Bridges to the Future

The Pre-Incorporation History of The Colony, Texas

Written by Don Beckel Genealogical Research by Alyce Rufi Bridges To The Future: The Pre-Incorporation History of The Colony, Texas

Written by Don Beckel

Genealogical Research by Alyce Rufi

Published by

The Friends of The Colony Public Library

First Edition

Text ©2009 Don Beckel

Cover Photograph ©2009 Megan Charters

2 Contents

Contents...... 3 City of The Colony Historical Map, 1841-1969...... 5 Introduction...... 6 Chapter 1...... 6 Early North Texas History...... 6 Chapter 2...... 7 Peters Colony Company History...... 7 Chapter 3...... 8 Preston Trail...... 8 Chapter 4...... 9 Bridges Settlement...... 9 Chapter 5...... 11 Stewartsville...... 11 Chapter 6...... 13 Early Life for Bridges Settlement and Stewartsville...... 13 Chapter 7...... 16 Stewarts Creek Settlement...... 16 Chapter 8...... 19 Rector...... 19 Chapter 9...... 21 Camey Spur...... 21 Chapter 10...... 23 Lakes...... 23 Chapter 11...... 24 Eastvale...... 24 Chapter 12...... 24 The Transition Years...... 24 Appendix 1...... 26

3 Peters Colony Advertisement...... 26 Appendix 2...... 27 Bridges Settlement and Stewartsville...... 27 Bridges Settlement Location; Called Stewartsville...... 28 Appendix 3...... 30 Appendix 4...... 39 Types of Texas Land Grants...... 39 Appendix 5...... 41 Bibliography...... 42

4 City of The Colony Historical Map, 1841-1969

5 Introduction

As a city, The Colony has a short history compared to neighboring communities, which have been in existence for over one hundred years. This does not mean, however, that southeastern Denton County, within the city limits of present-day The Colony, does not have a history of its own. The purpose of this paper is to document that history from its beginning, during the time of the Republic of Texas when it was the location of the first settlement in Denton County, until the birth of The Colony in the early 1970s.

Chapter 1

Early North Texas History

North Texas was one of the last areas of Texas to be settled. When Spain owned Mexico, it appeared to be more interested in settling South Texas; likewise, when Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, it also did little to promote settlement in North Texas. This is likely due to its distance from Mexico (Harris 1).

Prior to 1803, there is little permanent evidence of early travelers in North Texas (Stambaugh and Stambaugh 20). Following the signing of the Louisiana Purchase, a few Mexican explorers, Native Americans, and European traders are known to have traveled through the area (Greene Group IIB). It is also reported that few settled in the area prior to the establishment of the Republic of Texas in 1836, as only one land grant had been issued in Denton County prior to 1841 (Harris 2).

When the Republic of Texas was formed in 1836, its population was estimated to be between 50 and 60 thousand. During its first five years, programs enacted by the legislature proved successful in attracting settlers to the southern gulf coast, the eastern piney woods, and the lower Colorado and Brazos river valleys in the central part of the Republic (Connor, The Peters Colony of Texas 2). During 1840-41, the legislature, knowing it must continue to expand its tax base even more, began to consider additional programs to promote settlement in its vast and mostly vacant northern and western lands.

The legislature considered two options: Implement a land sale model used in the United States, which sold land directly to individuals, or copy an empresario model used by Mexico. The empresario model gave large tracks of land to an individual or group, who would then give the land, for free, to settlers specifically recruited to move to and settle on the Texas land (Ogle 6).

The 5th Congress of the Republic of Texas voted to adopt the empresario model when it passed legislation authorizing the establishment of The Land and Colonization Law in 1841 (Connor, Kentucky Colonization in Texas 8). The legislation authorized a group of Kentucky investors, listed by name in the

6 legislation, to bring emigrants from foreign lands to settle in North Texas. At this time, Texas was an independent republic, therefore including the United States in the definition of a foreign land.

The legislation required settlers to meet and comply with the following requirements: Be a settler new to Texas; be a married man of any age or a single man 17 years or older; build a cabin on the land; cultivate 15 acres of the received land; pledge allegiance to the Republic of Texas; and settle on Peters Colony land prior to July 1, 1848 (Connor, The Peters Colony of Texas 39).

Chapter 2

Peters Colony Company History

From its beginning, the group of Kentucky investors was called Peters Colony. The company likely received its name from William S. Peters, the company’s primary promoter and the first name on the list of investors named in the legislation. The settlers who migrated to North Texas and obtained the company’s free land were called Peters Colonists. The City of The Colony was named to recognize the contribution made by Peters Colony, as well as to honor and memorialize all Peters Colonists who settled in North Texas (The Colony by Fox & Jacobs).

The company was also known by several other names. The initial company formed by Peters to promote the Peters Colony contract was referred to as Peters & Company from 1839-41. In November of 1841, following the signing of the contract, the company reorganized and renamed itself the Texas Agricultural, Commercial and Manufacturing Company. It reorganized again in October of 1844 and was named the Texas Emigration and Land Company (Connor, Kentucky Colonization in Texas 19-20).

Passage of the Land and Colonization Law and the signing of the contract with Peters Colony in August of 1841 became the catalyst for migration to North Texas. The number of new arrivals began to increase in 1842, when Peters, on behalf of Peters Colony, began to advertise its free Texas land in Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Arkansas, and England.

Peters was a promoter and his advertising embellished some of the benefits of living in North Texas. He described the land as the “most fertile lands of any in North America” (Stewart, Smith, and Peters) and abundantly watered by rivers and streams. He also described the climate as “…mild and beautiful, and for health and pleasure, is not surpassed by any in the world, and in this respect may be termed the Italy of America – the thermometer ranging from 30 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the year, the winters are mild and the summer months are relieved of their heat by a constant breeze which plays over the country” (Stewart, Smith, and Peters).

Following the creation of the Peters Colony company, one of the first settlers to arrive in North Texas was John Neely Bryan. Bryan reportedly moved to North Texas in November of 1841 and opened a general store to sell supplies to the Peters Colony settlers. He was later credited with being the founder of Dallas (Jackson 157).

7 Chapter 3

Preston Trail

Many of the Peters Colonists came from areas north of Texas and entered the republic on a military road built by the Republic of Texas in 1838. The road was originally named the Great National Highway (GNH), but later became commonly known as the Preston Trail (Cowling 12-14; Bridges 24-25).

The Preston Trail began on the Red River near Coffey’s Trading Post, an area about eight miles north of Preston, now present-day Denison. The Preston Trail followed a north-south ridge between the Elm Fork and the East Fork of the Trinity River from Denison to Dallas. In Collin County, the trail was located about one-and-a-half miles east of the Denton County line and went on to Dallas and San Antonio (Cowling 14; Bridges 24-25). Today’s Texas State Highway 289, or Preston Road, follows the approximate route of the old Preston Trail (Greene Group IIB). During this time, the Republic of Texas did not allow settlements within three miles of the trail in order to protect the natural views of the Texas landscape for migrating settlers (Cowling 14).

Fate seems to have steered a group of early settlers to southeast Denton County in 1843. The group established a settlement in an area about three miles west of the Preston Trail, which they named Bridges Settlement (Bates 13). The Preston Trail in this area was in Collin County, a little over a mile-and- a-half east of the Denton County line. The settlement was approximately another mile-and-a-half west of the Denton County line.

Southeast Denton County was a good location to establish a settlement. The land was predominantly fertile Blackland prairie grassland and easily cultivated. There was sufficient timber along the creeks and water was available from nearby streams, springs, and shallow wells. There was also an abundance of wild game, fish, nuts, wild fruits, and honey in the area (Stambaugh and Stambaugh 21-22).

Denton County was not actually established until 1846. Prior to 1846, all of what is now Denton County was part of a large land area named Fannin County. This larger Fannin County had been created by the Republic of Texas in 1837 and included all or parts of the following present-day Texas counties: Denton, Grayson, Collin, Cooke, Montague, Wise, Clay, Jack, Wichita, Archer, Young, Wilbarger, Baylor, Throckmorton, Hardeman, Foard, Knox, Haskell, Stonewall, King, Cottle, Childress, Hunt, and Collingsworth (Cowling 4). To avoid confusion, the author will refer to the area as Denton County, even for events occurring prior to the establishment of the county.

8 Chapter 4

Bridges Settlement

This first settlement in Denton County was named after one of the first Peters Colonist families to settle in the area: The John Bridges family. The boundaries of the settlement straddled what are now the Denton and Collin county lines from Stewarts Creek on the north, a short distance into Dallas County on the south, a mile or so into Collin County on the east, and approximately three-to-four miles from the Denton County line on the west (Bates 27). The boundaries of a settlement typically covered a large area because they encompassed the homestead and agricultural land of the residents; the boundaries of a community or town were much smaller because they usually only included commercial and residential buildings and the lots they were built on.

Even though the settlement’s boundaries enclosed a large area, research has found few references to the southern half of the settlement in the area. Based on the settlement’s original reported boundaries, Barksdale Creek, now Indian Creek, would have been the approximate middle of the settlement. The area south of Barksdale Creek appears to have rapidly lost its identity with Bridges Settlement as other settlements formed along the northern Dallas County line. (Unless otherwise noted, reference in this report to Bridges Settlement refers to land north of Barksdale Creek.) The Colony of today is mostly on Bridges Settlement land north of Barksdale Creek.

Barksdale Creek was likely named by Henry Hedgecoxe after Ralph Barksdale. Barksdale was one of the first land agents for Peters Colony in the early 1840s and a Peters Colonist. Hedgecoxe became Peters Colony’s chief land surveyor and agent in 1845 and named many of the creeks in the area. Research indicates that the creek was renamed Indian Creek sometime in the 1850s or 1860s in remembrance of an Indian raid along the creek.

During the 1840s, there were some hostile Indians in North Texas. The few in Denton County were located in the western part of the county. In November of 1846, a raiding party of Indians stole horses from Samuel Chowning and other settlers on Barksdale Creek. Earlier in the year, a group of area settlers had organized a “minute company” for mutual protection. The organization was designed to always be ready in case of an attack. Twenty-two volunteers went after the Indians and horses. They were located two days later near the present-day city of Decatur. In the ensuing fight, named the Grand Prairie Fight, two Indians were killed and some of the horses were recovered (Ogle 35).

Early settlements were typically groups of people who had been friends, neighbors, or relatives and who traveled to Texas in wagon caravans (Bridges 50). Many shared religious ties with the more prominent denominations in the area: Baptist and Methodist (Cowling 16). The Peters Colonists in Bridges Settlement seemed to follow this pattern, as many moved from Greene County, Illinois (north of St. Louis) and several counties in Kentucky. It was not uncommon at this time for families to move

9 throughout the United States during their lives (Ogle 19). Many Peters Colonists shared this nomadic existence, including the Bridges, Chowning, and Wilson families who settled in Bridges Settlement.

Figure 4.1 contains a list of settlers who obtained land grants in the part of Bridges Settlement that is now part of The Colony and who are recognized as Peters Colonists (Connor, The Peters Colony of Texas).

Marital Name Age Children Occupation Migrated From Status William A. Bridges 23 Married 5 Farmer Greene County, Ill. Samuel H. Brown 30 Married 3 Farmer Virginia Samuel Chowning 35 Married 4 Farmer Greene County, Ill. Henry O. Hedgecoxe -- Married 7 Surveyor Clarke County, Ind. Lewis T. Higgins 35 Married 3 Farmer Greene County, Ill. Philemon Higgins 24 Married -- Farmer Illinois Matthew Jones 27 Married 2 Farmer Illinois William Loving 21 Single -- Farmer Arkansas John B. Martin 26 Married 1 -- Kentucky Samuel Peyton 48 Married 3 Farmer Missouri John W. Ragland 39 Married 3 Farmer Tennessee Thomas A. West 46 Married 6 Farmer Illinois Thomas C. Wilson 44 Married 3 Blacksmith Louisiana Figure 4.1

In addition to settlers who obtained Peters Colony land grants in the Bridges Settlement of The Colony, the area also became a temporary home for those in search of a new life in North Texas. Most stayed only a short time, usually until they obtained Peters Colony land grants for other Peters Colony land, obtained land grants from the State of Texas after the Peters Colony contract expired in 1848, started a business, or found a job that supported the area’s growing agricultural economy.

Figure 4.2 lists the settlers having been identified by as living in Bridges Settlement (Bates 28):

Name Notes Ben Baccus -- Dow Baccus -- Jake Baccus -- Pete Baccus -- Surveyor for Peters Colony; Barksdale Creek (now Indian Creek) named Ralph H. Barksdale after him; Obtained a Peters Colony Land Grant in Denton County C. C. Bates -- Rev. E. T. Bates -- Ed F. Bates -- Rev. William E. Bates Methodist minister W. P. Bates -- William Bonham -- David Bridges -- Alfred Harrington Obtained a Peters Colony Land Grant in Collin County

10 Silas Harrington Obtained a Peters Colony Land Grant in Collin County C. C. Portman -- Rev. Jesse Portman Baptist minister Jim Portman -- Mat Portman -- Abe Stover -- Joe Stover -- John M. Vardeman -- George Vardeman -- L. Vardeman -- Peters Colony Company clerk; Obtained a Peters Colony Land Grant in Stephen A. Venters Denton County John West Figure 4.2

The most tangible proof of the existence of Bridges Settlement is Bridges Cemetery. The cemetery is located on one-and-a-half acres of the William Bridges land grant. It is possible, but not confirmed, that the cemetery may have begun with the death of John Bridges, shortly after the Bridges family moved to Bridges Settlement in the mid-1840s. William’s son, Francis, and his wife, Sallie Ashlock Bridges, inherited the land and the cemetery when Francis’ grandmother, Mildred, died in 1868. They donated the cemetery to the Denton County Judge in 1889 (Texas. Denton County 119).

The earliest inscribed burial date on a stone marker in Bridges Cemetery is “Infant daughter, April 5, 1855”; the latest marker is inscribed “Infant 1969” and was for the daughter of a migrant worker who had been working at a nearby farm. Everyone in the cemetery is related by blood or marriage, with the exception of the last child buried there. Over 100 markers in the cemetery are still easily read, although many headstones, which may have had earlier dates, are known to be missing (Gamble 3-5).

The Bridges Settlement area primarily evolved into a place for new settlers to live for a short time while they became acquainted with the area, located land to settle, and applied for their land grants. The area was also a commercial center between 1844 and 1852, when Willis T. Stewart became the principal investor in Peters Colony and moved the company’s headquarters from Farmers Branch in Dallas County to Office Branch Creek in Bridges Settlement. Bridges Settlement has the distinction of being established during the Republic of Texas and is acknowledged as the first settlement in Denton County.

Chapter 5

Stewartsville

As the number of settlers in the area increased, several other settlements were founded in the Bridges Settlement area. Three of those communities began in 1844: Stewartsville, Holford’s Prairie, and Little Elm (Cowling 11). Stewartsville, sometimes spelled Stewardsville, formed around the Peters Colony Headquarters on Office Branch Creek. This location is currently the area west of the intersection of Main

11 Street and Memorial Drive in The Colony. Holford’s Prairie was located a few miles west of Stewartsville and later became Lewisville. Little Elm was located north of Bridges Settlement.

Following the establishment of the Peters Colony headquarters, a small community formed around the office. Stewartsville is believed to have been named after Willis T. Stewart, the principal investor in Peters Colony, who moved the company headquarters to Bridges Settlement in 1844 (Ogle 14). A review of a survey map, drawn by Henry Hedgecoxe in 1852, supports the idea of Stewartsville being established on the northwest corner of the Thomas C. Wilson land grant in Bridges Settlement. It is unknown why Willis Stewart moved the Peters Colony headquarters to Bridges Settlement, but it can be speculated that he may have done so because his brother, Isaac, lived in the area.

Stewart’s Creek was named after Isaac F. Stewart, one of the first settlers in Bridges Settlement (Bates 37). Isaac Stewart’s brothers, Willis T. Stewart and James Stewart, became investors in Peters Colony in 1844. The Stewart brothers’ interest in Texas began in 1836 when they attempted to purchase land near Nacogdoches from a land speculator. The venture did not end successfully, as there were problems with the original title and the brothers were never able to obtain a clear title (Connor, Kentucky Colonization in Texas 20).

Following the opening of the Peters Colony land office, the company also opened a small general store, which brought in manufactured goods from England, inside its headquarters. The goods were sold to settlers in New Icaria, a French utopian community that had been established in Denton County near the present-day city of Justin; however, when it became apparent that the New Icarians had no money to pay for their purchases, the store was closed (Cowling 20).

In addition to Stewartsville being recognized as the location of the Peters Colony headquarters, it is also recognized for several other historical accomplishments: Stewartsville was one of the earliest communities in Denton County and was established during the Republic of Texas. Many of the early Peters Colony advertisements distributed in the United States and England identified Stewartsville as the headquarters of Peters Colony; Stewartsville, therefore, was the first community in North Texas to be known internationally (Cowling 11-17). On March 8, 1847, Stewartsville became the location of one of the first two post offices established in Denton County (the other was in Pinckneyville, which later became Denton). Henry O. Hedgecoxe was appointed its first and only postmaster. Unfortunately, the post office closed on September 20, 1847, becoming the first post office in the county to close (Wheat). The location for the post office was most likely in the Peters Colony headquarters building located in Stewartsville.

Following the closing of the post office, Stewartsville experienced other problems (Minor) and by 1848, the settlement consisted of only one cabin (Jackson 16-17). With the demise of Stewartsville, the land on which the Peters Colony office was built was once again referred to as being part of Bridges Settlement. From this point on, Bridges Settlement is recognized as the location of the Peters Colony headquarters.

12 Even though the 1852 Hedgecoxe map offers the most convincing proof of the existence of Stewartsville, there are many historical writings that create confusion over the physical location of the Peters Colony headquarters office, the name of the community in which it was located, and whether or not Bridges Settlement and Stewartsville were the same or different settlements. See Appendix 2 for additional information.

Chapter 6

Early Life for Bridges Settlement and Stewartsville

The Peters Colonists who settled on land that is now The Colony were primarily farm families attracted by the promise of free land and a better life. They must have been a strong and adventurous people willing to leave behind family, friends, possessions, and civilization as they knew it in order to immigrate to a primitive land with no roads, homes, stores, or churches. When they arrived, they had only what nature provided and the possessions they were able to bring with them in a horse-drawn farm wagon, plus a few cattle, hogs, sheep, and chickens.

Life was difficult for the Peters Colonist settlers in Bridges Settlement, Stewartsville, and other area settlements in southeast Denton County in the 1840s. The first obstacle was the trip itself. For settlers coming from Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee, the trip took between four and six weeks by horse-drawn farm wagon. Once the settlers arrived in Texas, they then had several interrelated obstacles to overcome, including weather, locating land, and finding food and housing.

One of the settlers’ first tasks was to locate shelter. This was particularly challenging for the first inhabitants because there was no one to help them with temporary lodging and supplies. The Peters Colonists’ first homes were likely small, crude log cabins with dirt floors. In some cases, there would have been no opening except for a door and chimney. The logs were likely held together with fitted notches or wooden pegs. The cracks between each log were sealed during the winter with a mixture of clay and mud to keep out the chilly wind; the mixture was then removed in the summer to provide ventilation (Bridges 30-31).

The primary occupation in the area was subsistence agriculture. Cotton cloth for clothing was spun by housewives and practically everything eaten was raised. Available food included beef, pork, venison, turkey, prairie chicken, milk, fish, butter, cheese, pecans, acorns, and wild fruit such as persimmons (used for preserves), plums, grapes, and red and black haws. Food was cooked on an open fire (Harris 28-29).

The nearest towns for Peters Colonists to purchase supplies were Jefferson, Texas, and Shreveport, Louisiana. Supplies were shipped by ox train caravans, which contained two or more wagons. Each wagon was pulled by a team of four-to-six oxen and would hold between 4,000 and 6,000 pounds. The trip would take four-to-five weeks due to lack of roads and bridges. Supply trips could only be made in the spring, when there was grass and water for the oxen. Due to the high cost of transportation

13 ($4/hundred pounds), store-bought supplies were limited to necessities, such as coffee, sugar, and tobacco. Rough pine timber was also shipped in from East Texas to use for building homes instead of logs (Bates 294-295). The opportunity to obtain supplies was limited because many settlers had little or no money; therefore, most payment for commodities was done on credit or barter (Bridges 42).

Cost of Goods in the Late 1840s Good Price Notes Corn $0.08/bushel in Missouri; $1.00/bushel in Texas (Bates 337) Wheat $0.50/bushel (average) (Bates 337) Bacon $0.125/pound (Bates 337) Salt $6-$7/hundred-pound sack (Bates 295) Rough green pine $4-$7/hundred feet; shipped from East Texas (Bates 295) lumber (for homes) Property $0.50-$1.00/acre (Bates 90) Figure 6.1

The land in the area around Stewart Creek consisted of a moderately-to-gently rolling terrain of deep clay soils. The grass would grow knee-high in the spring months. The creek’s vegetation consisted of oak, juniper, and grasses near its source, and pecans, hardwoods, and grasses near its mouth (“Stewart Creek”).

The hot, dry summer weather caused several problems for the Peters Colonists in the summer months of June, July, and August. The scorching heat would crack the Blackland prairie soil, causing it to cross- crack every few feet. It was reported that some cracks were so deep they could hold an eight-foot rail. The cracks made transportation difficult for fear a horse would step into a crack and break a leg. The heat would also dry out the vegetation, making the area susceptible to dangerous grass fires (Bates 297).

The settlers who lived in Bridges Settlement prior to 1854 also had the added pressure of trying to obtain land titles. Due to inadequate organization and planning by Peters Colony, the company did not have agents in the area to coordinate and direct settlers to approved land grant sites. Without guidance, those who arrived in the 1840s picked the land they wanted to settle on and make their home.

Unfortunately, this haphazard settlement would later become a serious problem for both the settlers and the Peters Colony Company. According to the Peters Colony contract, the company would be paid in land for their recruiting and surveying activities. When Peters Colony later surveyed the land as required, they realized that many settlers were living on land that had been authorized as the company’s. Peters Colony’s chief surveyor, Henry Hedgecoxe, tried to force the settlers to move off the land the company claimed was theirs. As expected, Hedgecoxe’s actions caused much discord with the settlers being asked to move off land they had lived on for years and considered as their own (Connor, Kentucky Colonization in Texas 39-41).

While the company worked to complete the land surveys, Hedgecoxe attempted to reassure the Colonists about the validity of their land claims by issuing land certificates; however, they were not land

14 titles and did little to calm the colonists’ demands for official land titles (Connor, Kentucky Colonization in Texas 40).

The legislature attempted to help by passing an act on January 21, 1850, authorizing the governor to appoint a special land commissioner to travel through Peters Colony and issue land titles. Thomas William Ward was appointed as the special land commissioner and traveled throughout Peters Colony issuing what became known as Ward Certificates to Peters Colonists (Connor, Kentucky Colonization in Texas 47).

In order to receive a certificate, Ward required the settlers to take an oath that they had lived on their land for three years and that they had been a good citizen. They also had to produce two citizens to vouch that the colonist had settled on the land prior to the expiration of the Peters Colony contract on July 1, 1848 (Connor, Kentucky Colonization in Texas 47). Ward made two trips to Bridges Settlement, one of which was from April through early May of 1850, when he issued certificates to Samuel H. Brown (Connor, The Peters Colony of Texas 203), Samuel Chowning (218), Lewis Higgins (282), and Thomas Wilson (434). Ward returned in November of 1850 and issued certificates to William Bridges (201), Philemon Higgins (282), Emily Jane Jones (widow of Mathew Jones) (299), William Loving (317), Samuel Payton (360), John Ragland (370), John B. Martin (333), and Thomas West (426). Henry Hedgecoxe was the only Peters Colonist in The Colony that did not receive a Ward certificate. He received the title to his land grant in The Colony in June 1854

The Ward certificates, however, did not help non-Peters Colonist settlers obtain land titles. They were required to obtain their land titles directly from the county and state land offices. Yet, due to legislation passed by the legislature, state and county land offices could not issue titles until Peters Colony completed the surveys for land authorized to be given to them in payment for the company’s recruiting and surveying services (Connor, Kentucky Colonization in Texas 44).

The land title issue ultimately led to the Hedgecoxe War on July 15, 1852, when the land office in Bridges Settlement was burned. The organizers of the Hedgecoxe War were mostly businessmen and land locators who were prohibited by the Peters Colony contract with the state of Texas from claiming Peters Colony land prior to it being surveyed by the company (Connor, Kentucky Colonization in Texas 55). It is unlikely that any settlers from Bridges Settlement participated in the event because they had already received the title to their land from William Ward in 1850.

Non-Peters Colony settlers were finally able to obtain their titles after the Hedgecoxe War. The legislature passed an act on February 7, 1853, permitting settlers to file their land claims directly with the state land office in Austin. By 1854, the settlers who did not qualify as Peters Colonists were able to begin obtaining land grant titles (Connor, Kentucky Colonization in Texas 64-65). See Appendix 3 for information on settlers who received land grant titles in present-day The Colony. See Appendix 4 for information on various types of land grants issued in present-day The Colony.

Beginning in the 1850s, due to the open prairies and abundant grass in the area, stock-raising began its rise to becoming the principal occupation in southeast Denton County (Bates 304-305). Grass was

15 considered free, until barbed wire fencing became available in the early 1880s (Bates 90). The native grasses in the area included Bermuda, fescue grass, burr grass, and sweet clover (Cowling 103).

Daily life during this time was more advanced than in the 1840s, but still difficult. As the population increased, more services and supplies became available locally. Grist mills to process grain were made available, as well as nails, which allowed for nicer homes to be built with wooden planks from the newly opened saw mills (Bridges 30-31). It would, however, be another twenty years before cook stoves became common in the area (Harris 29). During this time, the city of McKinney also became a source for many supplies (Bates 304).

Chapter 7

Stewarts Creek Settlement

Following the Hedgecoxe War, Bridges Settlement took on a new identity as Stewart’s Creek Settlement. The settlement was probably named after the nearby creek of the same name. The settlement was also spelled Steward’s Creek. Based on land grant information, the boundaries of the settlement were similar to the boundaries of the original Bridges Settlement north of Indian Creek and some adjoining land to the west.

The settlement is known to have been the location of a post office, a church, and the area’s first public school. Several trades were also represented in the settlement according to the 1860 Denton County census. Most of the area residents listed their occupation as farmer, rancher, or stock-raising. Other occupations listed included a physician, three cabinet makers, two school teachers, a blacksmith, and a shingle maker. The settlement’s population is estimated to have been between two and three hundred.

Figure 7.1 lists the settlers having been identified as living in Stewart’s Creek Settlement (Bates 37).

Name Notes Jack Chowning -- James Chowning County Commissioner, 1848-1980 Samuel Chowning -- F. E. Cheneworth -- James Cheneworth -- Butler Dudley -- Joe Dudley -- W. R. Dudley -- Tom Fouts -- Jack Fouts -- W. T. Fouts -- Lewis H. Higgins -- Lewis T. Higgins Justice of the Peace, 1848; Confederate States Postmaster, 1864-1866 Sam T. Higgins -- Elder H. Kerr --

16 J. B. McWhorter -- Rev. J. E. McWhorter -- Dr. Newton -- Charley Newton -- Della Newton -- Jake Riley -- Bill Ritter -- Jake Ritter -- John Ritter -- James L. Sparks School teacher; First postmaster, 1859; Justice of the Peace Isaac F. Stewart -- Abe Stover -- Joe Stover -- Ben Strahan -- County Clerk, 1848-49 and 1860-63; County Judge, 1856-59; Stephen A. Venters State Legislator, 1878-79 Figure 7.1

The Stewart’s Creek United States Post Office was opened on March 4, 1859, when James L. Sparks was appointed its first postmaster. The post office was operated by the Confederate States of America (CSA) from August 5, 1860 until January 23, 1867. The CSA postmasters were John Welborn (1860-61), Robert C. Epps (1861-64), and Lewis T. Higgins (1864-66). The United States re-established the post office as Stewards Creek Post Office on June 4, 1877, when Lewis G. Higgins was appointed postmaster. H. T. Higgins was post master from June 28, 1877 until it closed in January of 1886 (Wheat). It is likely the closing of the post office also signaled the end of the Stewart’s Creek Settlement.

The Stewart’s Creek Baptist Church may have been the area’s first church building. It is unknown exactly when the church was organized, but it is known to have been in existence prior to 1864 and after 1924. There is also a Stewart’s Creek Church shown on a 1921 Denton County Soil map (Soil Map, Denton County, Texas).

Beginning with the earliest Peters Colonist settlers, the desire to send their children to school was immense. According to the 1850 Denton County census, even though schools were comparatively rare, almost half of the Peters Colonists in the Bridges Settlement area had sent their children to school in the county within a year of arriving in Texas; the following Bridges Settlement families reported they had done so: Samuel Chowning, Lewis T. Higgins, Samuel Payton, John Ragland, and Thomas West.

The 1860 Denton County Stewart Creek census reports that there were two residents, John Wilborn and John Lakin, who listed their occupation as teacher. It is likely that the children from Bridges Settlement, and also the children from the early days of Stewart’s Creek Settlement, met in their teacher’s home because there were few, if any, public buildings or churches available. These schools were subscription schools, supported by parents who paid tuition between one and three dollars per month. The school year usually lasted two or three months during the summer. School books consisted of McGuffey’s Reader, Webster’s Blue Back Spelling Book, and Smith’s Grammar. Paper was scarce, so each student

17 was given a piece of slate and chalk. Desks were likely to have been a log split in half with two legs placed against the wall and the seats were a similar log split in half with four shorter legs (Bridges 42).

Amendments to the Texas constitution in 1876 made sweeping changes to school laws. They established a community school system, whereby any group of parents could unite and organize themselves into a school community and apply for state funds based on the number of qualifying pupils between the ages of eight and fourteen. There were no school boundaries and reorganization was necessary every year. The county judge appointed three trustees over each community school, which carried both a name and number. No taxes could be levied to build school buildings; however, half of one year’s school fund could be used for building purposes, provided the parents supplied the other half of the funds within the same year. The common method of financing the school building was by subscription (Watson).

In response to the new law, parents in Stewart’s Creek petitioned the Denton County Commissioners Court on October 28, 1876, for funds to start the Stewart Creek School Community No. 8. The school began with 30 students. James L. Sparks, J.B. Shipp, and J.M. Vardeman were appointed as the school’s first trustees. School funding from the county was approximately $2.00/student, but it could vary a few cents from year to year (Watson).

In 1884, the Texas legislature passed a new public school law that abolished the community system of school organization; a numbered county school district system was adopted in its place. This law shifted control from the state to individual counties and permitted country school districts to levy taxes to support public schools. The law also required that every school building have its district number displayed in large numerals above the school door (Watson).

In response to the 1884 law, the Denton County Commissioners Court reorganized the schools in the county. The area served by the Stewart’s Creek School Community No. 8 became Denton County District # 49 (Watson). The district boundaries encompassed 14-square miles that match almost exactly the boundaries of The Colony land purchased by Fox and Jacobs and the Austin Ranch area south of Highway 121. See City of The Colony Historical Map for school district boundaries.

The school was initially known as High Point. The name was later changed to Mays School (Odom 51), possibly named after the Mays family or G.P. Mays, Jr., a school trustee who served during the 1884- 1885 school year. The 1921 Denton Soil map shows the location of the Mays School.

Figure 7.2 includes additional information from early county school records.

Denton County School # 49 Operating Funds Number of Number of School Year Provided by the School Trustees Students Teachers County

-G. P. Mays, Jr. 1884-1885 47 2 $244.40 -L. S. Sparks -Joseph S. Stover

18 - James L. Sparks 1885-1886 ? 2 $304.50 -J. M. Vardeman -J. Roark -J. H. Trout -D. W. Newton 1886-1887 61 ? $230.40 -D. M. Schultz -S. D. Green Figure 7.2

It was not until the 1870s that the State of Texas issued the last original land grant titles for land in the area known as Stewart’s Creek Settlement. See Appendix 3 for information on settlers who received land grant titles in present-day The Colony.

Chapter 8

Rector

Charles Rector and his family migrated to Texas from Booneville, Missouri, in 1855. Charles was born in Germantown, Virginia, located in Farquier County, in 1801. He was the son of Enoch Rector, a fifth- generation descendent of John Jacob Rector, who came to the Virginia Colony from Germany. The Rector families were metal workers and surveyors (Blalock).

Charles and his father migrated to Kentucky in the early 1820s, where it is believed he met and married his wife, Isabella. They married on October 11, 1828. Enoch died in Kentucky and Charles and Isabella moved to Booneville, Missouri, where their seven children were born: Lucy “Laura” (Fields), James E. “Ed,” Elisha S., Thomas Charles, Nathaniel “Nat,” William H., and Margaret (Talkington) (Blalock).

In 1855, the Rector family moved to Collin County, Texas, where they purchased 640 acres near the Bethel community, which was located on the Denton-Collin County line in what is now in Frisco. The family was active in the Methodist church and Charles used his horses to bring wood from East Texas to build a church building (Blalock).

Many other families from Missouri also came to the Bethel community during this time. Among them were Thomas Davis and his family, who came from Hermitage, Missouri. The Davis family included four children: Elizabeth (Woodrum), Sarah ((Andrews) (Quisenberry)), Eli P., and Samuel Robert “Sam.” At the time of their migration from Missouri, their daughter Sarah was married to W.L. Andrews, who was also from Hermitage (Blalock).

In the early 1860s, Charles Rector and Thomas Davis bought adjoining land in Denton County east of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River on the Cottonwood and Elm Creeks. Their ranches were on land that is north of The Tribute area of present-day The Colony. The families raised cattle on the ranches. This area became known as the Rector Community (Blalock).

19 During the Civil War, four of Charles Rector’s five sons, excepting Nat, and the two sons of Thomas Davis served in the Confederate Army. W.L. Andrews died in 1864, but it is not known if his death was war related. He was the first of the family buried in the Bethel Cemetery (Blalock).

Of the Rector sons, Nat was the most active in operating the family ranch. Nat, his brother Ed, and Sam Davis drove cattle from Denton County up the Chisholm Trail to Kansas in the late 1860s and early 1870s. Nat married into the Davis family when he married Janie Andrews May 27, 1875. Nat and Janie had nine children, eight of whom lived to adulthood: Addie Bell (Orr (Harp)), Charles Eli, Sam Davis, Bess (Harwell), Achilles Q. “Kil,” Thomas “Tom,” Sidney R. “Ned,” and Mary Jane (Nale). A son, William, died at age three in 1880 (Blalock).

Several of the Rector children moved from Denton County and Texas following the Civil War. Nat Rector and his family continued to live at the family ranch in Rector. He and Sam R. Davis (Janie’s uncle) began expanding their cattle operations after the trail drives. He purchased more land in the area and introduced several innovative farm practices to the area. It is said he put up the first windmill in Denton County and was the first rancher to bring European breeds of cattle to the county. After the turn of the century, he expanded his ranching operation into West Texas and Oklahoma (Blalock).

Nat opened a cotton gin and a store in the Rector Community (Hart, “Rector, TX”; Hervey 44). Cotton gins were a familiar sight in southeast Denton County in the late 1800s as more land transferred from cattle ranch land to growing cotton. Rector was also the location of a post office, an International Order of Oddfellows (IOOF) Lodge, and a school. No population statistics are available for the community.

A post office was opened December 26, 1891, with twice-weekly mail service. Evan J. Farrington was appointed its first postmaster. Haskins P. Peden served from June 2, 1893 to December 8, 1893; William M. Ragland from December 9, 1893 to March 14, 1895; and George L. Vardaman from March 15, 1895 until the post office closed on March 31, 1909. At this time, mail service was transferred to Lewisville (Wheat; Hervey 44).

The Rector school was opened in 1889 as Denton County School # 87. Historical records containing information on student enrollment for the Rector School are not available. During this time, it was not uncommon for school classes to be held on the first floor of the local IOOF hall (Watson); it is likely that this was the case for the school in Rector. The school consolidated with the Hackberry School # 50 in 1905 (Odom 52).

The Hackberry school began when the Denton County Commissioners approved an application from the community of Hackberry on October 20, 1876 and formed the Hackberry Community School No. 4. In 1884, when Denton County reorganized the school districts, Hackberry became identified as School # 50. The Hackberry school operated until 1927, when it consolidated with Little Elm (Odom 51).

Nat and Janie moved in 1905 from the ranch in Rector to Denton. The Rector home place was sold about 1910 to Frank and Matt Davis and D.D. Long. Charles Rector (August 22, 1801 – December 21, 1881) and his wife Isabella (September 1808 – December 31, 1899) are buried in the Bethel Cemetery. Nat (May

20 20, 1848 – November 2, 1917) and his wife Janie (January 28, 1856- June 14, 1926) are buried in the IOOF cemetery in Denton (Blalock).

Chapter 9

Camey Spur

During the late 1800s, it was not unusual for communities to move or be built on a railroad line. In the late 1890s, the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad laid ten miles of track diagonally across the southeastern corner of the Denton County and became the fourth railroad to lay track in the county. This railroad line was the first in Denton County to be built without any state land subsidies. Prior railroads had been given public state land to sell and the proceeds were used to pay for laying the track (Cowling 82-83). The St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad line opened between Sherman/Denison and Carrollton in March of 1902. In addition to freight, the railroad also ran two passenger trains a day (Hebron Bicentennial Committee 12-13).

The community of Camey Spur began in 1896 alongside the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad line. According to McKamy family history, William Albert McKamy and other land owners donated land to the railroad to build a loading pen and dock for their cattle (Ramsay); however, a search of land ownership maps show that Morris T. Griffin appeared to own the land donated to the railroad. The community was located along the eastern border of present-day The Colony, about one mile north of State Highway 121. Today, the sole physical existence of the community is an abandoned water line in the Legends neighborhood in The Colony. It runs on a line east from the southern boundary of Bridges Cemetery to the city limits of Frisco (City of The Colony – Geographic Information Systems).

It is not known why the community was named after William Albert McKamy or the McKamy family, but it could possibly be because William Albert, like Morris T. Griffin, was a prominent land owner in the area. William Albert moved to Texas in 1847 with his family from Tennessee following a short stay in Sedalia, Missouri. The family purchased land in the Bridges Settlement area. They also purchased the J.V. Mounts grist mill on White Rock Creek and the family moved there in 1852. When the Civil War started, William Albert’s father, William C. McKamy, joined the Confederate Army as a private in Company C, Sixth Texas Calvary. He served one year and was elected captain and served in that capacity until the end of the war. An undated land ownership map believed to be from the first part of the 1900s shows William A. McKamy owned land south of the Camey Spur community (Heydrick).

It was not uncommon during this time for settlements to be referred to by more than one name or for family names to be spelled differently. The McKamy family and the community of Camey Spur seems to have taken this practice to the extreme. The community was most commonly known as Camey or Camey Spur, but during its history it was also known as McKamy, Camey Switch, and McCamey Switch (Ramsay).

21 The McKamy family name was also spelled McKamey, Camey, and Camy. William C. McKamy and his family became prominent citizens in Denton, Dallas, and Collin Counties. The first elementary school in The Colony was named after the McKamy family and/or Camey Spur.

Thanks to the railroad, for the first time local farmers and ranchers had access to transportation to ship their crops of cotton, wheat, hay, corn, and cattle to market (Cowling 101). In the beginning, cattle were the most prominent product shipped to places like Dodge City and Kansas City, Kansas (Ramsay). However, the combination of improved transportation from the railroad and farmers’ ability to fence the fertile Blackland prairie with barb wire diminished the importance of cattle and allowed the growing of crops (Cowling 102). Cotton became the primary crop and Camey Spur joined the Dallas area in becoming a leading national suppler of cotton in the early 1900s (Odom).

The first reported store in Camey Spur was a grocery store opened by Morris. T. Griffin, which he later sold to Ryman K. Thomas (Crider). See Appendix 5 for additional information on the Griffin family.

More convenient postal service returned to the area when Ernest H. Thomas was appointed to be the post master of the new Camey Spur post office on July 13, 1913. The post office was located in the general store owned by his father Ryman K. Thomas. Claud R. Howard was appointed post master on January 12, 1922 and was the postmaster until it closed on February 28, 1925 (Hart, “Camey Spur, TX”; Wheat). At the time the post office opened, the community had a population of about 30 people (Hart, “Camey Spur, TX”).

In addition to the post office closing, the community also experienced a commercial setback when on November 20, 1924, the cotton gin burned down. However, good news was reported in a Dallas Morning News article when the owner of the cotton gin, Charles Smith, announced a new modern gin would be built to replace the old one (“Building Modern Gin”).

Nineteen twenty-six was an exciting time in the community, when a new red brick four teacher school was built (Bogard 21; Ramsay). It is believed this new school replaced the Mays School and was renamed Camey Spur. The school contained grades one through nine. High school students went to Lewisville if they lived on the west side of the railroad tracks or Frisco if they lived on the east side (Ramsay). Teachers at the school included Raymond Banks, Bill Hawk, and Alma Whatley, sister of John Whatley, who owned a dry goods store in Lewisville (Bogard 24).

At its peak, the community had a railroad shipping and loading dock, railroad depot, cotton gin, grain elevator, two general stores (the Thomas General Store and the Bradley General Store), and a non- denominational church that was also used as a community center and a school (Bogard 21; Ramsay).

The community also had active volunteers, as a February 12, 1928 Dallas Morning News article reported on a project of the Camey Spur Community Garden Club. Club president Mrs. Lassie Clark and Secretary Mrs. John Thompson won $12.50 for second place in a county community garden contest sponsored by the Denton Chamber of Commerce (“Make Garden Contest”).

22 Camey Spur’s largest reported population was 47 in the 1930s. The community began to fade away in the late 1930s and early 1940s as the area’s population began the World War II-induced rural-to-urban population shift (Odom). The cotton gin, grain elevator, general store, and school closed (Ramsay). In 1947, the Camey Spur School District #49 consolidated with the Lewisville Independent School District (Watson 20).

Chapter 10

Lakes

Following the demise of Camey Spur, the area’s commerce returned to the farmers who owned the land; however, that would change when the growing Dallas area to the south began to look for more water in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The early settlers in southeast Denton County obtained their water from rivers, streams, springs, and rain water. Due to the City of Dallas’ growing population, the need for water and flood protection was increasing. Part of the Dallas plan for increasing its water supply and flood protection included damming the Elm Fork of the Trinity River in Denton County (City of The Colony).

Construction of the first lake built by the City of Dallas, named Lake Dallas, began in February, 1928. The lake was located near the village of Garza, later renamed Lake Dallas, Texas, in 1929. The dam was 80 feet high, 11,000 feet long, had a 194,000 acre-foot capacity at an elevation of 525 feet, and covered over 10,000 acres. It was nine miles long, three miles wide, and had a forty-three mile shoreline. Lake Dallas served as the principal source of municipal water for Dallas for 31 years (City of The Colony).

As flood control and conservation became more serious issues in the 1940s, the United States Congress responded by passing the River and Harbor Act on March 2, 1945, which called for the construction of four flood-control lakes within the Trinity Basin. On November 28, 1948, the Corps of Engineers began work on a new Denton County dam and lake that would impound the waters of Clear, Little Elm, Stewart, Pecan, and Hickory Creeks, as well as the Trinity River’s Elm fork. Although the 125 foot high and 33,000 foot long dam was not completed until 1955, the impoundment began on November 1, 1954 (City of The Colony).

The total cost of this project was $21,765,500, paid for by the cities of Dallas, Highland Park, University Park, and Denton in exchange for access to the water. The new reservoir, popularly called Garza-Little Elm Lake, and the older and smaller Lake Dallas became one when the old Garza Dam was breached on October 28, 1957. The huge lake that resulted was 13 miles long, had a 183-mile shoreline, and a capacity of 436,000 acre-feet at an elevation of 515 feet (City of The Colony).

The joining of Lake Dallas and the Garza-Little Elm Reservoir led to confusion concerning the facility’s legal name. The problem was compounded even further when the government re-designated the dam as Lewisville Dam in 1955 and the lake as Lewisville Reservoir in 1960; however, the decision concerning

23 the lake’s name was reversed the following year, keeping Garza-Little Elm Reservoir as the lake’s official title. The lake was renamed Lake Lewisville in the mid-1970s (City of The Colony).

Lake Lewisville now comprises the western boundary of The Colony. Its original purpose was to control potential flood waters originating within the Elm Fork drainage basin. In addition, the lake also assists in soil conservation, provides water for local municipalities, and serves as a recreational area not only for The Colony, but the entire North Texas area (City of The Colony).

Chapter 11

Eastvale

When Lewisville Lake was full, the eastern edge became an attraction for those interested in lakeside living. Thus began Eastvale, located a few miles north of the intersection of Highway 121 and 423. In the 1960s, Eastvale was an unincorporated summer cottage and retirement community with a population of two or three hundred.

Chapter 12

The Transition Years

By the 1960s and early 1970s, after years of supporting the early Peters Colonists and subsequent families, the Blackland prairie land in Bridges Settlement had largely become an area of abandoned fields and over-grazed pasture land interspersed with a few fields of productive cotton and sorghum cropland. The younger population had mostly moved away to the big cities and the remaining land owners were retiring and interested in selling their land (United States). It was also during this time that the electric and gas utility companies began to obtain land easements to build giant electric power and natural gas pipe lines.

It was at this time that another type of land grant company was looking to encourage a different kind of settlement in the Bridges Settlement area. The next chapter of this story describes the change of a sparsely populated rural landscape into a modern suburban city that the Peters Colonists could have never imagined.

24 25 Appendix 1

Peters Colony Advertisement

26 Appendix 2

Bridges Settlement and Stewartsville

In the absence of any physical proof, the location of the Peters Colony headquarters on Office Branch Creek in Bridges Settlement is supported by several historical sources and original land grant records. The most specific written verification comes from Ed F. Bates’ book History and Reminiscences of Denton County. A written personal testimony states, “the office was located about two miles east of Higgins’ Crossing on Big Elm” (Bates 339) and “this was probably two miles west of the present town of Hebron, and just west of the Tom West survey” (Bates 351-52). A review of an original land grant map confirms the central point of these two references is land approximately at the location of Memorial Drive and Main Street in The Colony. At the time this was recorded by Bates in 1918, it is possible the reference was made to Hebron because it would have been the nearest community to the Bridges Settlement area. Also note that the directions given by sources are often general recollections and judgment should be used to interpret them.

The following sources add substantial credibility to the office location:

Other references from Ed F. Bates include:

- “This rapid settling here was caused by Peters Colony establishing their land office in the Bridges Settlement on Office Branch in 1844 …” (13-14).

- “It was here that the Peters Colony established its land office and settlers’ store in 1843 (sic) and from this, as a center of the colony, all of its employees worked. All the records were kept here by Judge S. A. Venters. It was to the land office, at that time, that the immigrant had to go in search of and to file his claims for land. This was the office that was destroyed by the people in 1850 (sic) …” (27-28).

- W. P. Bates emigrated to Texas on September 15, 1851, with his father, the Rev W. E. Bates. When they got to Texas on November 1, 1851, they rented Tom West’s place on Barksdale Creek. West lived in Bridges Settlement. The writer also mentions seeing Mildred, William, and David Bridges and Samuel Chowning in Bridges Settlement (Bates 293-94).

In his book History of Denton, Texas, From Its Beginning to 1960, C. A. Bridges says:

- “Agents of the Peters Company then moved their main office from near Farmer’s (sic) Branch in Dallas County to the new Denton County settlement on what they called Office Creek, just a short distance north of the present town of Hebron” (49-50).

- “The first colonists brought in by the company settled near the junction of the Denton, Collin, and Dallas County lines … After the first few months the central office was located near Bridges Settlement and Stewartsville in Denton County …” (24).

27 Mrs. J. M. Harris, in her book 112 Years in Little Elm Community, reported that W. E. Bates came to Bridges Settlement in 1851 and moved to Little Elm in 1852 (21).

Several sources also create the impression of confusion regarding the question of whether or not Bridges Settlement and Stewartsville were the same or different communities. A review of reference material finds that there are several pieces of evidence to support the theory that they were separate settlements:

- Stewartsville faded away in 1848, yet there are several sources after that date that indicated Bridges Settlement continued to be recognized (Harris 21).

- Bridges references both communities when he writes, “The first colonists brought in by the company settled near the junction of the Denton, Collin, and Dallas County lines … After the first few months the central office was located near Bridges Settlement and Stewartsville in Denton County …” (24).

Bridges Settlement Location; Called Stewartsville

The following sources generally support the location of the Peters Colony office in the Bridges Settlement area, but refer to Stewartsville:

John William Rogers says in his book, The Lusty Texans of Dallas, “From their offices at Stewartsville (the field headquarters had been moved north of Dallas County) …” (64).

George Jackson, in his book Sixty Years in Texas, says:

- “The Hedgecoxe office was situated in Denton County, about twenty miles north of Dallas” (155).

- “… they advanced on Stewardsville, that being the name of the place. It was known by that name in the other States and in England, where the Colony had been so liberally advertised …” (155).

Georgia Myers Ogle, in her book Elm Fork Settlements: Farmers Branch and Carrollton, says:

- “… many researchers believe that the second location of the colony’s headquarters was named Stewartsville for him (14)

- “An office was set up at Stewartsville before 1848, because before he left England, John Jackson had been instructed to report there to file his claim” (17).

The Hedgecoxe War Historical marker application written by Lawrence Martin notes that creeks and rivers are sometimes named after functions that occur around the creek. The application noted there

28 were no other references in interviews with long time residents that would indicate any other reason that Office Creek was so named except that it was the location of the Peters Colony office (2).

Mary Jo Cowling, in her book Geography of Denton County, says:

- “Mr. Peters established his land office in the southeastern corner of Denton County where the town of Hebron is now located” (10-11). At the time Cowling’s book was written, it is possible the reference was made to Hebron because it would have been the nearest community to the land office.

- “The store of the Peters Colony, which was at Stewartville (sic), brought in manufactured goods from England …” (20).

29 Appendix 3

The following is a complete list of the individuals/families that were issued original land grants in The Colony. The genealogy information is from the original land grants obtained from the Texas General Land Office and miscellaneous genealogy sources. See Appendix 4 for information on various types of land grants issued in present-day The Colony.

** Peters Colonist

David Andrews – Obtained title to 640 acres on February 10, 1852; he sold the grant for an unknown amount to J. W. Brashear on March 20, 1852 (Texas. General Land Office. David Andrews Land Grant).

David C. Bridges – David was the youngest son of John and Mildred Bridges. The family migrated to Texas from Greene County, Illinois, in 1842 or 1843. They settled in Bridges Settlement in 1843 and the settlement was named after the Bridges family: John, Mildred, and sons, William and David. David claimed a 160-acre land grant February 13, 1854. His land survey was signed on February 3, 1855 and he obtained title on February 9, 1858 (Texas. General Land Office. David C. Bridges Land Grant). He was born on March 3, 1830 or 1838 (his cemetery tombstone says March 3, 1830; the 1850 census records imply 1838), in Illinois. His was a farmer and he never married.

Prior to moving to Bridges Settlement, David’s father, John, received a Peters Colony land grant in Grayson County, southwest of the current community of Whitesboro, Texas. John is believed to have died before 1844, but it is unclear if he died after to the family moving to Bridges Settlement or if Mildred and her sons moved there to be with friends because of his death.

David’s grandfather, Allen J. Bridges, who was born in 1756, was a native of Wake County, North Carolina. He served in the Revolutionary War in the battles of Ramsour and Salisbury. He also served in the War of 1812.

There is conflicting information as to whether David served in the Confederate Army in the Civil War. Family history implies his death was due to complications from being exposed to the measles and exposure while in the army. He died shortly after returning home on July 7, 1862, and is buried in Bridges Cemetery.

**William A. Bridges – Arrived in Texas prior to July 1, 1848. William was the oldest son of John and Mildred Bridges. The family migrated to Texas from Greene County, Illinois, in 1842 or 1843. They settled in Bridges Settlement in 1843 and the settlement was named after the Bridges family: John, Mildred, and sons, William and David. On the 1850 census, he is listed as a 23-year-old single man. His occupation was listed as farmer. He received 320 acres of land and his Ward certificate was signed November 8, 1850 (Texas. General Land Office. William C. Bridges Land Grant).

30 In 1853, William married Rachel Cook, who had also moved to Texas from Greene County, Illinois, with her parents in 1846. They had four children: Elizabeth (died, age 6, October 27, 1860), Mary (born 1858), Louisa (died, age 21-months, October 12, 1860), Mildred “Millie” (birth date unknown; died April 17, 1902), and Francis (born May 12, 1862). Mary married G. P. Mayes and the school in Stewart’s Creek Community was named the Mayes School. William served in the Confederate Army in the Civil War. His death was due to complications from measles and exposure during his time in the army. He was born February 2, 1827, in Smith County, Tennessee, and died June 10, 1862. He is buried in Bridges Cemetery.

Following William’s death, Rachel married Joseph Baccus. In 1851, she became an active member in the Baccus Christian Church in Collin County and donated land to build a church and cemetery. The cemetery is located east of The Colony on the northeast corner of Legacy Drive and the Dallas North Tollway in Plano. The Baccus Cemetery was named after Rachel Cook Bridges Baccus around 1915. Both the Bridges and Baccus Cemeteries are named after her families. She was born July 19, 1830.

Francis Bridges married Sallie Ashlock Bridges in October, 1882. Sallie was born May 19, 1866, in Denton County. Her family had also moved from Greene County, Illinois. Francis and Sallie inherited William’s land grant and the family/community cemetery when his grandmother, Mildred, died in 1868. They donated the cemetery to the Denton County Judge on February 2, 1889 (Gamble).

**Samuel H. Brown – Samuel arrived in Texas prior to July, 1848, with his wife and children. He obtained a 640-acre Peters Colony land grant from William Ward on May 3, 1850 (Texas. General Land Office. Samuel H. Brown Land Grant). He is listed on the 1850 census as a 43-year-old carpenter born in Virginia. He had eight children and apparently moved from Kentucky to Tennessee and then to Texas (Connor, The Peters Colony of Texas 203).

J. C. Caton – A land grant for an unspecified number of acres was signed December 4, 1860. One of his witnesses was William Bridges (Texas. General Land Office. J. C. Caton Land Grant).

Elizabeth Carter – Obtained a 160-acre land grant from railroad land set aside for School Fund. The land survey was signed October 19, 1874 (Texas. General Land Office. Elizabeth Carter Land Grant).

R. E. Carter – Obtained a 136-acre land grant from school lands dated November 23, 1885 (Texas. General Land Office. R. E. Carter Land Grant)

**Samuel Chowning – Samuel moved to Texas prior to July 1, 1845 in a 12-wagon train with his wife, Rebecca Higgins Chowning; their four children; his parents; his brothers and sisters; and several other settler families from Greene County, Illinois, in 1839. He received a 640-acre Peters Colony Ward certificate, which was signed April 24, 1850 (Texas. General Land Office. Samuel Chowning Land Grant). He was a farmer. He was one a few in the area who were victims of an Indian raid in Bridges Settlement. In November of 1846, a raiding party of Indians stole horses from him and other settlers on Barksdale Creek. He was born between 1810 and 1814 in Tennessee and died January 17, 1896, in Garza, Denton County. Chowning’s brother, James, was a Denton County commissioner between 1848 and 1860 (Bates 37).

31 Rebecca Higgins was the daughter of Philemon, Sr. and Phoebe Higgins. Her parents and brothers, Lewis T. and Philemon, were also Peters Colonists and obtained Peters Colony land grants.

Chowning’s father, Richard, obtained a land certificate in Denton County, but drowned in the Little Elm River before he could complete his claim. Although not proven, family lore states that Richard and his family moved around a lot before they came to Texas because they were Native American Indians (Freeman).

Richard Dunlap – Dunlap was the second of fifteen children born to Hugh and Susannah (Gilliam) Dunlap in Knoxville, Tennessee, on September 5, 1796. His father was a store owner in Knoxville. Dunlap served as Captain under Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812 and the Seminole campaign in Florida in 1817. Following his return to Tennessee, he represented Knox and Anderson Counties in the Tennessee legislature from 1829 to 1831. He moved to Texas in 1837. Dunlap was appointed Secretary of the Treasury on December 14, 1838, by the President of the Republic of Texas, Mirabeau Lamar, and served until March 13, 1839. His duties included hand-signing Texas’ currency issues. From March 13, 1839, until April 20, 1840, he served as minister from Texas to the United States. President Lamar sent him on what turned out to be an unsuccessful mission to Washington D.C. to mediate the recognition of the Texas Republic and its borders with Mexico. He married Mary Louisa Winnon on May 22, 1840. He died in New Orleans on June 22, 1841, at the age of 45 (Dunlap).

A land grant certificate for 640 acres was issued to his heirs and signed August 20, 1857, as payment for his services to the Republic of Texas (Texas. General Land Office. Richard Dunlap Land Grant)

George Emberlin – Arrived in Texas from Illinois around 1853 with his wife, Elizabeth, and their children. One of his daughters, Mary, married another land grant owner, James Lewis Sparks, about 1855. His land grant survey for 160 acres was signed September 11, 1854, and title was issued September 9, 1857 (Texas. General Land Office. George Emberlin Land Grant).

Samuel B. Evans – Samuel Evans was born January 16, 1812, in Jefferson County, New York. He was the son of Musgrove Evans and Abi Brown. Samuel volunteered to serve in James Bowie's company in the army of the Texas Republic on January 15, 1836. Two days later General Sam Houston ordered Bowie's company to the Alamo, where Samuel died at the Battle of Alamo on March 6, 1836.

Musgrove Evans was a "trailblazer" and led his family and other pioneers from New York to a settlement in Michigan in Lenawee County in 1824. After the death of his wife, Musgrove moved his family, including sons Samuel, Vincent, and William, to Texas in 1835, where he became a prominent citizen of the Republic and State of Texas. One of the San Jacinto muster rolls lists Musgrove Evans as a participant in the battle. Musgrove also became the second Auditor of the Republic of Texas (Molleston).

Samuel's brother Vincent served in the Army of Texas from September 28 to December 15, 1835. Family history says Vincent was killed by Mexican bandits on the Chisholm Trail (Molleston).

Samuel’s other brother, William (fifteen at the time), claimed he fought at San Jacinto, but his name does not appear on a muster roll. William applied for a pension from the State of Texas in the late 1870s

32 and presented affidavits from prominent citizens of Anderson County, who testified to his good character and participation in the army during the war. The two affiants were Isaac and Daniel Parker, uncles of the famous Cynthia Ann Parker, who had been abducted by the Comanches as a child. Daniel’s son, Benjamin, and Isaac were her guardians after her “rescue” (Molleston).

Other members of Samuel’s family were soldiers, as well. His grandfather, Samuel Evans, was a general in the Colonial Army during the American Revolution and his uncle, General Jacob Brown, was at one time commander of the United States Army.

Volunteer soldiers in the Army of Texas were promised land in exchange for service. Bounty land certificates were issued for the amount of time served and donation land certificates were issued for participation in specific battles. A donation certificate of 640 acres was issued to the heirs of Samuel B. Evans on May 18, 1838, for "having fought and fell” at the Alamo March 6, 1836 (Texas. General Land Office. Samuel B. Evans Land Grant).

Francis Marion Grace – Land survey for 160 acres was dated February 15, 1855, and title was issued January 13, 1858 (Texas. General Land Office. Francis M. Grace Land Grant).

George W. Grace – Land survey for 160 acres was dated November 15, 1855, and title was issued May 28, 1860 (Texas. General Land Office. G. W. Grace Land Grant).

J. J. Gray – Survey document for an unspecified amount of land was signed August 22, 1856 (Texas. General Land Office. J. J. Gray Land Grant).

Ibby Hamby – Settled on 160 acres February 13, 1854. The land survey was signed October 2, 1856, and title was issued August 22, 1859 (Texas. General Land Office. Ibby Hamby Land Grant).

R. P. Hardin – A bounty certificate was signed November 15, 1853, for 1,280 acres for service in Army of the Texas Republic from October 1, 1836 through June 12, 1837. He sold the land December 18, 1856 (Texas. General Land Office. R. P. Hardin Land Grant).

Samuel E. Hays – Original land grant survey for 160 acres for Hayes was signed June 6, 1870. Hayes appointed Mollie Prior as his assignee. She moved onto the land July 6, 1871, and had the land resurveyed June 16, 1876. A new title was signed December 11, 1876, by Mollie P. Pryor (Texas. General Land Office. Samuel E. Hays Land Grant).

Chambers Heath – Settled on 160 acres on February 12, 1854. The land survey was signed September 12, 1856, and the title was issued August 22, 1859 (Texas. General Land Office. Chambers Heath Land Grant).

**Henry O. Hedgecoxe – Hedgecoxe moved to Bridges Settlement in either the fall of 1845 or the spring of 1846 to be the Peters Colony land agent and surveyor. He immigrated to the United States from England and migrated to Texas from Clarke County, Indiana, with his wife and children. He was described as smart, precise, efficient, and a master of shuffling paper work, surveying land, and keeping accurate records for Peters Colony; however, he also became a liability to the company by becoming its

33 most disliked employee with his officious, pompous, and arrogant manner. He was also a poor communicator and overestimated his importance. The Hedgecoxe War in 1852 was named for him. He obtained a 320-acre Peters Colony land grant that was signed May 8, 1854 (Texas. General Land Office. Henry O. Hedgecoxe Land Grant). Following the Hedgecoxe War, he supervised the surveying of the land give to the Peters Colony Company, referred to as Premium Lands, by the State of Texas in payment for the company’s services promoting settlement and surveying Peters Colony lands (Connor, Kentucky Colonization in Texas 44-45). He died June 15, 1860 of Dropsy.

**Lewis T. Higgins – Migrated to Texas prior to July 1, 1845, from Greene County, Illinois, and is listed on the 1850 census as a 27-year-old farmer, born in Illinois. The 1850 census also lists his wife, Malinda, age 21, born in Illinois, and three children: John L., age 8, born in Illinois; Mary Ann, age 6, born in Illinois; and Sarah, age 1, born in Texas (Connor, The Peters Colony of Texas 282).

**Philemon R. Higgins – Arrived in Texas prior to July 1, 1845, and received a 640-acre Ward certificate dated November 5, 1850 (Texas. General Land Office. Philemon R. Higgins Land Grant). On the 1850 census he is listed as a 24-year-old family man. He migrated to Texas with other family members from Greene County, Illinois (Connor, The Peters Colony of Texas 282). His sister, Rebecca, was married to Samuel Chowning, another Peters Colonist.

Memucan Hunt – Hunt was born August 7, 1807, in North Carolina. In 1834, he moved to Mississippi to take charge of a plantation given to him by his father. Early in 1836, Thomas Jefferson Green, representing the Republic of Texas, recruited Hunt and several hundred others to come to Texas and join the Texas Revolution. In August of 1836, David G. Burnett, President of the Texas Republic, in anticipation of a threatened invasion by Mexico, commissioned Hunt a Brigadier General in the Texas Army. Hunt, at his own personal expense, enlisted, organized, and equipped troops for the Texas Army from Tennessee, North Carolina, and Mississippi. In December of 1836, with the threat of invasion over, Hunt resigned his commission and returned to Mississippi. He was later persuaded by President Sam Houston to return to Texas and serve as Minister to the United States, where he assisted William H. Wharton in gaining United States’ recognition of Texas’ independence (“Memucan Hunt”).

He later served the Republic as the Secretary of the Navy from December 1838 to May 1839; Texas Representative on the United States Boundary Commission in 1839; and Inspector General of the Texas Army and Adjutant General in the Somervell Expedition in 1842. In 1846, he volunteered to serve in the Mexican War and served briefly on the staff of General James Pinckney Henderson. After annexation, he served one term in the Texas legislature in 1852. In 1853, he represented Texas once again as representative on the United States Boundary Commission (“Memucan Hunt”).

Hunt spent the next several years trying to recoup his losses on behalf of Texas and the legislature overwhelmingly approved his claims for compensation in land. On January 28, 1850, he was issued a land script for 320 acres (“Garrett & Kin”; Texas. General Land Office. Memucan Hunt Land Grant).

He also obtained a charter for a railroad from Galveston to the Red River and traveled extensively in search of investors. It was on one such trip that he was taken ill in New Orleans and forced to return to

34 Galveston. Advised by his doctor to go to a higher altitude, he went to his brother’s home in Tipton County, Tennessee. It was there that he died on June 5, 1856 (“Garrett & Kin”).

Hunt was married to Anne Taliaferro Howard of Galveston in 1850. Hunt County was named in his honor (“Garrett & Kin”).

**Matthew Jones – Jones moved to Texas as a family man in 1846 or 1847. He and his family settled near Alton, now Denton, and later moved to what is now the Tribute area in The Colony. Jones died in Arkansas in 1850 on a business trip to Illinois. Emily Jane Jones, his widow, received a Ward certificate on November 11, 1850 for 640 acres (Texas. General Land Office. Matthew Jones Land Grant). He is listed on the 1850 Denton County census as a 27-year-old farmer with two children: born in Illinois and the other in Texas. He was born in Tennessee and apparently came to Texas from Illinois (Connor, The Peters Colony of Texas 299-300).

Emily married Joel S. Clark from Illinois in 1851. Martha Jones, Mathew’s daughter, married Kit King on August 29, 1865, and died in 1868. She is buried in the King Cemetery (Harris 20).

Charles G. Keenan – Keenan moved to Texas in December of 1841 as a single man. An unconditional land grant issued in Montgomery County for 320 acres was authorized January 16, 1843 (Texas. General Land Office. Charles G. Keenan Land Grant).

Andrew J. King – His survey for a 160-acre land grant was signed November 30, 1850, and title was issued July 9, 1859 (Texas. General Land Office. Andrew J. King Land Grant).

David E. Lawhorn – Obtained a land certificate for one league and one labor of land on April 12, 1839, in St. Augustine County. In Tyler County, Henry McBundy sold 12,500 acres to Lawhorn for $500 on October 11, 1852 (Texas. General Land Office. David E. Lawhorn Land Grant).

**William Loving – Arrived in Texas prior to July, 1848, as single man and obtained a 320-acre Ward certificate on November 5, 1850 (Texas. General Land Office. William Loving Land Grant). The certificate was sold unallocated and was later patented in Denton County. He is listed on the 1850 census as a 21- year-old farmer born in Arkansas. Loving later sold the land to Peter Teal for $150 on June 22, 1852 (Connor, The Peters Colony of Texas 317). The land grant map incorrectly shows his name as J. H. Loving.

Thompson D. Luckett – Arrived in Texas in April, 1838, and died in Nacogdoches in August or September, 1840. A 320-acre land grant was given to his heirs per a certificate dated September 15, 1839, issued in Nacogdoches (Texas. General Land Office. Thompson D. Luckett Land Grant).

John B. Martin – On the 1850 census he is listed as a 26-year-old married man born in Kentucky. The 1850 census also lists his wife, Martha, age 23, born in Illinois and son George W., age 1, born in Texas (Connor, The Peters Colony of Texas 333).

Patrick O’Leary – On July 26, 1836, obtained a certificate for one-third of a league of land; issued February 24, 1871, in Victoria County (Texas. General Land Office. Patrick O’Leary Land Grant).

35 **Samuel Payton – Moved to Peters Colony from Missouri as a widower with three daughters and one son: Name not listed, age 15; C.E., age 18; L.E., age 20; and son, Perry, age 12, born in Missouri prior to July 1, 1848. He obtained a Ward certificate for 640 acres dated November 5, 1850 (Texas. General Land Office. Samuel Payton Land Grant). He is listed on the 1850 census as 48-year-old farmer born in Kentucky (Connor, The Peters Colony of Texas 360).

John H. Perry – Obtained a land certificate for an unspecified number of acres from railroad land set aside for School Fund. Land survey was signed May 28, 1874 (Texas. General Land Office. John H. Perry Land Grant).

**John W. Ragland – Ragland migrated to Texas from an unknown location prior to July, 1848, with his family. He is listed on the 1850 census as a 39-year-old farmer, with wife, Margaret, age 30 and three children: daughter A., age 14; and sons, L.J., age 7; and William M., age 5. The entire family was born in Tennessee (Connor, The Peters Colony of Texas 370). He obtained a Ward certificate for 640 acres dated November 5, 1850 (Texas. General Land Office. John W. Ragland Land Grant).

James Robertson – Family settled in area in 1860. They obtained a land grant for unspecified number of acres from railroad land set aside for School Fund. Land survey was signed February 24, 1876 (Texas. General Land Office. James Robertson Land Grant).

A. William Rogers – Settled on unspecified number of acres in February, 1853. Survey verification dated October 1, 1854 (Texas. General Land Office. A. W. Rogers Land Grant).

Benjamin Schoonover – Land certificate issued in Lamar County certifies that he received a headright on June 2, 1845, for 640 acres. Document certifies he claimed title for 320 acres on August 9, 1870 (Texas. General Land Office. Benjamin Schoonover Land Grant).

J. B. Shipp – His survey was signed October 25, 1862, for an unspecified number of acres. He was one of three founding trustees for the Stewart’s Creek School Community in 1876 (Texas. General Land Office. J. B. Shipp Land Grant).

Amos Singleton – He arrived in Hallisburg County, Texas, in 1835, as a single man. He received a land certificate for one-third of a league of land on June 6, 1838 (Texas. General Land Office. Amos Singleton Land Grant).

James Lewis Sparks – Land was surveyed September 11, 1854, and title issued September 9, 1857 (Texas. General Land Office. James L. Sparks Land Grant). Sparks, born December 25, 1828, in Carter County, Kentucky, was the oldest of 12 children. His parents were William and Emmaline (Hyde) Sparks. His father was married twice and had six children from each marriage. James was married twice. James’ first wife was Malinda Jane Sullivan in Buchanan County, Missouri. She and their child died shortly after the family arrived in Texas in 1853. About 1855, James married Mary Barbary Emberlin, a former pupil of his from the Rector Community in southeast Denton County. Mary Barbary’s father, George Emberlin, and mother, Elizabeth (Kurantz), moved to Texas from Illinois about 1853. James taught school for several years; was appointed postmaster March 4, 1859, until the Confederate States of America took

36 over operation on August 5, 1860; was a Trustee for Stewart Creek Community School from 1876-1877; was a Justice of the Peace; and a member of the IOOF Lodge at Rector for thirty years. He passed away February 2, 1905 (Overholser, “James Lewis Sparks”).

His wife, Mary, was born July 18, 1838, in Illinois and moved to Texas with her parents when she was a small child. She married James when she was about 16 and had eight children. She was a member of the Stewart’s Creek Baptist Church from 1864 until her death on March 26, 1924 (Overholser, “Mary Barbery Emberlin Sparks).

**Thomas Allen West – West was born February 1, 1804, in Chatham County, North Carolina, and married Margaret Hogan on August 28, 1824. He is listed on the 1850 census as a 46-year-old farmer who migrated from Illinois with wife Margaret, age 45, born in Kentucky, and children: daughter A.P., age 19; and son C.S.M., age 16, born in Illinois. He is reported to have first come to Texas by himself to locate land and build a cabin before he brought his family here in 1847 (Connor, The Peters Colony of Texas 426). He received a Ward certificate for 640 acres dated November 8, 1850 (Texas. General Land Office. Thomas A. West Land Grant).

West sold the land soon thereafter to Alfred and Martha Harrington for a saddle horse and twenty sheep (Crider). The Harrington’s granddaughter, Minnie Mae Harrington, would later marry Morris T. Griffin, who became a large land owner and businessman in the Bridges Settlement area.

An interesting story about living conditions at the time involved the Thomas West and W. P. Bates families. When the Bates’ migrated to Bridges Settlement in November, 1851, from Barron County, Kentucky, they rented Tom West’s cabin and both families lived there together. The cabin was a log house with a dirt floor and the cracks in the walls were filled with mud. It was an overcrowded situation, but the families were grateful to have a cabin during those winter months (Oliver).

West appears to have been an interesting character. He was described as being a hard-drinking man and a heavy gambler. He farmed only enough to provide food for his table; the rest of his land was used to raise cattle and horses. West died as the result of an accident on September 16, 1875, in Denton County, Texas. A barrel of salt that he was unloading from his wagon rolled on him and crushed his chest. He lived for some time after that, but never recovered. One day he told his wife he had marked a spot by some trees where he wanted to be buried. He died the next morning (Oliver).

His nephew, Thomas West, donated some land north of Waco to the railroad for a depot stop he called West Station; it is now called West, Texas (Oliver).

L. B. White – A land certificate for 320 acres was issued in Shelby County (Texas. General Land Office. L. B. White Land Grant).

**Thomas C. Wilson – Wilson arrived in Texas prior to July, 1848, apparently from Louisiana. He is listed on the 1850 census as a 44-year-old blacksmith who was born in North Carolina (Connor, The Peters Colony of Texas 434). The census also lists a wife, Sarah, age 46, born in North Carolina, and their children: son W.W., age 22, born in North Carolina; and daughters: Mary, age 9, born in Alabama; and

37 M.C., age 3, born in Louisiana. He received a Ward certificate for 640 acres dated April 27, 1850 (Texas. General Land Office. Thomas C. Wilson Land Grant).

BBB & CRR – In addition to land grants issued to individuals, vast areas of Texas lands were granted in return for making internal improvements: building railroads, canals, and irrigation ditches; constructing shipbuilding facilities; clearing river channels; and, during the Civil War, manufacturing firearms and munitions, and constructing highways.

In present-day The Colony, the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos, and Colorado Railroad Company (BBB & CRR) received ten land grants. The BBB & CRR was chartered by General Sidney Sherman and a group of investors in 1850. The company succeeded in building the first railroad in Texas, from Harrisburg to Stafford’s Point (now both part of Houston), in 1853. The first passengers to ride a train on the BBB & CRR in Texas traveled three miles from Harrisburg to Thomas Point on April 21, 1853 to a celebration featuring a salute from the Twin Sisters cannons used at the Battle of San Jacinto. Regular operations of BBB & CRR were inaugurated in August, 1853. The railroad experienced financial hardship during the Civil War and was sold in 1870 to Thomas Piece, who renamed it the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad (Aulbach).

Lands granted to railroads amounted to 32,153,878 acres, or nearly one-fifth of the total area of the state.

38 Appendix 4

Types of Texas Land Grants

The Republic and State of Texas made many headright grants, i.e., grants given on the condition that specified requirements were met by the grantees. One example was when the Republic of Texas entered into colonization contracts with various individuals to establish colonies in the republic and receive payment in land. Peters Colony was one of those contracts. The Peters Colony contract gave over 1,000,000 acres of land directly to the company for performing promotional and surveying services. Thirteen settlers within present-day The Colony city limits were granted Peters Colony land grants in the amount of 640 acres for each head of family or 320 acres for single men.

Other examples of headright grants issued within in the city limits of present-day The Colony are:

Under the Constitution of 1836, all heads of family living in Texas on March 4, 1836, were granted "first class" headrights of one league and one labor (4,605.5 acres) and single men aged seventeen years or older were granted one-third of a league (1,476.1 acres). David Lawhorn, Patrick O’Leary, and Amos Singleton obtained first class headrights for land in The Colony.

Both the republic and state granted lands for military service in the form of bounty and donation grants. An act of legislature on December 21, 1837, provided for donation certificates of 640 acres each to all persons who had engaged in the battle of San Jacinto, to all who were wounded the day before, and to all who were detailed to guard the baggage at Harrisburg. By the same act, bounty warrants were granted to those who had participated in the siege of Bexar, the Goliad campaigns of 1835 and 1836, and the battle of the Alamo, or to their survivors. R. P. Harden and Samuel Evans were issued bounty certificates for service in the army of the Republic of Texas. In addition, the heirs of Samuel Evans were issued a donation for service at the battle of the Alamo.

Vast areas of Texas lands were also granted in return for making internal improvements: building railroads, canals, and irrigation ditches; constructing shipbuilding facilities; clearing river channels; and, during the Civil War, manufacturing firearms and munitions, and constructing highways. Lands granted to railroads amounted to 32,153,878 acres, or nearly one-fifth of the total area of the state. In present- day The Colony, the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos, and Colorado Railroad Company (BBB & CRR) received ten land grants.

The railroads were generally granted 16 sections of land per mile of track laid. Railroads were also required to survey an equal amount of land to set aside for the public school fund. Elizabeth Carter, John Perry, and James Robertson were issued land grants for land that had been surveyed by a railroad for the benefit of the common School Fund.

39 The State of Texas also granted free land in payment for services to the Republic of Texas. Richard Dunlap and Memucan Hunt received land located in present-day The Colony for their services to the Republic.

40 Appendix 5

As major business owners and landowners, the Griffin family were influential members of the Camey Spur community. The following provides a brief background on the Griffin family.

Morris Theodore Griffin

- Born March 18, 1857, in Americas, Georgia (Crider) - In 1872, when he was 15, came to North Texas with a sideshow performing as a ventriloquist and playing the organ. He remained in Texas for a short time before moving to Oklahoma to teach English to Native Americans - Returned to Texas and married Minnie Mae Harrington on January 12, 1882 (Crider) - Postmaster in Hebron from January 27, 1893 to August 15, 1895; April 2, 1908 to December 9, 1908; and March 25, 1912 to October 25, 1912 (Wheat) - Sang and played the organ and bass violin in church

Minnie Mae Harrington Griffin

- Born May 23, 1861 in Lebanon, Texas (Collin County) (Crider) - Married Morris T. Griffin on January 12, 1882 and settled in the Hebron/Camey Spur area shortly after (Crider)

Alfred Harrington

- Father of Minnie Mae Harrington Griffin - May have been the first early settler in present-day The Colony to purchase land from a Peters Colonist. Purchased the Thomas A. West land grant in 1849 for a saddle horse and 20 sheep (Crider) - 125 years later, Harrington’s land became part of almost 800 acres of land purchased by Fox and Jacobs from the heirs of Morris T. and Minnie Mae Griffin to build The Colony (Denton County Mapping Co. 6)

Griffin Family

- Morris T. and Minnie Mae had nine children: Vassa Morris, John Alfred, Stephen Hammock, William Thomas, Joseph Harrington, Robert Edgar, Mary Ada, Lauretta Lee, and Gladys Mae (Crider) - Each child was given 100 acres when they married (Crider)

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---. ---. Amos Singleton Land Grant. Fannin First Class No. 589. Patent No. 146, Patent Vol. 13. Certificate 3790/3891. Texas, 1856.

---. ---. Andrew J. King Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 3210. Patent No. 197, Patent Vol. 30. Texas, 1860.

---. ---. Benjamin Schoonover Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 4262. Patent No. 561, Patent Vol. 40. Certificate 16/261. Texas, 1873.

---. ---. Chambers Heath Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 2430. Patent No. 452, Patent Vol. 27. Texas, 1859.

---. ---. Charles G. Keenan Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 2219 ½ . Patent No. 403, Patent Vol. 26. Certificate 309. Texas, 1859.

---. ---. David Andrews Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 3406. Patent No. 128, Patent Vol. 43. Certificate 2344/2445. Texas, 1875.

---. ---. David C. Bridges Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 2724. Patent No. 575, Patent Vol. 24. Texas, 1859.

44 ---. ---. David E. Lawhorn Land Grant. Fannin First Class No. 874. Patent No. 228, Patent Vol. 15. Certificate 2569/2670. Texas, 1860.

---. ---. Elizabeth Carter Land Grant. School No. 170. Patent No. 154, Patent Vol. 5. Texas, 1885.

---. ---. Francis M. Grace Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 3223. Patent No. 227, Patent Vol. 25. Texas, 1859.

---. ---. G. W. Grace Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 3884. Patent No. 499, Patent Vol. 35. Texas, 1862.

---. ---. George Emberlin Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 2725. Patent No. 140, Patent Vol. 25. Texas, 1859.

---. ---. Henry O. Hedgecoxe Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 954. Patent No. 238, Patent Vol. 9. Texas, 1854.

---. ---. Ibby Hamby Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 3414. Patent No. 451, Patent Vol. 27. Texas, 1859.

---. ---. James L. Sparks Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 2726. Patent No. 170, Patent Vol. 27. Texas, 1859.

---. ---. James Robertson Land Grant. School No. 1923. Patent No. 449, Patent Vol. 1. Texas, 1881.

---. ---. J. B. Shipp Land Grant. Fannin Scrip No. 2173. Patent No. 319, Patent Vol. 18. Texas, 1864.

---. ---. J. C. Caton Land Grant. Fannin Scrip No. 1558. Patent No. 137, Patent Vol. 16. Texas, 1862.

---. ---. J. J. Gray Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 2429. Patent No. 378, Patent Vol. 29. Texas, 1861.

---. ---. John H. Perry Land Grant. School No. 140. Patent No. 388, Patent Vol. 10. Texas, 1890.

---. ---. John W. Ragland Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 1092. Patent No. 448, Patent Vol. 12. Certificate 382. Texas, 1855.

---. ---. L. B. White Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 2256. Patent No. 1212, Patent Vol. 15. Certificate 268. Texas, 1858.

---. ---. Matthew Jones Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 1435. Patent No. 751 & 752, Patent Vol. 12. Certificate 148. Texas, 1856.

---. ---. Memucan Hunt Land Grant. Fannin Scrip No. 1627. Patent No. 325, Patent Vol. 9. Certificate 1381/1480. Texas, 1861.

---. ---. Patrick O’Leary Land Grant. Fannin First Class No. 1417. Patent No. 128, Patent Vol. 21. Certificate 16/127. Texas, 1875.

---. ---. Philemon R. Higgins Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 1421. Patent No. 1319, Patent Vol. 10. Certificate 334. Texas, 1855.

45 ---. ---. R. E. Carter Land Grant. School No. 171. Patent No. 164, Patent Vol. 5. Texas, 1885.

---. ---. R. P. Hardin Land Grant. Fannin Bounty No. 976. Patent No. 629, Patent Vol. 14. Certificate 1407. Texas, 1874.

---. ---. Richard Dunlap Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 2822. Patent No. 345, Patent Vol. 26. Texas, 1859.

---. ---. Samuel B. Evans Land Grant. Fannin Donation No. 1190. Patent No. 451, Patent Vol. 3. Certificate 107. Texas, 1872.

---. ---. Samuel E. Hays Land Grant. Fannin Preemption No. 77. Patent No. 99, Patent Vol. 6. Texas, 1877.

---. ---. Samuel Chowning Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 1384. Patent No. 262, Patent Vol. 11. Texas, 1854.

---. ---. Samuel H. Brown Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 1611. Patent No. 659, Patent Vol. 9. Certificate 460. Texas, 1855.

---. ---. Samuel Payton Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 1494. Patent No. 1322, Patent Vol. 10. Certificate 338. Texas, 1855.

---. ---. Thomas A. West Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 1537. Patent No. 217, Patent Vol. 10. Certificate 358. Texas, 1854.

---. ---. Thomas C. Wilson Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 959. Patent No. 1170, Patent Vol. 10. Certificate 426. Texas, 1855.

---. ---. Thompson D. Luckett Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 3400. Patent No. 276, Patent Vol. 38. Certificate 263. Texas, 1870.

---. ---. William A. Bridges Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 1602. Patent No. 679, Patent Vol. 10. Certificate 357. Texas, 1854.

---. ---. William Loving Land Grant. Fannin Third Class No. 1452. Patent No. 212, Patent Vol. 13. Certificate 337. Texas, 1856.

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