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North Texas StarApril 2015

ALSO INSIDE:

HChasing Our Tales to Belton, Texas

HPalo Pinto County Historical

and Wildflower TourHThe Post on the Clear Fork

Fort Phantom Hill

HNot to mince words think about cooking a mincemeat pie

a Ser/Sta/Gro

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April 2015 NORTH TEXAS STAR Page 2

A il 2015 NORTHTEXAS STAR P 3

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PUBLISHERJeff Smith

[email protected]

GENERAL MANAGER/EDITOR

David [email protected]

LAYOUT & DESIGN

Lindsay [email protected]

CIRCULATION

[email protected]

CALL940-325-4465

ONLINE

www.mineralwellsindex.com

North Texas Star

4OUTDOORS ALONG THE BRAZOSCheckerville, a Ser/Sta/GroBy Don Price

8THE POST ON THE CLEAR FORK Fort Phantom Hill

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CHASING OUR TALESto Belton, Texas

NOT TO MINCE WORDS think about cooking a mincemeat pie

By Sue Seibert

By Wynelle CaItlin

By Jim Dillard

12PALO PINTO COUNTYHistoric and Wildflower TourBy Kate Nowak

April 2015 NORTHTEXAS STAR Page 4

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Outdoors Along the BrazosBy DON PRICECheckerville, a Ser/Sta/Gro

NOTE: Since 1963 I've been writing for newspapers,magazines, history books, but the following story con-cerning tiny Checkerville has been by far the most dif-

ficult of 50 years of column writing.

There is nothing standing today.

In the year 1921, the coast-to-coast BankheadHighway was the only way to go if you had a motor-

car and wanted to travel, perhaps in a Model T Ford,later perhaps in a Model A Ford. EntrepreneurialHenry Ford had a near-monopoly on mass transit.

The most common part to fail in the following sce-nario was a necessary part of an automobile. It used tobe called a casing, and inside it was an innertube. Youcould be looking at a casing while talking to a friendand it'd go flat as a pancake.

So full service stations began to spring up fromcoast to coast, selling gasoline, kerosene, and ubiqui-tous Monkey Grip Hot Patches and Monkey Grip ColdPatches. Ice cold Soda Water was a savior.

Southeast Sixth Avenue in our city was a brick high-way and it was referred to as the Millsap Highway.We understand that thisbrick highway was a seg-ment of the coast-to-coastBankhead Highway, just asimportant in a historicalsense as the famed Highway66 in the classic JohnSteinbeck's Grapes of Wrath,perhaps even more so.

For close to 70 years I'd

been hearing from time-to-time about Checkerville, butnot knowing if it had been atiny village, hamlet, settle-ment or what. I didn't knowenough about it to evenknow how to ask a questionwithout embarrassment. Wasit folklore?

Finally I discovered in our own wonderful 1857-2007 Painted Post Past (a 150-year History of PaloPinto County) a drawing of a wooden building onpage 97, rustic it was, with a sign above the lone gaspump, facing the Bankhead Highway.

It was a hand-lettered sign in cursive style:Checkerville.

Going back several years, no one seemed to knowanything factual about the Checkerville Station.

About 50 years ago, perhaps a lot longer, I hadheard that Ed Holland was the man to talk to. At thetime there were three Ed Hollands, two in the nearbysettlement of Sturdivant, and the third Ed Holland wasfound in the near southeast part of our city.

This Ed Holland was a retired civil service employ-ee; before that he was a mechanic working for theGreen Stoker Pontiac dealership at 400 N. Oak Ave.(Bennett's Office Supply) in Mineral Wells, offeringno help concerning Checkerville.

Chasing down three Ed Hollands was too much forme; I just didn't have the time to check it out as I was

trying to make a living myself. But I never forgotCheckerville. Some day.

Was it factual or was it mythical? Was it a tiny ham-let without a post office or was it only one lone Ser/Sta/Gro? Absolutely nothing remains today.

I drink far too much coffee in the local caf for an85 year old, but ain't it fun! Being hard of hearingdoesn't help one bit. An example of this: Your ladyfriend said no but you thought she said go. You'renow in deep trouble because everything rhymes.

Sometimes, though, in the coffee shop you'll find

the Holy Grail. But don't play it by ear for gosh sakes.On a recent morning two of us were having coffee;the other fellow introduced himself as James Holland.

Out of a clear blue sky he said he was the son of EdHolland who built the Ser/Sta/Gro with theCheckerville sign in 1921, on South Swanson Road,but facing the Bankhead Highway. And across theroad was the Davis' Filling Station/Grocery.

Since I don't have the ears of a 20-year-old I askedhim to repeat it. Everything matched: he was JamesHolland, the son of Ed Holland who built the quaintservice station, etc.

I reacted with shock by spilling a full cup of hotcoffee down deep where it hurts, soaking myself. Youought to know the name of the restaurant.

Checkerville's Heyday

Business was good on the coast-to-coastBankhead Highway even the bigGreyhound bus stopped. Hotel busses fromthe T&P Railroad used the brick highway,going to the Millsap Depot to pick uppatrons headed for the big Baker and Crazy

hotels.For a hot spot, a rural filling station,

Checkerville was second to none. Therewere checker tournaments that became sopopular people from everywhere, evenOklahoma, came to play at the HollandStation and across South Swanson Road atthe Davis Sta/Gro.

James, now 78 years old, remembers the

This sketch was provided by Lucille Armstrong-PilgrimSigned by: Bill Robinson - Dated 1978


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two mules he followed when he wasn't fixing flats atEd's station, breaking land, planting corn, watermel-on, cantelope, sweet potatoes. And the orchard ofpeach apricot, plum trees. It was hard work, perhapsa lot more fun than fixing flats at the CheckervilleStation.

His dad always kept a half dozen big mules forbreaking and plowing. James started early, about 10years old.

He remembers the first day when he was about 10he rode the tractor with his daddy: it was an iron-

wheeled No. 2236International. The oldtractor started on eithergas or kerosene (coaloil). And since it had

iron wheels, hurrah! No flats, the young boy said.To pass the time at the Checkerville Ser/Sta/Gro,

when he wasn't plowing, James played a lot ofcheckers with his dad but never won until his senioryear, beating his daddy for the first time. It was thelast time dad ever played with him, saying, Son youknow the game now. His dad realized his son wasgrowing up.

The Kings' Row

(But all good times end. It's called progress, butprogress for whom? Please look at our national cul-ture, our difficulties with the whole world, the needof wisdom no matter where you turn, and everyonerestless, waiting for some kind of harmony amongcompeting national powers, heavy padlocks on every

door. We need to settle down and play a good, oldhonest game of checkers.)

An all-brick highway (U.S. 180) from Weatherfordstraight through our city was now the way to go.Everyone seemed in a hurry, not wasting time on theBankhead, certainly not through Millsap andCheckerville.

Business got so slow Ed Holland closed the Ser/Sta/Gro. Later the station was razed. Nothingremains today.

Later, his son, James, went to work for SouthernAirways during the Vietnam War. He's mighty proudof the trophy he won while there: He won theSouthern Airways Checker Tournament.

His two sisters helped with this story: his twin sis-ter Jane of Benton, Arkansas; a younger sister ofMineral Wells, Betty.

Now comes the hard part. A few days ago Jameshad a doctor's appointment the doctor did not giveJames a good report at all.

Next time you see James Holland in the coffeeshop, you might mention his prowess at the checker-board in old Checkerville, that you heard he had yetwon another tournament, and that he'd finally madeit to The King's Row. Just watch his eyes sparkle.

Ed Holland, standing in front of Holland'sGarage, the forerunner of Checkerville.(Courtesy family album)

James Holland


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Chasing Our Talesto Belton, Texas By SUE SEIBERT

Belton, Texas, is the county seat of Bell County. Alongtime friend, Wayne Schatzle, who died recently,came from Belton, and Ive noticed a lot of historicalreferences to Belton recently, so I thought I wouldwrite about the town and dedicate this column to thememory of Coach Schatzle, who worked with my hus-band, Raf, for many years and taught our grandson toswim.

Belton was settled in August 1850 as Nolandville,but the name was changed to Belton the followingyear. The town was laid out in blocks with streetsand a town square for the newly organized BellCounty. The town incorporated in 1852 and namedBelton for Texas governor Peter Hansborough Bell.It became a place where pioneers heading westcould stop and rest in a fairly civilized environment.Its settlement came only six years after statehoodfor Texas was established.

In 1852 a post office was established and mailarrived in the town by horseback. Also that year astagecoach route was established through Belton,which began in Tennessee and ended in Brownsville.The next year a two-story jail, a school, hotel, church,saloons and stores were built.

Many of the buildings were pole shacks, but soonpermanent buildings were being erected of nativestone. Several of those building have survived to thisday. The A.D. Potts building was built in the 1860sand is not only still in use but is still owned by thePotts family.

A.D. (Adiline D.) Potts went to Belton fromKentucky. He was a banker and hardware dealer. Hewas born in Creelsboro, Russell County, Ky., on June15, 1847. He left Kentucky in 1870 in a two-horsespring wagon with his brother and their families. Thespring wagon was ferried across the Mississippi Riverat Memphis, Tenn., and up the Arkansas River, to PineBluff. Six weeks after leaving Kentucky they arrived

in Belton. Although they hadnot meant to go to Belton, thatwas where they stayed andmade their home.

In the beginning of Pottscareer in Belton he carried afull line of harnesses, saddlesand hardware, and when bug-gies and carriages came intodemand, he added them to hisstock.

Potts was also the vice presi-dent of Belton National Bank, a

member of the Masonic lodge, being a Shriner, aKnights Timplar and a Rotarian.

Potts married Emma Strange of Kentucky, and theyhad three children, Albert, Arthur and Zora. WhenEmma died in 1889, Potts married Clara Hefley, andthey had a daughter, Elizabeth.

Another pioneer of Belton was George W. Hefleywho built a grocery store in Belton in 1853. Hefleysdaughter, Clara, was Potts second wife. Hefley was

born in North Carolina on May 25, 1826, and diedApril 22, 1894, in Belton. He was married toElizabeth Ann Bradberry, 1833-1926. Hefley and hiswife had a son, William J., as well as a daughter.William J. died the same year as his mother, but hewas living in Tarrant County at the time.

Tom Hughes, an early druggist in Belton, recallednatural gas coming to Belton, but the first electricitywas introduced in 1887 when the Belton Electric plantwas built with the Reverend M.V. Smith at its head:That was a long time ago and early in the days ofelectricity, but Mr. Smith put his sincerest efforts into

making the plan a success. But as most small enter-prises, the lack of equipment handicapped Mr. Smithfrom making as many extensions of his lines as hewould have liked. Again, the service could not alwaysbe depended upon to perform every minute of the dayand night. We had a few street lights and were mightyproud of them in the old days.

Texas Power and Light Company purchased theBelton Electric plant in about 1914 and supported thechange of ownership at that time, because Smith hadalways favored giving Belton the best service obtain-able. I think most folks here will agree with me that

since the Texas company has handled the Belton ser-vice, we have had about the best in service and equip-ment and management that could be found anywhere.

Other outstanding early citizens of Belton includedthe Reverend C.E. Smith, pastor of First ChristianChurch; Mrs. John A. Wallace, of the Daughters of theAmerican Revolution Ben Milam Chapter in Belton;Mrs. C.E. Metcalf, Mrs. May Harris Walker, MissAlice Partens, George W. Tyler, J.C. Rudd, and C.W.Peyton. Also early in Belton were Dr. Alex Dienst, J.P.Charlton, J.C. Baker and Charlie Callaway.

Bell County was probably first visited by the whiteman, Phillip Nolan, for whom it was first named.Stephen F. Austin first owned the area, but the firstcolonizer was Sterling Clack Robertson, who was thenephew of James Robertson, founder of Nashville,Tenn., and known as the Father of Tennessee. SterlingRobertson brought 300 American families to Texas,settling at Nashville on the Brazos River nearCameron. Robertsons grandson was Huling P.Robertson and his son, E. Sterling C. Robertson,founded Salado, where the Robertson mansion wasbuilt.

Among the early settlers of Bell County were theDavisons, Tylers, Reeds, Childers and McKays. Allsettled near the river for water, thinking the prairieswere wasteland. The earliest business in the area wascattle raising.

The only important Indian battle that occurred inBell County was the one in 1839, which happened at


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Birds Creek. In this battle, 31 Texas Rangers defeated300 Comanches. More than 100 Comanches died, asdid six white men, including Capt. John Bird, who hadcome from Fort Milam on Brazos River.

Just before the Civil War, Sam Houston campaignedacross the state urging people not to vote for secession.He made two speeches in Belton. However, his speech-es were not received well, and he was booed loudly.

When that happened, he took out his two pistols, laidthem on a box in front of him and dared anyone tointerrupt him again. They did not.

More than 1,000 Bell County and Belton men joinedthe Confederate Army and the women of Belton metdaily at the new courthouse to sew clothing for the sol-diers. At that time there was only one sewing machinein Belton, and it was in constant use.

However the Civil War wreaked havoc on the town,and when supplies and currency got low, many storeswere forced to close. Following the War things did notget better as all the elected officials were Union

appointees rather than elected by the citizens. Federaltroops patrolled the streets, giving little protection forthe citizens and their property, and allowing outlaws toroam the area stealing, assaulting and killing the citi-zens of Belton.

It got so bad that a group of horsemen, Belton citi-zens, rode to the jail in the dark of night, dismounted,walked into the jail and shot nine men to death. Fordecades following, outlaws stayed away from Belton. It

is said that Sam Bass, on his way to rob a bank, refusedto enter Belton, saying, Those Belton men are tootough for me.

Belton had a reputation for having many, manysaloons and E Street was called Rat Row because of itsbad reputation and its four saloons.

Then in the 1870s, a building boom hit Belton, andthe town was filled with new businesses and enterpris-

es. A group of men organized the Belton TelegraphCompany, and itextended to RoundRock where it joinedWestern Union. Withthe telegraph, thetown had daily quotesof the cotton market,which was importantfor areas where cottonwas king. Also in the1870s, a group called

the Belton WomansCommonwealth, orScactified Sisters, wasorganized as a bat-tered wives refuge,but it was also asocialistic, communis-tic society, a first inCentral Texas.

But in 1881, the city fathers found themselves dupedby the Santa Fe Railroad for, after investing $75,00 andmeeting the railroads demands, the Santa Fe decidedto build its own town, Temple, to connect to the rail-road. Although the United States Supreme Court yearslater found in favor of Belton, the town had alreadybuilt a depot for the M.K.&T. Railroad just a blockfrom the courthouse.

During that time, the town also installed a townwater system and mains through-out the town, added a fire depart-ment, a lumber yard, a flour mill,newspapers and banks. And anew college, now known as MaryHardin Baylor, was founded as acollege for females. It added twoparks, which are still in use.

Then the Great Depression hitBelton but by the 1970s it hadworked its way out of a financial

slump, and because of World WarII, Fort Hood arrived in the coun-ty in January of 1942, givingmuch economic relief and a surgeof growth.

Belton and Bell County have atruly interesting history. Hopeyouve enjoyed a peek into thathistory.


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The Post on the Clear Fork

FORT PHANTOM HILL by: JIM DILLARD"We are like the dove after the deluge, not one green

sprig can we find to indicate that this was ever intend-ed for man to inhabit. Indeed, I cannot imagine thatGod ever intended white man to occupy such a barrenwaste. The ladies will have to live in tents all winter;how much they will suffer is sad to contemplate."

Lieutenant Clinton W. Lear penned this letter to hiswife on Nov. 19, 1851, five days after arriving for dutyat the site selected for a new military fort on the plainsnorth of present Abilene, Texas. It was to become oneof several new forts established on the Texas frontierto protect westbound travelers and immigrants fromIndian attacks as westward expansion continued

through the vast region in northwest Texas known asComancharia. Lieutenant Lear's words would proveprophetic for the short-lived outpost on the Texas fron-tier.

Following the signing of the Treaty of GuadalupeHidalgo at the close of the Mexican-American War in1848, Brig. Gen. George Mercer Brooke, commanderof the Department of Texas, began an extensive con-struction program to establish an arch of military forts

along the Texas frontier to stem the tideof Indian attacks, protect settlers

and stop raids by Comanchesand other tribes into Mexico.Constructed during 1849,these eight federal militaryforts extended from FortDuncan, McIntosh, andRinggold Barracks along theRio Grande to Fort Worth atthe forks of the TrinityRiver in North Texas.

Also during 1849, Capt.Randolph B. Marcy wassent by the federal govern-ment to the Texas frontierto locate a route for travel-ers headed to the goldfields of Californiathrough the vast unoccu-

pied region.Indians, par-ticularlyApaches andComanches,still consid-

ered thisregion theirhunting

domain and posed a threat to travelers, cattlemen and

anyone brave enough to move through the region.Knowledge he gained from this trip of the terrain andresources of the region would prove instrumental insite selection for future military forts along the Texasfrontier. It was soon determined that a second line offorts should also be built beyond those previouslyestablished. Around 20 additional federally mannedcamps and forts would be constructed throughout theTexas frontier during the 1850s and 1860s.

In the spring of 1851, six companies of the SixthInfantry under command of General WilliamGoldsmith Belknap accompanied by Captain Marcy

and Delaware Indian scout Black Beaver left FortGibson, Arkansas, and traveled to north Texas to estab-lish a new military post on the Texas frontier. OnMarcy's recommendation, Belknap selected a site onthe Brazos River near present Newcastle, Texas(Young County,) where the old military road betweenFort Smith, Arkansas, and Donna Ana, New Mexico,crossed the river. The new post would be named inhonor of Belknap who died shortly thereafter fromtyphoid dysentery. Following Belknap's death, GeneralPersifer F. Smith took command of the District of Texas.During 1851 and 1852 several other federal militaryforts would also be built to the south of Fort Belknapincluding Phantom Hill, Chadbourne, Clark, Mason,Terrett, and McKavett.

Belknap had been ordered to build a second fort onPecan Bayou in present Coleman County, but Smithchanged the order and selected a site located above the

junction of the Clear Fork of the Brazos River and itstributary Elm Creek in present southeastern JonesCounty, a site Marcy had previously visited during1849. Lieutenant Colonel John J. Abercrombie arrivedat the new site on February 4, 1851, with five compa-nies of the Fifth Infantry to begin construction of thenew post. They had traveled from Fort Smith, Arkansas,and Fort Gibson in Indian Territory to Fort Belknapbefore heading further south to the site selected for thenew fort.

Originally, the post was to be named The Post on theClear Fork of the Brazos River, but its name was soonchanged to Fort Phantom Hill. When approaching thesite selected for the fort, it appeared to be located on anelevated and timbered hill which disappeared like aphantom the closer one traveled toward it. Once at thesite the terrain was relatively level and the timbers were

nothing more that mesquite trees. It is unknown whocoined the new name for the fort, but it likely camefrom some of the first soldiers that were stationed there.The unit was followed by wagons driven by teamstersthat were filled with supplies, construction materials andtools, and other items necessary to construct the fort.During a severe blizzard that struck them on their

march, one teamster died from the extreme cold and

twenty-seven mules and oxen froze to death. Tentsserved as living quarters until better accommodationcould be built.

Construction of the new post on the bleak landscapethat greeted the soldiers began during the first monthafter their arrival. Two carpenters, a blacksmith and astonemason assisted with construction of the fort. A suit-able stone quarry was located two miles away alongElm Creek that provided building materials for chim-neys, a magazine, guardhouse and commissary store-house. The officer's quarters and hospital were built withblackjack oak logs cut and hauled by teams of oxen

from 40 miles away. The company quarters and otherbuildings were constructed jacal-style with upright logsanchored in trenches, woven with brush and chinkedwith mud. The roofs were thatched with sod and grassfrom the surrounding prairie, which proved to be a poorconstruction material during rains. Although these quar-ters had dirt floors, stone fireplaces and chimneys pro-vided some comfort of warmth during cold weather.

The lack of a reliable water supply made life at thenew fort difficult. Water in Elm Creek often dried up,and in the nearby Clear Fork of the Brazos, its waterwas brackish and foul tasting. An 80-foot deep, walk-inwater well was dug near the guardhouse, but it oftenwent dry and proved unreliable. Water had to be hauledin barrels from a spring located four miles upriver fromthe fort. Weather conditions brought further hardships tothe troops with hot and dry summers, cold blustery win-ters with ice and snow, hailstorms and tornados. Basicsupplies had to be hauled hundreds of miles to the fortand were often insufficient to sustain the troops in goodhealth. Many of the men were frequently sick andlacked proper food and clothing to live at the bleak out-post. Fort Phantom Hill was the last place on the Texasfrontier any soldier wanted to be assigned.

During the existence of Fort Phantom Hill, there werefew encounters with Indians, although several bands vis-ited the fort as they passed through the area, includingBuffalo Hump and his Penateka Comanches and otherbands of Kiowas, Wichitas, Lipans and Kickapoos.Being manned by infantry units, the garrison was ill-equipped to contest horse-mounted Comanches, whowere the lords of the plains. About all the infantry troopscould do was defend the fort and escort travelersthrough the region between Fort Belknap and FortChadbourne.

By April 1852, 284 enlisted men and officers werestationed at Fort Phantom Hill. Command of the fortwas turned over to Lt. Col. Carlos A. Waite on April 27,1852, who was succeeded by Maj. H.H. Sibley onSeptember 24, 1853. Four of the five companies of theSixth Infantry were eventually withdrawn and theremaining company reinforced by Company I of the

photos by: ANDY DILLARD


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Second Dragoons, commanded by Lt. Newton C. Givenson March 26, 1854. Twelve days later, on April 6th, thefort was abandoned and all troops moved back north toFort Belknap. Fort Phantom Hill mysteriously burned tothe ground after the troops left and was never reoccupiedby federal troops. Only the old chimneys and a few of thestone buildings remained. Givens was charged with giv-ing orders to burn the fort when he and the soldiers leftand was brought before a military court. He was acquit-

ted in the first court marshal trial and given nine monthssuspension in the second one.While on patrol during 1856 with the first squadron of

the Second Cavalry from his base at Camp Cooper on theClear Fork of the Brazos in present southernThrockmorton County, Lt. Col. Robert E. Lee mentionedpassing by the ruins of Fort Phantom Hill. They rendez-voused at Fort Chadbourne (present northwestern CokeCounty) with two companies of the Second Cavalry fromFort Mason to conduct patrols searching for Comanchesalong the Colorado, Concho, and Double Mountain Forkof the Brazos rivers. They would travel over 1,100 miles

searching for Indians throughout the Comancharia andfound only one small Indian camp and one lone captive.Abandonment of Fort Phantom Hill by the military

would not be the last hurrah for the fort. In 1858, theremaining structures at the fort were repaired and used asa way-station (No. 54) by the Butterfield Overland Stageand Mail Route. It was managed by a man namedBurlington and his wife whoprepared meals for wearytravelers. Waterman L.Ormsby, correspondent for theNew York Herald, while on a

trip to California on theButterfield State line,described his observationsabout the old abandoned fort."Most of the chimneys arestill standing and they reflect-ed the light of the full moonas we drove up as might wellbecome the title Phantom Hill.There are ruins of from fortyto fifty buildings. The maga-zine which stands today built

entirely of stone is so littleinjured it is used for a com-pany storehouse. The stablealso is a fine stone building,so altogether, Phantom Hill isthe cheapest and best newstation on the route." TheButterfield (Southern) Mailroute was discontinued at theoutbreak of the Civil War in 1861 and once again thefort was abandoned.

During the Civil War, it was used as a base for field

operations by a state Frontier Battalion unit under Col.James B. (Buck) Berry and other ranger units. It wasalso a stop along the Goodnight-Loving Trail for cattleherds being driven between North Texas and NewMexico. John Hittson, first sheriff of Palo Pinto Countyand trail driver of cattle on the Goodnight-Loving Trail,

camped at the site during 1866 while on a cattle drive toNew Mexico. In 1871 it served as a sub-post to FortGriffin, which had been established after the Civil Waron the Clear Fork of the Brazos River north of presentAlbany, Texas. Gen. William T. Sherman made a stopthere during 1871 on his inspection tour of the frontierforts in Texas. When Col. Ranald McKenzie began hiscampaign against Indians in northwest Texas during1872, Capt. Theodore Schwan led one column of troops

from there to join McKenzie in his push to expel allremaining Indians from the Texas frontier.After the last roving bands of Comanche Indians were

subjugated and moved onto reservation in IndianTerritory (Oklahoma), the small town of Phantom Hillgrew up around the site of the old fort. Between 1876and 1878, it became a buying and shipping point forbuffalo hides taken during the great slaughter of thesouthern buffalo herds. The first post office for theregion was established there on July 1, 1879, withThomas Fletcher Scott as postmaster. With populationof 546 in 1880, Phantom Hill was selected as the county

seat for Jones County. On Nov. 14, 1881, the countyseat was moved to Jones City, a name that was laterchanged to Anson in honor of Anson Jones, the lastpresident of the Republic of Texas and namesake of thecounty. During 1881-1882, when tracks of the Texasand Pacific Railroad were laid 14 miles to the souththrough northern Taylor County, the town of Abilene

sprang up and began to grow.In a letter written to the SanAntonio Express newspaperin 1881, it stated that FortPhantom contained nothing

but "one hotel, one saloon,one blacksmith shop, and10,000 prairie dogs."

Although the site and ruinsof old Fort Phantom Hill hadbeen open to the public sincel972, it was contributed to

the Fort Phantom Hill Foundation by Mr. and Mrs. JimAlexander of Abilene in 1997. The foundation is fundedby grants and donations from organization and individu-als. A free self-guided tour can be made at the site fromdawn until dusk daily. Landmarks are indicated withinformation signage, and a brochure is availableexplaining the history of the fort. Fort Phantom Hill islocated on the 650 mile highway Texas Forts Trail inwest central Texas approximately 14 miles north of

Abilene on FM Road 600 and north of Lake FortPhantom Hill which was built in 1938.Fort Phantom Hill served an important, albeit short,

role in the settling of frontier Texas. Now only its chim-neys and a few old rock buildings stand against thewinds of change that continue to blow across the land-scape of the Comancharia. Rumors are that ghostly spir-its still roam through the ruins of the old fort. On a stillfrosty morning just at sunrise, you can almost hear thepounding of horse hoofs and soldiers stirring from their

jacals to greet another windy day at the Post on theClear Fork.

William Lawrence Chittenden wrote a poem titledOld Fort Phantom Hill that was published in his book"Ranch Verses" written at his ranch near Anson, Texas,in 1893. An excerpt from that poem reads, ....."And to-day the birds are singing where was heard the cannonroar, For the gentle doves are nesting 'midst those ruinsof the war. Yes, the mocking-birds re-echo: "Peace onearth, to men good will," And the "swords are turned toploughshares" in the land of Phantom Hill."

Sources: Texas State Historical Association @tshaon-line.org (Fort Phantom Hill; Abilene; Texas, Fort

Belknap; Anson, Texas; Givens, Newton Curd; Old

Stone Ranch; Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo; ButterfieldOverland Mail); fortphantom.org; wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Phantom_Hill; Robert E. Lee in Texas by CarlCoke Rister; John Hittson: Cattle King on the Texas andColorado Frontier by Vernon R. Maddux; Ranch Versesby "Larry Chittenden"; and other Internet sites.

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Not to mince words think

about cooking a mincemeat pieMargaret Wampler and I have known

each other for a long time. We lived, withour families, in Jacksboro. Our kids hertwo sons and my two sons and two daugh-ters went to school together. Her hus-band, Bill, was our mailman.

Both of us now live in Mineral Wells.

One day, Margaret said, Write aboutmincemeat. It's a food from olden daysthat people don't know much about. Andit's one of my favorites.

I hadn't thought about mincemeat inyears. My daughter, Karen, remembers hergrandmother cooking a huge hog's head ina big pot. The meat from the hog's headwould be the main ingredient in mince-meat.

That brings up memories from my child-hood of hog-slaughtering time. We lived

on a farm at Squaw Mountain, in JackCounty, where we grew and raised all ourfood except salt, sugar and flour. A choicepig was fed and fattened all year. First coldsnap when the temperature was supposedto stay down through the winter, word wassent out and friends and relatives came tohelp with hog-killing.

The disemboweled carcass was strungup on a sturdy limb of a large oak tree,dipped in a barrel of boiling water beforethe guys got busy with scraping knives toremove all the hair. Ham and bacon werecured with the skin on, and no one wantedto eat a hair along with their breakfastmeat.

All parts of the hog were used. After thehams and bacon were cut off and hung inthe smokehouse to cure, the rest of themeat was trimmed with the meat scrapsgoing through a meat grinder, pepper andspices added to make sausage. The fat wasput into big iron pots and rendered intolard. Brains extracted to be scrambled witheggs for breakfast, the feet were pickled.

The hog head was cooked whole, themeat scraped off and used in making souseor mincemeat.

To write about mincemeat for Margaret,I delved into its history. Obviously thename comes from mincing meat, or cutting

meat into small pieces. It is known thatmaking mincemeat began in England over500 years ago. Cooking meat with driedfruit and spices was a way to preserve it,in pre-refrigeration days, without salting orsmoking. All meats were cooked in thismanner, but mutton was the one most often

used.At that time minced meat was a main

course dish with more meat than fruit. Itwas baked in a pastry shell, with pastryacross the top. Or it was spread on a pastrycircle with the pastry pulled over andsealed. When need-be, pasties could becarried around for lunches.

Some historical facts:

In the 11th century, when theCrusaders brought a variety of orientalspices back to England, more seasoning

was added to the minced meat dishes. Itbecame the custom to add some spices inmemory of the gifts brought by the Magito Baby Jesus. Mince pies became a partof Christmas celebrations.

In 1413, King Henry V served amincemeat pie at his coronation.

In the 1500s, a cookbook gave the fol-lowing instructions: To make Pyes: Pyesof mutton or beif must be fyne myncedand ceasoned wyth pepper and salte, and alyttle saffron to colour it, suet or marrow agood quantite, a lyttle vyneger, prumes,greate raysins and dates, take the fattest ofthe broathe of powdred beyfe, and yf youwyll have paest royall, take butter and yol-kes of egges and so tempre the flowre tomake the paeste.

In 1657, Oliver Cromwell, the self-pro-claimed Lord Protector of England detest-ed Christmas as a pagan holiday (one notsanctioned by the Bible that promotedgluttony and drunkenness). His PuritanCouncil abolished Christmas and soldierswere ordered to go around the streets ofLondon and take, by force if necessary,food being cooked for a Christmas celebra-tion. The traditional mincemeat pie wasbanned.

Cromwell's Puritan influence spreadacross the Atlantic to the British Colonies

in America. In 1659 many towns in NewEngland banned mincemeat pies atChristmas. From 1659 to 1681, Christmaswas banned in Massachusetts. Those cele-brating it were fined.

Despite bannings, mincing meat andcombining it with dried fruit and spices

became popular again in the 1800s. In1853, Elizabeth Lea in her book,Domestic Cookery, said, When personshave a large family, and workmen on afarm, these pies are very useful. Theycould be baked in large numbers and, moreimportantly during cold weather, theycould be kept as long as two months.Mincemeat could be made ahead and kepteven longer.

In 1909, a 92-pound mincemeat pie wasgiven to President Taft, delivered in an oak

case. In the early 1900s, a Yankee physi-cian claimed that mincemeat pie was badfor America's health. A New Orlean'snewspaper responded, The republicandynasty in Washington may overthrow thefederal constitution, deny rights of thestates and pluck the stars from the bluefield of the national design, but the mincepie will continue to be the nation's comfortand pride.

Factories began making meatless mince-meat and that continues to be popular.Margaret likes her mincemeat withoutmeat, but with lots and lots of raisins.

By WYNELLE CAITLIN

The following recipe is formeatless mincemeat:

1 large orange1 small lemon1 15 oz. box of raisins

3 lbs. tart apples, cored1-1/2 cups apple cider3 cups brown sugar1-1/2 t. salt1-1/2 teaspoons each of cinnamon,nutmeg and cloves

Using coarse blade force fruits throughfood chopper with raisins and apples.Add cider. Simmer for 15 minutes. Addremaining ingredients and simmer for20 minutes more or until thick.

Makes enough filling for three9-inch pies.

A recipe for mincemeat with meat comesfrom a cookbook my sister-in-law, Mollie,and her twin sister, Dollie published:

1 lb. ground meat, cooked1 lb. diced apples1 cup vinegar2 lbs. Raisins

1 cup brown sugar1 cup sorgum syrup

Spices to taste. 1/2 t. cinnamon,1/2 t. nutmeg, 1 t. allspice

Cook the meat. Mix apples, raisins,spices and syrup in the vinegar. Mixwell with ground meat. Pack in jarsand seal.

To make pie take jar of mincemeat

and pour into an unbaked pie shell.Lattice or cover top entirely as you wish.Cook in oven at 350 degrees 35 to 40minutes or until crust is browned.


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Shop Historic Granbury

This photo is from a University of Toronto collection taken froman 1895 Canadian grocer's advertisement. The caption reads:'The Best and Cheapest Mince Meat on Earth Price reduced to

$12.00 per gross, net. J. H. WETHEY,St. Catharines Ont.Manufacturers by appointment to Her Majesty the

Queen,H.R.H. The Prince of Wales and the Army and Navy.'


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Ah springtime! When a young mans fancy turns to history.History? Really?Well, maybe not every young mans thoughts are centered on histo-

ry this time of year, but for those men and women who love andappreciate the rich and fascinating history of the Palo PintoMountains region, the spring of 2015 couldnt be more eagerly antic-ipated. Thats because this is when the Biennial Palo Pinto CountyHistoric and Wildflower Tour takes place. A one-day driving tour

hosted by the Palo Pinto County Historical Commission and featur-ing some of the areas most significant landmarks, along with breath-taking postcard-worthy landscapes.

It will all take place this year on Saturday, April 25th, beginning at9 a.m. and lasting until 4 p.m. (with one exception that will beexplained later in this article) and youre cordially invited to join inon the fun.

As with past tours offered by the commission, you will be free tostart at any point whether Abilene, Fort Worth, Dallas it does notmatter. For discussion's sake, let's assume you depart from MineralWells and head west on U.S. Highway 180. Here is a quick peek at

Palo Pinto County Historic and

BY KATE NOWAK

WILDFLOWER TOUR

9

13

8 7

4

6

HWY16

Hwy

16

FM

919

STRAWN GORDON

MINERALWELLS

HWY1

80

HWY180

HWY 254

SANTO

PALO PINTO

HWY281

GRAFORD

I-20

FM4

FM4

2BRAD

1. Palo Pinto County Old Jail Museum2. First Christian Church - Palo Pinto3. Lovers Retreat4. Worth Ranch5. Rio Roca Chapel on the Brazos6. Young at Hart Ranch7. Johnson League Ranch8. Johnson League Mausoleum9. Old Belding Ranch House

2015 Palo Pinto County on Tour

5

FM4

HWY281


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the places of interest along the designated route:Palo PintoOur first stop will be the Palo Pinto County Old Jail Museum

Complex in Palo Pinto. Constructed of native sandstone in 1882, thejail housed the areas scalawags on its top floor for just shy of sixtyyears. In 1940, when the current courthouse was built, a new jail wasconstructed on its third floor, and the historical old jail building bid

farewell to its last prisoner. In years since, the Palo Pinto CountyHistorical Association has beautifully restored and operates the oldjail as a museum, offering visitors a glimpse of many of the interest-ing artifacts and memorabilia currently housed within its walls.

In addition to the jail, various other buildings from throughout PaloPinto County have been restored and added to the old history premis-es, among them log cabins and a carriage house.

One block to the west of the museum complex, take a look aroundat the First Christian Church built in 1882 and rededicated in October2010. It was first organized in 1857 in the home of Dr. Stephen S.Taylor. Members later built the church building in 1882-83.

Leaving Palo Pinto, well next head west on U.S. 180, our destination

Lovers Retreat. One of the most scenic spots in the county, in its heydayLovers Retreat was a popular gathering place with regularly scheduledoutdoor rodeos and other entertainment venues designed to both draw andplease the crowds.

It was the rugged splendor of natures artwork, however, that garneredthe most visitors, with many coming to see for themselves the giganticstones hugging the banks of Eagle Creek, forming a network of crevass-es, canyons and ledges along the creek bank.

While stories of its name abound, one particular legend tells of a youngIndian couple from rival tribes who chose the secluded area as a hidingplace from those who would separate them. With only the slightest men-tal nudge, it is easy to imagine such a couple living secretively and happi-

ly along the banks of the creek, settling each night around the twistingcurl of smoke rising from their evening campfire.

Gordon-StrawnDont get too comfortable around your mental campfire, though, for

there are other places along the tour that will just as easily spark yourimagination and carry you back to times long past. Our next stop is oneof them. So lets head west for a few miles and then turn south down FMRoad 919 toward Gordon. Its time to pay a visit to the Johnson LeagueRanch.

William Whipple Johnson and his brother Harvey came to Palo PintoCounty from Michigan in 1878, lured to the area by the building of therailroad and the promise of new enterprise. Together the brothers settled

in a small community of settlers that would eventually become Strawn.There they established a successful business selling cedar post to thewestward-advancing Texas Pacific Railroad. Having come west to seektheir fortunes, the brothers truly found it when, a few years after comingto the area, William discovered coal in the southwestern corner of thecounty while out scouting for new sources of cedar. He and his brotherquickly bought up all the land in the area they could get hold of anddiversified their business interests to include coal mining. Their fortunewas not quite big enough, however, and eventually the brothers wereforced to sell the bulk of their mining operation because of lack of operat-ing capital. Along with this reversal of fortune and the feeling that hedbeen duped into the sale by those he had hoped would invest, Johnsons

life was soon marred by far greater tragedy when, within the span of afew short years, he lost his brother and his two young children.

continued on page 14


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In 1905, following the death of his second child, Johnson purchased aleague (4,428 acres) north of Gordon, where he and his wife then moved andwhere he hoped to build a community large enough to rival Thurber, the com-pany town built by his business nemesis, Robert Dickey Hunter. Though hishope never materialized, Johnson remained both a successful businessmanand rancher throughout the remainder of his life. He was the first importer ofwhite tail deer to the area, keeping the animals in high fenced game preserve.

Ironically, today, the present owners of the ranch also manage a wild andexotic game preserve on the property, so at least a part of Johnsons vision forthe property lives on.

No visit to the Johnson League Ranch would be complete without firststopping by the Johnson League Mausoleum, the history of which speaks toboth the love of parent for child and the heartbreak of loss. As previouslymentioned, William and his wife Anna lost both of their children to diseaseprior to moving from their home in Strawn to Johnsons League.

Preceded in death by her husband, when Anna Johnson died in 1922, sheleft specific instructions detailing the building of a stone mausoleum, whichwas to house the bodies of herself, her husband and their two children. Shespecified that once the bodies were placed inside, the building was to be for-

ever sealed shut. Today it remains a silent reminder of a time gone by and thedeep and lasting mark William Whipple Johnson and his wife made on thisland.

From the Johnson League, we will circle down through Gordon, Mingusand Strawn located on the southern edge of the county and then head northalong Highway 16 to the historic Belding Ranch.

Henry Belding arrived in Palo Pinto County in the late-1850s, settling onthe prairie west of Palo Pinto in an abandoned cabin. Numerous generationsof Beldings have occupied the family ranch house that has grown like topsyover the years since Henry Belding first settled here. Though family membersof each generation have added on, the little one room cabin that Henry and hiswife first moved into back in 1859 still remains at the homes core.

As you drive past the entrance gate and follow the road to the ranch house,youll notice both split rail and rock fences along the way, much of the latterbuilt by an itinerate fence builder fittingly named John Rock. He and his fam-ily traveled throughout the area by wagon building sturdy rock fences wher-ever they were hired to do so. Some of the finest examples of his work canstill be seen on the Belding Ranch.

Leaving the Belding Ranch, our next stop is just outside the town ofGraford, where well get a chance to say howdy to the folks at the Young atHart Ranch aka Young Ranch at Flat Rock Crossing. Headquartered at whatwas once the Hart Ranch, the property is owned and maintained today by Jimand Pam Young, who stay busy restoring and preserving its history.

In its early days, raising and selling horses to the United States Cavalry was

the Hart Ranchs primary source of income. Today, old buildings restored totheir former glory continue to tell its fascinating story. A large hand-hewncedar and rock barn is still standing, along with a log cabin built in the mid-1800s. Currently furnished with period pieces, the downstairs of the cabinwas originally used to house livestock. A pit intentionally dug in front of thecabin once provided shelter for animals whenever marauding Indians were onthe attack, giving those inside an advantageous firing line above the animalsbacks. Behind the barn, old rock fences built in the late 1800's and similar tothose found on the Belding Ranch can be seen and are still functional today.Alongside Keechi Creek, which runs through the property. is a deep, spring-fed pond that was once used as a baptismal pool. And for those who once vis-ited the ranch seeking solace of a less spiritual nature, there is also a moon-

shiners shack, constructed during Prohibition in one of the ranchs moredensely wooded areas, away from prying eyes. Many bottles and artifacts of

continued on page 15


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that period are currently on display in the shack and tellmore of the ranchs unique and colorful history.

From the Young Ranch, were heading back throughGraford and south down Highway 4 toward Palo Pinto.Our first stop along this road will be Rio Roca Ranch,approximately six miles south of Graford. Be certainyou arrive at Rio Roca between the hours of 10 a.m.

and 2 p.m. as these are the only hours they will have thegates open for the tour.In 2010, the Rio Roca Chapel was built on a lime-

stone bluff overlooking the scenic, winding BrazosRiver. It is located on a working red Angus cattleranch. Maurice Jennings, a noted architect, and his son,Walter, designed the structure. The chapel is constructedof limestone, steel, wood and glass, creating a breath-taking design. The chapel is 1,080 square feet, and willseat approximately 75 people. It is a private facility usedfor cultural, artistic and spiritual enrichment. Since itscompletion, the chapel has received multiple awards

including the 2011 AISC IDEAS2 national award; the2011 Merit Award from Faith & Form Magazine; andthe 2012 Honors Citation award from the AIA GulfStates Region.

A bit of Texas history is said to have occurred on thissite. Comanche Indian Chief Peta Nocona came throughPalo Pinto County in the early 1860s, on his last raid on

the settlers. He reportedly stole 600 of their horses,which led to the Battle of Pease River. To commemoratethis historical event, the Trail of the Iron Ponies wasconstructed. It is an amazing series of life-size art instal-lations of horses by noted artists across the U.S., con-structed along a two-mile stretch of road leading up tothe Rio Roca Chapel.

Leaving Rio Roca, our next stop will be a few moremiles down the road at the historic Worth Ranch BoyScout Ranch. The Boy Scouts of America bought theland for Worth Ranch in 1929, and every year sincethen, Worth Ranch has been the summer campingground for thousands of scouts and their leaders, mak-ing it one of the oldest Boy Scout camps in the entirestate. Rock brought in by horse-drawn wagons was usedto construct many of the buildings still standing on theproperty today, and restoration of many of the 85 yearold buildings has been ongoing for the past twodecades. An old log cabin on the property still holds a

special place in the hearts of many campers who havestayed at Worth Ranch over the years.

According to the late county historian and long-timePalo Pinto County Tax Assessor, John Winters, cowboysworking in the area used to hunt wolves on KyleMountain, which is located on Worth Ranch property.The cowboys viewed the wolf hunts as a delightful time

of socializing, since most of them worked on isolatedranches and rarely saw one another. In a much earlierera, evidence suggests Caddo and Wichita Indians builtstraw hut settlements on the flat mountain top wherethey planted crops such as gourds and hunted the unlim-ited deer and buffalo in the area. In later years, the morenomadic Comanche were often known to camp in the

area, as well.That wraps up our look at the 2015 Palo Pinto CountyHistoric and Wildflower Tour. Tickets cost $15 per adultand $5.00 for children, ages 6-15. While most of thetour is open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., the one exceptionis Rio Roca Ranch, which will have its gates open from10 a.m. until 2 p.m. You may start your tour at any ofthe eight locations along the way and proceed as youwish as a tour map will be provided to you on tour day.Tickets are available for purchase at the various tourstops on the day of the event and advance tickets canbe purchased at the Mineral Wells Area Chamber

Office.For tour questions, call the Possum Kingdom Lake

Chamber Office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondaythrough Friday at 940-779-2424.

For more information about the history of PaloPinto County and this years tour, visit www.palopin-tohistory.com.


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