Document text
FOLKLORE:
Miss ffie Cowan,
AoLennam Uonnty, Texas,
9istrict B.
REFgRENCE:
Fite NO. 240.
Page NO. 1.
No of "ords
Interview with ,iirs George itowler, R.F.D. Mart, Texas,
I was b-rn in Gree ,.;onnty Missippi in the year 1848. and came with
my father and mother from this state to Texas in the year 1866.
Father way a cavalry soldier and fought on the side of the COnfed-
-eracy. I do not remelber the battles he wae in bat I have heard him
tell about being in Tennessee and Georgia and in som-: battles that
were fought in these states.
w We first settled in Limestone Bounty on the Navasota river,
we called it the"Navasot", Then we lived between, the little village
of Horn Hill and Old Sringfield which was the first county ety:t of
Ltlestone t;onnty, then we came the Yankee eol_Aiere were still station -4
at o'd 6pringfield there were some negro troops there who were sup-
-posed to keep order, the white people resented them and there was a
lot of trouble over their being here.
There was a man by the name of °toward who had some former slaves
on his niece the negro soldiers kept oominp. over to Jr Stewards
plaoli and stirring qv- trouble until he finally killed one of the
soldierstThis caused the negroes to threaten ,Ar 6tewards life and
the neighbors hid Jr 6teward oat in the woods on the river and
guarded him for sbveral weeks to keen him from being killed. MY father
was along the number who helped to guard him. I can remember how the
soldiers came to his home and fired into the house and hit Are Steward
FOLZLORE:
Wes Urfal. Cowan,
MoLennan county, Texas,
District S.
1
File NO. 240.
Page NO. 2.
but the ballet struck the splits in the old split bonnet she had
on and it grazed off ap did not hart her.
'Old Soringfield was the soene of a lot of trouble in those days wheA
we first came the reconstruction days to lowing the Civil Jar, were
still ceasing trouble between the whites a Id the negroos, there was
theiving lynchings and murders, women dared not go out anescorted.
And then the courthouse was burned, a negro by the name of aerrick
C‘ammel was accused of this,he 'ens a negro of robust personality and
every crime that was oomlitted was thought to be throl him. ?or a lont
tile he h d a biding place on the west bank of the ffavasota river
south of the Springfield spring, and in the neighborhood of the Oros-
--beck papmp station, (bat there was no iltrosbeck then) but it was so
situated that it was almost imisossible to come anon it without first
being seen, this was a cave in the bank of th river, flaked by a deep
body of wateritind could be entered with veat diffimalty.
"The number of murders laid to this negro were so numerous that it
was impossible to know the exact namber,bat the ohe which stood out
mot was the murder of APplewhite which took place in the center of
the crossing of Navasota and Ellis Streets after the town of Grosbeak
was started -7 in the early stages of the reconstruction period, -nd
then the county was paced tinder military law and this was the starting
of a 1 the trouble I spoke of from the soldiers. His career began before
the railroad was built and ended after the town of C4rosbeck was founded.
FOLKLORE:
MISS Effie Cowan,
maLennan county, Texas,
Vistrict 8.
File NO. 240
Page NO. 14
"Then in 1869 rumors reached the settlement that the Ronston and
Txas Central railroad was to be built throl Springfield This road
was building au inland road to connect with the shipping port of
Galyeston,At latt jpringfield was ooming into its own: often the agent
arrived the settlers were so enthused over it that they donated the
land for the road -bed, but after he had gone the people bega.to feel
that they should be paid for the Land since it had to come thro' the
town and they haii fought the wilderness for it. sudd nly the land to
took on so mach value t -at the railroad officials decided to lay its
road bed two miles east of Springfield.
/The settlers began to divide, some moved to the new town of Grosbeak
and other to the new town of Aexia, and so Old opringfield, the town
that wad first thought to be the the metropolis of this part of Bent-
-ral Te as became a ghost town, II town. of memories.i. stories. and legenAs
of the days of the early settlers ad the LAian4s. Being pioneer's
the old Springfield of 6terling ROertson's colony who came from Nash-
-Tills Tennessee.; a(1 had p,ters placed at the ,'-offices and the
stores,in the southern states advertising the opportunity of securing
land in this new county with aoringfield for its er)unty seat became
a town of memories and freed negroes. And the railroad towns became
the center of population. After the railroad came we moved over on
the -onvis rauoh aud lived for a few years, thi was still in Limest-
-tone coanty.Then Ye came over in the uext (q)anty of laliennan and lived
on the aannah ranch.
FOLKLOsa:
giss Effie Oowan,P.I.
MoLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
'ile NO. 240
'Page NO. 4
Here in the year 1875 my father bought land rnd built the o)d
2reland home that ie still standing just about a half mile from the
fteaent town of art,.. across Big Oreek.There were only three or four
fn.milies living nearby then, they were my brother-in-law Evan &aster,
a aH Brooks and soon 1$r )I11 Criswel' came and built the fist house
in what was years later the to n of 'Alert, it was called :allow SI,rings
until a post office was grante-, then they changed thee name to 'art.
"My father hauled the lumber from law) to build this house which is
still standing, it has two front rooms and an old fashioned a.11 betv.reea
and a kitchen in the rear of cedar logs that were weatherboarded later
and celled inside. My father bought this land from 'Judge Battle of
dacol-oa distance of twenty miles.'
"Yes the country was wild in those days, the doantry was all ranches
and there were
a few northern
was lar Heaton,
Plenty of cattle theives to steal them, then there were
men who had come do -la to bay the cheap land, among 'Wm
who for years owned the Heaton ranch across the Big
Creek just south of us, and directly west of the present town of Mart
Ar Heaton was a young man rind boarded with my fatter and mother, be
wore a long black
years and married
ranch house stood
Phillips of the U.
beard.He returned to hl native state after a few
then came back and built a house over where the
for many years. He had a daughter who married frapta;A
B. army. After be was killed, (Mr Heaton) the wife
and little daughter went back al north where they came from.
FOLKLORE:
4iss Effie Cowan,
4cLennancCounty, Texas,
District 8.
Pile NO. 240.
page -NO. 5.
"There was a widow named 4alk,r who owned a ranch near Ir Heaton
be had a son Trmed Abner, this son htql warned Ar Heaton not to bay
any of his mothers cattle, bat 4r Heaton ignored the warning and bought
eome a,ywey, 'Alen Abner met him on hiE mothers ranch rounding a the
cattle be shot Mr Heaton and killed him instantly. He then blacked
ar like a negro ar,d tried to make hiE esc:Te, but while, crossing the
old toll bridge at daco over the Brasop river be passed a white boy
who recogi4zed him by his voice, and this was the way the officers
trailed him and caught him at Marlin.
"He was tried and sent to the peritentiary for ninety years I belive
but was prdoned oat —after serving eighteen years. Then tie came home
he was an old man in appearance, his hair beid turned white and be had
done hard labor and wnlked with bent shoulders and head. de was must
a young man when be went. The me
who were his old friends and acluain...
.-tances welcomed him back and did not hold it against him, perhaps this
was owing to the prejudice so so n after the war against the northern
men who came to get rich off the south.
"It was not an ancomaonting for cattle theives to be bang when caught
the la was slow pad this was the greatest crime to steal. I knew
of one man who for some time was under suspicion and his guilt finally
proved, then he was hang, no one knew or seemed to knoprwho did the
banging, the maa was named lilt Brothers.Those days the men were their
own law and woe unto the ones found guilty of cattle theft.
ICLORE:
Mos ffie Cowan,
Lk:Leman County, Texas,
District B.
File NO. 240.
Page TIO. 6.
"I can remember the Ad stage that passed from Old Springfield
to gaooj just tv)ok of our house near Crook, a short dis'ance from
our house it stop ed to change horses. lac° was just a smdl place
nd they still crossed the river on the ferry boat when we came, and
it was some years before the first bridge was built. ,I can well remem-
-s!wk•
ep,„:,v,,,,
her how Proud the whole country was ov-r the newl)ridge at 4aco bat
they paid a toll for crossing it for many years.
"I was one of ten children, seven lived to be grown. Time has di-imed
the memory of these later years, but those early years shine forth as
the sun in my life. I can remember back in ji:Atippi when Lwas just
get ing to be in my teeks, how the talk of goinR to teas thrilled
as, and bow we came in cov,'r d wagons driving oxen. How daring the
days of the Civil Jar we even then were longing to make the change
,for we had heard stories of the cheno land and how it produced each
fin--; cotton in the bottoms where we first settled. Iluirowhen the war
was over we came the following year nd how it has her -a snob a change
from that time to th-4 present. Many things of political and industrial
changes have taken place, but it all was each a gradual change that
we scarcely realised hwr tthles were changing.
I can remember ho in 1871 there was a great period of prosperity,
the Bureau of krimigration and the free ;‘ablic school system was created.
Ho the western brw,ch of the gouston and Texas Central raicroad was com,-
--leted to Austin. the daco tap road cometel(and several others in other
parts of texas were built. Then the day hen GOT A'avt- issued a procla
-motion in Jan .1874 prohibiting the m-eting of the legliaiStare.
FOLKLORE:
Miss ffie Cowan,
McLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
File NO. 20.
Page No.77..
:deny things come to my mind as I talk but I think the happiest
times was when Richard coke of daoo was elected Governor over what
we called the carpet -bagger govorner Davis. Governor Davis tried to
keer: the legislature from meeting bat both houses met and organised
on Jan 13th, 1874, and Governor Davis refused to recognize them and
fears were held of serious trouble, but when the president refused to
have anything to do with the eleotion,tavis gave tip and Coke was inag-,
*sated and all began to beoome normal once more.
I have seen the county of Moliennan changed from a wild ranch country
where the men were a law antr: the selves and the wild coyetes cry could
be heard at night as be bunted for his prey, to the present law abiding
place it io now. As I look back ovor the years of my life I am prone to
wonder at these changes and what they will be for the noxt generation.
I can ery that I am proud to be one of ''iexas pioneers.
FOLKLORZ--Whito Pioneers
Miss Effie Cowan, P.W.
McLennan County, Toxes
District NO, 8
REFERENCE
Interview with Mrs. George Fowler, R. F. D. Mnrt, Texes
"I was born in Green County, Mississippi in l84C. I erne to Texas
with my parents in 1e66. Fet:er wes a cavalry soldier ie the Confederate
Army. I do not remember the battles he was in, but I have heard him
tell about being in Tennessee and Georgia and .in sone battles that were
foueht in these states.
We first settled in Limestone County, on the Navasote river, we
called it the "Navasot". Then, we lived between tie little village of
Hoen Hill and Old Snringfield, which was the first county seat of
Limestone County. When we came to Texas, the Yankee soldiers were still
stationed at old Springfield, there were some negro troops there who
were some negro troops there who were supposed to keep order, the white
people, resented them end there was a lot of trouble over their being hem.
Teem was o man by the name of Steze,rd who had some forrier sieves on
his niece, the negro soldiers kept coming ever to /a**. Stewerd's place,
stirring up trouble, until he finally killed one of the soldiers. This
caused the floc:roes to threaten Mr. Steward's life and the neighbors hid
Mr. teward out in the roods on the river and guarded him for several
weeks to keep him from being killed. My father was among the number
who helped to guard him. I can remeMber haw the soldiers came to his
heme end -fired into the house and hit Yrs. Stowerd, but the bullet
struck the splits in her old .split bonnet, she had on, end it Frezed off,
and so did not hurt her.
Old SprinEield wns the scene ef a lot of treuble in these days when
we first came to Texas. That was during the Reconstruction days following
the Civil There res still trouble between the whites end the
negroes and thieving, lynchings and merders. kmnen dared not go out
unescorted. The court house was burned. A negro by the name of rerrick
was accused of this. Mertiok Trammel was his full neee. Tit was a big,
No. words1,600
File NO. 240
1>ce No. 1
FOUL° 47e--hite rioneers Ilk No. 240
lass Effie Cowen, page No. 2
MeLennan County, Iexes
District No. E
hulking brute and ev y crime that was committed yes thought to be
traceable to him. 1 -or a long time, he had a hiding place on the r st bank
of the Navasot Elver, south of the Springfield spring, and in the
neighborhood of the eroesbeck pump station (but there was not any town
of Groesbeck then), but it was so situated that it was almost impossible
to cone upon it without first being seen. This was a cave in the bank
of the river, flanked .by a deep body of water and colld be entered only
with great difficulty.
The number of murders laid' to this negro were so numerous that it
was iepossible to know the exact number, but the one Ahich stood out
most was the murder of Applewhite, which occurred in the center of the
crossing of Navasota and Ellis Streets after the town of Groesbeck was
started, in the early stages of the Reconstruetion period. The county
was then under military law and this was the starting of all the
treuthle I spoke of from the negro soldiers. Merrick Trammel's crime
career began before the railroad was built, end ended after the town of
Groesbeck was founded.
In 1E69, rumors reached our settlement that the Houston and Texas
Central iailroad was to be built t:rough Springfield. This road wes
builling on inlend road to connect with the seipeinv.port o Galveston.
At last we thought Springfield was coming into its ownt When the agent
arrived, the settlers were so enthused over it, that they donated the
land for the road bed, but after he left the eeople began to feel V.:et
they should be paid for this lend, since it had to come throueh the
town, end they had fought the wilderness for the land. Suddenly, the
land rose so in value that the railroad officials decided to lay its
road bed two miles east of Springfield.
The settlers bgan to divide. Some moved to the new town of
4oneers
Miss ffie Cowen, P.I.
MeLennan County, loxes
District Vol 8
'file No. 240
Pnge No. 3
Groesbeck anl others to tie new town of Maxie. Old Springfield, the
town 'Let vas first thouget to beceme the eetropolis of this port of
Ceetral Texas became a ghost town, a town of memories, st,ries end
legends of VI() lays of tlo eerly settlers an the Indians. The, settlers
of old Sprinefield were eioneers and most of them were members of
Sterling Robertson's colony, Robertson come from Nashville, Tennessee
end he had posters placed at the post offices and in the stores, through-
out the soutern states, edvertising the opportunity of securing land
in this new county, with Springfield as its count seat. But this ton,
because of the railroad, becrme a torn of memories an freed negroes.
The railroad town became the ce ter of populetion. After t'ee reilroad
come through, we moved over on the Davis r-nch a.1 lived for a few years.
This rench res still in Limestone county. Then, we moved over into the
county of LcLonnan an- lived on the Hannah renoh.
In 1C7b, my father bought lani and built the old ,Ireland home,
which is still stending just1Dout half.ea-mile from the present torn of
Mart, across Big Creek. There were only three or four families living
near them; these were my brother-in-law Evan Easter; Mr. Brooks end
soon Mr. Will Criswell built the first house in what later became the
town of Mart. It was called Willow Springs until a post office wes
granted, then the name was chanced to Mart.
My father nled the Amber from 70co to buil,1 this house which is
still standing. It has two front rooms, with on old fashioned hall
bet. een them and a kite en in the rear. It is built of cedar logs end
was 1' ter weather boerded nn 1 celled inside. My father b-,ught this
land from Judge Brittle of Waco. 7raco is about twenty miles from Mart.
The Country wns wild when we came to Mort. The country was all
ranenes nnl there were plenty of cattle thieves to steal them. There
Folklore--nite Jioneers
Miss ;,ffie Cowan, P.,;.
McLennan County, Texas
District No.
File No. 240
Page No. 4
a few northern en who had come to Texas to buy the cheap land,
lia_mg them was nr. Heaton, who, for years, owned the lleaton ranch across
the Big Creek south of where we lived and directly west of the 7)resent
town of hart. Mr, 71eaton was a young .man and boerded with my faVer
and mother. Ile wore a long black beard. After a few years, he returned
to his native state and married, then he came back to the ranch and
built r house where the ranch house had stood for many years. His
daughter married Captain Phillips of the United States army. Yr. Heaton
was killed; his wife and little daughter returned to their northern home
and the daughter married there.
A widow named Walker owned a ranch near Mr. Heaton; she had a
son need :1)ner. This son had w,xned la.. Heaton to not buy any of his
mother's cattle, but Mr. Heaton ignored this warning and bought some of
Mrs. 7,alker's cattle. Abner met Heaton when he came on Mrs. alker's
ranch to round up the cattle he had bought. Abner Shot and killed
Beaton instantly. Then Abner 7alker blacked up like a negro and tried to
make his escape. While crossing the °old toll bridge at Waco, arer the
Brazos River, he passed a white boy who recognezed Abner Talker's voice
and reported to the offieers. The gave chase, trailed Abner to Marlin
and caught him. He was tried and sent to the penitentiary for ninety
nine years, but after erving eighteen years, was pardoned. When he
came home, his heir had turned white and hard labor caused him to walk
with bent shoulders and bowed head like an old, old men. Owing to
prejudice against northerners, Walker was received by friends and
neighbors as th)ugh nothing had happened.
It was not an uncommon thing in those days for cattle thieves to
be hung when caught. The lay was slow end cattle stealing was the
greatest crime. One men was suspicioned of cattle stealing for a long
1..).LY.LOE--hite A.oneers
Miss i.A'fie Cowan, P.. File No. n4o
McLennan County, Texas Pare No. 5
District No. 8
time. Finally, his guilt was proven end he was hung. ro one know or
seemed to know 7ho did the hanging. This man was nnined Yllt Brothers.
In those lays, the :en were their own low anl 700 unto tliJ ones found
guilty of cattle theft.
I con remember iell the old stace that 7cissed from Old Springfield
to 'Am). ,The road was just back of our house, near B1r Creek. It
stopped to change horses a short distance from our house. Waco was
only a small place in those days and they still crossed the Brazos. River
on a ferry boat when we came to Mart; it was SOME years before the first
bridge was built. •I con well remember how -nroud the rhole country was
over the new suspension bridge at oco, but they had to pay, toll to
cross it and pay it for several years.
I was one o ten children, seven lived to be 7-rown. Time has
dimmed tbe memory of later years, but those early yers shine forth as
the sun in my life. I can remember when we lived back in YississipPi,
when I was just enteiing my tens; the talk of going to Te:xs thrilled
us; we came in covered ra-ons, drawn by oxen. During the Civil ti,
we longed to make the change for we had heard stories of the cheap land,
.1111 haw the bottom lands nroluced such fine cotton. That is where we
did settle when we moved to Texas. The year after tic '::ar closed, we
moved to Texas. Many changes have taken place since those early days.
But it 're:3 such a P,raduel cLnce that we scarcely realized how times Weic
chancing.
There was a period of great prosperity in 1E71. The Bureau of
Immigration was created and free public school system started. The
western branch of the HOUStOn and Texas Central Railroad was compl)ted
to Austin; the '':aco Tap Bond was completed ..-Id several other railroads
were built in other parts of Texas. In January, 1E74, Governor Davis
FOLELOR6--hite Pioneers
Miss 311e Cowan, p..
MaLennen County, Texas
Distriet No. 8
issued n proclamation prAlibiting the, meeting of the legislature.
think de happt:st time I can remember Ives when Richord Coke,
of ':!ace was elected Governor over whet we celled "carpet bagger governor
Davis." Governor Days tried to keep the legislTiture from meeting:, but
both houses met end organized on Sanunry 13th, 1874. Governor Davis
ref'tse4 to recognize then tql' fears were held of serious traible. Then
the President of the United States refused to hrve anything to o rith
the election, Davis clre up his office and RiclIcrd Coke TOE; inaugurrAed.
Things gradually becn7te normal gain.
I hove seen EcLennan County c!1!:inge from a rili ranch country, where
men were a law unto themselves ani the wild coyotes could be heard
at nicItt as they hunted for nrcy to the -resent law—abidine place it
is now. I am -roud to have been one or the nioneers of Texas."
File No. 240
Page No. 6