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PYIYI0FiE 7hito lone
Wise tff1e Cowen, P.
1,onnan County, Texas
District t,o. 8
7ntirvicop with Hr.
1%.
"I was around six
with his family moved
Texas. Mat was in 18
Austin Count, Texas,
father's family. ry
end bred. He first so
epteraber 19, 1813.
"In aly father's
went to tic' state o
iLarriA. Julie eCraw
born eptember 6, 1836
soldier; Leonides H.,
in tYlc 'onfederate
lilliam
born Janus
forties, ;,,,Irried.1111
ZometilLe after th
Louiien iher in
before the territory w
was celebrated N3vembe
Aueust 16, 184b;
and died in .;41sm Coun
Luoretia A., born Ucto
.ilas-inrion County.
No. of words 1500
File No. P40
Page No. 1
Reference
chord, Alto Pioneer, Riesel, Thum.
ears of ere when my father-, illism Punohard,
miles east of what is now the town of glesel,
wee born Oetober 10, 1856 in Sempronius,
a member of the 3rd set of children in my
'illiam Punchard, was s New Englander, born
11 hi of day at Franoistown, New Hampshire,
ed until 1878, he noe:ed away near Riesel.
manhood, he was attracted to the Foutl, and
dpi. In ladison County, lassissippi, he
m were born the follow;np children: Flomuel,
farmer of i'oLennen County, end a ConWerate
ebruary 1!), 1838 wee a soldier from louisiens
died in that state leaving two children;
1640, he died young; JOsephine born in the
char and died in Milam :aunty, Texas.
th of his first wife, my father married
ounty, Texes, and had children 'born in Texas
axed to the United totes. Hie second wedding
1844 and to them
born Jar:miry 24,
xes; Cornelius E
rare born, 'dory )-iuncherd on
1847, who !;.arricd John Bergland
born AuPust 23, 1848; end
1849 %v.-4 bourne Yrs. f. :'ohan and died in
VfILKI.0411 Ahite Pioneer
ries L'ffie Cowan, W.
McLennan .ounty, Taxed.
D etriet No. S
File No. 240
Page No. 2
°The third and last merriege of my father William Puncherd was to
ujivnbeth Aydelotte, of Fayettville, Texas, February 27, 18156. She
was born April 1620 and died at Miesel, April 22, 1907. There were. four
cLildren .orn t Vie union. Semen lianaook, wo died in infancy; John if.,
born .arch 7, 1b59, s business men and farmer of tivrt; Julius W., who was
born November Pl, 18C1 on who died while young; and myself.
AT bcgan life witb an education obtained in the public schools, at
Chappell till ollege and at Alylor University, where I was under the
personal influence of flr. ulfus (lurleson. Following the tradition of my
family, I engaged in farming and gradually grew into the stock business,
until it bece;Le one of my most important interests, and 1 also began buying
lend. beri I eve up fnrminr, it was to move to the town of Fiesel, where
could rive my children better opportunities in the schools. I then ex-
tended my Intercst in investments to Vet of stockholder in the Farmer's
Gin 7otLiymy of 41ese1 end in a sia,i1nr concern at Mart, as well a, in the
,art CfAton Oil (oil,pany, I bosoms a stockholder it the Southern Union
life 7nsurance Comreny end Vioe-president of the First !'tete Bonk of
Riegel.
01 nerried in VeLennen .:ounty, Texas, October 16, 1893, P,rettis Gillespie
deu liter of J. Gillespie who brought his femily to Taxes from Arkansas.
"'ie have had the following children: Edwin, who met accidental death
at the are of sixteen; t!erbert C., Louise and Lois. I have tried to help
in the sohools at iesel end rim wy tisk() for some years as true.es. For
giy lodnea, T belong. to the asons, "-oodmen.of the World end Mao:hoboes.
I era a meffiber.of the Methodist Church. In my relations with ay fellow man
FOLKL01Z
Miss'Effie Cowan, P. W.
McLennan County, Texas.
District No. 8
File No. 240
Peg* No. 3
1 have tried to be helpful and public spirited. For the development of the
Riegel territory T have taken e deep and abiding interest.
"when I first came to McLennan County, in 1872, this end adjacent
oounties were greet cattle countries, thousands of cattle covered the fine
black prairie land. It was not thought at the time that the prairie, land
would rro Uoe ootton, or was worth anything exocpt for stook raising. T
remember an incident about Jacob Weaver who was a very successful farmer
of the Riegel community, end when the settlers oommenoed to put the black
lend in cultivation, he told some of his friends they were doomed to
failure and when they retie satisfied to come beck to the bottom end he
would take care of them."
"However, 4r. ':eaver found he was wrong end afterwards bourht ,ome of
the blank lend west of :'art and erected a gin, and for years, he was one
of the iliost successful ginners of the bledk land section east of Riesel,
now known as the i7ert community. Later, a German by the name of Sohlimbech
.osie end bought large acreage of the prairie lend to the southeast of Riese'
end sold it off to German La_igrents, many direct from Germnny.
"when we lived in Austin County, my father was a merchant, plantation
and slave owner. Alen the A.vil Asr wns over, he gave the slaves their
freedom and thy refused to leave, so he kept them and gave them pert of
the crop and their living expenses to stay t)hd work the land. The carpet-
baggers were in control and the times were pretty rough. It was pretty
much the same as elsewhere in the days of reconstruotion.
"T is reminds me If how when r was a boy we had to pet our cotton to
Brownsville durinr the wqr and send it through Mexico to the matkets in
Fmrope. Fromj?rowneville end istamores, Mamie°, it was shipped *cross the
e-mon
Miss lAbfle Cowan, P.
MeLennen County, Texas,
District No. 8
File No. 240
Pegs No. 4
ocean. One could smiths long wagon trains of cotton, drawn by oxen, ell
through the 1'911 of the year as they slowly wended their way to the Mexican
border. The resson,for this wns that pert of the time the Texas ports
were blockaded end all the time enemies were on the wetoL to confiscate
produce of any kind, and especially cotton, as it sold for fifty cents a
pound or more, during the blockade._
*There would be from ten to twenty bales to the wgron and i train of
morons from ten to twenty in number. 4;hen they camped at night, they
were drawn up in 8 circle to form a breestwork for defense from the robbers
and Indians. These trips required from one to three months. If it was
durinp rainy season, than they often had to camp by the creeks end rivers
until they run down, for you must remember tie was before the day of
the bridPe.
"My first impression of this country was the number (es I thought) of
peach.trees, I had never seen a mesquite tree before and as I" glanced out
the window of the oar T thought the mesquite trees were pooch trees.
*,hen ve came here, there wns no town of Riesel, the NO00 Tap Roil
rood had recently been completed and the only two stops between .:'900 end
4nrlin were Airry and i:errison witch. e lived over on Vows Creek, be..
tween Tchuecana and the Prees -iiver. Between Tehuscans sad the Brazos
there is o bend in the river and this is celled Goat Neck. In this bend
many of to first families lived.
"The families of General Harrison, Dr. Dunklin, Dr. hedwell, Johnson,
ttrnnge, hek1.eford, Oillespie, Billingsley and Oakes lived in
the Draos bottom, extending from the Harrison place, (now known as the
Neal farm) on down tt,e Brivos river almost to Merlin,
lived riok Jones, Charley Turners, end many others.
To the enst, there
?CRUM'
lass Effie Cowan, P. Nr
McLennan County, Texas,
District NO. 8
File Mo, 40
Page No. 5
"Abile we lived on Yaws Creek, my father had a gin, store end sew
mill. The cotton was brought to the gin from all up and down the river
bottom, also to the sew mill came the timber for the logs to be made into
lumber for tee houses. Tbe bottom was rich in many kinds of timber and as
the lend was bainr put in cultivation, there was a good business for the
sew mill, as well es the rInninr. The prices fluctuated then, es now, from
six to ten and twelve cents. Alen it was sent to the market it wee loaded
on tie train et :errison, Perry, Yarlin or Wee°, but most of the dotton was
carried to Larlin end Waco end sold, then shipped to the market at Houston
end Gelveston.
"At ell vent to the little church celled "Ww lope", this wen on the
Punklin plentetion end the present negro church. now stands on this site.
1
At first, both denominations used it, but as I remember Dr. Carroll end
General :qarrlson organized it first as the Baptist denomination. There
is a little ecmetery adjoining the church end many of the loved ones of
t' -e first families are buried in it. Many were the old time revivals held
here end the people came from for end near.
0Tbe bottom of the arnmos River wee a hunter's paradise, the favorite
huntinp was the fox end deer. Pete Ross, a brother of Sul Ross wee one of
Tex -s rovernors. -4orT family lived about three miles from us. Our
physician, Dr. Ttippe lived where the Battle community is now. Doctor
Bedwell and Pr. runiqin also practiced in our eommunity.
masc.: ?;ere the mnye when the 4re7os bottom was in its glory, plenty
of everytL1np to eat, wilzi turkeys, hops and birds of all description, the
bottom lend was so rich that the orope grew almost without cultivating it.
,POLF7LORE.
Miss cffie Cowen,'Y, 4.
Molannan County, Texas.
ristrict No. 8
File No 240
Pegs No. 6
e were not far fre,fs the towns of Waco end Werlin and as we had the
benefit of nearby trade. There were many old slaves who had come to Time
with their owners and who were still with them, so the labor question did
not trouble us.
"As e whole, there was just *bout the usual amount of low breakers
es in -ost sections of Texas. There was some cattle stealing, some murders,
but then by the time we came here, the wildest days seemed to be about over.
Uany outlaws from other sections of axes trying to hide from the law found
refuge in the Pre7os bottom thickets that still were dense. And almost in
every instant:le, these law breakers were caupht, some after many years.
"There was a place across the Drezos River celled Norwood. The men
for whom the place was named was killed by a men named febestian. This
r4bestain stole my horse to make his escape. It was a cold and rainy night
in the winter and we kept hearing -noises as if the horses in the little
pasture back of tbc lot were frightened, but on going to look we found no
one and so around ten or eleven o'clock that night our family retired, the
next mornine my fine saddle horse was gone. some years later, we found s
stray horse in sat Taxes which proved to be my horse, however the men who
found it in his pasture had had the strayed notice published some time be-
fore and the time had expired, so 1 lost the horse. Some years later, the
murderer, :-ebsetien was ()aught and brought to the jail at Wow, he sent
for re and told me of taking ,,ay horse to get sway and how he waited under
the bank of t:e creel.< bed waiting for thf lipht in my house to go out be-
fore he took the horse, and how be thoupht we would never put it out.
"Mere were many emusinr end interesting incidents connected with
the courts of the early days in Icco and It was in 1870 that
thre was a difCerence between the ristrict Judge and the County Judge
ITLYLOE
Miss Fffie Cowan, 2.
MoLannen county, Texas.
ristrict Nc. 8
Tile No. 240
Pogo No. 7
w' ich resulted in both courts for a time being thrown in jail. This
happened between the reconetruetion, Judge Oliver of the rlstriot Court,
anti Ju ge Leland of the County Court. Judge Myer being a radical men
demanded e large sheriff's force end Judge Leland refused to vote the ex—
pense of thic foree, .:hereupon Judge Oliver threw the entire county oourt
into jail.
-The ruemberz of this Jourt were prominent men and this so enraged
their relatives ond fricn!e thtt a movement woe started, headed by the
younper men, to lynch Judge Oliver. Feeinp this danger which he knew
would terminate in 9 riot, Colonel Gurley went to the young men and told
them that he would lead the. if they would wait another day, in order to
gain time to settle the matter peacefully by releasing the county court
who were held as rrisoners. He settled it in a clever way.
"One of the physicians of the city had expressed the opinion that
V,e fliEtrict Tudre we insane. Very soon the physicians gatLered and'a
declaration of the Judge's insanity was drawn up, end upon the basis of
ti s dr)cument the iraprironed Judge end his county court issued e writ of
lunoe'r. VAs W9S )1*o.t?nbly the only time in the history of the nnion that
both criurtt were in joil at the 8eme time. This was just another instenoe,
of tbe rconstruction period. Very soon both courts decided to release
69 other 1,16 .4olonel Curley's stroterry won for him the name of -Custodian
of the ,urts.
s T recga the Judjes of the Avil Courts, Judge Prendergast served
from V74 tu 1d76; Judpe rounders of le11 CtAinty, from 167C to 1878;
Judgc lexonder of eo from 187b to 188P; Judge 'iimes until 1886; Judge
'Auf!ene 11114ms 'until 188V; Judge
Jickinson until 1890. Then Judge Goodrich
of uiarlin serve for a nuu,ber of years.
r0111,0:
kiss Effie Cowan, P. W.
MOLennen County, Te3tes.
District No. 8
File No. 240
Page No. 8
"Another interesting incident of the early court days of 'Amo was
that of tie Thompson and the Blankinship families. Thompson had willed
his slevee to a Dr. Johnson just before the. Civil 9i6 end the will was
contested, a sale ordered and on tf±e day of the sale the two contestants
got into a heated argument with friends of both sides taking part, which
resulted In a shooting, but no one was killed owl the ending of the war and
freeinp of thu slaves were a lector in the ending of this case. However,
afterwards in connection with this ease, Colonel Gurley brought up a case
of contempt of court orders, epoinet one of the participants of the above
mentioned oeoe. Fore of Vile man's friends threetened to shoot Col rurley
en
oee to court prepsred. The colonel was equal to the emergency and
not wanting to be interrupted while :talkinp his speech he laid two pistols
on the table before him end one of. his friends, with pistols, took a seat
at is book and faced the crowd. It ended with the speech being finished
without interruption ono the trial going on in peace.
"Alen we came to this county in 1E.72, tee old "Aispeneion Bridge at
esco, sem s the hreeoe itiver had been completed in 1870. The cables were
swung into position by George vAitton and Tries Brothers, end J. ':enn did
the brick work, furnisAng P,700,000 brick-. it cost 2130,000. For many
years it was o toll bridge. in 188e, the city end county united to buy
the bridre end mike it free. Then the briege was thrown open it was said
to be one of the bippeet celebrations the county had ever been a witness !,o.
"It was in 187b, that the county decided to build a new court house
at the corner of econd ond Franklin Streets, the old court house wen used
until 1876, and then they rented eichey Hall and the old building was torn
down. In 1877, the new court holies (of that time) was completed and the
l'OLKL4E
Mire f‘fie Cowen,
McLennan County, TOXAS.
Vietriot No, 8
File No. 240
Pegs No. 9
keys were turned over to the county judge. In 188e, the jeil just back of
it was built, then the new city hell took the site first occupied by the
old Court 4)use.
"The court house and jell which 7 hay, just mentioned wes sufficient
for the needs of the eounty until about the year 1899, then the agitation
eomenced for another end larger oourt house, jail and bridge over the
Bra7os, the old suspeneion bridge had been declared unsafe. i‘t the time
of the question of voting bonds for the court house, jail end bridge the
Couaty Judge was our present Judge of the court of Civil Appeals, Judge
Gellapher. The voer_issioners were J. L. :oore of precinct #1; r. C. Cowan
of precinet :;1"; 7. C. 'ebb of preeinct end Mr. Vontgomery of 7est, of
precinct A.
is matter that T all your attention to, of the death of
H. clwan wt!ich was on the nth day of February after he had attended
the ter_ of court only one day and was stricken in the court room with
pneumonia and passed away in tea days. The question wee being discussed
at t is time of a vote on bonds for the building of -these three publics
additions to the counties improveent. hence his ride through a bliezerd
in attempting to do his duty. This was in the horse end buggy days and
the ri e to loco then took from three to four hours, a distance of twenty
miles, it was this ride *clic!, caused his death. If I remember rightly
there wee no hospital in the city then and he was removed to a hotel next
door where he reaiained until his death.
"The election was riot heiC however for the voting of the bonds until
the Peth day of 7tpril 1900, they carried and the new court house, jail end
bridge were trown open to the public in the year 1900 or 1902, T don't
iff-,LYLORE
Mies A‘fie coesa, r,
McLennan County, Texas.
District 8
File No. 240
Page No. 10
remember which. The title to the land for the court house was accepted by
the commissioners court October 19th, 1900. I took part in the laying of
the orrtr stone or the clurt house at Fifth end Washington Ftreets, this
was apreet event. 71-13 -;„,nic order wen in eharge of the ceremony. They
had a blf* rArade and I carried the banner la this parade. The foundation
of the Court liouse was built of Texas granite from the granite fields of
Burnet unt THe old suspension bridge was condemned as being unsafe for
traffic end later was reinforced by large cables, and is in use at the
present time.
-iv.any changes have been made es time passes on, just recently the
county has voted for a new jail to be built with the PWA funds provided
by the rovernment for public works. My brother John and myself were
students at ”w-lor University under Pr. P fus C. Burleson, end this was
in the year 1H73, I we just seventeen. It was then located it the corner
of Fifth end 'Aebster !'treets, later it wee moved to its present site 9t
Tifth en( .7,aight treets. lonations did not come in as they do now,
r. urleson staked his all in helping to keep Baylor's very existence,
he went broke many a time, often without funds for himself or credit. He
was a grand old man en aylor owes its existence today to his loyalty end
efforts. 'ftere have been many presidents since who have helped to make
Baylor whet it is, among them Dr. F. 1:erroll who wee also a fine man.°