Document text
Warren, Ivey G. P.W. Loblmisk:GenaiNr
District 17. Words 02,/12A4 loabbook Teams
•S'
SAIJA VIVO ftW ,064011"Va
"NY father, George M. Went, brought his family to the South Plains in
1894. frau Sterling. Iansas.* said Mrs. George O. Wolftarth. *I was quite small
then. but I have heard the details of the trip recounted nulbers of times by mr
wok.' and the older children of our family
*There were 14 people who started in this journey to the Texas Plains, there
I!
Vo" Henry Baldwin ant his family. 41P. Paul Seely, Mies Sella Cerrito*, and an ell
erly man. whose 'meow frther soon forgot, and then our family. Lib:ego% the trip
with three wagons, each drawn by two horses, and my father's buggy. Jimmie, our
pet rony)was hitched to the truggy.4"`
"low one of the wagons and the team belonged to the elderly may Jr fpther A
had wade made a trade with bin to "bear his part of the expenses of trip if Ne would
bring a load of our household goods in his wagon, but on the day out from
Sterling, he changed his mind aid would cone no farther, so tether had to transfer
mother's organ and the *Orr things whioh the old man bad been oarrying du his
freighter, to the two remaining wagons, which were already over loaded, and we
continued on our journey."
*We began the long trip on the afternoon of the 5th of lovember and reached
-11\1
Setacede 31 days later. Cndt route ran frmn Sterling to Dodge City along the left
I\
bank of the Arkansas River.*
*At Dodge City the party turned South aid took Olt Jones and Plummer Trail,*
Mrs.folfforth continued. "We bed three rivers to cross after that before we reaohed.
our destination. APtirst we crossed the Oimarron. which was treasherous on account
of the quick+sand. There were amounts given of a whole outfit3having been eirel.*
lewed up in the river bed a short tine before this, andmatives there soblsoi our
mos to drive through the stream as quickly as they cooed, ehAeb they did.,taing the
Warren, Ivey G. /0.14
,District 1.7.. Words
Valf a eentury in the
South Plains,
TabUsk. Terse
PM. 2
whips to keep the horses from stapring to drink, aad we forded the river without
disaster.'
*Next we came to the Canadian liver,* Mrs. Wolfforth went on. This river
was not 61411 excepting where holes had been washed out in the sand. Anions train of
wagons crossed just in front of *4 these wagons were dram by about twenty oxen,
,mw
Men on horses roe *arose the river aad picked out a craning place before they
let the or -teams go in, so that we crossed behind them and had no trouble getting
over to the other side.'
*When we re/Aphid led liver, we found it dry at this roint. an4 esperienced
no difficulty. whatever in crossing..
*There Were not many towns on our route.* MoiWielt.farth explained. *After
we left Dodge City the next town we reached was Mabeetie. then Clarendon. Two or
three days after we left Clarendon we came to the headquarters of the Quitaque raneh.
This ranch house was located near the mouth of tale Canyon. Our party had aware
traveled together, but on the *soma day after,we left the guitars, ranch, my parents
sister Mirta
took sy little baby brotherdand me in the buggy and left camp at noon before the
wagons started. My father had been told that when we reached Blanco Canyon, we would
have to go about inni, miles to read* leak Smith's home, aud he thought that we were
only a few miles from Mr. Smith's place, but it was mush farther than he had reckoned
and somehow he got fantasia ant lost his wae in the canyon. We were separated from
the wagons and traveled around over dim trails thmough the canyons, Night4aund um
in a ravine, far from our party* we had no food and no water. The few wrare that
'my father and mother had brought along in the buggy were not sufficient to keep vs
warm. This was about the first week in December and it was rather cold in the canyon,
even with the mild weather that we had that. winter. There Was no moon and it was
very dark, father got out of the buggy and sought for a protected nook in the ravines
where we (weld mend the night. -suddenly he came to a dugais4 he *rept inside where
71,
tar en, Ivey, y.W.
District 17.
Half century on the, South
Inns*, Gina*
Lubbock, texas
pg. 3
there was a faint light showing at the back of the dugou1/4 this proved to be coals
in a large firstplace at the back. +here was a cottonwood baok.log, partly burned
father stirred the coals and !soon had a fire gels& NO one appeared and we silent
the night alone in the dugout. There were no beds, as ay parents made us lie on the
wraps, while they spent the night sitting up, We were warm and in a measure ”roteated
fro* the wild natal, that reasfil the plains. The greater part of tOe-art morning
was spent in trying to get back on the rig*. trail and at least the, wagons ,were
located and we were united again, liter a good meal we st;,rted out once more looking
for the Smith's reek helm. We traveled all the afterseeeiiithout teeing 411 house
anywhere. Wight was owning down upon we and we were still in the canyon, lather
and mother debated whether to pit* the tint and make COMA for, the night or to go on.
They always set up the stew* AM put up the teat for the nighty the men got out,
and walked down the canyon a little way trying to get their bearings and then they
heard the barking of logs in the, distances we followed the sound and soon located
Sank Smith, hones. They were net 'apprised to see us as father hat,been sending
his cousin,. Dr. J. W. Hunt at Isteessie, cards from different points of our Journey
and Dr. gent had communicated with Kr. Smith, keeping him informed, of our progress,
-The Smiths gave us a hearty velem,e and we spent the night with them,
*When we got to Detasado, we found the little o ettlement'te have a P*P123Ainn
of between SO and 190 people. In another year and a half the population had increased
to 12S:1*
*This settlement was generally known asithe quaker 0010107f Kr..Welfferth
said. *They had a *arch house which was a frame building, and here in this house
we attended our first Elbristmas serviee in the itate of iffreas.11
egnriletmao Dar was warm and beautiful and we had a watermelon feast on the
church house lawn. Is** gm who lived three miles west of Betaaade furnisied the
masa*. He had stored the melons in his cellar and they were in fine "ovation for
the Christmas feest:i
Warren, Ivey G. PW
District 17. Words
Half century on thelMar
Plains.
Lubbonki.cbunty
Lubbock, Texas
pg. 4
*We lived at Estacado until 1890. These were busy years for my father."
Mrs. Wolfforth observed. "Judge G. M. Swink of Dallas had been appointed to come
to Astacado and have a survey made of all enclosed lands. Be secured a few helpers
and my father was employed to go with Judge Swink and made a airier of the /tinge
RSUOIA in Hale Count,. this ranch was owned or controlled at that time by C. 0.
(1/
Slaughter:k
"At this time Crosby County WEIS not organised and was still attached to
Baylor County for judical and surveying purposes. All of the records were kert at
Seymourx this made it very inconvenient for the men whi tried to keep officio. in
Bstacado, so through the request of Paris Cox, my father was'aprointed by the Goa—
missioners of Baylor County as Justice of the Peace a] this constituted him as Ex
Officio Notary Public. Along with the other duties required of him, my father was
sometimes asked to rerform oeremonies.lk
"During this time my rarents kart a small boarding house which we aalledOIThe
Llano House. atier also had a little stores most of his sunrlies were hauled. from
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1
Amarillo this WAS not any nearer than other towns where he could have gotten his
goods, but the roads to the north were usually in better condition than the Odor
roads so that we formed the habit of going to Amarillo an these tries we often saw
deer, antelopes and wild horses.•
"In Sentenber 1890 we moved fron Estacado to Lubbock. Ws settled in the North
town, which was across the canyon tjhis wns the town which was laid out by F. B.
Wheelodk. We had sold the boarding house but still operated a store, thiw Tao housed
in a big tent:*
"There WAS one school in Lubbock at this time, which we attended. We also had
our little social affairs, -church services were held at the count house. Altogether
the young people really had a nice time in those days"
"In 1894 I taught the rummer school at Canyon." Mks. Wolfierth said. "And
on the 24th of August in 1898, I was married to George Q. Welffarth. We had our
Marren, Ivey G. PW Wib04011 Ons*/ 240
District 17. lubbook, Texas pg. 5
Half a Gentury on
south, Plains
ceremony performed by our Methodist pastor, I. A. Story. It was a home wedding
and we received many presents from our friends. Among the things was a heavy sil—
ver caster set, beautifully engraved and I still have it. Then there were chickens
and blankets, besides other useful things for the hausepelich we we appreciated
very mudh.11.,
"I have lived on the South Plains for 52 years." Mrs. wolffArth concluded.. "Many
changes have taken plane in t* town and over the country during these years. I
have seen the big ranches go and the farms take their place. Most of the cattle are
gone and the cattlemen have dimmed their lines of businese, some of them turned te
politics, and some to banking. The cowboys who used to ride the range, exchanget.
their lariats for hoes, or Tout their ponies to plows and begin to till the soil.
The Plains have changed, new business houses are constantly going up, new residences
are being built every day and still there are not sufficient accommodations for the
new people who move to Lubbock. Out little town on the wising is becoming a little
city now.v.-
"There are just a few of the very old pioneers left," Mrs. llolffArth said
softly. Nior parents are both gone, many of our old firends aregone, but we have a
few oldmtimers with us yet, 2here is Judge P. p. Drown. I went to school to him
al Mrs.1%.7r.. Boone too. /Ur Mires generations the Boontslave instructed the Bunts
or the Hunts were instructors for the Boons. Pirst Kr-. BOOM Wrg my tef'oher then
her children were instructed by me, and after that my little children were taught by
one of the Boon children.*
"Lubbock is a fine town4, I4say that the credit for the real making of the town
shonld be given latgely to the cattlemen* they were the backbone of the plains, they
gi
withstood the hardships of those early days and biased the trail for civilisation;
they helped build the first settlements. When we first came to the Plains, my ref—
pl. knew nothing of cattlemen, we had beard rough stories about the cowboys and we