A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I, Part 19

Author: Paddock, B. B. (Buckley B.), 1844-1922; Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing co.
Number of Pages: 968

USA > Texas > A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I > Part 19

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But relative to the entire state, the frontier line in 1855 enclosed little more than a third of all Texas. On the north it was yet in Gray- son county, and thence extended through Den- ton, Wise, Parker, Palo Pinto, Eastland, Brown, Lampasas, Burnet, Gillespie, Kendall, Bexar, .and south to San Patricio. There were a few small settlements to the west of this boundary, mainly consisting of some military posts and venturesome ranchers, but for practically the next twenty years the frontier remained station- ary so far as agricultural occupation was con- cerned.

The causes for this slow westward movement had not become operative during the latter fif-

ties. In fact, at the close of that decade the settlements were further advanced than they were in 1870. This comparative increase of population is well shown in the following table, which gives the population in the counties of the sixteenth judicial district according to the state census of 1850 and 1858 respectively :

COUNTY-

1850.

1858.

Dallas

2,943

6,981

Grayson

2,008

5,71I

Cooke

220

2,530

Collin

1,950

5,972

Denton

641

3.907

Wise

1,573

Tarrant

664

4.362

Parker

3,507

Young

733

Jack

786

Johnson

2,304

Ellis 989

3,212

Montague

IO0

Archer

Throckmorton

Clay

1,047

2,908

Hiint

1,520

4,963

* Not organized.

** Not settled.

Kaufman

The totals, which are for the respective years, 11,982 and 49,349, show an increase of four hun- dred and fifty per cent in eight years, indicating that although the settled territory was not ex- panded much beyond the original bounds, yet

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

the density of population was increasing at a phenomenal rate.

From the same authority we deduce a table showing for the above years an estimate of the number of acres in cultivation, and though the range of error is greater in such a computa- tion than in the preceding census figures, the comparison is at least interesting.

ACRES IN

COUNTY ---

CULTIVATION

1850.

1858.

Dallas

7,305

35,107

Collin

6,697

24,804

Grayson

5,891

22,774

Cooke

433

6,158

Denton

2,13I

II,272

Wise

1,726

*6,000

Tarrant

16,43I

Parker

9,894

Young

2,685

Jack

1,273

Johnson

8.468

Ellis

2,600

*11,000

Kaufman

2,702

9,466

Hunt

2,13I

14,356

Total

31,569

179,688

* Estimated.

Showing a relative increase of five hundred per cent. The great agricultural belt of North Texas was being occupied by farmers, rather than by the less permanent cattlemen.

Between 1855 and the beginning of the war, in proportion to the increase of the farming areas, towns ,were springing up, churches and schools were being organized, routes of trade and travel were opened between these centers, life became more abundant and varied, and the institutions of society more effective. The chronicles of the time afford interesting proof of these facts. The author of "Information About Texas," whose observations were made about 1856-57, describes the status of several frontier communities. Of Parker county he says it "is a desirable region for small farmers. Weatherford, a new town and the county seat,

is rapidly increasing. Not twelve months ago the site was laid out, and yet there are already a court house in process of construction and several other public buildings, one hotel, several stores, private dwellings and other marks of civilization." Weatherford built up rapidly in those years. One of the first steam flour mills in a large region of country was started there by Mulkin and Carter about the middle of 1858, and in November of the same year a correspon- dent writes: This flourishing little town I find still improving rapidly, and notwithstanding the universal cry of hard times new buildings are going up all over town. The new court house is rapidly approaching completion, and also a handsome brick edifice on the hill west of town, which is designed for a female seminary. Weath- eiford seems to have increased faster than any town in North Texas during the first three years of its existence. In 1858, two years after the town was laid out, and those two years having been marked by severe crop failures in Parker county, its population was three hundred. The establishment of a newspaper-the Frontier News-at that place, which two years before could not boast of a cabin, was striking evidence, not only of the enterprise of its publisher, C. E. Van Dorn, but more so of the rapid strides the northwestern frontier was making in improve- ment and settlement.

The tide of immigration, especially to a new country, is as susceptible to varying influences as the tide of the ocean is to the attraction of the moon. An adverse report as to conditions operates in increasing potency the farther it goes from its source, while the converse is not always true of a condition of prosperity, for the reason that people are less apt to discuss good times than hard times. News of an Indian massacre works like frost upon a tender plant in stopping migration. A season of drouth, such as befell several of the frontier counties during the two successive seasons of 1856 and 1857, caused the westward-moving army to falter in its course and thinned its ranks very noticeably. In the upbuilding of such an immense country as North and West Texas no study is more profitable than that which endeavors to search out and define

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

the causes and the directions of immigration; to ascertain the ratio between the influences which retard and those which promote ; to indicate how the course of settlement is diverted from one part of the country to another, how natural bar- riers are broken down and new routes established, and how one portion of country, theretofore deemed unprofitable, suddenly becomes attractive to settlers and develops at the expense of older regions. As the waters when released by the opening of the flood-gates rush to and fro in their new channel and are a long time in finding calm and equilibrium, so the settlement of a new country is subject to currents, and eddies, and resurgent flows, and it is many years before permanence and stability are character- ized in the institutions and life of the people. Some of the events and conditions which hast- ened or halted the development of North Texas have already been noted, and nearly every year until we reach the present century we find new forces becoming active for or against the wel- fare of the country.

In 1858 the government established the Over- land Southern Pacific Mail route, which, barring the interruptions caused by the Civil War, con- tinued to furnish the main route of travel from Texas points to the Pacific until those extremes were united by railroad a quarter of a century later. This line of stages, generally known as the Butterfield stage line, was run from St. Louis on the Mississippi to the Red river at Preston, in Grayson county, as the first division ; from Preston to Fort Chadbourne via Fort Bel- knap as the second division; El Paso was the third division point, and thence to Tucson, to Fort Yuma, and the sixth and final destination was San Francisco.

Charles F. Lummis, accounted the foremost authority on the subject of pioneer transporta- tion in America, thus describes this great mail and passenger route :

"The first great trans-continental stage-line --- and probably the longest 'continuous run' ever operated-was the Butterfield 'Southern Over- land Mail.' Its route was 2,759 miles, from St. Louis to San Francisco-bending far south, via El Paso, Yuma and Los Angeles, to avoid the

snows of the Rockies. For this tremendous dis- tance, its schedule time was at first twenty-five, and then twenty-three days; its record run twen- ty-one days. Its first coaches started simultan- eously from St. Louis and San Francisco, Sep- tember 15, 1858, and each was greeted by a mighty ovation at the end. Through fare, $100 gold; letters, ten cents per half ounce. The equipment consisted of more than 100 Concord coaches, 1,000 horses, 500 mules, and 750 men, including 150 drivers. It began as a semi-week- ly stage, but was soon promoted to six times a week. The deadly deserts through which near- ly half its route lay, the stand-storm, the mirage, the hell of thirst, the dangerous Indian tribes, and its vast length-forty per cent greater than that of any other stage-line in our national story -made it a monumental undertaking; and the name of John Butterfield deserves to be remem- bered among those Americans who helped to win the west. This 'Southern Overland Mail' was operated till the Civil War 'impossibilitated' mail-carrying so far south, and the Overland had to be transferred to a shorter northern route, where it took its chances with the snows."

"Well, at last," exclaims a correspondent to the Dallas Herald in July, 1858, "the advance guard of the California Stage Company has ar- rived, being camped on the site of Young county court house, that is, the public square. This party are engaged in preparing stage stations, quarters and supplies, and otherwise perfecting arrangements for the opening of the route. In consequence of this activity town lots at Fort Belknap have gone up one hundred and fifty to two hundred per cent. Another result is that the county court has appointed reviewers to open a new road from Belknap via the Brazos agency to the county line." The real results following the establishment of this trans-continental highway seem indeed to justify such an editorial as ap- peared the following November in the Dallas Herald. "The inauguration of the Pacific mail line," according to the judgment of the editor, "is the precursor of a railroad connecting the extremes of this continent. The trade of the world will be revolutionized, India will pour her treas- ures into our lap, and the world pay us transit

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

tribute. The establishment of. the Overland Pacific Mail was regarded as an experiment ; the experiment has been made and crowned with success. It has been more successful than was hoped for by its most sanguine friends. The first trip from St. Louis and Memphis to San Francisco started on the 16th of September, and was made in less than schedule time-24 days. Since that time trips have been regularly made twice a week each way, in less than schedule time, and we are now in regular semi-monthly communication by this line with California. This line runs through the northern tier of Texas counties-through frontier counties that are less favored with mail communication than other counties." But the most important source of gratification on the part of North Texas be- cause of this through route is not mentioned by the editor. This southern mail and stage highway from the Mississippi valley to the Pa- cific became one of the popular methods of reach- ing California ; a large proportion of the west- ward migration henceforth passed through Texas, which, from being regarded in popular prejudice as a faraway and danger-infested re- gion, was approached with easy familiarity and lack of anxiety and became better known for its natural beauties and fitness for the home- seeker than as the home of the Comanche and the bowie-knife. From this line of communi- cation it was inevitable that many prospectors dropped off and sought permanent homes, and those who passed through added to the wealth of "common report" by which North Texas became advertised to the world.

Young county, in which Fort Belknap was situated, furnishes an example of what loca- tion on this overland route and the presence of a military post could do in the way of promot- ing development. Notwithstanding that this county was thirty or more miles west of Parker and Wise, it received a great influx of settlers throughout the fifties, so that for years after- ward it maintained its pre-eminence among the surrounding counties. A Belknap correspon- dent in October, 1859, says: "We have in town five dry-goods stores, one hotel, several public buildings, two blacksmith shops, one wagon shop,

and nary grocery." From an earlier point of view, in November, 1858, we learn the follow- ing: "Belknap I find greatly improved since my visit here some fifteen months ago. At that time there were only three or four picket houses on the town plot. All the goods that have been brought here have been sold readily and for cash. I am told that there has never been a stock here that came up to the demand, and the stores are now all nearly bare of goods. Heavy stocks, however, are on the road. The town would improve faster but for the scarcity of lumber. Pine lumber is worth from $4.50 to $6 per hundred, and I suppose other grades are in proportion. The most of the buildings here as yet are made of picketings, but a commence- ment has been made with stone. The garrison does not present as favorable an appearance as when I was last here. Two of the large stone buildings which were occupied as barracks for the soldiers have been permitted to go to ruin, the roofs have fallen in, and the buildings ren- dered entirely untenantable. There are but few soldiers here now, only a part of a company of Second Cavalry." These historical details con- cerning Belknap in her palmy days gives point to that scientific fact of the "survival of the fit- test," a principle which is not less surely oper- ative in the case of communities than with the animal species. Fort Belknap in the fifties fur- nished a rallying point for settlers, as a station on the overland mail route it acquired some com- mercial importance. The later course of events and the greater enterprise of a rival center oper- ated for its final decadence; Belknap is now an interesting name in North Texas history, mem- ories and associations garland it, but of living importance it has little.

While it is not in line with our present nar- rative to discuss the political sentiments of the North Texas people during these years before the war, since practically the same problems were presented for solution in this part of the state as were being wrestled with elsewhere and their consideration would throw no distinguish- ing light upon this section of the state, yet the fact that the entire people were agitated by these questions and that the coming event was al-

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

ready casting its ominous shadow before, has a patent connection with what we are endeavoring to describe, namely, the progress of civilization from east to west. The feeling of unrest which always precedes great political crises, the tighten- ing of the money market, the element of uncer- tainty as to what the future would bring forth, the reports that the cordon of frontier military posts would be abandoned-all these began act- ing with a deterrent force yet many months be- fore the crisis actually arrived. It seems that the high tide of settlement and development of this part of Texas was reached by the end of the year 1859, and then, after remaining sus- pended for a year or more, began to recede and did not resume its westward progress until af- ter the war.

The other political factor to be considered, and which has already been alluded to, was the strong sentiment for the Union which resulted from the mixed political complexion of those who settled the Peters Colony country, resulting in some of the same political phenomena which characterized the border state from which the bulk of the population came. Yet all these di- vergent beliefs were obliterated in the final test by the one supreme passion-loyalty to Texas as an integral commonwealth and to her tra- ditions as a Republic. This truth is well reflect- ed from that public meeting of Fort Worth citi- zens on November 26, 1860, when resolutions were passed calling on President Houston to as- semble the legislature to take such action as the emergency demanded, and further state that they this day "hoist in the public square the Lone Star flag as their pledge of fidelity to the sover- eignty of the State of Texas." At this point it may not be amiss to notice a characteristic of Texas citizenship which seldom fails to become one of the strongest impressions which a stranger carries away from his intercourse with the peo- ple. This is, to reverse a familiar analogy, Tex- ans are for Texas. From whatever one of the other forty-four states the individual citizen may have come, his former attachments merge into im- potence alongside the patriotism which binds him to the state of the Lone Star. Perhaps one cause for this distinctive loyalty lies in the fact

that Texas has been, during the greater part of her career, historically detached from her sister commonwealths and there has grown up a wealth of associations and traditions which be- long to Texas as the entity, not as a one of many. ' Also the pre-eminence of the state, not alone as to its geographical size, but likewise in the wealth of its natural products and the diversity of its re- sources, has stamped itself in some intangible way upon its citizenship, so that, in other states, the announcement of the presence of "a Texan" creates a certain expectation, a curiosity that will not be satisfied unless it discovers some in- dividuality of character which classes him apart from other Americans. Thus the Texan, often unconsciously, wears a certain distinction which is not apparent as between the New Yorker and Pennsylvanian or the man from North Carolina and the man from Tennessee, and this subcon- scious sentiment works its own perpetuation in the increasing pride for the home state.

In North Texas the Civil war, so far as mili- tary activity was concerned, was confined to the protection of the frontier from the renewed en- croachments of the Indians. Omitting mention of these ravages and the consequent contraction of boundaries on the west, it was the economic conditions of the people which suffered most severely during the war. So vividly does that period stand forth in the recollections of people yet living and so often and in so many varying forms has its story been told, that a reiteration here is out of place. It has been elsewhere stat- ed that Texas, being aside from the main track of war and furnishing very few of its battlefields, did not share in the complete desolation which befell other Confederate states. The lot of North Texas, furthermore, varied only a little from that of the south and east portion. While the latter regions looked for their active enemy to come from the east, it was the skulking savage against whom the north and west had to exercise constant vigilance.

Notwithstanding the fact that the best men were drawn away across the Mississippi or to the frontier, North Texas industry was able to furnish its quota of supplies to the fighting arm- ies. Wise county, which formed a link in the

I21

HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

frontier, is mentioned as sending a large amount of beef to the Confederate commissariat in the last year of the war, and the more inland coun- ties, which the Indians seldom or never reached, were able to do much more.

The range of food commodities during the war was constricted as never before or again in the course of that century among settled com- munities. There were the bare necessities such as the home garden, the corn or wheat patch, cul- tivated by the negroes, could furnish, but of the many articles forming so essential a part of daily fare which had to be imported from a dis- tance, few indeed ever reached even those who could afford them. Occasionally a load of cof- fee from the Mexican border escaped the eager purchasers along the road and arrived in North Texas, where it was quickly distributed in small quantities and at enormous prices. Many south- ern women who, deprived of their favorite break- fast cup, resorted to a brew from parched wheat or chicory, now turn with disdain born of nau- seous recollection from the much-touted cereal drinks. Sugar not being obtainable, the substi- tute was generally sorgho molasses, extracted from the cane raised about every home. This forced denial of many articles that are now con- sidered absolutely necessary to the daily dietary left an impress upon the common thought which required a generation of phenomenal prosperity to remove. Thus, sugar is even yet hardly erased from the catalog of what our political orators term "the luxuries," and without doubt that long period during the sixties when sugar was in fact an almost priceless luxury has continued this an- achronism of, general opinion almost to the present time.

It will afford an interesting comparison to note down a list of various commodities with their corresponding prices which were used by the people of North Texas at the beginning of the war, and a similar list as quoted during the middle period of hostilities.

The following table is the price current as it appears in the Dallas Herald of June 19, 1861 :

Hams-16 to 18c pound Butter-Ioc pound. Beeswax-10 to 25c pound. Coffee-20-22c* pound.

Beef Cattle-$12 to $15 per head.

Cheese-Ioc pound.

Flour (extra)-$3.50 per cwt.

Corn-5oc bushel. Wheat-6oc bushel.

Oats-20 to 40c bushel.

Rye-40c bushel.

Barley-40c bushel.

Rice-10 to 121/2c pound.

Sugar (choice)-15c pound.

Sugar (common)-121/2 to 14c pound.

Tobacco (medium)-30 to 35c pound.

Vinegar-65 to 7oc gallon.

The following are the prices fixed by the state board of commissioners, and appearing in a newspaper issue of September 23, 1863. This list does not necessarily argue a visible supply of the provisions mentioned, and the general trend of prices would in actual trade be higher than that given :

Wheat-$2.50 bushel.

Flour-$15.00 per bbl. (196 1bs.)

Corn-$1.37 bushel.

Barley-$2.00 bushel.

Rye-$2.00 bushel.

Oats-$1.50 bushel.

Rice-25c pound.

Hams-35c pound.

Beef Cattle-$30 per head.

Sugar (brown)-20c pound.

Sugar (prime)-25c pound.

Sugar (white clarified)-35c pound.

Vinegar-$1.50 gallon. Salt-5c pound.

Another interesting light on war times in North Texas is that thrown by the history of newspapers in this portion of the state. It was indeed a stony road that the weekly journal trod in those days. Never was the public more eager to be informed about the current events, yet, with this all-important public interest and with abundance of news, most of the papers either had to suspend entirely or continue their issues at very irregular intervals, all on account of the lack of that great desideratum-blank paper. Instances are recorded where an enterprising editor would print his weekly edition on the blank side of wall paper. The perusal of the war time files of the old Dallas Herald, which had been established in 1849 and had become both the oldest and most influential paper in this part of the state, tells in striking manner the

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

story of its career during that period. From the large folios on which it was printed before and during the first few months of the war the size was gradually reduced until finally it was issued on a single sheet about half the original size. To economize space, the agate-size types were used, and that the margins might not be wasted a three-quarter width column was put in the form. Several times during the first two years an interval of several weeks elapsed before the supply of paper arrived to make another issue possible, and several numbers were printed on wrapping paper. Then with the issue of Sep- tember 30, 1863, the publisher confesses that he must discontinue for lack of paper. The next issue that appeared is dated July 2, 1864, and was printed on one side of a small sheet of tis- sue paper. The publisher offers to accept sub- scriptions for three months at the rate of five dollars. On the following October 15th the sub- scription price is stated as $20 for six months "in new issue or Texas state script. Grain or any comestibles received." At the beginning of 1862 the publisher says: "Beef tallow will be re- ceived at this office in any quantity for subscrip- tions."

As we have already shown, Palo Pinto, Weath- erford, Jacksboro, Belknap were the.outposts on the frontier during the early sixties. The re- treat of the line of permanent settlements during the war is one of the patent facts to be considered in the history of this period. On the northern line of counties the settlements had extended, be- fore hostilities between the blue and the gray commenced, as far as Clay county, as the follow- ing correspondent from that county writes in the issue of the old Texas Almanac for 1861. "Our county," he says, "is just settling up, mostly from Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas. White labor makes the truck; but it is only because we are too poor to buy darkies at the present high prices-we want them bad enough. There is only one village started, Hubert postoffice, lying between the Red river and the Little Wichita. There is no military post in the county, Van Dorn's station being beyond us, and his supplies of corn and other provisions are hauled through our county."

As striking evidence of this retrogression along the Northwest frontier, notice the following figures for population for the respective years of 1860 and 1870:

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A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I, Part 19

Author: Paddock, B. B. (Buckley B.), 1844-1922; Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing co. Number of Pages: 968

Author: Paddock, B. B. (Buckley B.), 1844-1922; Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing co.
Number of Pages: 968