Eastland County, Texas - Chapter 1, 1904

The line of settlements in the Coimfy did not change I'c'jr several years, but the force and power of the constantly increasing flow of human beings from the other States, which was stopped temporarily in the populated centers by the civil strife and the fear of the Indian in the West - could no longer be checked.

"Six families at or near McGough Springs, three families at Mansker Lake, one settlement at Flannagan's, consisting of a cow-ranch and one family ; another on South Palo Pinto Creek of two or more fainilies : these, with two families on the Sabanno, three at FjIHson's Spring, and three or four at Dtesdemona, made up the entire population of Eastland County when I came here.

"This was a fine stock country. Garaie was plentiful - such as bear, wolf, deer, turkey, buffalo, a few panther, wild cat, catamount, fox, opossum, skunk, and Indian. There were wild horses here at that time and any number of cattle. This was then a fine hog country, as there was always a heavy mast. Hogs were plentiful."

When it is Temeinbered that in 1860 there were ninety-nine inhabitants in Eastland County, and in 1870 only eighty-eight (including women and children), the conditions prevailing at that time in this section will more readily be appreciated.

From Mr. Brashear's letter it will be seen that the frontier line of 18G3 still existed in 1872, one year bofore the County was organized, and was marked by Flannagan's Eanch, MteGough Springs, and Jewell. Although the increase in population in oce year was sufficient to organize the County as recorded in the following chapter, yet the name of no man has been discovered who located west of the line above referred to prior to 1872.

It is pleasant to note, however, that once the County «'as organized and its possibilities known, a steady influx of people began. In 1873 scarcely the seventy-five required number of voters could be found; in 1875, when the County Town was permanently located at Eastland City, there were one hundred and twentythree voters, and in 1880 the census gave four thousand eight hundred and fifty-five as the population of the County.

*MesErs. Sam Allen, of Van Horn, an 1 K. Pemberton, ol Stephenville, are the authority for this statement. Judgp Calhoun thinks a raid Into Comanche County, passing through the western part of Eastland, occurred at a later date, and a little incident related by Mr. Pemberton might seem to substantiate this opinion.

the ea!^ll'rn route, and on Barton's Creek Mr. Ellison was shot off his horse, and Mr. Leslie killed on Indian Creek. ^Messrs. Sam Allen, Silas C. Buck, Tom Gibson and ^laek Singleton were four of eighteen men who chased the Indians one hundred and fifty miles.

During this period, 1873-1881, the old line of settlements was wiped out. Six families (names given elsewhere), stopped in the Eising Star Country; Major ]Munn, who had to go eighteen miles to McGousrh Springs for his mail (which Pofitmaster Father Mc- Gough kept in a shoe-box under his bed), settled at Nimrod, and lives on the land he first purchased; B.. F.

Hardly had these words passed when a, squad of Indians were seen coming around a thicket straight toward them. The man put spurs to his horse and was gone. Mr. Roach leaped from his seat, cut one of his fine young mules from the harness and sprung upon his back. No sooner was this feat accomplished than the mule, on whose back man had never sat, began to pitch and to plunge, while the Indians bore down upon the (defenseless man who found himself in such a. close place. The mule, instead of going i^own the road as Mr. Roach urged him to do, rushed into a thicket, which the Indians at once surrounded, laughing uproarously at the antics of the mule, and helped to keep things interesting to the man by plying him with arrows. Suddenly, however, the mule made a dash for the road and damaged his reputation by ^loing exactly as he was desired to do - made tracks so fast that the Indians were outdi.«- tanced. They took revenge by burning the wagon and it.^ contents and carrie'l off the other animal. Mr. Roach lost an eye in the encounter, but was always able to appreciate the good race that he m>ade.

Weddington grazed his catle in the northwestern part of the County, as also did his neighbors,, Charnel Hightower, Billy Stevens, John, Crowd, Bill, Hilly and Joe Dennis and Joe Funk. Mr. Drake and sons settled lower down on the Leon.

In the Cisco Country were Messrs. N. Danvers, W. B. Cobb, Albert Stephens, Eobert and Stuart Cone, N. Turknette, John Davis. Josh and John Morris, Lacy, Ehoads, Bunson, Townsend, T. B. Johnson, J. J. Wallace, J. P. Montgomery, John Lane, 0. H. Lovelady, Frank Young, B. L. Pate, J. F. Loony, M. V. Palmer, Jim Caradine and M. B. Owens. *

Thus was the frontier line pushed farther and farther west, and the civilization of the Virginias, Carolinas, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi found am'ong this moving throng, tip-toeing to see across and venture on and on as the line strode westward.