USA > Texas > Tarrant County > Fort Worth > History of Texas : Fort Worth and the Texas northwest edition, Volume II > Part 45
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The town has a commission form of government, with W. H. Rose as mayor, four commissioners and J. I. Carter, city secretary.
The assessed valuation for the year 1920 was $2,225,000. It has a splendid system of water works and electric lights, proving it to be a wide-awake and up-to-date municipality. There are two state banks, with a capital of $50,000 each, and deposits aggregating nearly $700,000 ; two commodious, substantial public school buildings. The Arlington schools stand Al, admitting the graduates to the Texas University with- out examination. The churches are all commodious and substantial buildings, well supported and attended.
The principal public institution is Grubb's Vocational School, a branch of the Agricultural and Mechanical College, which was estab- lished by an act of the Legislature in 1917.
This will be treated more at length in the chapter on the educational facilities of Texas.
GRAPEVINE
Grapevine is situated in the extreme northeast corner of the county, but a short distance from the Dallas and Denton County lines. It is the center of the finest agricultural area in this section of Texas. The people are among the most prominent in this part of the state.
The place was some times called Dunnville from the fact that there was a large number of people living there by the name of Dunn and who were prominent citizens of the place. It was afterwards called Grapevine Springs, by reason of a large grapevine which grew on an oak tree over a large spring. This was a favorite resort of the Indians. In 1838 a treaty was held with the Indians at this spring, at which some of the most prominent men of the state at that time were present. John H. Reagan was there with a company of Rangers. The Indians agreed to be good, but soon forgot their promises and in a short time made a raid in the county which resulted in the killing of John Denton, for whom the county of Denton was named.
The name of Grapevine was finally adopted for the town, which now has a population of about 1,800. The property valuation is about $1,000,000. It has three good banks, with capital, surplus and deposits of $3,300,000. It has a good high school, with an enrollment of 425; four good churches, with substantial buildings and good membership.
There is the usual complement of mercantile houses, all substantial and prosperous and doing a good business.
MANSFIELD
Mansfield is situated in the extreme southeast corner of the county, near the lines of Johnson, Ellis and Dallas counties. It was founded in the early '50s by Captain Julian Field. He erected a small lumber mill to saw post oak logs, and the first few stores built here were made VOL. H-26
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largely of oak lumber. Captain Field started the first store, general merchandise, hauling the goods by wagons from Houston, Texas. In the late '50s Captain Field and R. S. Man erected a three-story steam flouring mill, the first to be built in this part of the state, the only mill before this being small water mills on the Trinity River, at or near Fort Worth and Eagle Ford. This mill had practically a state-wide patronage. There would be trains of Mexican ox-teams from the San Antonio country, of eight or ten yoke of oxen to the wagon. The oxen would push the wagons by having wood bars strapped in front of their heads instead of pulling their loads by yokes and bows around their necks, the American way.
Messrs. Field and Man had a government contract to furnish flour and meal to the posts of Fort Belknap and Fort Griffin, which was shipped by wagon trains. On one trip the train crew was ambushed by Indians and the whole crew massacred, the wagons burned and the mules run off. This was in Loving's Valley, near the Young and Jack county line.
About 1869 Rev. John Collier started Mansfield College, a co-ed institution, the best known educational institution in north central Texas, with a large patronage from various counties in the state. It was the pride of the town and one of the most successful institutions in this section of the state.
In 1877 Professor Collier was joined by Professor Smith Ragsdale, an educator of state-wide prominence, and his estimable wife, "Aunt Patsy," as she was affectionately called by the students. Mrs. Ragsdale was the daughter of the pioneer educator of Texas, Dr. McKensie, of Clarksville, Texas.
Among the prominent men educated here are Judge Ocie Speer. William Poindexter of Cleburne, J. H. Stephens, for a long time con- gressman of the "Jumble District" in West Texas ; Oscar Gillespie, con- gressman from the Fort Worth district, and Leon Fox, congressman from Mississippi.
Among the earliest recollections of the writer is an address, delivered to the students of the school, by Captain B. B. Paddock, then editor and proprietor of the Fort Worth Democrat, in the winter of 1875.
Prior to 1876 there were no furniture or undertaking houses here or in Fort Worth. Whenever a death occurred P. G. Davis, one of the earliest settlers, would have to make the coffin. He would make it of lumber and tack black velvet on the top and sides, making a fine job for those days.
The old mill was torn down a few years back and on the site is a Memorial Hall, erected in honor of the boys who responded to the call to the colors in the World war in 1917. A granite shaft is nearly com- pleted with names. Mansfield is very proud of the number that went from there and grateful for the fact that only one of them failed to return. This one was Jesse Nelson, son of Mrs. R. A. Smith of Mansfield. The citizens of the town also showed their loyalty when called upon for Red Cross funds and the purchase of Liberty Bonds.
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NILES CITY
Contrary to the common belief the packing houses and stock yards are not in Fort Worth, they are of but not in Fort Worth. When this city inaugurated the commission form of government the committee on city boundaries, consisting of B. B. Paddock, Clarence Owsley and F. M. Rogers, conceived the idea of leaving, as far as practicable, a large area of trackage property outside of the city. Their idea was that it would be an inducement to factories to locate near the city, where they could be exempt from city taxes. The Chamber of Com- merce inserted advertisements in many of the trade journals of the country offering factory sites, free of city taxes, to manufacturing concerns to locate here. Their expectations were not realized. Too few factories were secured to compensate for the loss of city taxes by reason of leaving this large area outside of the city. The stock yards and packing houses and the other industries connected there- with were embraced in the territory not incorporated.
When the new charter was passed by the Legislature the stock yard and packing house people incorporated Niles City, naming it for one of the minority stockholders of the Stock Yards' Company, Mr. L. V. Niles of Boston.
The area of Niles City comprises one square mile, and it has a resident population of 650. Probably between 8,000 and 10,000 people who work and do business there live in Fort Worth. The city has a city hall; police force, consisting of chief and eight policemen ; a cot- ton mill, two grain elevators, pottery works, roundhouse of the Belt Railway, three groceries, and one drug store. The actual value of property in the city will aggregate from $20,000,000 to $25,000,000.
Considering the area and population it is probably the wealthiest city in the country. It has an aldermanic form of government and the mayor is Mrs. E. P. Croarkin. At the last general election Mr. Croarkin was elected mayor of the city, but died shortly after the election and his widow was elected to fill his unexpired term.
HANDLEY
Handley is a station on the Texas & Pacific Railroad seven miles east of Fort Worth. Until the construction of the interurban line between Fort Worth and Dallas it was an unimportant station. The interurban company located its power house, machine shops and other facilities at Handley, and the growth of the place was at once rapid and substantial. An attractive resort was established, known as Lake Erie, with a beautiful pavilion for the entertainment of the patrons of the line. The town now has a large number of prosperous com- mercial establishments, and good school buildings and churches are among the evidences of prosperity.
KELLAR
Kellar succeeded Double Springs. It is a station on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway, but a few miles from the Denton County line.
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SAGINAW
Saginaw is the successor of Dido. It is situated at the crossing of the Fort Worth, Denver, Rock Island and Santa Fe railways.
BENBROOK
Benbrook, a station on the Texas & Pacific Railway, nine miles west of Fort Worth, and the successor of Miranda, is the smallest of the railroad towns in the county.
CROWLEY
Crowley is fourteen miles south of Fort Worth, on the Gulf, Colo- rado and Santa Fe railways, surrounded by a very fertile agricultural area producing a fine crop of cotton, corn, wheat, oats and other cereals.
Everman, on the I. & G. N. Railway, and Kennedale, on the H. & T. Railway, divided what business there was at Oak Grove. Both are flourishing hamlets situated in the Cross Timbers, which are very productive of fruits and vegetables, also producing fine crops of oats, corn and cotton.
Bramsford and Smithfield are both small country towns on the Cotton Belt Railway northeast of Fort Worth.
TAYLOR COUNTY
Taylor County was formed from portions of Bexar and Travis counties, February 1, 1858, and a change in boundaries was made in 1876. The county was formally organized July 3, 1878. Near the center of the county was the old town of Buffalo Gap, which was the first county seat. The county had received more than a proportionate share of settlers during the '70s, and over 1,000 inhabitants were enumerated by 1880. In 1881 the Texas & Pacific Railway was built across the north side of the county, and that gave stability to condi- tions which hitherto had depended upon the migratory enterprise of range stockmen.
A quite accurate summary of conditions and developments of the county is quoted from an issue of the "Taylor County Year Book :" "Cattle, horses, mules, sheep and goats up to about twenty-five years ago constituted the principal available wealth of the section. The conditions as to climate, rainfall, water, native grasses and forage plants were all especially favorable to the live stock industry. As late as 1875 large herds of buffalo ranged almost undisturbed over all of the section, and still later small herds found their way in, to be killed off quickly by hunters and the pioneer stockmen. They were in the section because they found here precisely what they needed, namely, abundant supplies of forage and water. Passing through the county as late as 1879, established ranches were to be found only at long intervals, and there were then in Taylor and Jones counties, for illustration, comparatively few settlers, and most of them in the main were engaged in stock raising, and had been attracted to the country by the abundance and luxuriance of the native grasses. A stockman who traveled through the entire section as late as the sum-
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mer of 1876 says that the grasses everywhere were from one to three feet high, and that sometimes they were as high as a cow's back, not only in the bottoms, but also in spots on the dried upland. It was, indeed, an ideal stock country. There was plenty of stock water, and the man with the hoe had not yet put in his appearance to dispute with the stockman the right and title to the boundless meadows. Some sheep men even then were scattered here and there along the uplands, where there was a shorter and richer growth of herbage, but they were so few in number that they were tolerated by the cattlemen for the reason only that there was such a plethoric abun- dance of both grass and water. Few, if any, of the stockmen then owned or had in fact any exclusive right to a foot of the land occupied by them, but there was plenty for everyone and range rights there were determined by rules that were agreed upon by all, though there ยท was no statute laws to bind anyone. Now there is no longer any open range in Taylor County and the farmer is distinctly "on top," and the one traveling from one neighborhood to another must travel through lanes, or along well defined public roads, between well improved farms on both sides. The natural conditions are quite as favorable for the live stock industry as they were in the former years mentioned, except that instead of large herds of cattle, horses and sheep roaming almost at will on free grass, now live stock are fenced in on the pasturages of the farmers and stock farmers who have purchased and now hold the land under title that the courts recognize as being good. It is the current opinion of those not informed on these subjects that in consequence of the changes noted there are not nearly so many live stock throughout this section of the state as there were in the former years, when on every hand they were to be seen on the open range. The fact is, however, as shown by the books of the several tax assessors and collectors throughout the section, that there are not only more live stock, but that they are superior in quality. In no other section of Texas are to be found cattle, horses, mules and sheep that class better, on the pastures and in the markets, than do those now in Taylor County, and every year the grade of each is improving.
These latter statements are particularly true, not only of Taylor County, but of many other counties, and the facts have been indi- cated in other county sketches. Taylor County, in 1882, had in round numbers 13,000 cattle, 11,000 sheep and goats, 2,300 horses and mules, and about 1,000 hogs. The Federal census in 1910 enumerated the live stock as follows: 18,199 cattle, 12,000 horses and mules, 6,837 hogs, 4,532 sheep, and 78,779 poultry. Numerically the sheep indus- try alone has declined since 1882.
Taylor County now has several railroads. All except the original Texas & Pacific have been constructed within the last ten years. About 1905 the Abilene & Northern was chartered to build from Abilene to Stamford, and a little later the Abilene & Southern Rail- road was started at Abilene and constructed as far as Ballinger in 1909. During the present decade the Pecos & North Texas division of the Santa Fe system has been constructed through the county.
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The population of Taylor County in 1880 was 1,736; in 1890, 6,957; in 1900, 10,499 ; in 1910, 26,293 ; in 1920, 24,081. In 1882 the assessed value of taxable property was $733,809, a third being represented by live stock; in 1903, $5,047,167 ; in 1913, $14,114,950, and in 1920, $14,- 249,615.
For the past twenty years Taylor County has been the home of many prosperous farmers, and agricultural development has proceeded on diversified lines. The total area of the county is 581,120 acres, of which 468,377 acres were reported as included in farms or ranches in 1910. The amount of "improved land" at the last census was about 201,000 acres, a large increase during ten years, about 80,000 acres having been so classified in 1900. In 1910 the county had 2,404 farms, as compared with 1,152 in 1900. The stock interests have
TAYLOR COUNTY COURT HOUSE
already been noted. Few counties in West Texas have a larger acreage in crops, and the figures for 1909 are as follows: Cotton, 101,075 acres ; kafir corn and milo maize, 20,961 acres ; hay and forage crops, 19,778 acres ; corn, 1,588 acres; oats, 1,227 acres; wheat, 1,557 acres. About 58,000 trees were enumerated in orchard fruits.
Taylor County voted out saloons from its area in 1902. It has been progressive in many lines, has voted a large amount of money for the construction and improvement of roads, has many farmers' institutes organized, and another important expression of the charac- ter of society is found in the fine public schools and colleges and the many beautiful churches in the county.
The chief city and county seat is Abilene, but the county has many other thriving small towns. The largest is Merkel, on the Texas & Pacific west of Abilene, with a population in 1910 or 2,008. Other towns on the Texas & Pacific are Trent, Tye and Elmdale. Along
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the line of the Abilene & Southern are located Tuscola, also a junc- tion point for that road and the Pecos & Northern Texas, Ovalo, Guio, Iberis and Bradshaw. On the line of the Pecos & Northern Texas are Buffalo Gap, the oldest town in the county, and other sta- tions are Blair, Lawn and View. Some of the rural villages are Hamby, Potosi, Moro and Inkum.
ABILENE
The city of Abilene has for thirty years been an important center of trade and has become known because of its educational and church advantages, its railroads, its large local and wholesale business, and its excellent municipal improvements. Founded when the Texas & Pacific Railroad was built, its population in 1890 was 3,194; in 1900, 3,411 ; and in 1910, 9,204, so that at the present time more than a third
GIRLS INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, SIMMONS COLLEGE, ABILENE
of the county's population live in the chief city. A visitor at Abilene in May, 1881, described the town as follows: "Three months ago Simpson's ranch was the only house in this country where the weary cowboy could find shelter. Not a tent had been stretched, and noth- ing but the bark of the prairie dog and the lowing cattle disturbed the stillness. Now a city of 1,500 people adorns the broad level prairie. There are wholesale and retail stores, commission houses, hotels, churches and schools, a fine water supply, and this is a distributing and trading point for Buffalo Gap, Phantom Hill, Fort Concho, and other Government posts. The railroad depot was found to be inade- quate to hold the goods brought for shipment and tents had to be stretched to shelter them. This is a cattle shipping point, but the farmers are already beginning to encroach."
Since 1888 Abilene has been the county seat. It has recently been organized under a commission form of government. Abilene has
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water works, has paved streets in the business section, a sewer system, a street railway, electric lights, and arrangements have been made to introduce natural gas from the Moran fields. Besides its business and municipal advantages it enjoys a reputation as a college and school town. Simmons College was established there in 1892, under the auspices of the Baptist Church, and is now regarded as one of the best equipped small colleges in the state. The Abilene Christian Col- lege was founded in 1906, and there are several other private schools. The public school system comprises a fine high school building and four ward schools. Near the city is located the state colony for epi- leptics, which was established by virtue of an act of 1892. The popu- lation of Abilene is 10,274.
TERRELL COUNTY
In 1905 the south end of Pecos County was detached to form the new county of Terrell, named in honor of the late A. W. Terrell. Terrell has as its southern boundary the Rio Grande, and as a portion of the eastern limit the Pecos River. In this section of Texas both the Rio Grande and Pecos cut through deep canyons, which are inac- cessible, and these canyons, together with the long ranges of moun- tains and high mesa lands, give to Terrell County an array of mag- nificent scenery. Only the rather limited areas along the valleys are suitable for cultivation, but a large portion of the uplands is adapted to grazing, and the raising of sheep, cattle, horses and goats is the principal occupation of the people. The sheep industry is especially important, and Sanderson is one of the large wool shipping points in Texas. Sanderson is a freight and passenger division point on the Southern Pacific Railway, and it was in this vicinity that the engineers encountered some of the most trying difficulties in the con- struction of that road between San Antonio and El Paso about 1880. On the organization of the county Sanderson was made the county seat, and through this and its railway interests is a town of growing importance, furnishing most of the commercial facilities for the large area of grazing country on all sides. A number of other small ship- ping stations are located along the Southern Pacific, which is the only railroad.
In 1910 Terrell County had a population of 1,430, including about 500 Mexicans. The assessed valuation of Terrell County in 1913 was $3,828,624, in 1920, $4,817,000. The county is one of the large divis- ions of Southwest Texas, with an area of about 2,750 square miles, or 1,686,400 acres. While the last census reported over 600,000 acres included in farms or ranches, only 800 acres were classified as "improved land." The live stock enumerated included 20,330 cattle, about 3,000 horses and mules, 111,056 sheep, and 18,530 goats. In 1920, 15,033 cattle, 7,909 horses and mules, 44,731 sheep, and 22,203 goats were enumerated. There were no important agricultural sta- tistics.
TERRY COUNTY
Terry County, created in 1876, but not organized until 1904, has recently come within the scope of developing activities in West
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Texas. The county lies just west of Lynn County, and the railroads which have penetrated Lubbock and Lynn counties have been an important factor in directing settlement toward Terry County. Dur- ing the last ten years considerable progress has been made in the improvement of land for farming purposes, and the breaking up of the large pastures has already begun. The county seat is Brownfield, near the center of the county, and there are several other small vil- lages. The Panhandle & Santa Fe has been constructed diagonally through the county to Brownfield, near the center of the county, run- ning from Lubbock to Seagraves, and full train service is in operation.
The population of the county in 1890 was 21 and 48 in 1900. By 1910 the county had 1,474 inhabitants, in 1920, 2,236. The total area is 556,800 acres, of which all were reported in farms or ranches in
TERRY COUNTY
TERRY COUNTY EXHIBIT AT SOUTH PLAINS FAIR
1910. In 1900 only 115 acres were in cultivation, but the last census classified about 23,000 acres as "improved land." There were 235 farms in 1910 as compared with only six in 1900. The live stock interests, by far the greatest resource of the county, in 1910 were enumerated as 25,554 cattle, about 2,900 horses and mules, 1,282 hogs and 2,569 sheep. In 1920, 21,778 cattle, 2,855 horses and mules. In 1909, 5,896 acres were planted in corn, 4,509 acres in hay and forage crops, and 1,908 acres in kafir corn and milo maize. The county is considered a fruit section and the last census enumerated about 6,500 orchard fruit trees. The tax valuation of property in the county in 1913 was $1,909,552, and in 1920 $2,816,383.
It is developing into a successful corn raising country.
Brownfield has two banks, a large gin, and a school building. There are several independent school districts in the county. Much work is being done to improve the roads. The transcontinental high- way runs through the county.
Brownfield has recently been incorporated.
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THROCK MORTON COUNTY
This is almost the only county in Northwest Texas outside of the Panhandle district which as yet has no railway. Stockmen invaded the section during the '70s, and it is only in comparatively recent years that many of the large ranches have been cut up into farms. The old range cattle were displaced a number of years ago in favor of improved breeds, and some of the best stock in West Texas come from the Throckmorton County ranches. A number of years ago it was a favorite country for sheep men, but that feature of the business has been almost discontinued.
Throckmorton County was created in 1858, but was not organ- ized until March 18, 1879. A traveler through that part of the state in 1878 said that Throckmorton County was uninhabited except by stockmen, and one feature noted by him was described as follows: "Some genuine dugouts, the cowboy palaces, may be seen, being excavations from the sides of steep hills, walled with rock, covered with poles, buffalo hides and dirt, these being the homes of the cattle- men whose ranches are located along the creek valley."
From a population of 111 in 1880, the census of 1890 gave 902 inhabitants; in 1910 the population was 1,750; in 1910, 4,563; in 1920, 3,589. The county seat is Throckmorton, an isolated country town, and two other settlements are Spring Creek and Woodson.
The assessed value of taxable property in 1882 was $733,809, more than a third being represented in live stock; in 1903, $1,879,827; in 1913, $4,241,138; in 1920, $4,611,467.
The cultivation of the soil had hardly begun in 1880. In 1882 the live stock interests were estimated in round numbers at about 18,000 cattle, 18,000 sheep, and 1,750 horses and mules. The total area of the county is 562,560 acres, and the last census reported 461,985 acres enclosed in farms or ranches, but only about 52,500 acres as "improved land." The amount of improved land at the preceding census was about 30,000 acres. There were 694 farms, as compared with 274 in 1900. The live stock enumerated in 1919 were: Cattle, 13,453; horses and mules, 4,513. In 1909, 20,655 acres were planted in cotton, 6,093 acres in hay and forage crops, 3,120 acres in corn, and 910 acres in kafir corn and milo maize. About 7,500 orchard fruit trees were enum- erated, and about 10,000 pecan trees.
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