Document text
t• FOLY1,01E, White Pioneer
Vise ;:ffie Cos,:an, P. k.
1
McLennen County, Texas.
ristrict No. 8
1
No. of words 2,250
File No. 140
Page No, 1
Rofsrenoe
Interview with Mrs. Neater Emmett Hunnicutt, Marlin, Texas.
"My husband, Judge 'alter Emmett Hunnioutt, was born June 11, 1866,
and he reseed sway in December 1936. He was Judge of Fells County for
fourteen years, at different times. He was the son of ;infield S. Hunnicutt,
who came to Texas in 1849 end established his rural home in the Blue.Pidge
community where he continued to reside until his death in 1908.
Ur. Scott Hunnicutt was a member of Company B, of Aeller's battalion, Gen-
eral Herdsman's brigade of the Confederate Army. He wee a native of
Tennessee before coming to Texas.
"The pioneer recerd for large families was almost broken by Judge
Hunnicutt's father end 14other, obove mentioned. There were seventeen
children, my husband being among this number. I married 'J:alter Hunnicutt
on Decewber 1P, 1894. :4 maiden name was Miss Mettle :ey§er and I wss the
daughter of P. Yeyser s pioneer stockman and farmer, and business Am
of 1:arlin, Texan. My father end mother came to Texas from Alabama.
"Judge ;Aalter Kunnioutt Was reared near the place of his birth in
Fells County end there his education began. He spent some time in
Southwestern College at Ceorpetown, Texas, end two years in the school of
Mr. Chember's in Fossee. For two years after leaving his school work, he
devotel his life to farging but wee not content and a long cherished ides
of joininP the legal profession caused him to enter the office of r:oodrioh
and Clarkson, one of the east noted firms of that day, of the Brazoe Valley.
FOLKLORE white Pioneer
Miss Effie Cowan, P. V.
McLennan County, Tease.
District No. 8
"Zudge Hunnioutt wee *Omitted to the bar at Merlin Wars SUdg0,8040
being examined by Messrs Swan, Harlan end Boyles.. Bofors b. 000001eli
his preparation for the bar, he had the honor of being oleottd:Dietriell
Clerk'of'Falle County, end held this office for two years, BM them
the proctice of low in Merlin and pursued it for tour years, SUM be
elected Cohnty bade, end was reelected at different times foi,:this
office, in ell, serving fourteen years,
"He see worshipful Master of the Masonic Lodge #1152 at mania.
also a member of the Meccebees and woodman of the World, For hle-0
affiliations he was a Methodist, Our children ere Unmet% :r.,,whe
with me and who married Miss Josephine Merriman of tockpOrte.NOwilltti_
where he resided for twenty years before returning recently to eiPlammi,
in Merlin, where he is doing work for the government, Horses 7.-0,41414
in 1919, at the ego of eighteen, these two boys ware our only ehlidloom
r4ar,t1
hon:)r of alec,4 L'iiotrict Clark I
r. f..Jr
fn' four y xits follow hls pro -fascias.
Adige; hc rved in this opacity f:.z fourteen ,telre.
t
pr“;tic
-"LurincJu Lunnieutt's life tls
.Tv
L b.: -r, ik„.4 the
'Cowit!.n '1d hie
law in l'arlin :And
tW ulc,ctsit C) nty
tre Lem
ing th•ncs which happened in our eowity yizn t4n4, Le lift0. toisec
8rav frni smcll v tu
prt:41-1.;
t. 1 1.ere
co;rJe finesliru, bellefit A:-1,1! I t fl1s Judce !Ainnibtatt
diod1r Jeoc7Aocr -r
"I will try to tell TAA about so f tlxyfirat timi1js. of the
blue IA. tlee oiunity are Judge Aunnic7utt's r!,,thtA• aottle ii 1649.,1.
en1 s.my t lived t hnt time.. The korbQs t4ly otrx to 101e,.
ITV7Pr7.1775,
IOLA1-.0.4ite kiOnoer
x LLA,oneor
ii. 13ATie Cowan,
MoLe,nnan'County, loxes
Distzict .60. 6
tile
-5 •it•••• "Oft.
frum .,.enn;.Josee. r. cad ..rs. t its irved in tt:e
earij Sties. xj.s LOA, xr. L. O. Forbes, 4.elts;I: from the
Orleure school practice boti. ft -4 the ;A.dge sad in
The elder 1:orVe built i&r ho,.ue ei-ot wher is. FOrbes
lives i4J..;Zoky. They built .in ti fifties, lonc before tto Civil r.
Ulde frop hie rriactice of- medicine, Hr. L. I rla-,43 invonte a
meeeanical cotton cin, Wore J..(;. feelers witometically earriim tLe
etti t to ts.h. setx or units, 'Neer the 1.;.aebee and -Lairclay homes
tLere lovAed a mule -driven gin. TLIM cin was serass,Cle road
fres: the Lwinnee pl'.c3 owned by Lill :Tekin,.: Vann,
I1 movcd down ueer LAE Credc 4 s.A until ,liecrded for a %ulcer I
model.
"Another %lurly family to settle on the ,-Adost w is the tizoley f
Close Lee ol V a known as the *quire" an-: tliy lived in a lot:; touse
on 1...e Apot few !Aindred yirds.nort of were ;ianouck's st.re. s').anda
toty.. .1-rtI.er north at on Vs TAiGe te GclrrettS lived. C4749
from lenneassee about 1U49. 31 hr,A.t1. Some improvet,
stands toay, retindor or thoze t. 3i ILe
history it onb r31.1n:7eep destiny s,114 i-J.;ccompliettient. oriclnal
heel a te f:ally Thomas Grrett. flis c!-Aldron Titre Jasers
ery L1izbetL, Cynala Ann und Catlorire, aotta, z;t:rah, Tote
rd :Lennie. All cr 1i.r wltl1 istorl. Velopmert of this
sactluft .J'Aile country.
"As wc,follow the EAdve in the loO!-tin a rhrt is now Otrs;icnril
tte 4ext old hou.e pires is tbt of the Brotrs family., Jesse Zrtbers
with his wife an ehlldren °awn from lenneesee to Texas in tte lute
fiftea. Tiu:y brobgtit their slaves vith.them. Lik so many ol their
GJW4n,
Count.y, za
.41L;tr:set Ho. 6
Lhe:i
new l'ortanes la
.„tin oucton f
.f Vo. ¶S4Ø
4
lr for er
f fron. t etr cution sl v ry; Lr. r.rot)ers family,
v'C. elNtAs, Camp.
t
re t'at sta do t -y
road •1.is u,g,lnrocht les in t'.c: s-.1Iction
n•..••?; ita1n777. at; tra reltiy who
ti Stock 1%.,r .ett t ,r t ft ily. e men went
C
Civil
af:3
country; tiy rtured to te
174 1111 ovf_Irlookin(0iiP Creek r
tc cuill LLe r ,zron.lps J-sso rtrcsorvQ4' in
cturmifi
on t fi„irlouc
f:)re r
k Lis v -,v)-1, sons, aiwngtm illim, .2sse,
his ronE, d ans 1:31lowed tarn vor r,1 ,)c(apation.
son, joiA., s sup oL-1
commu
settl,.:rs
tr.
wealt el' lore conerniL
liv d.
,..)rr- t
'Jut:
4•fir,lal ail cfrA:r.In
_Vier
e, e it_ Iri
came to t l s-ctii;t1 1] Le riy 1as7Jit ≤-11y, hr
reltIvos. olZ loc h..use is still st'.nding, but es been
-coy red
wcater-boarlini!.
oirv, of Granny LV,ofLett's
Vann
CI° fard rskines on tl.e Little k3razos ver. ere ere many
descend:.nts of th,,, rekinu family, ltose head was :Mai& Tskir‘e.
cae to t. il an erly (ley •,11.1111 mPrried
Ass Lary -lizab,C 6,rr4tt.
2.1-cy built ne r t little church
school house w er tIe rc:so t ;etodist crpArci is at .::tranger.
irazik rskine livQs in t z. spacious old Lmskine hoe in ,:,traner.
FOLRLORK—ipehlte Pioneer
-Miss _ffie Cowan,
McLennan County, Texas
District No. 8
Tile Vo, 240
Page No. 5
"Still frthei south—west, on the R dge: is the old Eddins' home.
John Adins and felony came to loxes from Alabama in 1E601 ,rid after
a short stay in tAmelln, bout a farm lying close to Dig Creek, in
a valley between a ridge of hind. The form now belongs to the
Jesse brothers' estate. Jasper Garrett persuaded ddins to build
his home up on the iiidge about the time the Civil er began. &dans
bought sufficient gr,und from the Oerretts to build the home, Mr. UAW
and his sons had to walk i mile across the sandy ridge to get to his
farm, leavinp his wits and Inughter, Kate to keep house.,
"Nenr the tddins home sv:43 the home of Hodge nnr, also of Swinnea.
And nor far away WRS tie piwlatm ho ma of All orrell, a on of
the baptist provl.cher, Rev. Z. N. Norrell. Tw yonrs nFot ril ttat
remmtnal af hoe, a tdacr lore, w^:o n4aved to the tells
County 014 ettlers Association grounds and tere were built into
a log cabin in romombraftce D those .enrly pioneers, TA.s old.
Morrell be stood on a a-Afot later occupied by te ime af Bill Fannin;
then Grady Blair bought the place. It stood on top of the)Ridge„
*overlooking Big Creek Valley and from it could be peen one of the most
picturesque views in the county.. For i1e me could sec the ftrms,
lottinc the ootintryside, with little spots of grass land nnd trees
scattered about. 1 --Tough this country rums old mg Creek which flows
int.) tie Brazos R:ver. East of this Morrell home is the drown of
Xarlin,
Mr. W. T tannin ism° to the Ridge in 1875 and bought the
*Watt home; later it wee sold to the airs. On the Ridge, south—
west of the Moffett hAce was the hAme of tho Prices. q. A. Price,
Junior, a sou of the pioneer lives in tile old Price home today.
FOLIELORS•WhitO Pioneer
Miss Effie Cowan, P.4,
McLennan County, Texas
District No, 8
rile No: 840
Page No. 6
In 1882, Jr. and 116re. 3. C. Shaw came to thi, Ridge to lire end settled
east of the Price home. Dr. Shaw served fifteen. months in the Alabama
Calvary of the Confederate Army. He was a ncitive of Alabama and his
wife, Else Nannie Eypert, wes a iennesugz.n. StiLlw practiced on
the Ridge for many years, then moved to 'sArlin, where he died: flus
son, Dr. rrank Shaw suceeeded,himin his practice.
"About a mile south of the Stranger stare, Lvrkin ueers and
John Verlin settled e few years fltier tml4 battle f San Jacinto, The
RogeAls ftmily settled or to AJIge, while the lArlin femlly settled
at s p3 net tInxIn ea i'AckenJrt, t tig, nl10 ut 1' the 4Cluet town
of/ Iarlin. 'I .e oders nesae,frou Tennessee.,
following the footsteps of Sam lloustun..
"The Rey hiftla ci-A tore were built rlAere old GertrAde Hammel
lived oad, wes suth east of sAroncer, sir. Key w -s e termer nd
devoted church worhar. to first 3unlay nchool at Stranger
and was superintendent until his death. Re was an -uh—official post
molter b f•re tile rural- mall service wls established. On business
trips to Kosse, he would cF11 for tne peoplaoi mail ane bring it to
his store, where they cAue to get it. Mrs. Keys' zon, .ty a fzuer
marriage, vs Hellman hancock.
Le
mtrried lies Gertrule ar,rrett,
datmpter,of tie pioneer family of Garrets, of•Slue itdge. Har-Bon,
Sanford Aancoor, still owns and operates the store -St Stranger on t Ridif
It is difficult to lie the dividik: line between Stnanger and
t;eileag8n community. The Stranger community on the Ridge can be seen
for miles from the 4aco—Marlin state highway:. /n,fair wearer, V -ere
is always a deep blue atmosphere over it, hence the name of Blue Ridge.
t
The old Hunniout home stands uverlooking t!,e valley on the iidge
stands today just es it stood when Ninfield !;c2tt Hunnioutt looted
1501.KLOPEmdiehite Pioneer
Lffie Cowen, Po.
MoLtamen County, Texas
District ho. e
File NO. 960
Priee NO. 9
there in 104e. Idditions have been made to it e,house end th logs
cJwred vithweeter-boarding lumber. Two of his sons still live in
the °ix house.
"'You may stand on the PAdip aud look westwiri where you con see
tile broad valley ns it nbruptly Irdps 'on below you with a ravine
between, the fudge Find the valley. Forms, fern houses and the green',
woods of Big Creek, dot this valley. In the fall of the poor cotton
pickers can be seen swinging to and fro, getlApring the fleecy staple.
Tell 'trees, slopin,. hill rnd beautiful prairies form a never..to-be!.
forgottea picture. About t. Tiles to My ‘'set can be seen the tops
of bull.:)ings in Y)rlln, a few miles beiyupd i*vriin, one can see Abe
trees whio border the lirazos River.
"The Wgo'CrAual4 slopes south rest to W? little town of
iiecgen, jere la small creek, mqmed Salt Branch end on its banks
many of the early settlers sleep the last sleep, unmindful of. the
changes wrought by ?ether Time since they camosin their ambition to
build new homes, to the new state of Texas.
To the east, 11k8 tLe torn of Kosee, here the itiuston and
Texas Contra' Beilrond acme throvehin the seventies. Some ,of the
early hidGe settlers -moved over to Kuese for the benefit of the
railroad reellitiese Among them wee 1r, Tolend, who cane to-
as e ruling doctor. He, like.Dr. PAndextior, boerled.et Granny
Itey coull tell many a story of those early (Heys. I
remember one story that they limed to tell. All the people met at
the little church to pray for rain. One woman came .111th her cost and
umbrelle, prepared for an answer to their !,rayers. They br.ught, their
lunch snd spent the day. Alone in the efternoon, the sky °scam° over*.
oast and by lete Ifternoon, it began to rein and whet a rein fellt
It rained so hard that all the creeks got out of banks end the crowd
A.oneer
Lies Sfie Cowan, P.
McLennan Oeunty, Texas
District No. 8
File No. 240
sea NO. 8
bed to spend t_o night in VA. little Sobeeld.eriureh house and they
spent to night giving thanks l'or their answe.1:' to praylt, autsonly
one enme prepared for an answer to their prayers. It wae one Of the
Oldest members e-; the floeksond and deelezed that 151 timAl cone. by,
the way to receive an answer to prayer, was te have the faith to be
ready for it.
"Me Awls end tit e jells were eater families Ilhoue names ere
indellly written ..l'ato-te idstory f the lue qldge settlement.
Tha Bell Game rram ienneseee in t% :ifles; t:Liey large
famil;! wtd- tocik i antilid -.;).art in tlie affiire Cts cemmuaity. Two
sons served in civil ,.:6 ni1 hwi lost his life in ti,e wr4. with
Mexico, lon 1U kifteen oVAJr Jon fr,;:.: 1-111s n-1114.
prominent early remilles were t ,rnetts, 'Lay 8, :lerron, Alehola,
Venn, Hickalln, ClEmson f;41hy ot_ors i4ho
lived ffivt_er south n e 1670, tqo :Angle men ev5e
frum lennessee; they were lie)riCLer Covr. Xlmrns.rx. Cowen
married ‘,1as Laura iiyehe, was teaching school near-remend.
_he was a daughter of Dr.' Goorc'e Wyche o rettled in ttl:: settlement
known at Lellas, near Anderson, Texas, in tte -!leys tftr t Civil
,er. Jim Owens married Liss Betty 4obertson, who came from 'a large
family who lived on the lower nidgeo The Owenses it -de thetr home
et Reagan, w. era they reared a family. 1.e, CaViallf:.ititily. with others
frAa the iiidge, moved in t e early fovea% es to what was then known
vs Allow prings, ond is now the town ef Wart.
"It la difficult to give oven a brief sketch of those early
settlers, out ti,e Streeter settlement dates beak to the days before
the Mexican ,er# -The Hunnieutts„ the Barnes Curnellsons„
1,03,1CLithilto Pieneers
,ffie Owen, P.-.
V1oLenuen County, Iexes
W.strict No. 8
Vile No. aw
Pfice No, 9
ritchells, anei-others who settiod'on Blue Lidge et 1>Allf;nd, hbd-a
definite port in the uWing of the Stranger community. Ihere were
other communities on v:0 Midge, all sre 1.17;a3rably linked with
the history Df :Calls county. In this outline, mention' only is mad('
of those who lived nearest the place where tne school And church
'were ,held. It was Meny years Lter that tl,e plcooe secured post
office and was given the name of qtranc‘r.
"L)ro fc,rbes 141 a Mn e few huneirN1 rda from Lis 11-Ao. Later,
Thaws Lorchain built a nor aind anothar mnn built n tivkawith
O to a sat near 't 2 r.r3(?.9 :irot ceaeatials
of n eumAunity owitor, 2. e., a doetor, a gin, a blLckbmith sh*p,
and a store. Kay' t*re w9a loOatod-e:hcre t.. q‘asarit i!ancock store
St,Ands to-7ay, it-rehaln ot!iora seJ of having a pest
office up on 'Aa hill, end they wrote the sTw7rnment for lanks on
which to itiAse a;41cation for a post ar.sice.- Kerchein receiwid thcee
blanks, w;asked out all the detallls ”nd thri they'made their way to
the 113e:rest place to receive a ering, probably VAtoo or Yarlin.
"According to loeel Amtory, the henring wsa fevorable 1q11 the
need 'or a post office was establimved. 1,a(14 V -,t$ stor- eoes, that the
WM* t40 op licents suggested. did not meet with .r:J) sinrovat of those,
who held tl-; 1=enring end that one of the officials, with some impatience,
vaned to liarehain, who spoked Lnglish brokenly, end said: "Come,
comet Can't you think 6f suitable n me?" To whieh terchain
hesitantly rotated, "ell, I don't know. just a stranger in the
,community." To this the offictalreplied,."Well, that will 410—.
Strengort and he wrote the word "Stronger" upon te spat:mitten
blank which went to Aishington and wee approved, f:1;.) hie is the
story of how Stranger, on Blue Ridge, got its name.
Folklore,
kiss Effie Cowan,
McLennan 'iounty, Texas,
1)istrict 8.
'qle NO, 240
Page NO.1.
no. of Words
REFERENCE.
'Interview with litre Walter Emmett Hunnicutt, White Pioneer
Texas.
04--
"My parentlemigrated to Texas before the War Between the States.
and settled in Falls,Coanty, where they reared their children to
maturity. On the j2th day of December 1894 I married Walter Emmett
Hunnicatt,who was also born in 2alls county Jane 11th, 1865. He was
a son of Winfield .jcott Hunnicutt who settled on 3lue Hidge in 1849,
emigrating from the state of Tennessee, where he was widely known
as a surveyor. He was also a member of Company B. of Waller's battalion,
aeneral Herdsman's brigade of the Confederate army
"The pioneer record for large families were almost broken by this family
of Winfield Icott Hunnicutt, father of my husband,Walter Emmett. There
were seventeen children in all and all lived to reach the age of maturity,.
1437 husband Wlater Emmett, received his preliminary education in the Blue
Ridge public school. Then attended the Southwestern Collect(' at george-
town lexes. And previous to this was a pupil of a 4r chambers of Kosse.
After finishing school he devoted his time to farming for two years,
Trot being content with this life he entered the law office of Good-
-rich and Clarkson at warlin and began reading law He was admitted
to the bar by Judge Scott of alarlin,after standing his examination
under Messrs Swan, Harlan, and Boyles attorneys of ,Aarlin.
before he completed his preperation for the bar he had the honor
of being elected District Clerk for Falls,coantyland held this office
for two years, then began the practice of law in Marlin and pursued it
7olklore,
iaiss'Effie Cowan,
acLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
File NO. 240
zage NO. 2.
for four year4Ithen was elected oantv Judge and was re-elected at
different tines for this office serving in ll fourteen years.
He was Worshipful Waster of the asonic Lodge NO. 152 at LAnrlin and also a
member of the -accabees and Woodman of the Orld. For his church affili-
-ation he was a .4ethodist. Our children are 3mmmett Junior who resides
with me r.nd married :liss Josephine lerriman of Lockport New York,
where he resided for twenty years before returning recently to ilarlin
where he is now doing government work. Horace T,our other son, passed,
away in 1919,at the age of 18 years. These two boys were our ohly chil-
dren.
During Judge Hunnicutt's life as Judge there were many interesting
things which happened in our county and town. He lived to see it grow
from a small village to the p,resent notable health resort where many
are brought here for the benefit o: the anrlin dot water. Judge Hunni-
cutt died in December of 1936.
I will try to tell you of some of the first families of the 3lue id.dgo
community where Tudge TTunnicutt's father settled in 1849 and the way
they lived at that time. irst there were the Forbes family. The ',orbes
family came to the -2idge from Tenneessee Dr and „irs Robert 'orbes arr-
-ived in the early fifties. di son -Or L.D. iorbes graduated frOm the New...
Ji*le,ns school of medicineland practice both In the fiidge and at
v The elder Forbes built their home on the si-ot where -Irs ,:orbes lives
today, this was in the fifties long before the Civil nr. aside fr-,rw his
practice of medicine Jr L.D.Forbes invented a mechanical cotton gin
where the feeders automatically carries the cotton to the gin saws or i be
?olklore,
"iss ffie Cowan,
()Leman County, Texas,
District 8.
4111e NO. 240.
lage NO. 3.
"Near the 2orbes and 73arclay home was a mule driven gin located across
the road from the 6winnen place,ftned by Bill Trskine and later by 34
Vann,where it was moved down near Jig Creek and used until discardeld for
the newer model.
Another early family was the 3arclay family. The head the family
was known as "Squire" and the:- lived in a log house on the scot a few
hundred yards north of where aancotXisstore stands today. 2arther north-
east on the 2,idge were the larretts who came from enneessee about the
year 1849. The old house with some improvement stands today,a, silent
reminder of those early days. The family history is one of romance, des-
tiny and accomplishment. The original head of the family was Thomas qarrett
_
His children were Jasper, d'ary Elizabeth, Cynthis ,Inn, and Catherine, Jim,
Rhoda, Derah, Tom and Pennie. All are litmed with the history and develot-
-ment of this section.
"2ollowing the "idge in the location of what is now Stranger, the next
is the old h -me place of the Brothers family. desse rothers/wife and
children,c me from l'enneessee in the late fifties/bringing their slaves
with them. Like so many of their neighbors they sought new fortune'rin the
land,their former fellow Tennesseean, Sam Houston, had found a place.
iqso they sought relief from troubled times over the slavery piestion
preceding the 4ar Between the .-)tates. The Brothers and their slaves
camped under the big oak tree that stands today in the middle of the
road as you approach the .Aidge in the section now known as Stranger.
This was near the 3nrloay home and these good people were kind to the
Folklore,
"eiss Effie Cowan,
McLennan County, Texas.
Wistrict 8.
torbes famil.y furnishing them stock for meat for the family and their
*laves. They finally)after looking around as far as neon County, returned
and bought land on the high hill overlooking Big ‘)reek and began their
lives in this section. Grandpa Jesse Brothers went to the likar between
the 6tates in the sixties and returned home on a furlough twhere he died
before the war ended. He left several sons, William, Boog, andJesse, Jr.
who extended their farming interest to succeeding generations. Mrs Bro-
thers married W.H.W. Williams and their only daughter married A.W. Eddins
of San Antonio, Texas.
2ile NO 240.
Page NO. 4.
V is)
Parther south along the Ridge lived Granny loffett, whose son Joel was
napposed to be the first official maiit carrier(for the community of
StrAngeion the Aidge. She is remembered by the older settlers of the
Aidge and Anrlin as being a quiet friendly old lady with a lore of
stories of the early days of Texas. She °Arne to this section in the
early days supoosedly with the Hodge family, since they were near re&-
atives and lived close by. The iiodge home stands today built of logs
but the loge have long since been covered with weather boarding.
"A daughter of Granny doffett married Quinton H.Vann who wa.41,0 associa-
-ted with the Eirskines in farming on the Brazos (Little) bottom. There
are many :descendants of the Erskine family ,whose head was William
dkukine who came to the Ridge and married !Ilse Mary Elizabeth qarrett and
they made their home near the first school and church (combined, on the
site of of the present Aiiethodist -Presbyrterian church. There are the ?rank
Erskines who with their children have lived for many years in the spaci-
ous old 2rskine home a familiar sight to all who pass thro' the town
of Stranger.
Folklore,
Igiss Effie Cowan,
McLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
Pile NO. 240.
Page NO. 5.
Still farther south-west on the "idge is the Eddins place. John 3ddins
and famill arrived from Alabama in 1860 and after a short stay in Aarlin)
bought a farm lying close to Big Creek,in a valley between a ridge of
hillsoThe farm now belongs to the Jesse Jirothers estate. Jasper Garrett
persuaded ddins to build his home up on the zlidge about the time
the iliar between the otates began. He bought sufficient ground from
theiglarretts to build the home and there he built the old ddins home.
m4r ddins and his boys walked a mile across the sandy ridge to the
farm and the mother and daughter,Kate kept house and prepared the meal*.
Near the old ddins home stood the Hodge and the Swianea _homes.
These families names are linked also with the early settlers of the
Ridge. But I must hasten on with these early settlers families. Not far
from the above mentioned homes was the former pioneer home of Allen
Morrell, a son of the _pioneer baptist oreacher Rev. Z.N.Morrell. Two
years ago all that remained of the old '''orysell home was a heap of logs
which was moved to the Palls °minty Old Settlers Association grounds
and built into a log cabin in remembrance of those early pioneers. This
old home stood on the spot later to be the Bill FanbA,then the Grady
Hair place, on top of the Ridge overlooking Big Creek Valley, and here
is one of the most pictureaV4,4views in this country. or miles one can
see the farms dotted with a little grass land and trees, through
which runs,old 3ig Creel orq.1) wAy to join the Brazos -liver, and over
to the east lies the town of Aarlin.
if OILIte_414-mor,relI-44m.-aitIrAux_sinola_aimA4-4*.-HatA4_,Emanin
horn,q_ulas. T4941:i4Aavades4406.wero-tirmar274ama.
Folklore,
Ass Effie Cowan,
McLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
File NO. 240.
Page NO. 6.
"The :Tannins had owned the dair place buying from the Uoffets. Ur W.T.
Fannin o me to the Ridge in 1875. Following the ridge south-west- was
the Pricel\where the son Mr and Urs W.A.Price Jr. alve todaylcarrying
on the work in the same place where the elder rrice cast his lot with
his young wifekvho after a career filled with romance and adventure in
the Civil "ar times and reconstruction days), located here and reared
their family.
"Nast -ward from the Price place in &882 came Dr and Ars J.C.Shww to
live. r Shaw was from Alabama serving fifteen months in the Alabama
Calvalry, confederate Army. His wife was a 4nnessean a Aiwa Nannie
Sypert Dr Shaw practiced medicine many years and later moved to Uarlin
where the elder Dr passed on to his reward and their son Dr Frank succeed
ed him in his practice.
About a mile south of the Stranger store came Larkin Rogers,and
John 3arlin a few years after the battle of San Jacinto. The Rogers
family settled on the Ridge while the ,iarlin family settled at the
place known as Bucksnort a few miles south of the present town of
.aarlin. The Rogers and larlin families came out of Tennessee, according
to the records out of admiration for their fellow lennesseean and
friend, Sam Houston. The story of John 14arlin and the Indian dassacres
on the ,4arlin family and the naming of -malls county is another story.
The kay home TryluTre were located where the old Lire Gertrude Hancoc
home south-east of Stranger store stands today. "Pr Kay was a farmer and
devoted church worker. He organized the first Sunday School at Stranger
Polklore, tile NO. 240./
Miss Sffie Cowan, Page NO. gr.
McLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
and was superintendant until his death. le was a sort of an -official
post -master before the rural mail service came this way. When on his
business trips to 'Coast) he woad call for the people's mail and bring
it to his storeiwbere they came for it. Mrs Kay's son by a former
marraige was Hollman Hancockywho married Miss Gertrude Garrett, a
daughter of the pioneer family of Garretts of Blue Ridge. Mrs Hancocks
son, Sanford, still owns the store at Stranger on the Ridge.
q It is difficult to give the dividing line of the Ridge and just which
part the families lived iarther south in the Reagan community were a nmm-
ber of early settlers which 1 will give you later perhaps. The ridge
where the Stranger community is can be seen for miles from the state
high way toAtarlin from Waco Texas. In fair weather it is always a
deep blue atmosphere,hence the name of Blue Aidge. The old Aunnicatt
home stands overlooking the valley on the ridge today just as it stood
when Winfield cott dunnicutt located here in 1849, with the exception
of the additions which have been made and the old logs covered with a
1
modern weathe2 boarding lumber.. In it there still live two.of his sons.
You may stand on yhe gldge and look westward, qee the broad valley as
it abruptly drops down below you with a ravine between the Ridge and the
valley.gee the farm houses dotted here and there; The green woods 4 Big
Creek valley and in the fall of the year see the cotton pickers as they
eying to and fro'gathering the fleecy staple. Tall trees-- Hills and
prairie forming a picture to remember. While over about ten miles to
the west see the tops of the buildings of the town of iliarlinoand a few
miles beyond 4arlin one can see the trees which border the Brazos rive/id,
Polklore,
'miss ffie Cowan,
McLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
File NO. 2400
Page NO; 8.
To the south following the ridge as it gradually sloptlAwsoath-west
towards the little town of hteagan onecan see the old Salt Brancbla small
creek near by many-cf the early settlers sleep the last sleep unmind-
ful of the changes which tather Time has wrought since they first came
inaheir ambition for .4'unues in the new state of Texas.
"To the east lies the town of Kosse where the Uouston and Texas Central
came through in the seventies. Some of the earlyjtidge settlers moved
over to'this town for the benefit of the rail -road facilities. Among
YvV-14)-it-th64 Jev...&a.
them was .Or Tolandgho came to the ridge as a young doctor and.he,too,
like br Idiandexter boarded at Granny Williams. /hey could *tell many
a story of those early days. One I remember of how they met at the little
church and prayed for rain, one woman came with her coats and umbrella
prepared for the answer to their prayers. They brought their lunch and
spent the day.
"Along in the afternoon the sky became overcast with clouds, and by
late afternoon it began to rain and did it rain? Well it rained so hard
the creeks all were up so the crowd had to spend the night in the little
school- church house and there they sent the time giving thanks for
their answer to prayer. bat only one had the faith to come prepared, and
it seems that it was Granny Williams or perhaps L4ranny Cornelison or
itioffett, Any way it was one of the oldest members of the flock, ,.who
declared that in time one by the way to receive answer to their prayer
was to have the faith to be ready for it.
Folklore,
kiss ffie Cowan,
McLennan uounty, Texas,
'District S.
Elle NO. 240
Page NO. 9.
"Other families whose names are indelibly written in the history of
the Blue aidge settlement are those of Bell, who came from Tennessee in
the fifties and the Fools 'he bells had a large family and they had
tituch to do with the building of this community. TwO sons served in the
Civil Mar and one lost his life in the war with miexico along with fifteen
others from Zane county: Others are the Arnetts, Hayes, derron,Nicholst
Vann, dickman, darden, Loggins, Saxon, and Clawson and many others who
lived farther south on the Aidge. About the year 1870 two single young men
came from Tennessee, thy were Henry Clay Cowan and Jim Owens Mr Cowan
married a Miss Laura myche who was teaching school near iremana., A daughter
of -cr George Wyche who settled in the settlement known as Oedias near
Anderson Texas/in the days before the civil War. Mr Ownes married a Miss
Betty aobertson from a large family of the lower aidge and they made
their home at Aeagan, Texas where they reared a faxmily. The Cowan family
A1-61#
with others from the Aidge moved in the earlymentiesto the then Willow
'(7,0111.:1
Springs commtnity, later known as aiart.
1ft
J.t is diffitult to give even a brief sketch of those early settlers, bat
the above date back to the days before the A4exican War. The Hunnicatt's
mt,
the Barnes, uornelisons, Williamsiditchells and others who settled on Blue
Ridge at iftodland had a*definite part in making the Stranger community.
There were other dammanities on the Ridge and all are inseperably
with the making of Falls county. In this outline,mention is 'made of those
who lived nearest the place where the school and church was held, and it
was many years later that the place secured a post -office and the name of
stranger given to it.
'folklore,
Miss Affie Cowan,
moj'ennan ''ounty, Texas,
Dietrict 8.
"As I mentioned before
?Ile NO. 240.
Page NO. 10.
Forbes had a gin a few hundreds yards from his
home. Then a man set up a black -smith shop and another built a store'
near by.ais name was thomas Eerchain So to a spot near the ?orbes home
came the first essentials of a commonity center, a doctor, a gin, a black
smith shop and a store. Kay's store was located where the present Haaaock
store stands today. Up on the hill Kercbain and others saw the advantage
of a post -office and wrote the government for blanks for making the app-
-lication for one0 tie received them and worked out all the details of
filling them out. They then mnde their way to the nearest place to receive
a hearing probably to Aarlin or "aco.
"According to the story the hearing was favorable and the need for a
post office was established. And the story goes that the name the app-
licants suggested did not meet with the approval of those the gave the
hearing and one of the officials with some impatiens turned to Kerchain
who spoke broken 3nglish and said" Come, Come Cant you think of a suit
able name? To which rerchain hesitated and replied "Well, I dont know.
I'm just a stranger in the community". To this the official replied,"Well
that will do --"Stranger" and he wrote the word,Strangerpupon the appli-
-cation blank which went to 4ashington and was finally approved. So this
is the story of how Stranger on the Blue Aidge,got its name.