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Gauthier, sbeldon F.
Rengelere
-Tarrant Co.,Dist.#7
Page j1
FEC
llizebeth Hoe, 83, living at Azle, Tex., was
barn at Ash Creek settlement, three miles west
of Azle, Zan. 641855. Her father, William
Fleteher, ()lewd a tract of land boosted near
Ash Creek and engaged in farming for a livelihood.
He enlisted in the Confederate Army when the Civil
War ootemensed, and died from illness while serv-
ing in Virginia. Elizabeth's mother continued
farming, with the assistance of her young children,
o. na reared her bully. They were oompelled to con-
tend with the Indian depredations, and had their
stock stolen several times by Indian raiders. She
married Mientgemery Hee in 1873, who was a Texas
Rafts, serving under Captain Willis Hunter, with
headquarters located on Salt Creek. She hes lived
in the vieinity during her entire life. She now
lives within three miles of where she was born.
Her story:
"I was born within three miles of where I am now living, on
the 6th day of January, 1855.
rimy father, William Fletcher, owned a small t root of land
limited on Ash Creek. There was a settlement there called the
Ash Creek Settlement. This little village of Azle did not exist
at the time I was born, but vs a part of the Ash Creek settlement.
Even When I was old enough to note events, I do not remember of
hearing about Fort Werth, until a number of years later. weather
ford was the main trading point for us Ash Creek settlers, and
where we Obtained our mail.
"A trip to Weatherford was an eventful occasion, ond usually
made on hersebaok. During my girlhood days I never saw a buggy.
If we desired to go somewhere, we either walked or rode a horse.
If there was a number of people going somewhere together, they
would either he mounted on a horse or all ride in a farm wagon
va,
Gauthier, Sheldon F.
Rangelore
Tarrant Co.,Dist.#7
page y2
FEC
pulled by axon or_* team of mules.
"my home was a one -room log cabin, similar to the homes of
all other settlers. The settlers in the Ash Creek district built
their homes from logs. The only differenoe in these structures
was the number of rooms each oontained. Some of the cabins con-
tained two roams. These oabins were all built by hand. The lumber
was hand made and, by hand, worked into doors, window frames and
flJoring.
"Our living was obtained from the patch of ground which we
cultivated and planted to food stuff and cotton. Also, from cattle
which ranged in the territory and wild game that abounded in the
woods.
"My father enlisted in the Confederate Army when the Civil
War started, and became ill and died while servilg in Virginia.
This event left mother alone to rear her children. My mother and
us children attended to the farm work. I wps the oldest, with a
brother a year younger and a baby brother constituted the family
of children. While we worked hard and had many difficulties to
contend with, we always had sufficient food and an ample supply of
clothing.
"We raised a little wheat and corn. From these grains we se-
cured our flour and corn meal. We paid out no money for grinding
our grain. A portion was taken by the miller in payment for his
grinding charge. We had a vegetable garden, had a few chickens,
and a couple of milk cows which were pastured for our butter and
milk supply. The material for our elthing was raised by us, and
from this material we made the cloth and the clothes. The material
Gauthier, Sheldon F.
Raegolore
Tarrant Co. Dist.#7
page 0
FEC
was cotton and wool from the sheep we raised.
"_ts a ehild, with my brothers, I spent many nights helping
mother pick cotton seeds, carding oottontwool, and assisting her
to spin the material. The weaving of the materials into thread
with the spinning wheel was the next process after carding, and
the old spirAing wheel could be heard many nights into the late
hours. After spinning came the weaving process on the hand loom,
then the dyeing process. The dyes were made from bark an' other
vegetable Matter.
"When we completed a suit or dress and sucoseded in producing
a nice color salads, we were mighty proud of our garments.
"The clothes we made and sat up nights to produce by a tedious
hand method gave me more satisfaction than any factory produced
garment I have ever worn. 4011 might we be proud of our garments
those days, because our very soul was put into the making of our
clothes. Many, manytnights my mother and the children sat working
at the loom or spinning wheel till our eyelids would refuse to
remain open, and we would be forced to quit work.
"Our patch of cultivated greundw as fenced with a split rail
tones. This was necessary to prevent cattle from molesting our
erop. Also, to keep out deer and other wild animals, which would
destroy the grain.
"e raised a few cattle, which ran in the creek bottoms. le
followed the custom of the day and branded our stock and let the
animals find their own living.
"A short distance from our settlement was located the section
3010re folks depended on only oottle for a living. I recall some
.00
Gauthier, Sheldon F.
Bangelore
Tarrant Ce.,Dist.#7
Page 44
FEC
of the large um:tamps of those days. There were the McLean,
lateen, Bill famith and John Collins camps in the surrounding
territory.
"From our onttle we secured our beef, and sold a few head for
money that was nocessPry for the few articles we had to buy. Also,
'we had a herd of begs, khich found their own living, with the excep-
tion of a smell amount of corn which we fed for the purpose of
keeping the animals aloes to our farm. This herd of hogs supplied
our hog meat and lard.
"Besides the domestic animals, the woods were full of v,rious
kinds of game, suoh as deer, wild turkey, partridge, and many other
edible wild animals. Because of this supply of domestic and wild
animal meat, we were etas to pick our chaise of preferred outs.
In addition, besides our own cattle, there were hundreds of other
cattle in the bottoms, which drifted in from the cattle ranches.
In those days it was not considered wrong to take a yearling for
meat supply, even if its brand was th*3t of someone else.
"In the Ash Creek settlement, there were no real cowcamps;
but the settlement was surrounded with e attle ranches, and many of
the settlers, especially the young men, worked more or less as
Cowhands on the adjacent range.
"Our meet feared trouble was the Indians. They were a constant
menace. In the vicinity of the :sh Creek settlement there were
frequent Indian raids, and a number of settlers were killed during
my ehildheed days. Ali.), a number of women and children were
kidnapped.
-t.
Gauthier, Sheldon F.
Bangalore
Tarrant Go.ppist4/
page y
FEC
"My mother's home wee raided several times, but the good
Lord was with us.. We were never injured, but did lose horues
and food.
"I recall one night when mother was away pt our neighbor,
Bedwellts, plase, where there was sickness at the time. Brother
and I were Sitting up waiting for mother to return home. Suddenly,
we heard a noise similar to an owl's screech. Brother said:
"'Listen to the owls *meshing'.
"It sounds like owls, but it is not: I replied
"Its Indians, I bet', he suggested. 'Let's hide'.
"From the time we were old enough to have any understanding
of the meaning of words, mother had dinned in our ears to evade
Indians, and when old enough to handle a gun she taught us to
shoot.. de had two hiding plea's: One in the loft of the cabin
and one in a hole under a rook located in a brush patch near the
cabin.
"When IN heard the owl's gorses:1i, we blew out the candle end
crawled to the hole under the rook. We were not there long when
Indians appeared, mounted on ponies, ar-d rode up to the house.
They sorutinined the piece, then went to the corral and took two
of our most valuable horses.
"Indian scares would happen frequently, because of reports
that Indians were seen in the surrounding territory. On these
occasions everyone would live in fear until word was received
that the Indians had moved on. Frequently, we hove remained in
the woods hiding for two or three days at e time, when word was
passed around that Indians were depredating somewhere in the
Gauthier, Sheldon F.
Rangelore
Tarrant Co.,Dist.#7
page #6
surrounding country. During my childhood days, we lived more or
le2s in constant fear of Indian raids.
"While we Fletcher. were not kidnapped by the Indians, there
were several people in the vicinity whieh were carried off and same
killed by the Indians. Among those to meet witn this misfortune
were the Davis and the Hamilton families.
The Davis family lived or Telma Creek. The members of this
family were killed and carried off. I don't recall of hearing that
any of the Davis folks were ever heard of after the raid. The
Hamilton family, which also lived on Walnut Creek, were raided.
The parents were killeL and two children were carried off. one
child was sick at the time, End after it was carried for some
distance the Indians rolled the child in a blanket and layed it
on the ground in some brush. The child, of coursete red. After
riding for a distance sway from the child, the Indiams returned
and killed it. It was supposed they feared the cry would attract
attention.
"Ono of the Hamilton boy s was away from home at the time of
the raid. He set out to find and retake his sisters. It was about
a year later when he located a sister. He traded for the child
and then learned about the killing of the other child.
"The conditions which I have related were what we lived under
until I reached wamahheed.
"I married Montgomery Roe in 1873, and a short time after we
were married he enlisted in the Texas 'Iangers and served under
Captain Willis Hunter. The company's headquarters were, at Silver
Creek.
qauthier, 3helden F.
Rangelore4
Tarrant Co.,Dist.#7
page #7
"After my husband enlisted, I again lived in fear. I knew
the danger his work 'marred. The rangers had to °contend with
cattle rustlers, fights between cattlemen and between ranchers and
sheep men, aid with desperadoes.
"Those days the Rangers were called upon to do considerable
burying. When some person's body was found, who had been shot or
hanged, the lingers were generally notified and they buried the
body.
"1 saw my humbenA end a ample of fellow ,Rangers biryte
Cantrell women, who were sometimes called by the name of Eill.
"The Cantrell women were the leaders it a gang or settle
rustlers, and the rumor was that they were among the most trouble-
some rustlers in the State.. The folks interested in the cattle
business decided to stop .these two worn and hanged them to a tree
near Springtewn.
"The Rangers would generally resolve word that somebody die
covered a person hanging to a limb of a tree or one that had been
shot. As a rule the report would be received a day or two after
the incident happened. However, in the ease ei the Cantrell wome4,
the report did net reach the Rangers until a couple of weeks or
more after the hanging. When my husband's party went te get the
bodies, they found the bodies on the ground, but their heads were
still held by the noose if the rope. These bodies had remained
until decay had caused the bodies to separate from the heads.
"The Cantrell women were buried in a semetery at Springtown.
The graves were under a tree, and the Rangers tied the rope, with
which the women 'ere hanged, to a limb over the graves, 86 a marker
for a rustler's grave.
Gauthier, Sheldon F. page #8
Rangelere
Tirrent 0e.,Dist.#7 FEC
"My husband was mustered out of the Ranger servioe in 1875.
We then Made our livelihood by farming in the Ash Creek vicinity,
and near what is now called Azle, Tex.
The village of Azle did not get started until I was a young
woman. I do net recoil the year, but it was during the Civil War,
as I recall about the olose of the conflict.
"The village received its start when Dr.. Stewart looated hers
with his family. He attended the sick in this &tuition and operated
a farm, which 1183 'coated at the east edge of the present Village.
He died here about 50 years ago.
After pr• Stewart located in the community, a man named
Moore opened a store. He put in a small stock of goods and cort
ducted his business in a little log cabin. Later, Jos Fowler
bought Moorets store. Fowler enlaruld the business. Then, the
next step towards a village was the location of a postoffice:hore,
which was operated in connection with the store. Finally, eiblack-
smith shop was started, then another store. This amount of business
remained the business section of Azle for a number of years. After
the automobile became in general use, gas eta ions, garages, and
sandwish shops opened up.
"This settlement, except for Azle, has nGt changed much sines
wasa young woman. Of course, there is more land under cultivation,
and the houses are now frame structures.