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FOLKLORE.
Miss Effie Cowan,P.W.
McLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
NO. words 1875.
Bile NO. 240.
'Page NO. 1.
No of Words,
Reference.
Interview with Mrs Amelia Steward Cbristoffer, White Pioneer,
R.F.D. Mart, Texas.
"I was born in the province of Pessen,Prassia( which was later
a part of Germany) in the year 1850. I lived with my parents at
this place until I came to Texas with some immigrants from Prussia
when I was twenty years of age. We came in a sail boat and we were
from March until in May on the trip. I found work on reaching the
Texas port of Galveston and in the year 1872 my father and his family
came and joined me in Galveston.
In January 1873 I married Rhiner Christoffer who was on the same
boat that I came over on and whom I later met, but did not know him
before I left the old country. We lived four years in Galveston
then moved to Texas City and lived nine years. We were engaged here
in farming and livestock business and when we sent our produce to
Galveston to the market we took it in a sail boat, everybody had their
sailboats just like they have their automobiles now. There were onlyy.
two German families in Texas City, but we were happy in our new country
and had the future tOtleok forward to.
"We moved to the community where I now live about the year 18i4,and
came by way of aouston,then by way of 'Hempstead and thro' the javasota
river bottom, thro' the old towns of Marques and Grosbeak and the
Tehuacana Hills,,which was the home of the Tehuacana Indians in the
earl days of Texas.Thence on to the prairie country between the
FOLKLORE. Eile NO. 240.
Miss Effie Cowan,P.W. Page NO. 2.
McLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
towns of l'osbeck and Waco. The community we moved to was called
the Kirk and Victoria communities. We settled on the Brown ranch
and my husband looked after it for Mr Brown until it was divided
into farms and sold. We bought our farm from him and just stayed on
to the present day.The country was thinly settled and our houses were
poor and open. We went to Waco nd Grosbeck for our supplies At first
we did not raise any cotton, just grain and fruit, vegetables and our
live -stook.
"Before this ranch was cut up into farms, Mr Brun had red barns all
over it to keep his feed for his stock in the winter when the grass was
gone. Then we had better houses to live in also. When the round -ups
on the ranch were on, it tock all the men on the ranch and sometimes
from the adjoining ranches. They would take two or three days to get
the herd rounded up and then they had to be held together until they
were driven to the train to be shipped to the market up north. The
cow -boys would ride around the herd day and night and to keep the
herd quiet they would sing the cowboy songs, this had a soothing
effect on the herds, and they seldom had a stampede. When the her&
became frightened this was when they would stampede and ran in every
direction then the round -up was all to do over again.
be Texas grass was in abundance and the range was sufficient for
the cattle until the winter months. The priatie was beautiful in the
spring with its coat of wild flowers, such as we had never seen before,
and the life on the ranch was fall of interest and excitement as we
had plenty to keep as busy, I am reminded of the cowboy song of the
rile
FOLKLORE. NO. 240
Zee Effie Cowan,P.W. Page Page NO. 3.
McLennan COunty, Texas,
District 8.
-dress of btele Sam",
"Now people of the eastern towns its little that you know,
About the western prairies, where the beef you eat does grow;
here the horses they ran wild, with the mountain sheep and ram;
And the cowboy sleeps contented, on the grass of Uncle Sam".
"When they had the last round -up on the Brown ranch, Mr Brown who
lived in Calvert 'Xexas came tip to see to it There were between a
thousand and fifteen handfed head of cattle. This was in the spring
of 1894. Most of the men in the community helped in this last roundup
Afr 8rown stayed antill they were loaded on the train at Posbeck to
be shipped up North, then he went to his home in Calvert and committed
suicide. 1Whether it was despondency over the last of the herd being
gone or whether he was sick no one knew, it was a shock to the whole
community.
"After this, his son Bob came to look after the business until it was
sold off into farms. hie was about the year 1896. o the north extend-
-ing clear across was the Smyth ranch, whioh belonged to the father
of the Smyth brothers, Alva, Lee Dr Tom and Dr Ed, the first Imo are
deceased, but the latter ones still are living, D'Y Ed lives in Mart.
There were several girls in this family also, they first lived at old
Springfield, but later moved to Meads. Most of this ranch is still owned
by the Smyth family.
"Some of the first settlers of this community now known as the
Victoria community with their families were, W.R.WIlliams, Cave Johnson
were the first Baptist ministers
Folklore,
Miss Effie Cowan,
McLennan Coanty, Texas,
District 8.
File NO. 240
Page NO. 4.
"Other names of the first families were Boman, Kahler, Hardwick, Vickers
Drinkard, Dyer and Fogity .Some of the first ministers were, Baptist
Brother Jennings and Tatum. the Methodist were Lemon, gbglaaghlin,
Moon, Maxwell. The names of the first teachers were Adkins -,Adams,
McJankin, Laird, this was at Eirk school where we first sent oar chil-
-dren to school.Later on the Victoria school was organized and miiss
011ie Pearce was the first teacher.
Then the Victoria church was organized and brother Ctum and Grundy
Brother's Moon and Davis the first
Methodist ministers. There was a preacher named Parker whom they called
a Campbellite in those days, now the name of this church is called
"The Church of Christ, all of you. I'm sure understand the difference
mostly is in the music in their way of carrying on their services.
They do not believe in any musical instruments and try to carry on
their services as near like the apostles in the Bible days as they
could. This man held some very sacessfal meetings.
"For the public travel there was a stage line in the early days from
"Old Springfield"to Waco. The stop between Springfield and Waco was
called "Midway", being midway between zr 'T thee two towns. This stage stop
_A
was located on the old Vickers Far)k known as the Corley farm. This
was known as the old Waco and Springfield road and passed between the
Drinkard farm and our house.
The stage station was one big room made from cedar logs and would
hold as many as six horses. They were kept here to change for fresh
gorses. The fresh horses were brought and by the time they were
FOLKLORE?
M1.88 Effie Cowan,
McLennan County, Texas,
Fietrict 8.
File NO. 240
Page NO. 5.
changed the driver would call "All 'ready" and away they went. The stage
waited for no one, if anybody wanted to stop over they took the next
stage. If a traveller were taking a long tr'p they often stopped at
some town and waited for the next stage.
"When we first came to Texas stage travel was at its height of use-
-fulness. There were several long routes for hundreds of miles which
reached the distant towns and military posts. Very few railroads had
been built and the stage drivers soon to be gonelwere seeing their
best days. They were heroes in their way an important factor in the
settling of the country. There were many stories in those days of the
different stage lines, One was of the Overland Trail from Little Rook
Arkansas thro' Texas and across the continent to California which
was marked along the way by rude stones bearing silent testimony of
where some stage bad been robbed and the driver killed, It was said
that the drivers were often killed by robbers or Indians as he slept
with his gun in his hand, as he rested by the corral or in the rude
stable where the: were kept.
On som- of the lines there were the splendid "Concord toaches",
with four and six horses. iben the "Dirt wagons and "jerkies in the less
thickly settled routes. the stage driver in those days would have looked
with contempt on the vehicles that now remain to supply remote places
untouched by a railroad or bus line.
Bat to return to our own little /line, when it reached Waco it was
a matter of great enjoyment to the people/old and younglto see it start
on its return trip.The driver would mount his box from where he drove)
Folklore;
Miss Effie Cowan,
McLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
File NO. 240.
Page NO. 6.
and gather the lines and the agent and his helpers would hold the
horses heads while the travellers got on and the mail was being loaded
Then at a signal they would let go and the driver would pall oat in
a dead ran. The spirit of adventure was there the same as it is now
in the atr ship. Who knew bat what the desperadoes would hold up the
coach, or if it would reach its destination i4afety from the Indians,
floods or robbers?
When we came to this part of the state we came by wagon train: from
Texas City to our present home. The trip had a wonderful interest to as.
We never wearied of the life in the open air which gave as such fine
health. We had breakfast around three in the mornings,after which the
wagons were ready with its occupants, the horses saddled for those rid-
-ing, and at early dawn we were on the road. The beauty of the morning
in this climate mast be experienced to be realized. No fog as in the
coast country which hangs over the landscape, no wet grass to chill
thro' and give you symptom of rheumatism or ague, bat the morning
fresh and invigorating, as the sun bursts on the horizen in its blaze
of glory gives one the desire to be up and catch a glimpse of this
beauty and a breath of the freshness of its pure air before the heat
of the noon day sun.
"Close to the end of our journey up the fertile Navasota river country
the little city of Grosbeak was our last sto4efore we reached our des-
-tination,which was to be oar future hometmidway between Old Spring-
field and itacorexas.
The country was rapidly recovering from the effect
of the Reconstruction days,the after effect of the aar between the Stateb
Folklore;
Miss Effie Cowan,
AcLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
File NO. 240.
Page NO. 7
and many new home seekers were coming to our part of the country.
The advantages of soil and climate were being advertised through
out the old states and many were seeking new fortunes here.
We began to raise cotton in the year 1886 on the prairie,- the
people thought at first therit would not grow on the praireSi,
and so for years the section where the cotton was raised ir this
country was in the bottoms near the rivers. We first tried the small
patches and as they did well,we then planted larger acreage. We took
it to Kirk .and Prairie Hill to be gibned Tom Johnson had a gin at
Kirk and a/trtampkin at Prairie Hill. The first gin at Victoria was
built by Henry Blake and #ohn Iditchell. This was built on the Morgan,-
-Coker place but was later moved to its present site near my home.
"When the men bad to go to court they went to G'rosbeck in Limestone
County, A distance of twenty miles.gne of the judges who was on the
bench so long was Judge Kirvin who ,'zfterward went to Congress.
Then there was ludge Cobb who was so solemn that it was said he was
never known to smile. One of the first doctors who came to the Kirk
and Victoria communities was Dr Briscoe, who served us long and faith-
-fully.
My husband died in 1902. We had eight children one rred,is
now deceasedenose living are Lizzie, Annie, Rhiner, Katie, Betty,
Ered married Vida Deadman, Lizzie married Wiley
Wtchell, and lives in the old home location. Annie married Elmer
Deadman and lives at Lomesa l'exas.taiwomarried Steve Collins who
is the secretary of the Mart Chamber 'of Commerce° Mart
FOLKLORE?
Miss Effie Cowan,
McLennan County, Texas,
Disttict B.
file NO. 240.
Page NO. 8.
/Lillie married Ernest Vickers, Katie mr_rried Charlie litchell and
lives at the town of Dawson Texas, Oscar became a doctor married
a: Miss Kelly Ald is practicing medicine at Uexia. Rhiner has never
married aci h s remained with me and cared for me since the death of
my husband in 1902.
"It is a long way br-nk to the thlys of my girlhood in Prussia, and
dreaming of the new country "America", the reality is better than the
dream. I am rich in the blessing of my home and family. This has become
my own country, bat it does not mean that I tv.ve forgotten the other
country or the other friends and relatives, but always in my heart
there is the echo of the farewell in our German lang1L-ise,
"Aufs geidersehen".
('Till we meet again).