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'Aallam V. Ervin, F.
',-;rath County, Texas.
District NO. E
Reference
A. Mrs. Lary 14cNeill 'ayo,Stephenville,
no. of words 1277
File No. P30
9 1936
Page 1 0--
Cr 1
U
Dr. W. McNeill, ayoung physician; Lajor George'is. Erath and
John Y. Stephen, oeme into the frontier country in seareh of a good
location for their homes, in the spring of 1854. in the epot where the
town of Stephenville, county seat of ,rath CJunty,'now stands they found
whet they were looking for in the way of tillable lend with plenty of
gr:ss, water and game, .nd located there.
Lejor ,:rath and John L. Stephen surveyed the lend ihto farms, and laid
off the town -ate of the present city of Stephenville. This was in the
Zohn Blair Survey which was owned by rajor lAsath.
Making maps and plates of his surveys, Tajor rath sent thorn to'the
Lecisleture with the proposition that if the Legislature 'amid create a
county in that territory, designating Stephenville the county seat, the
Tajor would deed to the county a block of ground for the court house,
also, blocka for a jail and one to each of the religious denominations;
-Fethodist, rresbyterian, Christian end Baptist; for- their churches. re
further offered to deed free to the town all the ground necess!)ry for the
streets and alleys. This proposal was, sent to ;,ustin July 4th, 1E55, and
the Lerislature for opted It January 25, 156. The county erected was par
ad for Tajor Erath. The count 7 sent was nnmei Stephenville for John I.
Stephen.
The men built log cabins after their selection of -the cite for their
settlement in 1E54, and in the fall of that year moved their families
there. Lumber for the erection of a store, post -office and union Church
was broug:Lt by ox -wagon from Taco.
ki#KLY ZiATTLA4leeiiT
William V. J'.rvin, P.
Erath Cuunty, loxes.
District #2
iile #4.30
Page 2
Indians still ranged the frontier and made freauent raids upon the
settlers. On one of the raids the oldest son of John Stephen, Samuel,
was killed. Mile Major Erath and Stephen were on a surveying trip the
Major noticed smoke rlr,iag from a ravine. Saying to his party that he
believed there were Indians in the draw, the Major went to investigate.
He crawled on his hands sed knees to the edge of the bank and in order
to get a better view he took hold of a bush and leaned over the bank with
weight on the bush. The shrub gaire way, end the Major fell sprawling a-
mong the amazed redskins. On his way to the bottom of Vie ravine the Maj--
or sent up e yell of "Charge them, boys% Charge them% Then he could
clear the dust from his eyes sufficiently to see, the
Indians were leaving that pert of the country es fast
Dr. TIoNeill married the only daughter of Stephen.
rajor discovered the
as they could travel.
Their first child,
john A. Voneill, wes the first white child born in Stephenville. The
young physician found that being a frontier doctor celled for great physi-
cal courage and endurance as well as é sufficient degree of medical skill.
Often celled to go fifty miles or more in the stormiest weather to attend
the sick, he me euch-trips alone, on horse -beck, through forest and a-
cross streams with no sign o a road, where every tree was a eossible hid-
ing place of savages or panthers -nd wildcats. .Once when returning from
a long trip where he had been called to the bedside of a roman who ley
seriously ill, the doctor was attacked by Inlians. .The arrows flying ar-
ound him the doctor put his mare to the best seeed eö hod. An error str-
uck the mare, but she carriel her riler home, falling deed when they he&
reached safety.
.A14itirgrrLiZelti.
31111am V.trvin, PO.
Erath County, Taxes.
Dir,trict
File
Page 3
Dr. !Weill was the first phmsician in 4itephenville. Be became a olvic
lender of the torn and helped to oreenize and wee a charter member of the
f1rst Masonic Lodge in Kreth County. wW, ten other charter member' he
organized the first Vethodist Church in ,tophonville, in tlAi tell of 1854.
He also become the town's first postmaster. He died at the ego of eighty-
three years.
The first postoffice building was one block east of the courthouse W..
are, the present loontion of the clay Lumber rompanY. N31,1 was carried by
horseback to reridian nnd Waco. It cost five cents to poet a letter prld
five cents to the carrier.
The first school house Wes located one block west of the eourthouse and
was built of cedar lumber brought by ox*wegon from aco. It was a two
story building, the school occupying the lower floors nnd the resent(' Lod-
ge the upper.
Only one log house of tl:e original town now stnnle. It is located two
blocks west of the square, on reshington street, and wee preserved by
enr1 Cage.
Ahe first cotton was raised in Brath.County in 1869. The first cotton
gin, established by lalker Conley' in 1870, wee situated six miles south-
east of ;;tephenville on the Dosque River. It was operated by horse -power.
The first steam -powered gin wns erected by Wilson Toler. It was near
the bridge on eist ashineton 7,treet.
The first grist mill was built nnd oncreted by Captain Thomne Carmel,
in 1858. It was lociated where thn present jell now stands. It was °per.
ated by ox -power, two oien trendirlg an endless chain on an incline turned
the millstones.
to
VI r4Pirin,
licLennen County, Texas.
District e8
file #230
Page 4
The first ste:x, flour mill was built by Ii'omes )rue, wro brrmght forty
negro slaves.rith him to Stephenville in 1859. When the slaves were freed
at the close or the Civil 7ar they hod no employment and no means of trine-
portation,. not even teams and wagons, to go where they might find employ-
ment. They w,Juld chop wood or make rails all day for their dinner and
supper. 'then they would receive their meal, .usually a beet cooked- in wash
pots, they would 6o arzy singint.
The Drue mill was located' across the Bosaue River at the east and of
Long t;treet, northeast of town. The mill was sold to Basle Quinn, who
put in the sawmill in nonnection with the flour mill. They sawed much
oottonwood, oak rt'l elm timber for the nettlere.
The first store yes established by Bnteman tr. Frey, about 1866, and wee
looted where the Stephenville State Bank now stands.
The courthouse, which was situated on the lot now occupi 6 the Frank
ilenon store, an' the cflunty records burned in 1867.
The first county offieers to be eleetel when Erath County ries orgenizoi
in 1856 were: Dr W. tf,oNeill, county clerk; Sam Ali, sheriff; Judge
Pupoy, county judge; :26. Duras, tax collector and assessor; Z. ,.103101.11.
justice of the peace.
There were no ,public funds for the sehools. They were operated on sub-
scription funds. Often the scho,As lasted only two or three months. The
books mostly used were 1McGutfey's restless, three Ws course, Altbster's
blue -back speller .4ad dietionery, Davies' arithmetic, copy book.
museum containing relics of early settlement in Lrath County is to be
erected just north of the beautiful new city library on Green Street. The
Centennial monument to 7,1ejor George i. A•ath is being errectel on Broth
Street. (A)