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Warren, Ivey G. Lubbock County
January 6, 1937 Disttict I?
Tales Of Early Days By Judge W. D. Crump.
Bibliography.
Judge W. D. Crump.
Pg. I
"I came to Lubbock County in March 1890 as a prospector", said Judge W. D. Crump.
I.
"I was living in Dallas at that time and a great desire to come to the Plains twee
4votbel:laf me. When I got out here and looked the country over, I found it even surpassed
my expectations and I wanted to see a town established."
"Is I took this trip around the country(I met up with four other men who were also
interested in the developement of Lubbock County." Judge Crump continued. ',Three of
these men were together, they were Judge D. F. Goss of Seymour, Uncle Henry Bedford, an
old gentleman from Benjamin and H. M. Bandy, a Christian preacher of Marfa and Alpine.
We were all enthusiastic and decided to do what we could to promote a town here, se we
made our plans to meet at Estac!_Ido in a couple of months and return to Lubbock County.
Then we met up with W. X. Rayner of Amarillo, he had just started a town in Stenewall
County and we asked him to join our party and help found the new township. This proposi-
tion seemed to please Mr. Rayner, but he would not commit himself. Therefore we felt that
we could not cent on Mr. Rayner's support and the four of us parted with an agreement to
meet the Firstvef May at Estacada."
"I was in Estacado at the appointed time, but the other men had been delayed in
getting ther, so while I waited fot them I went out and visited at the I.O. A. Ranch,
which was at this time being 115.14, by Rollie C. Burns and F. Z. Wheelock. On the 20th of
May the ether members of our party reached 'Estacado and we all came on to Lubbock togethertl
"Thin s beg loh to happen in Lubbock County then". Judge Crump said. "Rollie C. Burns
and F. Z. Wheelock wanted to get a townsite laid off across the Canyon, this was north of
the present business section of Lubbock, but W. Z. Rayner turned up about this time and
Warren, Ivey G.
January 6, 1937
Lubbock County
District I?
Tales Of Early Days By Judge W. D. Crump.
Pg.2
he wanted to locate the town about two and one-half miles south of the location that had
been selected by Mr. Burns and Mr. Wheelock. Confusion reigned for a while, but after
some dist/met with Mr. Rayner the other men, seeing that they could not compromise with
him, went ahead and startled the town where they had planned to. Mr. Rayner then went off
by himself and began to build a town of his own".
"Now at this time, claims were being on some of the land around Lubbock." Judge Crump
explained. "I selected a section of land that was located next to the townsite that was
laid off by Rollie 0. Burns and F. E. Wheelock, which was known as tbelterth Town", My
claim was filed on Section IC), Block A. I went right to work and built ip-a pretty nice
house over there and then I moved my family to Lubbock from Dallas".
"By September a number of ether families had moved to Lubbock, and though it was Just
a village, it was a wonderful place to live. The two towns did not continue in their sepaa.
rate st(tes long. The organizers saw the fella of continuing the dispute and settled their
difficulties by ,,electin,, a new location between the towns and a general reorganization
took place. Resident lots had been given in each town to certain people to encourage the
settlement. These lots were large, full stied lots, but when they were exchanged for prop-
erty in the new town, the lots were found to be much smaller. When a protest was made, it
was pointed out to the complainants that this property was', more valuable because of the
consolidation of the townships. The promoters received a percentage of the town as their
equity. Judge D. F. Goss and H. M. Bandy each received lirN 1 the town and I received
I0,0110Fas my share."
"A court house was erected in the new town and officials were elected to fill the
various offices. Col. George W. Shannon was the First County Judge, Judge P. F. Brown,
who had been teachin, school here was our second County Judge. I spent my time teaching
school and doing what I could in educational and religious work for our fast developing
community and in 1898 I was elected County Judge and served two terms in that office."
Warren, Ivey G.
January 6, 1937.
the prairies at this time."
Lubbock County
District 17
Tales Of Early Days By Judge W. D. Crump.
Pg. 4
"The nightmare of those early days was prairie fires." Judge Crump said.'wWe had
some pretty bpd fires too. LieMember a fire that started up near Grovesville one morningK
G. O.
Mrs. Groves had started a fire around. her wash -pot to heat the water preparatory id= 7
doing the family laundry. All at once a sand -storm blew up, which is o7course typical of
the weather on the South Plains. The wind was blowing from the West and it 141Wrsome of
the fire from Mrs. Groves wash-pot-40st and set some grass on fire. This started the fire
rolling across the prairie, Nick Beal, who lived East of the Grovest was right in line
of the fire. When I saw the smoke, I hurried over to Mr. Bealls house. It wps looking
pretty bad and when I got there I told geal that he had better start praying for rain".
"That is just what I am 446114614. he said. We could not tell *hat was overhead with
all the sand and smoke that filled the atmosphere, but all atence began to rain, it
simply poured down and in a few minutes the fire was all out."
"We faced a few hardships in those early days out here:" Judge Crump said slowl*p
It ot-
!But the poineer life wns nothing low compare with the life that we lived during the Civil
war. I was born in Louisville, Kentucky on August 21, 1844, and when the war broke out I
went right into service. I ices in Company C. 3rd Kentucky Cavalry under Commander Morgan
of General Johnston's Brigade."
"My Company had been stationed at McMinnville, Tennessee, when we received orders to
break camp and proceed north. We left there on the 2nd day 9f July and headed for Iowa:
We had several fights with the Yankees while going through Kentucky when we reached the
Ohio River we crossed at Brandenburg, our Commander had detailed a squad to go ahead and
capture some boats for ue-ion the Ohiog, the squads managed to get two boats, but our
Company ran into a Regiment of the Northern Army on Buffingtin Island in the Ohio River
and we were taken prisoners. For awhile we were kept at Camp Mottoni Indianna:
Later we were transferred to Camp Douglas, Chicago. There were about 10,000 prisoners in
Warren, Ivey G.
January 6, 1937.
Lubbock County
District 17
Tales Of larly Days BY Juke W. D. Grump=
this camp. We were not physiaally mistreated here but they half starved us. Our rations
consisted mostly of light bread and beans. The beans were cooked in a big pot with very
little seasoning in them. We could not relish such food as that, it was merely a suste-
nance, something to ease the gnawing hunger, but it did net satielfy our appetites. At
times we craved a change of fare until we were almost desperate. Some of the men could
hardly control their desire for meat and when they could catch rats and cats, they ate
them veraciously. We were allowed very few visitors, but I reaall one man who came to the
Camp with a dog following him. The visitor was somehow granted permission to see mut of
1
the prisoners, and when he entered the confines,the dog came in with him but he did
not leave with him. The man could not find his dog when he was ready to go and he created
somewhat of a disturbance looking for him. Capin *enable ordered a sera to be made
through the Camp for the dog, 14-abkorndeveloped that it had been killed and was being
ed
eaten. The prisoner who had succumb/to this madness for meat was cast into saitary
confinement*.
I have previously stated/we were not allowed to have many visitors*, Judge Crump
reiterated. *I was held a prisoner for 19 months and by adroit managementimy father got
to see me twice and my mother once. My fathrls first vistt was made While I was at Camp
yt.206, Hyti
Morton, in ladiamloplia. Father had been to St. Louis ed was returning to our home in
Louisville when news reached him of the capture of Company C. under Morgan's command, so
he came by Camp Morton to try to find out if I was among the prisoners thatmera taken.
It so happened that I was not far from the gate when my father was passing and I whistled
to him and ran to the gate to talk with him, btt the guard would is* allow us but five
minutes conversation together, then he reminded me that it was agiinst the rules to talk
with anyone on the outside. However I was so eager to see my father after our ling sepa-
ration that I only went a short distance from the gate and stood watching him. Presently
the guard came over and told me that my father wished to know if I wanted aaptec-tbrut
Warren, Ivey G.
January 6, 1937.
Lubbock County
District 17
Tales Of Zany Days By Judge W. D. Crump.
Pg. 6
he-eoet14-o•ead-ele, I sent 'Word back that I would like to have a pipe and some tobacce*
When father received this daring request, he turned ariound and shook his fist at me.
I had not smoked when I was at hose, it was strictly against my parent's wishes, but
father sent me the pipe and tobacco sibmign anyway*.
*When my mother arrived at the Camp /they at first refused to let her see me, but
she out -talked them and got in*, Judge Crump said with twinkle in his eyes. *Dosio.-
after I was transferred to Camo Douglas in Chicago, .'ather and two of my sisters came
up there and the prison officals would not let them see me. McisLanasDemocratic
neminee for President and the cenvention was being held at this time, sido father went
to Governor Seymour and appealed to him to intervene in his behalf with the War Depatto4
ment. So Governot Seymour telegraphed the War Department and requested a permit for
father to see me, He get it alright, btt father had been so upset ,that he neglected to
have the gir4fnames included in the request,Illios-no mention was made of them in the
order/ and the stubborn officials at the camp would not allow them to accimpany w*tia7-7
father, so I did not get to see my sisters at all while I was a prisoner**
*I was offered .my freedom once, on condition that I renounce allegiance to the
South, but I refused*. Judge Crump said in a vehement voice, trembling with
age and
emotion. !Robert L. Lee was *lie of the finest men that ever lived and I would have
died in priso9tbefore I would have gone back on him and the South. But I was given
freedom about a month before the war closed when the north and the Swath exchanged
prisoners. I was one of the men included in the exchange, and in this warI was sent
back south and set at liberty*.
*There was nothing in my war record that I ever looked back on with regret,* Judge
1,4,, /24, ;A -1.-e-‘•(
Crump skid thoughtfully. *Some of the country that -us -,passe& through1h'id-been devas-
tated by General Sherman's armies, but the Southern troops never ravaged the country
Warren, Ivey G.
January 6, 1936.
Lubbock County
District /7
Tales Of laxly Days By Judge W. D. Crump.
Pg.7
and needlessly burned houses that lay in their path. My company burned one house, that
was while we were up in Indiana and it was utterly unavoidable".
"In 1874, I took a nation to come to Texas", Judge Crump said. *Dr Hobson, pastor
of the Christian Church at Louisville gave me a letter of introduction to General K. M.
Gan*, who lived twelve miles from Dallas. When I got to Dallas I learned that General
Gano had just gone back to Kentucky, so I loaked around Dallas awhile by myself and fi-
nanlly located at Lisbon, which was near the present location of Oak Cliff and about
five miles from the main city if Dallas".
*On March I, 1877 I was married to Mary King of Dallastefi&-we-mo&e-our4mme-in-ihe
eiiyir General Gan° performed our ceremony. We made our home in Dallas until our removal
to Lubbock in 1890, where we continued to reside until 1917, when we moved to Shallowater.
I operated a little ranch here. It. &s out six sections of land and kept 150 head-af
registered Nemlxfte My brand was It. During the blizzard -of 1918 I lost 45 cows. I had
them in a field up about six miles north of my place and was unable to get them home in
time to save them".
Nylicie Crump is now 92 years old and still keeps b sy He has charge of the County
Library at Shallowater, where he makes his home with his two flaw daughters, Mi;s1 Mamie
and Miss Katie Belle. Miss Mamie keeps the home and looks after her father, while Miss
Katie Belle teaches school in Lubbock during the school term. She spends the remaining
months of the year at home with her sister and her dear old father. Judge Grump's wife
has been dead several years, but she left him devoted children to comfort and cheer him
in his declining years1
Jiike Crump is one of the few remaining Confederate Veterans and he is one of the
most highly respected pioneer citizens of the South Plains. "Lubbock could not have gotten
along without him." Said Judge P. F. Brown, !peaking of Judge Crump. "He was a man Who
Warren, Ivey G.
January 6, 1937.
Lubbock County
District 17.
Tales Of larly Days By Judge W. D. Crump.
Pg. 8
knew how to take held if things and keep them going. He was a good mixer with peeple and
was alware:ready to take part in anything for the betterment of the community. He was a
handy man I might say at anything that Ape up. Judge Crump did much in a big way that
helped to build Lubbock,'