F 
 392,' 
 
 :b7C9 
 
 Early History qf Bosque 
 
 County 
 
Class F^^a ^ 
 
 Book ,'B7C ^ 
 
SKETCH 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Early History qf Bosqti 
 
 County 
 
 BY 
 
 H. J. and C. M. CURETON. 
 
 Read by H. J. Cureton at the Old Settlers Reunion o/iS Semi- 
 centennial Celebration g/ the Organization of 
 Bosque County, at Meridian, 
 Texas, July 4. 1904. 
 
 Thk Tufbunb Printing Company, 
 
 Printers, 
 
 Meridian, Texas 
 
!< r^ /■*! 
 1..-, '^' . ,') 
 
 NOTE. 
 
 The writers in the preparation of the following sketch 
 "beg- to make public acknowledgement for assistance ren- 
 dered and information furnished us by Jasper N. Mabray, 
 J. K. Helton. F. M. Kell, John Thomas. A. J. George, 
 Dave Neely. James M. Robertson. W. H. Russell, T. C. 
 Alexander, Jack Odle. Jeff Barnes, Y. Grimland, Mrs. 
 Jesse Russell Jones, Miss Nellie Anderson and Miss Lula 
 Kell. and many others ?iave generously given us their 
 assistance in this matter. 
 
 Oifl 
 Publisher 
 
 30.0, 'd8 
 
Early History qf Bosque County. 
 
 The returning- soldiers of the 
 war between the United States 
 and Mexico spread the news, in 
 northern and eastern Texas, of 
 a beautiful land on the west of 
 the Brazos River, and northwest 
 from Waco; where rich valleys, 
 rank in verdue, lay between 
 hills of Alpine beauty, threaded 
 by clear streams of the purest 
 water, over which ran all the 
 game which the heart of the 
 hunter could long for, such as 
 buffalo, bear, antelope, wild 
 turkey, deer and elk; and some 
 of the fiercer type, as the pan- 
 ther and kindred tribes, to add 
 spice to the profits of the chase. 
 This Eden, neAvly found by the 
 returning soldiers, was the land 
 upon which we now live and 
 which now comprises Bosque 
 County. 
 
 So far as our investigation 
 has gone, the first permanent 
 white settlers came to this 
 county in the year 1850, while 
 this county was comjDrised with- 
 in the territory of McLennan 
 County. They were Ewell 
 Everett and family, who settled 
 on the Bosque river, and Albert 
 Barton and family, who settled 
 near the mouth of Steele's 
 Creek, and established a ferry 
 on the Brazos river, near old 
 Fort Graham. And in the 
 summer of the same year. Bar- 
 ton was drowned by the captizing 
 of his ferry boat; and his widow. 
 
 a few years thereafter, married 
 Sam Barnes, a noted and influ- 
 ential citizen in the early govern- 
 ment of the county. Soon there- 
 after came the families of L. H. 
 Scrutchfield. J. K. Helton, Wm. 
 Gary, S. S. Locker. Wm. Mc- 
 Curry, Allen Anderson, F. M. 
 Gandy, A. C. Peace, the Mabrays, 
 the Kells, the Hornbeaks, the 
 Thomas' and several others, in- 
 cluding the first Norwegian 
 settlers, Ole Pierson, Canute 
 Canuteson, and son Ole Caute- 
 son, Jens Jens on, A. Bratton 
 and perhaps others whose names 
 we have been unable to ascertain. 
 Prior, however, to the arrival 
 of any of the above settlers, sur- 
 veying had been done in the 
 county for the purpose of locat- 
 ing land certificates by the cele- 
 brated Texas hero, Geo. B. 
 Erath and other surviving par- 
 ties; and indeed, several of the 
 early settlers of the county, 
 first came here, as members of 
 Erath's surveying corps, and 
 being struck with the natural 
 beaut}' of the land they had en- 
 countered returned east and 
 brought their families for per- 
 manent settlement. Bosque 
 County was not without some 
 X)opulation prior to 1850, how- 
 ever; for the valleys and prairies 
 of the Bosque River. Meridian 
 Creek and Neills Creek were the 
 favorite hunting grounds and 
 habitat of the Tonkawa Indians, 
 
EAllLY IIISTOKV OF HOSQUl-: COUNTY 
 
 a tribe of some 300 in number, 
 and who remained friendly to 
 the Avhites, save an occasional 
 theft. These Indians remained 
 in the county for some years 
 after its organization; but gave 
 the white settlers very little 
 trouble, owing to the controlling 
 influence exercised over them by 
 Judge Lowei^y H. Scrutchlield, 
 who was regarded by them with 
 unbounded confidence, and they 
 frequently assisted the whites 
 in their battles with their more 
 warliliC brothers, theComanches 
 and Kiowas. 
 
 Organization of the County. 
 
 In the winter of 1803, a pe- 
 tition was circulated and signed 
 by the settlers, then living 
 within the territory now com- 
 prised by Bosque County', asking 
 the Legislature of Texas to create 
 a new county out of that terri- 
 tory to be called Bosque Count3\ 
 In response to this i)etition, the 
 Legislature by an act approved 
 February 4th, 1854, created the 
 territory previously mentioned 
 into a new count}^ and called it 
 Bosque County. That act also 
 appointed Wm. Gary. T. E. 
 Everett, Wm. McCurry, S. S. 
 Locker, L. H. Scrutchtield and 
 Jasper N. Mabray, Commission- 
 ers to locate the county Site of 
 said county; and empowered 
 them to purchase or receive by 
 donation, not more than 320 
 acres of land for the use of said 
 county, and to proceed to lay 
 off one half of said land into 
 suitable lots, and to sell the 
 same or any part thereof at such 
 time and (m such terms ns thev 
 
 may think best for the interest 
 of the county, and appl}^ the 
 proceeds of such sales to the 
 erection of suitable county 
 buildings for use of said county. 
 The act providing further, that 
 the said Commissioners or a ma- 
 jority of them, shall locate the 
 county seat as near the center 
 of said county as j)racticable; if 
 the land can be obtained, so as 
 to secure the permanency of 
 the same, and to continue to per- 
 form the duties of county com- 
 missioners until the next regular 
 election, wheii their duties 
 should cease. 
 
 Pursuant to this act of the 
 Legislature, the Conjmissioners 
 above named with the exception 
 of T. E. Everett, met June i7th, 
 1854, where now is located the 
 town of Meridian, and ordered, 
 first, that the Commissioners re- 
 ceive 100 acres of land donated 
 by Dr. J. M. Steiner and 20 
 acres of land donated by J. T. 
 Eubank, for the use and benefit 
 of Bosque County. This land 
 being located a little north and 
 west of the true geographical 
 center of the county; second, 
 ordered that the county seat be 
 located on said donation and 
 called "MERIDIAN:" third, or- 
 dered that one half of the land 
 donated be run off into suitable 
 lots and sold on the 4th day of 
 July, 1854, just fifty years ago, 
 today: it was also ordered that 
 rive lots be donated to actual 
 settlers who Avill settle up the 
 same, and in) prove the said lots 
 against the 4th day of July; the 
 commissioners being of the 
 opinion that the five lots being 
 
EARLY HISTORY OF BOSQUE COUNTY 
 
 improved will set the balance of 
 the town ofl', and therefore said 
 donations will be beneficial to 
 the county. 
 
 Between this date and Jul}" 
 4th, the town lots were run otf, 
 preparatory to the lot sale on 
 that date; Major Geo. B. Erath, 
 being' the surveyor. By July 
 4th, some four or five log- huts 
 had been built upon the donated 
 lots, one being- uj^jon the lot 
 where now stands the Duncan 
 Hotel. 
 
 July 4th, i8s4. 
 
 Fifty years ago, toda.y, was 
 held the first barbecue, the first 
 of those great social gatherings 
 which have become so character- 
 istic of the generous people of 
 Bosque County. It was held in 
 a beautiful post oak grove upon 
 a little ridge, gently rising up 
 from the first valley of the Bos- 
 que River; the stately trees in 
 front of the Emerson Hotel now 
 mark the exact spot, where the 
 exercises of that memorable day. 
 were held. The day was ideal. 
 The announcement of the event 
 had been carried far and near, 
 and several hundred people had 
 come in ox wagons and on horse 
 back from the surrounding 
 country, and from Waco, Gates- 
 ville and other points, and pitch- 
 ed camp for the occasion. And 
 though it may seem strange now, 
 the fact, remains, that many of 
 those who were present upon 
 that occasion, thought they were 
 standing as godfathers to a great 
 city, for this was the birthday 
 of a new county, located almost 
 ill the center of the state, and it 
 
 was thought by many leading- 
 men of that time, that the place 
 then being founded, would 
 eventually be the capital of 
 Texas, which accounts for the 
 fancy prices paid for lots sold 
 on that day. And while those 
 present upon that Fourth of 
 July were not so numerous as 
 we who are here today, yet, 
 owing to auspiciusness of the 
 occasion and the notable men who 
 participated, it is a day long to 
 be treasured in the memory 
 of all living within the borders 
 of this county. It is perhaps 
 worthy of mention here, that 
 when the venerable Geo. B. 
 Erath was marking out the last 
 town lot in what was then thought 
 might be the future capital of 
 the great empire of Texas, Mrs. 
 Swenson, now living at Clifton 
 and who is present here, today, 
 and her sister, Mrs. Pederson, 
 now deceased, daughters of Ole 
 Pierson, held the surveyor's 
 chain with their own hands. 
 
 Notable Men Present. 
 
 Geo. B. Erath was one of 
 the most noted of Texas heroes. 
 He was an Austrian nobleman 
 by birth, and born on the banks 
 of the Historic Danube. He 
 was a man of highest education, 
 culture and and attainment; and 
 why he quitted the allurements 
 of wealth and station open to 
 him in his native land, to cast 
 his fortunes amidst the strange 
 adventures, privations and man- 
 ifold dangers that followed his 
 life in this, the land of his 
 adoption, is one of those 
 romances to which he seldom 
 
6 
 
 EARLY HISTORY OF BOSQUE COUNTY 
 
 reverted and remains hidden in 
 the same depth of mistery as 
 that Avhicli drove General Sam 
 Houston from his bride and the 
 governorship of Tennesse to this 
 same wild country. Major 
 Eruth landed in Texas on the 
 coast near Velasco in 1832. and 
 from date his life was insepar- 
 ably linked with the heroic 
 sti'ugg-les of Texas, and her 
 battles with the Mexicans and the 
 savage red man. He was in the 
 battle of San Jacinto, and many 
 other noted battles, and the 
 story of his personal adventures 
 would till a volume. Major 
 Erath stated that upon one oc- 
 casion, he acquired an un- 
 waranted reputation for courage, 
 by reason of the fact, in charg- 
 ing a superior bodj^ of Indians 
 intended merely as a feint to 
 cover the retreat of his own 
 men, his bridle bits broke in two, 
 and his cavalry horse being a 
 mule, carried him headlong into 
 the Indians. The terrorized In- 
 dians ignorant of the accident 
 causing the charge, fled panic 
 stricken, and saved the daj^ for 
 Erath and his band. It is also one 
 of the traditions of this celebra- 
 tion, that Major Erath prepared 
 for himself with his own hands 
 an old time beef head roast as 
 his part of the barbecue. 
 
 Dr. J. M. Steiner. 
 
 Another notable character 
 present at said celebration was 
 Dr. J. M. Steiner. who donated 
 the one liundi-ed acres upon 
 which the town of Meridian now 
 stands, to Bosque Count3\ Dr. 
 .Steiner is uotod in Texas history 
 
 and the history of the south, by 
 reason of his unique and thrilling- 
 rescue by his friend. Judge 
 James H. Dyer and part}' of the 
 civil authorities of Hill County 
 from the hands of the militar}" 
 iiuthorities. and allowing him a 
 trial by the civil courts, instead 
 of a summary trial hy a drum 
 head court martial; the trouble 
 growing out of Steiner's having 
 killed the commanding ofiicer of 
 the United States army post at 
 old Fort Graham in self defense. 
 Steiner was at that time chief 
 surgeon (jf the post. Dr. Steiner 
 was for many years afterwards 
 one of the foremost citizens of 
 the state, and possessed those 
 qualities of manhood and courage 
 that endeared him to the pioneers 
 of the country. 
 
 Capt. Sam Barnes. 
 
 And there was Capt. Sam 
 Barnes, who had been a soldier 
 under Houston in the battles of 
 the Republic, and who fought 
 with James Bowie in the great 
 Indian battle of San Saba, where 
 less than a dozen men were at- 
 tacked and besieged by one hun- 
 dred and forty Indians for sev- 
 eral days. He was also a meu)- 
 ber of the celebrated Meir ex- 
 pedition into Old Mexico, where 
 he there cast lots with death in 
 the d]"awing of the beans, to 
 which piece of rehned cruelty 
 that courageous band of Texas 
 heroes were subjected. Failing 
 to draw a black bean he escaped 
 back to Texas and after a check- 
 ed career in battling against the 
 adverse forces that surrounded 
 the early pioneer, was tinnlly 
 
EARLY HISTOIiY OF BOSQUE COUNT V 
 
 killed in the pitched battle with 
 the Indians at Dove Creek. 
 Capt. Barnes shares with Ewell 
 Everett and Albert Barton the 
 distinction of being- the tirst 
 white settlers in Bosque county. 
 And there was also present Lee 
 Davis, the cousin of Sam Barnes, 
 whose career was equally as 
 checkered, and who was also a 
 member of the ill fated Mier 
 expedition. 
 
 Judge N. W. Battle, now liv- 
 ing- at Seattle, Washington, was 
 then a candidate for District 
 Attorne}' of the District and the 
 orator of the occasion. Judge 
 Battle then resided at Waco, and 
 rode from that place, 50 miles, 
 horseback to make the speech. 
 He was the District Attorney at 
 the organization of the District 
 Court of Bosque County, and 
 afterwards served as District 
 Judge over the same court. 
 
 Aside fi'oin these men, just 
 mentioned, thei-e were present, 
 Judge Lower V H. Scrutchtield, 
 Jasper N. Mabray, F. M. Kell, 
 Judge J. K. Helton, the latter 
 two are here today, and many 
 others, whose distinguished ser- 
 vices are a matter of common 
 knowledge to the people of this 
 county. 
 
 It might be worthy of men- 
 tion, and no reflection upon those 
 sturdy pioneers, to state that 
 local option was not in effect in 
 Bosque county on that date, and 
 a little barrel of pure old Ken- 
 tucky Bourbon was freelj' dis- 
 pensed to rhose who would par- 
 take. 
 
 Origin of the Name. 
 
 The word -bosque" is a 
 Spanish word, and its English 
 equivalent is ••woods" or 
 "woody." And on the oldest 
 Spanish majjs is given as a name 
 for the Bosque River and its 
 several forks and tributaries in 
 this county. This statement we 
 have no less authority than Geo. 
 B. Erath. As to who applied 
 this name to the river is not 
 known, and was not known in 
 the days of Major Erath, whose 
 only information was from the 
 old Spanish maps made by the 
 first Spanish explorers, and 
 which are inexcessable to us at 
 this day and time. As to who 
 suggested that the name of the 
 county follows the name of its 
 chief river, neither have we 
 been able to learn, suffice it to 
 say that other fancy theories as 
 to the origin of this name for 
 the county are not supported b\' 
 authentic tradition, nor the 
 etemology and jDlain meaning of 
 the name itself. 
 
 The name ''Meridian" for 
 the county seat was suggested 
 by Jasper N. Mabray, one of the 
 locating- Commissioners. Me- 
 ridian Creek and Meridian 
 Mountain had borne this name 
 for many years prior to 
 the organization of tlie county; 
 and they were perhaps so named 
 by Geo. B. Erath or some of the 
 early sun'eyors, from the fact 
 that the 98th meridian of longi- 
 tude passes over or near a high 
 mountain suitable for observa- 
 tion purposes near the head of 
 Meridian Creek. 
 
EAKLY HISTORY OF ]iOSQL'E COUNTY 
 
 Early Government of the County. 
 
 So far as the records show, 
 the first election in Bosque 
 County was held Oct. 7th, 1854, 
 there being tViree voting- places 
 provided for. One on the 
 Brazos River with R. S. Barnes, 
 presiding- officer, one at Meri- 
 dian, with Israel B. Standifor. 
 presiding- officer, and the third 
 under a truly historic live oak 
 tree, still standing-, near the 
 residence of Tom Pool about .j 
 miles below Clifton, with J. K. 
 Helton as presiding officer. 
 There being no qualiiied voters 
 at the first election at the Meri- 
 dian box, there is no record of 
 any returns having been made 
 from that box. The total vote 
 cast at the other two boxes was 
 17 votes. Five votes at Barnes' 
 box and 12 votes under the old 
 live oak tree. None of the Nor- 
 wegians were qualified voters at 
 that time. Among the first 
 officers of the county were: P. 
 Bryant, Sheriff; A. C. Pearce. 
 District Clerk; Jasper N. Ma- 
 bray, County Clerk; L. H. 
 Scrutchfield, Chief Justice; and 
 J. K. Helton. Justice of the 
 Peace. The first marriage li- 
 cense was issued to Leroy Parks 
 and Miss Wheeler. 
 
 The County Court of Bosque 
 County on August 28th, 1854, 
 ordered that William McCurr^^ 
 be employed to erect a suitable 
 building to be used as a court 
 house and 'for the office of Bos- 
 que County.' This building- 
 was a single room, one story 
 log building, and rested on the 
 spot where now stands the First 
 National Bank. On N«n'en]ber 
 
 25th 1854, the court paid Wm. 
 McCurry for the erecting- of Bos- 
 que county's first court house, 
 the sum of $125. This building 
 was used until 1860, when a 
 frame building about 30 by 40 
 feet was erected near where the 
 [)resent court house now stands. 
 Tliis building had three rooms; 
 one for the court room and two 
 to accommodate the clerks. It 
 was burned in 1871, and a part 
 of the records were entirely de- 
 stroyed with it. From 1871 until 
 1875, the county was without a 
 court house; a tent being used a 
 part of the time to accommodate 
 the court. In 1875 a two story 
 stone court house was completed 
 by A. J. George and DaveNeely, 
 and cost the county approx- 
 imately §10,000. This building 
 was torn down in l88tj for the 
 erection of the present court 
 house. 
 
 First District Court. 
 
 The first district court of 
 Bosque county was opened on 
 the 9th day of June 1855, with 
 that distinguished pioneer jurist, 
 Judge R. E. B. Baylor, as Judge, 
 and N. W. Battle, District At- 
 torney; I. Witty. Sheriff and 
 A. C. Pearce. District Clerk. It 
 might be worth}- of mention to 
 here state that Judge Baylor 
 was one of nature's Noblemen, 
 whose whole soul was bound up 
 in the welfare of Texas and her 
 civic development; and it always 
 filled him with deep emotion, 
 when b}'^ his assistance the law- 
 ful administration of justice and 
 civil government was extended 
 over a new county as was being 
 
EARLY HISTORY OF BOSQUE COUNTY 
 
 9 
 
 done on this occasion. On the 
 day above mentioned when he 
 took the bench, he requested 
 the sheriff to open court to 
 which request he repUed: 'Judge 
 I never saw a court opened, I do 
 not know how.' Wliereupon 
 Judge Baylor said: 'Well I'll 
 tell you. Go to the door and say 
 in a loud voice, 'oh yez, oh yez; 
 oh yez. the Honorable District 
 Court of Bosque County is now 
 iji session!' And as the sheriff 
 turned away, the old Judge 
 filled with emotion reverently 
 said to himself: 'God bless 
 Texas.' The sheriit" mistaking 
 the last remark of the jutlge as a 
 part also of the ceremony- to be 
 proclaimed, went to the door 
 and after proclaiming the regu- 
 lar oj^ening W(jrds, exclaimed 
 also in stentorion tones: 'God 
 Bless Texas.' x\nd thus in a 
 truly earnest manner, the ad- 
 ministration of the law began in 
 Bosque County. The first civil 
 case upon the docket of the dis- 
 trict court was styled: "Tliomas 
 B. Clements vs. W. M. McNeill 
 and B. P. Scott,' number one on 
 the doclvet; and while the record 
 does not disclose the fact, we 
 have been informed that Senator 
 Richard Coke was one of the 
 counsel in that case. The first 
 criminal case on the docket 
 charged the defendant b}^ in- 
 dictment with the offense of 
 grand larcenrv, filed December 
 11th, 185(1 
 
 Government During the War. 
 
 On February 23rd. 18G1, the 
 people of Bosque County voted 
 upon the question of secession, 
 
 resulting in 15G votes being cast 
 for secession and 16 votes against 
 it. During the continuance of 
 the Civil War the commissioners' 
 court of Bosque county repeated- 
 ly appropriated funds for the 
 arming and equiting soldiers 
 going to war and providing for 
 their famihes left at home. The 
 larger portion of the citizenship 
 of the county having gone to 
 war, the administration of the 
 courts were largely suspended; 
 and on March 17th, 1862, the 
 citizens of the county met at 
 Meridian and organized a com- 
 mittee of safety, and in the sol- 
 emn language of the original 
 minutes of the meeting which 
 we have in our possession, 'the 
 greatest enthusiasm prevailed 
 and every patriotic sentiment 
 was eagerly applauded; the 
 Honorable W. R. Sedberry was 
 called to the chair, and W. T. 
 Kem]) was appointed Secretary. 
 The Rev. John Abuey stated the 
 object of the Tueeting, and John 
 Abney, Sam Barnes. J. K. Hel- 
 ton. Jerry Odle, Jack Smith and 
 James Lane were appointed a 
 committee on resolutions, which 
 committee submitted their re- 
 port in the following language: 
 Whereas the Southern Confed- 
 eracy is having an unnatural 
 curse and sanguinary war waged 
 against it by Abraham Lincoln 
 and his abolition hordes, where- 
 by our lives, liberties and for- 
 tunes are being impoverished, 
 and our soil is being desecrated 
 by the vandal tread of our 
 Yankee enemies, making it im- 
 perative that a large share of 
 our best citizens go to the seat 
 
10 
 
 EARLY HISTORY OF BOSQUE COUNTY 
 
 of war to meet and drive back 
 the invading foe and by their 
 valor achieve our independance; 
 and whereas there are vre that 
 beUeve in our uiidst pei'sons 
 liostile to our institutions, con- 
 s(>quently enemies to our coun- 
 try and its cause; besides char 
 acters who have no love of 
 country, and who know not the 
 meaning of patriotism, but who 
 will take advantage of the ab- 
 sence of our good citizens to 
 depredate upon their property, 
 thereby showing themselves 
 clearly as great enemies to our 
 country and its cause as an 
 abolitionist.' And so the reso- 
 lutions continue, and linally re- 
 solves that "should any man now 
 living in our midst, who has 
 been or who may hereafter be 
 guilty of using language derog- 
 atory of the Southern Confeder- 
 acy or its cause, or by any act 
 giving evidence that he is un- 
 friendly to the Confederate 
 Government, that the committee 
 test him b}' his being required 
 to show his fidelity to our gov- 
 ernment and cause, by enlisting 
 in the arm^' of the Southern 
 Confederacy; and if he refuses. 
 give him a free j^ass to leave for 
 the Lincoln Government; and if 
 he refuses to do either, he shall 
 be regarded and treated as an 
 alien enemy and as a spy for 
 which he shall be executed by 
 the committee.' This committee 
 also laid down rules and regula- 
 tions for the branding of stock. 
 and took charge of all estrays. 
 and forfeited them to a fund for 
 tlie support of the soldiers fam- 
 ilies, and ;it tlie rt^tiuest of the 
 
 county court co-operated with it 
 in the administration of justice 
 in the county. 
 
 Indian Depredations in the County. 
 
 The principal tribes of In- 
 dians that from time to time 
 made raids into the territory of 
 Bosque county were the Com- 
 anches, the Kiowas and the 
 Caddos. The object of these in- 
 cursions on the ])art of the red 
 men was principally for the theft 
 of horses from the white settlers 
 but the massacre of men and 
 women or the murder or capture 
 of children w^ere not infrequent 
 occurrences while on these 
 raids. And the white people of 
 this county, up until the early 
 'seventies, were kept constantly 
 on the alert for the safety of 
 their stock and their own lives. 
 For the purpose of 'affording 
 greater protection against the 
 Indians, the settlers of the 
 county were organized and kept 
 scouting parties constantly 
 along the north and west borders 
 of the settlements. One of the 
 principal points from which 
 watch was kept b^' these scouts 
 was a high point called Lookout 
 Mountain near Martin's Gap on 
 the line of Bosque and Hamilton 
 counties, where the village of 
 Fairy now stands. The scouting 
 ))arty, usually consisting of 8 or 
 iO men, would keep their camp 
 near Lookout Mountain, with 
 two men in turn detailed as sen- 
 tinels to keep constant vigil from 
 the top of the mountain, where 
 they could see through the level 
 country and the clear sky manj'- 
 miles bevond; and thus discover 
 
EARLY HISTOKY OF BOSQrE COUNTY 
 
 11 
 
 any bands of Indians going into 
 or out Oi the settlement. The 
 Indians usually made their raids 
 upon moonlight nights, and 
 these watches were kept up on 
 those nights as well as during 
 the day. 
 
 On the 4th day of March, 
 1857, the day of the Inauguration 
 of President Buclianan, F.M.Kell 
 who is here today, was one of 
 the sentinels on Lookout Moun- 
 tain; and looking out to the south 
 and west he saw a band of live 
 Indians hurriedly leaving the 
 settlement witli a buncli of 
 stolen horses. Crawling back 
 over the point of the mountain, 
 he gave the alarm to the other 
 scouts below, who mounting 
 their horses in company with 
 Kell and the other sentinel, 
 charged the Indians. But six 
 of the scouts had horses fleet 
 enough to get into the fight. 
 They were F. M. Kell and 
 brother Abe Kell, Bob Renfro, 
 Jim Babb, Allen Anderson and 
 Ross Crantili. The father and 
 brother of young Renfro had 
 been killed, but a short while 
 before by the Indians. It was a 
 running fight, with the Indians 
 headed toward the Leon bottoms. 
 The settlers were armed with 
 old fashioned slow loading tire 
 arms, and the Indians with bows 
 and arrows, with the exception 
 of one who was armed with a 
 large bore Yaugor gun. The 
 chief of the band had also a 
 bright shield and a Spanish steel 
 lance, in the use of which he 
 was very proficient. One by 
 one the Indians were killed in a 
 hand to hand figlit: the fourth 
 
 one after being shot from his 
 horse, leaned against a tree and 
 fought with his bow and arrows, 
 and although severally wounded, 
 came near killing several of the 
 scouts; while Mr. Kell, who was 
 reloading his gun, ordered the 
 boy, Bob Renfro, to kill him. 
 Young Renfro killed him b}' 
 shooting him in the head, and as 
 the Indian fell to the ground 
 upon his face he had his bow 
 and arrow dr.awn ready for 
 shooting again. A dramatic in- 
 cident of the fight was a personal 
 encounter between the chief, 
 armed with his spear and shield 
 and Mr. Kell, with the fleetest 
 horse as they sped their way to- 
 ward the Leon bottoms. The 
 skill with which the Indian 
 chief warded off the aim and 
 bullets of his assailant with his 
 bright and blinding shield, and 
 the dexterity with which he 
 used his Spanish lance, prevent- 
 ed his unhorsement, and enabled 
 liim alone of his band to escape 
 and rejoin his tribe. This In- 
 dian is now one of the aged 
 chiefs of the Kiowas and resides 
 in the Indian Territory, and 
 states that he received among 
 other wounds in this battle a 
 bullet through his body. 
 
 In 185!S the Comanche Indians 
 made a raid through Erath, Com- 
 anche and Bosque Counties, kill- 
 ing a nunjber of people and steal- 
 ing !nany head of horses. In 
 Bosque County, near what was 
 ever afterwards known as John- 
 son's Peak, they encountered a 
 man by the name of Johnson and 
 his little boy with a wagon load 
 of flour and meal. They killed 
 
12 
 
 EARLY HISTOUY OF EJOSQUE COUNTY 
 
 the man, scalped him and mutil- 
 ated his body, and took the little 
 boy captive. They carried him 
 with them for several daj's, but 
 linally stripped him naked and 
 turned him loose in a wild, un- 
 inhabited and unknown country. 
 After roaming around for a day 
 or two in terror of wolves and 
 wild beasts, and without food, he 
 came across some cows from 
 which he obtained milk for food, 
 and with which he remained to 
 protect him from the wolves. He 
 also hoped that the cows might 
 lead him to some ranch. After 
 spending several days in this 
 manner, he was finiilly found and 
 rescued by that gallant old 
 Knight of the Frontiers, Col. 
 Buck Barry, and his scouting 
 party. 
 
 There were enough thrilling 
 encounters with the Indians in 
 the territory of Bosque County, 
 by its pioneers to lill a volume. 
 The story of the capture and 
 liberation by ransom of the Nor- 
 wegian boy. Ole Nystel, who is 
 here today, is itself a romance, 
 unsurpassed in the annals of 
 adventure or fiction. The raid up- 
 on and rifling of Ole Canuteson's 
 house in tiie early Norwegian 
 settlement, and the curious 
 mingling of the comic so common 
 in moments of the greatest dan- 
 ger to be found in the incident of 
 the rescue by Dr. W. H. Russell 
 of his freighting mules on Steel's 
 Creek from an Indian attack, 
 and many other occurances. are 
 incidents worthy of mention 
 here, but the limits of this paper 
 do not permit a further enlarge- 
 ment of our sketch. The bal tie 
 
 of Dove Creek, fought by a part 
 of Col. Buck Barry's regiment, 
 was perhaps one of the greatest 
 pitched battles ever fought with 
 the Indians in Texas, and it was 
 fought principally by Bosque 
 County citizens commanded by 
 Cape. Henry Fossett, an other 
 old and reverred pioneer of this 
 county. Capt. Jack Cureton. the 
 grandfather of the authors of 
 this sketch, and many who are 
 still living and present here 
 today participated in this great 
 fight. It was fought in 18t)5 in 
 the dead of winter, on Dove 
 Creek one of the tributaries of 
 the Concho River, between a 
 thousand Indians warriors armed 
 with rillles and several hundred 
 whites similiarly armed. 
 
 Manners and Customsi. 
 
 Mr. Hornbeak, now living at 
 Corsicana, and who is present 
 here today was born in 1851 
 about two miles above the pres- 
 ent location of the town of Valley 
 Mills, and was the first white 
 child born in Bosque County. 
 
 F. M. Gandy and McCurrj^ 
 
 were the first people married 
 upon the soil of Bosque County. 
 Mrs. Gandy is present here to- 
 day. The first mail facilities in 
 the county were by private 
 carriers frotn Waco as early as 
 1854. The first church was 
 erected near Valley Mills. There 
 is some conflict in the memories 
 of the surviving old settlers as 
 to who preached the first ser- 
 mon, but there were sermons 
 preached at private residences 
 as early as 1853 and 1854. In the 
 early days oT the county the 
 
EAKLY HISTORY OF BOSQUK COUx\TY 
 
 13 
 
 people carried their tire-arms to 
 church Avith them as legend 
 tells us they did in the old Puri- 
 tan days, and services were held 
 under jnany and various adverse 
 circumstances. The venerable 
 Dr. \Y. H. Russell in an article 
 giving- his experience as an early 
 settler of this county, written 
 for the information of the writers 
 of this sketch, relates an incident 
 of one of the first camp ujeetings 
 ever held in the county, which 
 throws some light upon the cus- 
 toms and conditions of those 
 days. He states that at a camp- 
 meeting vvhich had been in 
 progress for some time, Alonzo 
 Bearcroft decided to go home, 
 and yoking up his oxen stai'ted 
 off towards his destination. It 
 was about 2 o'clock in the after- 
 noon, and the oxen vvere thirsty 
 and before going more than a 
 mile from the camp, the oxen 
 spied a pond of water a short 
 distance from the road, and 
 wheeling with that sudden vim 
 and energ}'. familiar only to the 
 old time ox driver, the oxen 
 prouiptly headed for the same, 
 totally oblivious of the burdeti 
 they v/ere drawing. The wagon 
 was overturned and the ladies 
 entrapped beneath the bed. Mr. 
 Bearcroft much enraged, only 
 took time to prop up a corner of 
 the wagon bed to prevent the 
 suffocation of his family, and 
 hurried back to the meeting for 
 assistance. He ran without hat, 
 coat or shoes and fell exhausted 
 at the feet of Dr. Russell, 
 without being able to explain his 
 trouble. The men of the con- 
 gregation thinking it was an 
 
 Indian attack, rushed to the 
 rescue, while Dr. Russell heroic- 
 ally poured all the Sacremental 
 wine down Bearcrof. Bearcroft 
 recovered and his family were 
 rescued without injury, but this 
 incident broke the camp meeting 
 up. 
 
 Supples for the early settlers 
 had to be freighted over long and 
 tedious routes by wagons from 
 Waco, Houston, Shreveport and 
 other distant points, and in 
 these trips the freighters were 
 subjected to many privations, 
 hardships and dangers of attack 
 from the hostile Indians. From 
 the pages of an old ledger pre- 
 served by one of the old settlers 
 we can see that flour then cost 
 §8.50 per hundred, salt '^8 a 
 sack, J{>1 for four pounds of sugar 
 four pounds of green coffee for 
 the same money, and calico 35 
 cents a yard, and so on down the 
 line of the staple necessaries of 
 life. 
 
 Pioneer Women. 
 
 We cannot close this sketch 
 without making mention of the 
 heroic Avomen, Avho with their 
 husbands blazed the Avay for this 
 splendid civilization we are en- 
 joying in Bosque County today. 
 We have here attempted in some 
 measure to depict the courage 
 of the pioneer ]nen. but words 
 are inadequate to describe the 
 courage and fortitude of the 
 pioneer women: 
 
 "The mothers of our foremost land, 
 Stout hrtarted dames were they; 
 
 AVho dared to wield tho battle brand— 
 And join the border 'fray." 
 
 And perhaps we cannot better 
 sum up the character of the old 
 
14 EARLY HISTORY OF BOSQUE COUNTY 
 
 settler, than in the language of ready at any moment to defend 
 
 one of their number, Dr. W. H. his home and family against the 
 
 Russell: 'The early settler was red tiend. The feint of heart and 
 
 first, last and all the time a those with lack of courage had 
 
 soldier: always picket duty, and no ])lace here." 
 
)i)j 9S 1908 
 
 n,<