during a rainy spring when everything is growing in abundance and the streams are full of sparkling water. Fish and game were plentiful everywhere. Grass was waving like wheat fields across the rolling hillsides. Plenty of timber line the banks of every stream.

Fort Worth was but a few miles to the east and connected with a road being marked out Westward through Stephenville and on West. This road ran right through the heart of this wonderful country. Weatherford was a small village on slightly North of West from this location.

SECTION TWO

THE OLD POWELL SETTLEMENT

A dream could scarcely picture a more beautiful location than the one selected here by grandfather. It was then located in the western part of Tarrant County, which had been organized only about five years. It was soon cut off into Erath County which was created in 1856 from Tarrant County. In 1866, the region was again cut off into a new county, this time to be called, Hood County, which name exists to-day. It was thus that my grandfather never moved from his first location, yet lived in three counties in Texas, since his settlement in 1856, First Tarrant, then Erath, then Hood County. (Note: based on information from the General Land Office and "Texas Boundaries: Evolution of the State's Counties" by Luke Gournay, Tarrant County was formed Dec. 20, 1849. Its boundaries have remained unchanged and would never have included the area near Tolar. Jim Barrett Oct. 3, 2001.)

This was a rolling and hilly country with Squaw Creek, Stroud's Creek, Robinson's Creek, the Paluxy, and various smaller streams, all circling around furnishing excellent drainage for the region. These were all running streams filled with the choicest varieties of fish that could easily be caught with the ordinary hook and line. Unlimited quantities of channel and blue cat fish, perch, bass, trout, etc., abounded in all streams. (Note: I checked with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. This the reply I received. "No trout were native to Texas with the exception of a small number in the Davis Mountains. Texas is too hot for most salmonids." Jim Barrett Oct. 3, 2001.)

This was known as the Cross-Timber belt of Texas. The hills were not high but were simply rolling elevations blending into the prairie land so perfectly that the country could be crossed readily without many obstructions save the streams that have been mentioned. There were wooded regions on top of some hills and between the various streams. Along all streams, and especially along the bottoms of the Brazos River, were plenty of timbers of all descriptions, such as oak, walnut, pecan, elm, sycamore, etc. On the up-lands, the prairies were broken frequently with clusters of trees consisting of post oak, black jack, and live oak. No more beautiful clusters of trees could be found than those of the stately live oak. Some of them were of enormous size in diameter but, of course, did not grow very high.

There was not such a growth of under-brush as one finds through that country to-day. This is doubtless due to the older and larger trees having since been cut off, thus leaving the younger growth with a chance to grow, and to the fact that fires are not quite so common through the woods and over the prairies to destroy this smaller brush, as was true at that time.

The prairies were covered with as fine grass, both of the mesquite and sage varieties, as one could imagine. Except where the grass chanced to burn it grew so high that it came up as high as the backs of the cattle as they ranged along through it. But few weeds existed here at this time. The weed came later as the land was put into cultivation and as the cattle grazed the fine grass away.

While the grass was young and tender, it furnished a very succulent plant for range cattle. Later it was mowed and put up for winter use. Finally it was cut and baled for hay. Good prairie hay was much in demand when the cattle industry came into importance.

No land had been put into cultivation through this region as yet. Only a few settlements had been made any ways near here. These were to be found several miles south on the Paluxy and several miles down the Brazos. Several settlements were found some thirty miles north and west in the lower edge of Parker County. Other settlements had been made some twentyfive miles west in what was later to be Erath County. There were no other white settlements near the location chosen by grandfather.

The Powell settlement was made on a rolling elevation that looked like a hill from the west but was only a gradual rise from the east and south. It was about a quarter of a mile from Squaw Creek which circled the crest of the hill beginning on the West and continuing to the South as the creek bent around the farm. There was almost a mile of creek circling around the settlement. This elevation overlooked the country for miles about save from the Northeast where the woods began only a few hundred yards from the crest of the elevation. Observation was clear from the northwest on to the west, southwest, south and far around and back to the East. The location was on the old stage line that was just being opened up through the West and connecting with the line on to El Paso, Texas. It was also near the road leading from San Antonio by the outpost at Comanche Peak and on through the settlements in Parker and Jack Counties.

Grandfather camped till he could build a log hut in which to live for the time being. All of the party camped around the same location till they could have the opportunity of making a location for themselves. Steps were taken immediately to throw up a pole house in which to live till a more substantial log cabin could be built. A small spot was broken up and a garden planted so that the families might have vegetables before the coming of another winter. The immediate yard and lots, as well as the garden, were fenced with brush and poles till a better fence could be built. Some grain was planted and the settlers began developing their settlements with all the vigor and enthusiasm common to such people.

Down along the streams and through the woodlands, an abundance of wild game such as, wild turkey, prairie chickens, quail, deer, antelope, etc., could be found at will. On the prairie just west of the settlement plenty of buffalo roamed. Numerous bear were to be found on the brakes of the Paluxy only a few miles south. Grandfather could stand in his door and shoot deer and antelope most any day. Wild Turkey and prairie chickens came right up to his lots and ate with his own chickens that he had brought along with him. A large roosting place for wild turkeys was just below his cabin near the creek. Wild cats, panthers, wolves, wild goats and sheep, as well as wild hogs, were also plentiful. On about the second or third night they had settled in camp a large panther was killed in one of the large live oak trees in the yard.

The only neighbors near were some Indians that were camped just across the creek about a quarter of a mile. These Indians were a semi-civilized family and apparently a remnant of the Indians on the government reservations. They camped here, hunting and fishing, through the summer and went some sixty miles about on the Indian reservation along the Brazos, to spend the winter.

This band of Indians was headed by a sort of "chief" called by grandfather "Caddo Jack". They soon became quite friendly with grandfather and began loafing about the new white neighbors every day. Grandfather found Caddo Jack a good hunter and very familiar with the country for miles. He proved a splendid guide which grandfather welcomed very much. He also proved to be a skilled hand to tan and dress hides and in making skin clothing. As grandfather brought in fresh deer hides, etc., he turned them over to this Indian to be dressed into leather for various uses that a frontiersman could readily make of them at the time. For this, he would gladly accept milk and butter and anything that might be offered to him that he could use.

This friendship existed for some three or four years till the Indians on the upper reservation in the edge of Palo Pinto County were attacked by a party of drunks, one night, and caused the whole Indian population to strike out on the "war path." This was about the year 1859. A considerable number of horses and cattle had been stolen at various times throughout Palo Pinto County. This was sufficient for the settlers to get suspicious of the Indians. One night a bunch of Indians were seen driving off a goodly number of horses and cattle belonging to the settlers. It later developed that these were not reservation Indians but Kiowas and Comanches from north of the Wichita River in the upper reservation. Soon after this bunch of horses and cattle were taken. In retaliation a bunch of rowdy cow hands, lead by a party of intoxicated citizens, rushed down, one night, and slew a number of the Indians encamped on the Brazos River. This aroused their hatred for the whites and they declared vengeance on all.

When Caddo Jack learned of this he came in the middle of the night to tell grandfather about it and to bid him good bye. With the deepest feelings, he related the entire history of the troubles that had been brewing between his people and the whites for some time and told grandfather that from that time on there would be much trouble between his people and the settlers. He assured grandfather, however, that as long as he let the Indians alone that he would assure him that no harm would ever come to him or his family. So far as grandfather ever knew, this promise was kept. At no time during the many raids throughout Hood County and all of this part of the State for the next twelve years, was anything of grandfathers ever harmed. Many times almost every settlement in the region for miles about lost horses and cattle, together with the lives of women and children, but at no time was grandfather ever harmed.

During the last raid made into Hood County, by Indians, about the year 1869, seven Indians plundered through the Squaw Creek settlements for two days and nights, stealing horses and committing other pilfering acts, yet not one thing was harmed on grandfather's place. I have heard Uncle John Powell say that he and one of his sisters were out driving up the milk cows about five o'clock in the evening when they saw these Indians. The entire band came riding in a gallop right up to them, jabbering and yelping something as they approached. He and his sister Julia turned toward them. The children had been taught not to run from Indians as that would mean death. As a result he and his sister stopped and watched them as they came galloping up to them. After some little hesitation the leader jestured to his companions and waved his hand toward the children as if telling them good bye, and the entire bunch rode on down the creek.

Uncle John Powell says that grandfather had several experiences after Caddo jack left, that convinced him that his possessions were left unharmed all because of his early friendship with this Indian. Uncle John always expresses the belief that grandfather did wrong when he helped kill these seven Indians a few days later, when they had done nothing more than commit a few robberies. No life was endangered as they passed through. He attributes that he and his older sister, Julia, were unharmed because these Indians, in some way, recognized the settlement was that of grandfather's. As the Indians plundered settlements on down the creek, it did look very much like they were keeping a promise that had been made at an earlier time by one of their number, yet the settlers doubted if an Indian could ever be depended upon to keep any promise.

A complete account of this Indian raid will be given later on in this history. It is mentioned here only due to the connection that it bears to the story of the early settlement. The reader may find this complete story under the heading of Indians Troubles, "The Point of Timber Fight."

After the Powell settlement was fairly well under way, the members of the West family and others began making their permanent location. The best holes of Water along the creek were selected to be included in their claims. They were not anxious to build too near the water holes as they wished them to be far enough away so that wild animals would come to them for water, thus furnishing an opportunity for them to be killed as they were desired. Many severe droughts were known to visit this country during the long summer months. Sometimes water was very scarce so each family wanted to be certain to have command of as good water hole as available. This precaution proved to be very valuable to them later on.

Fort Worth was still a sort of army post at this time consisting of a garrison headquarters and a stockade enclosure surrounded by several picket buildings that were used by the government in which to keep supplies, and to quarter soldiers. Surrounding this entire stockade there was a picket fence inclosing the fort. A number of small residences were being built around the settlement by this time.

The Powell party had traded the most of their steer teams for horses and mules by the time they had reached this region.

Weatherford, some 30 miles Northwest, was only a beginning village when grandfather's party first encountered it in 1856. A few log cabins were scattered through the brush about where Weatherford now stands, The greater part of the houses were built along the creeks North and East from present Weatherford. A fuller description of this village will be given later in this story.

While the Powell party was scouting through the country, Isaac Powell declared his intentions of "squatting" on land near Weatherford as soon as he could return to Arkansas and bring the other members of his family and settle his affairs. Grandfather, and other members of the party, chose to settle on Squaw Creek, just West from the present Granbury, in Hood County. They first selected the site where Thorp Springs is now located but for some reason not now known they removed to Squaw Creek within a few days. Here the Powell party made permanent settlement. As the sons grew to manhood and married, land consisting of from 160 to 320 acres, adjoining the original homestead, was bought and another family was begun. Most of the daughters settled near also which accounted for the early day communities headed by the original land grantee, surrounded by the children.

Owen West still lives, at this writing, 1933, on the place settled in 1860, by his father, Robert West. This place was located just East from the old Powell Settlement and just Northeast from the original settlement made by Ben West who came with the Powell party. Ben and Robert West were brothers. I drove over this country in 1933 and could still find many signs of these early settlements, especially my father's old place where I was born and where many childhood memories still linger with me.

This location was only a few miles West and North from Comanche Peak, where the government post was then located as just mentioned. This outpost had been established in 1843 before any of the other county had been settled. The object of the post was to mark the boundary of the treaty that Sam Houston made with the Indians to aid in controlling them on the Western frontier. It was never intended for a fort and was never marked with more than an old stone building and look-out tower. Comanche Peak stands today as the sentinel overlooking civilization just as it did in that day to mark the early traveler's way through those hills and valleys before roads were known in the country.

Thus was that the Powell party came to Texas. Perilous was their journey but fate was kind to them and not a soul was left beneath the sod along some trackless roadside to mark where death stole an entrance into the camps of the early pioneers. The entire party reached the end of their journey and life began anew in this region where the races of man soon began to follow. The next section of this story will describe the Powell settlement and trace its growth, through many hardships, into another settlement of early pioneers who helped make the Western frontier of Texas a wholesome place in which to live.

SECTION THREE

THE PIONEER LOG CABIN

Grandfather and the other families that settled here within the same locality pooled their efforts and erected what was known as pole log cabins. They lived in these till a more substantial house could be built. Such a house was usually a one-room structure built high enough for an attick room above where part of the family could live, and with one or two "lean-to" rooms sufficient to accommodate the entire family. The size of the family determined just how large the main log house would be and just how many side rooms that were built.

The main living or family room spoken of above was usually from 16 x 16 to 20 x 20 feet square. The average was perhaps 18 x 18 feet. The logs were usually simply poles in the first house to be erected and which was converted into "cribs" when the final finished log cabin was built. When the permanent cabin was built, the logs were dressed nicely and notched to fit at the corners and with plenty of chinking worked in to close the cracks and crevices. The picket type of log house was not used in this part of the State. Instead the poles were simply notched and laid alternately, one on the other, so as to make a square corner and prevent the poles from slipping off. Slabs were driven between the poles and a mortar of mud and clay, mixed with grass, packed against this, all making an air tight seal for the crack.

In the end of such a house, was a large chimney built so as to take large logs, often four feet long, as well as large stumps or chunks of wood. It was necessary to have plenty of fire during cold weather and to have a supply that would keep for a long time if possible.

Fires were kept burning almost continuously from early fall to late in the spring. When they were used to cook with, they must burn for the year round. When summer came, however, much of the cooking was done out in the open, usually in the back yard. Coals of fire were banked up in the ashes and thoroughly covered so that fire might not be lost during the wet weather. Losing a start of fire during these early times when people lived so far from each other would work quite a hardship on any family. I have heard my father say that it often took an hour to get fire started from the old flint and "spunk" that was used by the pioneers in kindling their fires when they lost fire. It was especially a task when the wood and kindling chanced to get wet.

In another chapter, I am giving a fuller account of the old log cabins, both the single room structure and the old double log cabin that was so famous during these early days.

After a couple of years, grandfather enlarged his small plot of ground to include an orchard and several acres that could be planted to corn and wheat. During the first winter, the older boys were put to clearing land so that sufficient ground could be planted to gardens and such feed as cane. This additional land was fenced partly with rails made of trees felled in making the clearing and with rock. The old fashioned "zig zag" rail fence was used a lot during that time since there was plenty of timber suited to splitting such rails. Some use was made of various cactus and thistle hedges, also.

Building a rock fence was a considerable task and took an experienced hand to build one properly. A good rock mason, though, that understood his business, could build from ten to twenty feet of such a fence four feet high per day when helpers were supplied to keep him in rock. The rail fences also required a lot of work. Logs were usually cut from ten to fourteen feet long and then split lengthwise into rails the size desired. Timber cleared away in order to clear a field was usually converted into such rails. The rocks lying on the surface or that were turned up at the first few ploughings were used to construct the old rock fences.

The rock fence was preferred almost altogether in and around the houses and barns because it furnished better fire protection as well as protection from weather. The wild animals and later the Indians were better guarded against with the rock fence as well. A fire often burned miles of a rail fence before it was discovered or while the grass and weeds of the old fence row were being burned. A rock fence was not bothered in such a way.

The usual crops raised during the pre-war days and for some time after the Civil War, were a patch of corn, several acres of wheat or oats, a few rows of cotton and a couple of acres in a garden. Plenty of sweet potatoes were always grown if possible. The cotton was used to make "bats" for quilts and mattresses and for making thread with which to knit socks, clothing, etc.

There were no markets near enough so that any excess products could be sold. All that was necessary was to supply the needed quantity for home consumption. This virgin land was very fertile and produced an abundance of most anything planted in it. It required but little work to produce a crop as grass and weeds were not so bad then. But little rainfall would supply sufficient moisture as the humus in the new soil held moisture so much better than the average cultivated land of to-day. Land that is not overfarmed and that is in a country where little is in cultivation will stand dry weather far better than it will during these days when so much is in cultivation.

The sweet potato mentioned above was not the fine flavored yam that we know to-day, but the old fashioned "dry weather" or "nigger choker" red sweet potato. Such a potato, when baked, required quite a lot of butter or other seasoning before one could scarcely swallow it. The white potato or common Irish potato was not so common at that time. Seed were scarce to get and as the whole potato was necessary before this potato could be planted it was seldom found among the early settlements.

I have heard father say, many times, that he was a boy some six or eight years old when his first saw the Irish potato. Grandfather had been on a trip to Jefferson, Texas, for supplies and had brought back some Irish potatoes with him. Like all children, father and his brothers wanted to eat some of them or try them out at least. Father said that he had not seen anything that looked half so good as those potatoes looked. Regardless of their insisting to grandfather that they have one to eat, they were refused as they were brought home to be planted so that some might grow in the garden. The potatoes were put away and the law laid down to the boys that they were not to be bothered. Regardless of this decree, father and his brothers watched for their chance and stole some of them out for a trial. They left immediately for the back corner of the field where they could hide in the corner of the rail fence and eat them. They soon found that the peeling was not so delicious but by removing them the potato tasted fine. They proceeded to bite this peeling off and bury it as the best way to cover up their mischief. This being carefully done, the boys felt very secure. After a few days grandfather went to get the potatoes to plant them and decided that something had been into them. He called the boys and asked them about it. Thy stoutly denied any knowledge of the potatoes being bothered. Several days later, grandfather was passing through the field and found several clumps of potatoes pushing the ground up in great heaps. By digging down, he found where the peelings and pieces of potatoes had been buried. He could even detect the impression made by their teeth on the small bits of potato peelings. I have heard my father laughingly tell how bewildered they were when grandfather escorted them down to the corner of the fence to show them what he had discovered. They then had to confess to taking the potatoes. They were punished by being required to mind the cows from off the wheat while they grazed along the fence rows and the sides of the field. This task might not seem very severe but when it is recalled that this required careful watching right during fishing season and just as the "going in washing" time of year was approaching it becomes doubly severe. At any rate, father said this was the last Irish potatoes that they ever stole.

The small patches of cotton that were planted were purely for home consumption in making quilt bats and for making thread. The seeds were picked from the lint by hand while the women took the lint and carded it into "bats" which were later spun into thread to be knitted into sock, underwear, or cloth which was used for making clothing.

A sort of machine was invented similar to Whitney's first experiments with the cotton gin and the early pioneers made copies of this machine with which they separated the lint from the seed of the cotton that they raised. This machine was similar to the ordinary clothes wringer of to-day that we use with the washing machine. It consisted of two rollers of wood some half to three quarters of an inch in diameter placed side by side in a frame. A crank was fastened on the end of one of the rollers so that it could be turned by the operator. As the operator turned this crank, the other roller turned as a result of friction between the rollers. As cotton would be fed slowly between the rollers the lint would be rolled through. The seeds could not pas through and as the rollers were small the seed would not catch between them and they simply slipped by till all of the lint would be pulled from them when they would drop down into some place prepared to catch them. This simple contraption speeded up the amount of cotton lint that could be pulled from the seed in a day by one person. This was quite an important item in cloth making.

Each family also had a small herd of goats and sheep to furnish wool with which to card and spin thread to make woolen cloth and woolen knitted garments such as socks and underwear. The wool was clipped and stored away to later be carded into batts to be stored or spun into thread which was wound into balls or "hanked" for future use.

This work gave the early pioneer family plenty to occupy themselves during the long winter days and evenings. Much of the outdoor clothing for the men was made of buckskin and bear skin. Various other hides were tanned and used for such purposes also. The hides were carefully "dressed" or cured and stored away to be used later in the making of leather clothing, rugs, etc.

All clothing of that early day was much warmer than the average clothing worn to-day. All socks, under-garments, jerseys, etc., were made of this coarse thread described above. It would be either wool or cotton depending mainly on the season that it was to be worn. The children, both boys and girls wore a long, loose, shirt. This was about the only type of clothing worn till about ten or twelve years old. This was made from linsey or woolsey cloth as this home made cloth was called. Another cloth came into vogue known as jean and furnished goods for the manufacturing of most of the clothing for the men for a number of years.

I have heard my father say that he was twelve or fourteen years old before he had his first pair of jean pants. These pants were made by grandmother from thread and cloth made by her own hands. He felt very proud of them and wore them several years.

Grandfather was quite a clever hand with the cobblers tools and made all the shoes and leather clothing for the entire family. All of the family, especially the women and children, went bare-footed the greater part of the year. Grandfather always had a new pair of shoes made for each member of the family for a Christmas present for Christmas morning. These shoes given on this morning were the only ones they would receive during the year so they made a very enjoyable present. Sometimes women would have more than the one pair as they usually had to have a pair for company during the summer time. The children were very careful to take care of their shoes, however, as they knew they would not have another pair till the next Christmas.

They would wear their shoes only during the very worst weather and on Sundays so they would last as long as possible. I have heard father say, on many occasions, that when he was going to church, to school, or on a visit, he would pull his shoes off and carry them over his shoulder or through mud holes or rough places so that he would not soil his shoes or wear them out too rapidly. He older members of the family usually managed to care for their shoes well enough to wear them on all important occasions without so careful thought.

SECTION FOUR

EARLY DAYS ON SQUAW CREEK IN HOOD COUNTY

Mention has been made previously of the early difficulties in the way of settling up so wild a region as was Hood County back in the days before the Civil War and before the county had been settled by more than half a dozen families. I shall again relate many incidents in the life of these early pioneer settlers. The incidents that are to be mentioned have been given to me by my own people as well as others who actually lived here during the early days.

The old pioneer house consisted, usually, of one room and a "lean-to" side room built of round logs or more frequently poles. The first log cabin had to be built hurriedly and was not so elaborately constructed as the ones of a few years later that were to be permanent headquarters for the family. The settlers threw up the pole house as hastily as possible, usually just off from where they eventually meant to build their main residence. This pole house would then be converted into the barn and such out houses as they desired. The "smoke house" was always a necessity.

These "pole houses" were made of un-hewed log or poles. The main room was usually 14 to 20 feet square and from 10 to 12 rounds high. Knotches were cut in the ends of the poles from four to eight inches off the ends so that they might be stacked on each other at the corners and leave as small space between the poles to be chinked as possible. Two-foot boards were laid on rib poles and weight poles laid on the boards to hold them down. All of this work was done with the ordinary ax as but few saws were to be found and the saw mill had not been brought to the settlement as yet. Good oak timbers could be split rather uniformily in making boards to be used in the lathes and shingles for these early houses. Stick and dirt chimneys with rock back and jams, a door of clap-boards chinked and daubed with mud and a dirt or puncheon floor and the house was completed and good enough for the first few years.

This type of house was first used by grandfather when he settled on Squaw Creek. Several years later and just before the Civil War, he began the building of a more elaborate mansion in which to live. The main room of this house was made of large logs carefully hewn and notched so as to fit almost solidly one on the other. The double log cabin had not found its place at this time but the houses were built of large logs, carefully dressed, and notched with rafters usually made of cedar, and oak or cedar material for the lathing. Grandfather's house was not completed till after the Civil War or till about 1868. He worked on it at odd times till finally the walls were completed but these stood for several years before the final top was put on. The older boys were off in the war and grandfather busied himself in the crop and on the hunt and the work of finishing the house went slowly. In fact, everything stopped at a standstill during the war then, just as it does during war to-day. After the war, grandfather joined a band of rangers and hunters to go into the western part of the State to drive the Indians back and to hunt and scout over the country for a possible new location. After several months he made up his mind to return to Squaw Creek to his family and remain there. Several of these hunting companions, including Col. John R. Baylor, came back with grandfather and staid with him for sometime while scouting about for locations here and to watch the movements of the Indians. It was while these men were here that grandfather accepted their offer to assist him and finish his log house.

When finished, this house consisted of one large room of hewn logs with a side room and an attic above. The pole houses were still used for a kitchen and such adjoining structures as were needed. A large chimney was built in the north, while just at its left the up-stairs led to the attic through an opening in the wall. The stairways were placed on the outside or in a corner of these early homes so as to take up as little space as possible. Usually, as was true in grandfather's case, the up-stair had an opening from the outside and also from the inside so that it could be reached from either way.

The doorway was carefully pinned with wooden pegs to the logs so that a very substantial structure resulted.

SECTION FIVE

HOME LIFE OF THE FAMILY

Wood hauling was a very necessary thing with the early family. I have heard father say that grandfather built on a hillside, or rather on top of the hill so that his farm be on the hillside, so that the place would have a commanding view of the entire country. This was necessary in the early day so that a commanding view could be had of the surrounding country in case Indians or other danger threatened. Many of the first settlers built down near the creeks and in dense thickets of brush. This proved to their sorrow as when the Indians began raiding the country, these settlers would be ambushed and murdered before they scarcely knew the Indians were in the country. The experienced pioneer knew this and picked the hill to make his settlement. The Indians would have to expose himself to view for too long a time before he could reach the house. He did not like this and would often leave such a settlement alone as he made his raids through the country.

As the house was usually from a half to a mile from the woods, which was true of grandfather's location, wood had to be hauled to the house. This was usually done by simply felling a tree then "snaking" it to the house where it was cut up in desirable fuel for all purposes. "Snaking" a tree simply meant to cut it down, and put a chain around the butt end and drag the entire tree by means of a team of oxen, up to where it was needed. I have heard father say that he had helped drag trees in this manner for two miles. They would be taken to the house and then cut into such desirable lengths of wood and kindling as was needed. The small limbs could be used for kindling while the chips and broken pieces made fine "wash pot" fuel.

The furniture owned by grandfather was very simple. His father, Isaac Powell, as well as he himself, were both pretty good cabinet makers. They had brought several pieces of furniture along with them made of walnut and other hard woods. They had several tables, including the dining table, a bureau, a number of stools and chairs, all made of walnut. This furniture was simple but very substantially constructed. He had a bedstead made from walnut, but it was not very appropriate for this new home and was stored away till a better house could be built.

Till a better house was built, the family made use of what was known as the "one legged" bedstead. This was simply a bed built into the corner of the room with holes bored in the two sides of the room and one side of the end and one side of the head fastened to the wall with pegs being driven in these holes. The corners furnished support for the foot rail while one leg out in the floor furnished support for the other corner of the bed.

The four legged bedsteads were made in this manner. With an augur or chisel, a hole was mortised into the side and the end pieces for bed the rails to enter. The rail was then dressed down to exactly fit this hole. Holes were then bored in each rail and end piece every eight inches and a raw-hide rope or strip of unfinished cow or buffalo hide run through the holes while the hide was still green. As the strips or ropes dried they would draw up and pull the bed together with great force. This network of stretched hide made very comfortable bed "springs" for the sleeper. When thick straw mattresses were made to fit the bed and a thick feather bed put on top of this a very comfortable bed resulted. The three cornered, one leg beds, were a permanent part of the fixtures of a house but four legged beds could be moved about as desired. Both types of beds were very attractive pieces of furniture when carefully made and polished.

Grandfather used quite a deal of skill in making the tables. He carved the legs and sides in an interesting manner. Sometimes animals were carved on such pieces of furniture while often trees, houses, and even water scenes were so carved.

The chairs and stools were also often ornamented with such carvings. They were made of heavy pieces of material. The chairs all had "raw-hide" bottoms while the stools were usually bottomed with a solid piece of wood made heavy enough to withstand all necessary wear and tear.

The kitchen was very plainly furnished. The cooking utensils consisted of a three legged skillet, an iron oven, a pair of pot hooks, a large pot or two, and sometimes two or three iron skillets with a long handle. Such utensils were quite sufficient to prepare any meal supplied for the family in those days. The most of the cooking was done in the main room in the large fire-place constructed for that purpose.

The pioneer family depended, at first, upon the native streams for his water supply. Such water was pure, then, as there was but little to contaminate and pollute it. Along this stream and at the nearest water-hole to the house, was found the old wash-place where the family washing took place. A near-by thicket supplied a splendid place for clothes to be hung out to dry in the sunshine. The necessary equipment for doing the "washing" for the family, consisted of a large wash pot or boiler, two or three blocks of wood cut about two feet long from a tree of large diameter, and one or more small wash-tubs if such could be obtained. The wood blocks were carefully smoothed across the top. They were used for battling the heavy home-spun clothes.

I have listened, on many occasions, while father related his dread for wash day to come because it was his job to battle clothes. Clothes were made of heavy material and ordinary wash-board or "rub-board" has not come into the possession of the settler of this time if indeed it had been invented.

Clothes were usually cleaned by boiling them in a strong water of "lye-soap" or soaking them in such a solution if they could not be boiled, then lift them from the pot by means of a "punching-stick" onto the "battling-block" while they were steaming hot. They were then pounded with a "battling-stick" as they would be turned from side to side, till they thoroughly foamed with the soap and water solution. They would then be turned over and beaten again. After this, they would be carried through several rinsing waters and if clean, would then be carried to the bushes to be hung out to dry. If there were no rinsing tubs to be had, a tub was usually made from a piece of a hollow tree of considerable size, by splitting the tree in half and then fastening up the two ends so that it would hold water. This trough made a very good water container for many purposes.

The "lye-soap" mentioned above, was quite familiar to the old time household. I can recall, myself, when practically all of our soap used was made at home. All soap used for "washing-day" was home-made.

The old "ash-hopper" consisted of a barrel placed on some sort of support, filled to near the top with good clean wood ashes, while water was poured into the barrel on top of the ashes. After about two days, a strong chocolate colored liquid will begin dripping out of the bottom of the barrel. A trough is then placed under the bottom of the barrel to catch this dripping solution. This is the lye used to make soap.

When enough of this liquid is caught, the remnant grease saved in cooking, as well as scraps of fat meat and bacon rinds, are all poured into a pot and melted. It is usually strained and the clear grease cooled. After this, the lye water obtained from the ash barrel drippings, is added in sufficient quantity and the grease-lye mixture boiled till it is thoroughly blended. Regardless of the method used, the essentials are the same.

As the mixture boiled, small quantities were taken occasionally and dropped into cold water to see if it would harden into soap. When this mixture would harden in cold water, the fire was withdrawn from under the pot and the solution allowed to cool.

When the soap was cold, the pot would be inverted and the white soap placed on a table or boards where it was cut into squares of convenient size for handling. Sometimes moulds were used and the hot liquid poured into the moulds where it was allowed to cool. This made bars of soap suitable for any desired purposes. Sometimes various home-made dyes were used to color the soap before being poured into the moulds. This soap was considered quite a luxury and would be used only on special occasions.

SECTION SIX

FARMING AND FARM IMPLEMENTS

Most farming such as grandfather did was done by oxen or the ordinary pony such as was used during this early time. A couple of good horses were always used for hunting purposes and later when the stage coach passed through this country and the station was located at grandfather's place several good horses and even mules were kept at all times. Most of the farming was done for some time with oxen regardless of their ownership of horses.

When prairie was being broken, from two to four oxen were often required. This land was hard to break and it was often poorly cleared of grass and brush before attempting to be ploughed which added to the difficulty. The old fashioned plow would not turn the sod very well as our modern plows will do.

The farm implements were rather simple and not a very great variety of different kinds. Such as there were usually were hand made and very simple. A turning plow, a V harrow, a rake, a shovel, an axe, an eye-hoe, a scythe blade, a briar hook, a post-hole digger, a spading fork constituted the average farm equipment.

Some of these tools were brought to Texas when they left the old states, while others were made as the need arose. I recall as a small boy, my father showing me where grandfather cut a large limb from an elm tree in order to make some plow handles. It was very visible where the limb had been removed. There was a large elm tree just at the lower side of our farm that always bore a great cavity near the ground. Father said this block had been cut out many years ago for the purpose of making a mop head. In 1931 when I visited this old place, I noticed this tree was still standing and the scar still quite visible where this block had been cut out some 65 or 70 years before.

A mop head was a simple thing. A piece of elm or some such light wood was worked into a block about 12 or 14 inches long, 6 inches wide, and three inches thick. Holes were bored through this block about an inch or so apart. These holes were about an inch or two inches in diameter. Shucks would then be twisted together till of the desired size, run through the holes, then fastened with pegs driven in the hole till it was tight. The shucks were then cut to even length and a scrubbing mop was ready for use. Smaller and larger mops were made to fit the kind of scrubbing demanded of them. Most any one could refill the mop-head after the workman had completed it and the holes bored properly.

Corn, wheat, oats, barley and various garden vegetables, together with various medicinal herbs, were the principal things planted then.

Corn was dropped by hand and covered with a hoe. The entire field was "checked" into squares and a hill made in each square in which the corn was planted. This enabled the crop to be cultivated both ways and kept clean. The hill of good soil for each stalk furnished plenty of food for the plant and kept moisture necessary to mature the plant.

An ordinary shovel plow with a long narrow bull-tongue point was used to plough most all crops. A turning plow that was hand made did all of the preparation of the soil save where the V or A harrow was used. This harrow was also hand-made and consisted, often times, of a tree fork about four inches in diameter with holes bored in each fork about six inches apart and a wooden pin driven in each hole so that it would project about eight inches. Sometimes a more finished harrow was made by shaping the wood with which to make the two sides of the angle. These sides were mortised together nicely and the entire harrow nicely finished.

Another scratcher was made by taking a log some eight or ten inches in diameter, or larger, cutting it about eight or ten feet long, boring holes into it about eight inches apart, then driving stout pegs into these holes. A piece of material was fastened to each end of this log and brought together making sort of shafts to pull the "scratcher" by. This was used to tear up the sod from a newly broken piece of ground. Such an implement might be made heavy and large enough to be pulled by two oxen or horses. Such an apparatus would scratch land pretty well.

Sometimes a "brush drag" would be made by cutting a log as above but sharpening the butt ends of brush limbs and driving them into the holes till every hole was filled. This would be dragged over land to help level it and to help break clods and pulverize the soil. Such a brush as this was used to brush in small grain after the seed had been sowed over the land. It tended to cover the seed in drills as the brush dragged along.

I remember quite well, the pleasure that I used to get when a boy, as I drove the old family horse to such a brush drag as the one described above. Sometimes a seat would be built so that a boy could ride as he brushed the land. It was a very tiresome task to walk through freshly ploughed land behind a brush drag all day long. Most any kind of seat was welcomed.

I recall, once, when my younger brother Vernon, and I were having to run such a brush drag over a piece of land that had been listed so as to drag the rows down sufficiently for a horse to get up on top and walk on the ridge. Father had given us the old family horse known to all of us children as "Old Sailor." This horse was gentle and was the one used for children to drive and do such work as they were required to do. We were supposed to take turn about in brushing this land. This went along very well till we were both almost tired out. All that we had to do was turn Old Sailor and he would go right down the furrow till the other end was reached. The rows were almost a half mile long, so we had little to do save follow the old horse back and forth. We decided that this was useless so we planned for one of us to get at one end of the field and the other at the other and turn the horse and he would go on to the other end where he would be turned around and started back. This proved a great idea and all that we had to do was get up and turn the old horse and start him back to the other end to again be turned and headed back. We kept this up for almost a half day before father discovered what we were doing. When he found this out, he gave both of us a good scolding and threat and started us back in the old form of trailing the brush round and round the field.

The only reason that father ever gave us for not permitting us to save labor such as this was doing, was that the horse had to work and we might as well work as to make him. Father had worked hard all of his life and never believed in saving yourself by putting extra burdens on a horse. He never would use a riding cultivator as he said that was unfair to the team. Many a hard task was performed on a farm during those days simply because it had been done that way from the earliest times.

Such wheat as was grown at this early time was threshed out by means of driving horses or oxen over the straw till the grain had been trampled out. Sometimes the wheat would be taken up by handfuls and the heads beaten with a pole or stick. When trampled out the wheat was arranged in a large circle with the butt ends inward and the heads forming the outer circle. Horses or oxen were then driven round and round till all of the grain was trampled out. Men on the inside kept the straw and grain stirred up while the tramping process went on. After the wheat was trampled out, the straw was removed to a pile and the grain, dirt, chaff, and all, picked up and put in sacks or some sort of containers. After this, a sheet or heavy canvas cloth, or even a smooth grassy plot was selected where the "winding" process was carried out. This process consisted of dipping the grain up by some container and raising it several feet into the air then pouring it out slowly while the wind blew the chaff and dirt away and left the heavy grain to fall on the sheet in piles. This process was repeated several times till the grain was as clean as a modern combine can make it. This was the method used to separate all kinds of small grain.

The nearest post office to this Squaw Creek settlement was at Birdville, in Tarrant County, some 50 miles away. The government post at Comanche Peak was sometimes used for distributing mail but usually did not handle anything except that of apparent great importance till a later date.

Grist mills were located near Fort Worth and at Barnard's Mill on the Paluxy. Corn and wheat could be taken to either of these places and ground into meal, flower, or grits as desired. A certain part of the grain was measured out and turned over to the owner of the mill as "toll" for grinding the customers grain.

The main place where these early settlers had to go to obtain supplies was Jefferson. Sometimes trips were made to McKinney and Clarksville but Jefferson was the terminal point for navigation up the Trinity and other rivers so this was the main base of all supplies.

A trip to either of these towns required several days and sometimes weeks. Jefferson was reached via Fort Worth, Dallas, and on east over the old National road. This National Highway was one of the most famous passageways from the frontier to east Texas for many years. Just last week, July 6, 1935, I drove out to one of the famous camping grounds on this road where early day travelers once spent the nights and many a noon-day meal over the camp fire while they quenched their thirst from cold sparkling water from the well still to be found here. This camping spot is some twenty miles out of Dallas and just east of the old ferry crossing on the east Fork of the Trinity. It was about a day's journey east from Dallas. The road can be traced very accurately across the ravines and small prairie spots here in the edge of Kaufman County some three miles south-west from Forney.

Grandfather and his boys, including my father, made many trips over this old road. As I strolled about over this old camping ground I could imagine days long gone bye when father was only a lad going here and yon assisting with the duties connected with camp as the old oxen graized about on the hills near about. I recall hearing my mother tell of camping on the East Fork of the Trinity at the old camping grounds in the edge of Kaufman County when they were on their way to Hood County. As this same camping spot is some two miles west from Black Land, Kaufman County, where mother once lived. I am almost certain that it is the same place where she trotted about when a girl about 13 years old as they removed from this county. It feeds my imagination with pleasure as I mark this spot to be the one where both father and mother have camped in the long ago.

The usual method of travel was by ox-wagon when this trip was made for supplies. It was a slow tiresome journey back to Jefferson from Hood County. Time did not mean very much for the early pioneer settler, however, and he learned to take things in an easy going manner.

Grandfather usually sent his boys on this trip while he attended to the chores about the place or went on one of his famous hunting trips, either for game or Indians.

When a wagon left for supplies it usually was loaded down with any surplus crops or with grain that was to be ground into flour or meal. Any wagon going on the journey was usually joined by others desiring to make the trip at any time soon as it was to the advantage of all to go together for mutual assistance. It was no uncommon thing for a wagon leaving on such a trip to be loaded with sacks of grain from half-dozen to a dozen neighbors in the community. All sacks were branded with the owners name or brand so that each could identify his own product when it was returned.

I have told above how wheat was threshed out but have not yet told how it was harvested. All wheat and other similar grain was cradled by hand. A good cradler could cut about two acres of good clean grain per day. A man usually followed the cradler to bind the grain as it was cut. This man was usually known as the "binder." A good binder could usually keep right up with the cradler who was cutting the grain. Often times the women and children were used to bind the grain. A man could use his wife and children and cut and bind an acre or an acre and a half of grain as a hard day's work.

A cradler would make a swing through the grain, cut it with a jerking movement, catch the grain on the prongs of the cradle, then take each bundle off and pile it so that the binder could pick it up and tie it into bundles. This was usually done by taking several long straws of grain and tying each bundle by wrapping one end of the straw around the other end, then tucking the other end of the wisp under and around the first. When twine came into use, it was universally used for tying all such bundles of grain. When using twine it was usually prepared in short lengths sufficiently long to make convenient bundles to handle. Loops were made in one end and the twine swung in the belt of the operator. One string was pulled out at a time and tied around each bundle by running the loose end through the loop after circling it around the bundle, then looping the knot so that it could later be untied by simply taking hold of the looped knot and giving it a jerk whereupon the knot would be loosed and the string easily removed from the bundle without having to cut the string. A string could be used over and over many times when handled this way.

After these bundles were tied up they were then shocked into "cots" containing twelve to eighteen bundles to the shock. After these bundles were stacked on their cut ends and shocked up a string was usually tied around all of them to hold them into place and this shock capped over with a bundle or two of grain to help protect the shock from rains. An expert could shock grain in this manner in such a way as to withstand a lot of rainy weather without spoiling the grain.

SECTION SEVEN

PROVIDING FIRE

Matches were a rare thing in those early days. A few matches were usually kept hidden away in a glass jar in the cellar or in some place where it was not too dangerous. These were used only in extreme need. These sulphur or phosphorous matches were very poisonous when a child got hold of them and put them in his mouth. A small box consisting of a dozen matches cost twenty-five cents. Matches were, therefore, quite a luxury for any one to have about.

Fire was usually kept by burying live coals deep in the ashes or by covering up a smoldering fire where an old stump had been set on fire under the ground. A stump of a large tree would often burn for weeks and during the worst rainy weather without dying out.

When fire did chance to go out or be lost, the piece of flint and steel that had been kept for the purpose was brought out together with the piece of "spunk" or rotten dry wood and a fire kindled. The spunk wood or cotton would be put down and a lot of dry kindling gathered close. Sparks would then be produced by striking the steel against the flint and then ignite the cotton or spunk. The kindling would then be put on and a fire would soon be going in good headway.

It was not uncommon to send for miles to a neighbor's house to borrow some coals of fire. The coals were carefully covered with ashes in a shovel or tin bucket and carried back home where they furnished the coals with which to build your fire. I can recall as a child, neighbors going for a mile or more to borrow some live coals in order to build a fire.

SECTION EIGHT

LIGHTING THE HOME

Lighting the home was done in several ways. Grandfather often built a large fire in the fire place during cool weather so that the blaze would furnish sufficient light. During warm weather the tallow candle or the grease pot was usually used. A glowing pine knot or cedar knot furnished a splendid light for most any purpose.

Tallow candle making was another art that employed the household quite often.

Almost every one had candle moulds to be used for candle making. Long wisps of cotton were spun into loose threads for the wicks. These were often dipped up and down into melted tallow till enough tallow formed on the wick to make the candle. Many expert candle makers could simply pour the melted tallow down over the wick and by turning the wicks as they poured the tallow form a cylinder of tallow the size they wanted their candles. Grandmother Powell was said to be an expert at this method of candle making.

Better candles were made by using the candle moulds. When made this way a piece of cotton used for the wick was stretched from end to end of the mould and the mould then closed. Melted tallow would then be poured in the mould and the mould plunged into a basin of cold water to make it set quickly. The mould would then be opened and the candle taken out. If the candle stuck to the mould, a little heat applied to the sides of the mould would cause it to come out easily. Such moulds as these came after the days of the Civil War. All early candles were prepared according to one of the first methods mentioned.

The grease torch consisted of a wick being inserted into a can or bowl of clean lard or grease. By a little care this wick could be ignited and the grease would soon melt sufficiently to be drawn into the wick when it would burn with a bright light. If the wick were properly choaked, that is clamped tight through a hole so as to keep the lard from igniting, it would burn for a long time and furnish a bright light.

SECTION NINE

CARDING WOOL AND COTTON

Carding both wool and cotton has been described previously and will not be given more space here. The fleece and fibers of wool and cotton could be combed out rapidly with cards. After combing the fleece out it was not difficult to spin it into thread by using the spinning wheel. The spinning wheel simple twisted the fibers of wool or cotton and by gently them apart as the machine twisted the fibers they would form a well cored thread.

SECTION TEN

THE OLD GRIST MILL

The old grist mill was an interesting gathering place during the early days. The power for operating this mill was derived from the force of a running stream of water. The water was caused to flow rapidly against the great paddle wheels or to fall on top of the great wheels and pull them over and over. This was cheap power and could be controlled as the operator desired.

As the water drove this large water-wheel power was conveyed to machinery that caused two large rocks to grind against each other to crush and grind the grain. These rocks were usually of granite or flint and were roughened into "spurs" that would cut and grind the grain. The faces of the rocks were large and flat and as the grain poured down between them it was crushed by the slowly rotating or grinding motion of the two rocks against each other.

Going to mill was quite a venture for a boy. Here many other boys could be found coming from all over the country. As each customer had to wait for his turn to grind his grain and the process was a slow one at best, these boys had a lot of time to make each other's acquaintance.

I recall hearing father relate one incident centering about one of his early trips to such a mill. Father and his younger brother, George, were on their way to the mill at old Barnard's Mill on the Paluxy. Along the side of the road they saw a round flint rock about the size of their two fists. They picked it up and because of its peculiar looks carried it along with them. When they reached the mill and waited for their turn they were looking at the rock as the miller's son came up. He was about the same age of my father who was then about fourteen years of age. He became interested in the rock and began making inquiries concerning it. The boys saw that he was entirely ignorant as to what it was. He soon asked them what it was and they told him that it was a coconut. They had no idea as to what a coconut looked like themselves but that was the first thing that entered their heads. The boy became greatly interested and wanted to trade for it. After taking the joke this far they decided to go on with it and see what would happen. After making several bantering offers he finally offered to give them a six-shooter for their coconut. The boy had quite a collection of pocket-knives and two or three old six-shooters. Father and his brother had neither and as is always dear to a boy's heart, a gun or a knife are two things always desired. The trade was hastily talked up and the boy had the coconut and father had the gun.

Father and his brother gave special instructions for the boy to go bury the coconut till it was fully ripened before trying to eat it. Father said this was done partly to appear learned before the boy and partly for them to make their get away before the fake was discovered. They knew no more about the ripening of a coconut that the breeding of kangaroos.

They went with the boy to bury the coconut so they could show him just how to do the job well. Each party was greatly elated over the trade. All through this and the next day till father left for home the boys were great friends.

When the boys got home they immediately showed their gun to grandfather. He recognized it as being a high class six-shooter and demanded its history. They finally retold their experience with the miller's son and the trade. Grandfather took the gun away from them and told them they had to return it the next time they went to the mill. This disappointed the boys for two reasons. They hated to lose their cherished six-shooter and as badly to face the boy after his experience with the coconut. It was several weeks before they made another trip to the mill. On this trip they were required to return the gun and make their apologies to the boy for their misrepresented coconut.

The boy accepted their apologies and they became the best of friends. This same boy grew up and in later years became a close friend and neighbor to my father. No greater joy ever came to him than getting my father in a crowd and telling the story of his trading for the coconut.

SECTION ELEVEN

LONG JOURNEYS FOR NECESSITIES

During the late fifties and up till late after the Civil War it was no uncommon thing for the pioneer settler to journey from 50 to 100 miles for certain necessities or learn to do without them altogether. I have just recounted how the mills were reached only after a long trip. Travel was slow and the roads were often almost impassible. This was especially true when supplies were to be obtained from east of Dallas where the black mud had to be gone through.

Sometimes it required several weeks to make the roundtrip to Jefferson and Clarksville. When a party was gone on one of these trips those remaining at home seldom heard anything from them till they returned. The family never was uneasy unless the usual time elapsed when they should be able to make the trip and they failed to return. A trip to the mill or to town some 40 or 50 miles away was considered only a short trip and a town thus located was considered a "handy" place to go for trade. During the summer time the trips were not so hazardous as the tripper could camp out each night and have little to fear unless there was a water shortage as was sometimes the case. When winter came the trip was often very dangerous as the grass and weeds died down and great danger always stood out in fear of prairie fires or that the woods might catch fire and make travel dangerous. Grazing was not good during the winter and oxen had to be fed more carefully than when the grass was green.

Grandfather was always fond of hunting and fishing and got much pleasure out of any trip that carried him where game and fish abounded. Late in the seventies and from that time on when game became scarce through Hood County, grandfather joined many hunting parties to the west and southwest part of Texas.

Grandmother Powell was typical of many women of her day. She thought it nothing uncommon to remain at home for days and weeks and look after the family while grandfather was away on a hunting trip or had to join the ranger force for a few weeks or months to drive the Indian back to his reservation.

Women of that time were not so afraid to stay by themselves as they are to-day. It was nothing uncommon for a woman then to pick up a gun and defend the family from Indians or go hunting for game to furnish meat for the table. Grandmother had her own rifle and could use it with deadly effect.

On one occasion grandfather had been gone for several days and was past due to return. This always made women anxious regardless of how well they could accept their fate when being left alone. Grandfather had been gone on a trip about Buffalo Gap and was overdue some three or four days. Far late in the night or early one morning grandmother heard the dogs barking down on the creek some half mile from the house. The dogs were barking the alarm that they something bayed. Grandmother got up and took her rifle down and went down to investigate. She found that the dogs had a wolf surrounded in a hole of water in the creek. She could see the wolf wading about and snapping at the dogs. She raised her rifle to her shoulder and fired. At that instant she heard the voice of grandfather as he spoke on the other side of the creek, exclaiming, "Adarine what are you doing down here?" He recognized the crack of her rifle and realized that she was down investigating the noise of the dogs. He too, had come by to see what the dogs were barking at as he was returning home from his trip.

Grandmother was an expert shot with the rifle or six-shooter as she chose. It was necessary for women to know how to handle guns as well as men.

On one occasion, a panther came into the rock lot adjoining the yard and attacked a small baby calf that was in the lot with its mother. Grandmother heard the bleating of the calf late in the night. While the cows were bellowing and the hounds all barking to the top of their voices, grandmother grabbed her rifle and went out to investigate. The moon was shining at full light and grandmother immediately recognized a panther on top of the rock fence with the small calf in its paws while the cows were bellowing and the hounds barking and jumping up in an effort to attack the beast. Grandmother seized this opportunity to drive a rifle ball into it before it could decide just the best thing for it to do. At the crack of her rifle the panther sprang high into the air and down among the dogs and cows where a mighty struggle took place. Grandmother lost no time in seizing her pistol so as to be ready for another volley should she have the opportunity. When the noise subsided she realized that the animal had been slain.

The well trained dogs had done their job well, however, as she called to them the faithful "Old Trailor" as her favorite dog was called, met her with the assurance that it was all okay. After cows, hogs, sheep and dogs got out of the scramble grandmother quieted things down so that she could examine the animal. It proved to be a very large panther and one that had been causing trouble for many nights before.

Grandmother found that she had shot it right through the left side just back of the heart and the bullet came out on the other side through the right shoulder, breaking the shoulder as it came. This blow would have been sufficient without the deadly work of old Traylor and Bounce, grandmother's two favorite dogs. They were there to assist however, as was always the case when grandmother was at home and by herself.

Grandfather always kept a large pack of hounds as did every early pioneer family. He had a large pack of trained hunting hounds that accompanied him while away on his hunting expeditions. The old mother dog and the young dogs were usually left at home to act as guards around the place. An old hound that had become too feeble to stand the long trips of a hunting expedition often made the very best sort of watch dog about the place. The old mother dog with a litter of puppies also made an excellent watch dog at any time.

Grandfather kept a little red and black spotted dog as long as he lived. This little dog that he called Tolar was a great favorite with him. It accompanied him where ever he went and everybody knew Tolar. Just a short while before his death he was at my father's house where my younger brother and I were boys some five and seven years old. We wanted to rip and play with Tolar who had become rather old and cared for little romping from two rough boys such as we were. Grandfather had become old and rather childish by this time. He tried to keep Tolar under his chair but we kept trying to pick a play with him. Finally grandfather tired of this and went home. He reported to Uncle John R. Powell that he never wanted to go back to Lewis' house any more because the boys kept bothering his dog and he would not have anybody worrying him or his dog.

I do not recall that father ever knew anything about this and of course we boys didn't know anything about it. Uncle John told me about this when I was up to see him in 1931. Uncle John said that grandfather took sick shortly after this and never did visit my father again, of course, as he soon died.

SECTION TWELVE

EARLY CHURCH SERVICES

Church services were attended by every one in the community and each seemed to look upon such as a necessary part of life. A few missionaries traveled through this country at regular intervals but the older settlers usually arranged to have their favorite minister come and conduct a week or two week's service at some time during the year. Grandfather was a staunch believer in the doctrine up-held by the Church of Christ and welcomed a preacher of this faith at any time.

The usual time for holding meetings at the earliest time was centered around the Christmas holidays. Grandfather always wanted a meeting at this time of the year which was conducted in his house. It will be remembered that his house was the half-way stop between Fort Worth and points West on the stage line. This gave him an opportunity of contacting every member of the Church of Christ who traveled through the country and especially learn of the preaching brethren. This enabled him to send and receive --- with a preacher for the home services at Christmas time. The early day camp meeting had not yet come into vogue at this time. Possibly the first church erected in this community was the church and school house at Old Mount Pleasant, some quarter of a mile south of Squaw Creek, and about two miles down the creek from grandfather's place. This was used as a church for all kinds of services of any denomination.

On old fashioned brush arbor was first built here and later a log church and school building was constructed. Another log church and school building was constructed about the same time over on the famous watering hole on Stroud's Creek. This was the place where father received such schooling as was furnished at the time.

I recall as a small child the entire family attending church at the old Stroud's Creek church building. Of course, it was a boxed house during my time but the old log church location was practically in the same spot. Father used to load up the entire family in the old wagon and attend Sunday services at Stroud's Creek. This always meant that the family took both dinner and supper along and did not return till after the night services which might not be over till near mid-night. After this final service, the team would be hitched up and the family return home a distance of five or six miles over all sorts of roads. All of the children would soon be sound asleep on a pallet spread down in the bed of the wagon.

Children usually slept during the night services. Large pallets would be spread down on the hay at one side of the arbor. Soon all of the children of the community would be stretched out on this pallet and allowed to sleep during the services. All children up to about ten to twelve years of age were handled in this wise. Sometimes the pallets would be spread out in the bed of the wagon and the children would be allowed to go here and sleep in case they remained quite and did not get up a play and noise making enjoyment.

It was expected that everybody would attend the day service where the children were required to remain silent during the long hour or more services.

Otto Hufstedler said that the first time the he ever saw my brother Walter Powell was at a singing and church meeting at the log church on Stroud's Creek. He said that he had just moved into the country from Arkansas and of course knew no one. After the spreading of the old fashioned dinner on the ground, he said that he came up to Walter who spoke to him and asked who he was. Otto told him and said that he and Walter immediately became friends. When Otto was at Walter's funeral at Spur he told me this and stated that they remained life-long friends as long as Walter lived. This was over a period of some forty years or more.

In traveling to church during grandfather's and father's day here on Squaw Creek, the most of the people who lived within two or three miles would walk, while those living at a greater distance would usually come on horse back or in wagons. The most of the wagons at this time were the tar-pole or wooden axle type. If this wagon was not kept greased well it could be heard squeaking for miles as it came slowly along. I have heard father say that the boys would know who the various people were who were coming, long before they got into view, all from the varying squeaks of the old "thirsty" wagon.

During the early days in Hood County, the men went to church armed, as Indians were dangerous up till about 1870. After that time arms were slowly left off till an armed man at church was seldom seen.

Owen West told me that the first time he ever saw my mother, she was riding behind father on the way from attending a singing and church service at the old West school house and Arbor about two miles below grandfather's place on Squaw Creek. A community arbor had been built here. He said father had a pretty black horse that he always rode every where that he went. One Sunday in the fall of 1873 he was sitting on his horse at the forks in the road just before going into the gate pasture on his way home. As he was talking with other boys father passed by with her on the horse behind him. He said that he inquired from the boys, "who was that girl behind Lewis." The bunched laughed and some remarked that it was father's wife. He said that he could not believe it at first as she looked so little and young. He said he had not heard that father was married till he saw them. He said that mother had real black hair and a little high waisted dress or "empire" dress as most girls wore at the time. As they rode on he could not imagine a little girl like that being married. Mother was but sixteen at the time and was always small as a woman.

During these old camp meeting times, dinner was always served in the "dinner-on-the-ground" fashion. Families took turns about killing a beef to be barbecued or cooked otherwise for such an occasion. No one paid for the beef but all were expected to bring bread and various cakes and pies to complete the dinner. When dinner was called, every one went and helped himself just like one large family.

SECTION THIRTEEN

A COMMUNITY WEDDING

A wedding was nearly always a public affair. Every body was invited and most every body went. There was always a wedding supper or dinner that followed to which every one invited would participate. After this supper, the bridal couple would go to the home of the bride in case such was convenient, if not to the home of the groom. It was the business of the rest of the community for miles around to gather and make arrangements for the grand charivari of the couple. This was looked forward to with great interest. The couple would be "tick---ed" and charivaried all through the night if possible.

One week after the weeding would be the great "in-fai---" dinner. This was another public affair given by the parents of the groom. It was always a great time looked forward to in a community.

My most vivid experience as a child was going with my father to Cook Ranch over across Stroud's Creek, some ten miles to get a mutton for the dinner when my oldest sister married. I was then a child only a little more than four years of age, but the smell of that sheep and the smell of the fancy spiced candy in the candy decorated cakes are as visible in my memory as anything that I have ever experienced.

SECTION FOURTEEN

THE OLD SORGHUM MILL

Three or four families owned a sorghum mill between them. The rollers of the early mill were made from hard wood such as live oak, well dressed and rounded so as to fit perfectly when turning against each other in the mill. Even the cog wheels to this early mill were made of the same wood. The owners of such a mill helped each other in the act of sorghum making. It was not called sorghum in the early days but simply molasses. When molasses making was over, the young people of the entire community had a candy pulling. No one was too old but he would enter heartily into the enjoyment of this entertainment. A large wash-pot was often used in which to cook the molasses into candy. As the mixture thickened enough to be pronounced done, each person present would take out a large lump and join a partner for the pulling. The two parties would grease their hands and each take hold of the ball of thickened molasses and begin pulling it out to a long string and just before it was to break, it would be lapped back to the hands of the partner and the ends put together and the two lapped ends and the middle become the two new ends, when another pull would be made. This was kept up till the molasses became almost white and till it began to harden. It would then be twisted into screw fashioned sticks and be put back to dry. This was great sport and all joined in the pulling and the eating after it was all pulled.

SECTION FIFTEEN

VISITING THE SICK

Everybody went to visit the sick. Often time when a person was real bad and not expected to live the entire community would gather in and remain till the death or till the turn was for better.

In case no doctor was present, which was often true, each person would take a hand in assisting with the patient as he felt that he was needed or as called upon. A big fire would be built up out in the yard where the noise would not bother the sick party and a large pot of coffee would be made for the community that was sitting up with the sick.

Often times, large families would come to such a place and remain all of the time, children and all. I can recall when it would require three or four women working all of the time and two or three handy men to prepare food enough for the crowd that would always be ready to eat while visiting the sick. Nothing was known of sanitation and cleanliness more than soap