More notes from Uncle Tom

The Farm

notes from Tom McGaughy

Words in brackets were hard to read and may be inaccurate.

Great Grandpa McGaughy and his brother-in-law both came to the valley in 1859 according to Beall and Roxie - went back to Mississippi for the War and returned in 1869 and bought the land. Apparently wealthy, a picture of Great Grandpa, his wife, 9 kids, and 198 slaves is apparently lost. Steamer trunk had confederate uniform, bundle of confederate money, etc. Jud put it out in the chicken house, rain headed in and ruined everything. 

Brother-in-law Bob traded his land - think it was part of the Barden (?) farm, to Great Grandpa for 80 acres back in Mississippi. Can verify in count records - I ran across it there.

Indians were bad and family lived in Whitesboro and Dallas before moving to Spanish Fort in 1872. Built General Store on East side of standing store building - foundation still there. Let people have credit and no pay - went broke.

Moved up to the farm 1873-1874. From Book - University Press - in Library in Wichita Falls - wish I had kept the name. 1873 cattle drive from south Texas by old rancher. Had 1200 head on drive to Kansas - got to Red River, it was out of bank. 20,000 head of steer being held there by river - most drives 1500-2000. This guy was afraid of more rain and took his 1200 down the draw next to The Cunninghams - across the river and up mud creek just above rock bluff. 4 head did not follow closely and were swept down the river, lost, he gave a perfect description. That night came a big storm, the 20,000 left in the valley stampeded and it took two weeks to get separated. He got top price - the panic of 1873 knocked value others in half. I wish I had the book, would like to read it again.

That is what happened to the 4 foot tall blue stem grass in the valley. Great Grandpa said that looking into the valley from the church, you could see a man but not his horse. 

Red River out of banks on the following times. No one else has record of this to my knowledge. Keep record for future.

1873 - out several weeks
1908 - very high - lots of silt - got spring house at spring and possibly a still
1935 - cut off 35 acres on back of farm and made Willow Island.
1941 - Deck and Tince swam out and got bridge timbers, I played in it age 8
1951 - out 2 times. Not bad.
1983 - Horrible - idiot civil corps general let Altus dam water stag up, ruined river
1987 - not bad. Many fish followed bank (The Bluff) up stream - large and small fish, all kinds

I think that it got out in 1993, but don't know. [you, Bob, find out and get questioned record]

Great Grandpa McGaughy led the family, [illegible - bringing his slaves or Birmingham Hou] to Spanish Fort then died in 1876 and Great Grandma also. Left Grandpa the farm at age 28. Know very little of early years. Raised a lot of hogs - killed 65 at a time, made bacon and hauled it to railhead at Sherman, 5 cents per pound.I have a hunch that under the bacon was jugs. I know of at least 2 stills operated at the spring. We dug out a lot of broken pottery in 1973. Remains of foundation of spring house is still there. Rock ledge extends out 6-7 feet from spring, drops off three feet ([cooling harvel (or hovel) was there we found it]). This filled in in 1908 at bottom of spring house. Found a crowbar, small gold latch for a box and a still working 1892 Winchester 2h action.

Aunt Roxie born in 1884 said along about 1900 they were eating noon meal and mountain lion got up on the shoulder of the fireplace and started to squal. Grandpa got his gun and went out and shot him so they could finish lunch in peace. 1902 Grandpa killed a buck and doe with one shot at the spring. 1907 killed 110 black birds with one shot. 1908 double charged it and splintered stock into 13 pieces. I put it back together, this is the old muzzle loader Bob M. has. Again when Dad (born 1894) was 9 or 10 years old, they were at noon meal and a bad storm came over - door to porch was open and ball lightning came in, drifted the length of the dining table, which was about 15 feet long, the ball hit grandma Minnie - and knocked her out when it exploded. She was out only a minute and was OK. Dad went away to college - East Texas Baptist C. but only stayed part of a year. Ran off and joined a circus. Learned how to make salt water taffy - good stuff. Main duty was taking care of bulls. They took around nine cattle with them. Stayed with them 8-9 months and went back home and started farming.

Farming was very profitable during (WW1) the war years. Dad got rid of his buggy and bought a 1917 Model T. They had to be cranked so Ike Gill (Judd's older brother) invented an acetylene starter for it - Dad said it worked real good.

Grandma and Grandpa Gill were from Kentucky - she must have been from back in the hills - spoke Elizabethan English - "Thee and Thou". They came to Oklahoma by covered wagon in 1907. Their house is located 3/8 mile NW of the bridge on Cache Creek, west of Lawton. Commanche Indians were downstream 1/2 mile. Mom saw Quanah Parker there. They went back to Kentucky about 1909, Grandpa Gill farmed there and did real well. Came back to Oklahoma by train, 1 car for HHG and 1 car for big draft horses, Farmed near Ragtown, oil boom town, quit and bought hotel at Wilson, located in NW side, foundation was still there in late 1960's.

Had a poker game in upstairs room and 2 whores. Good influence on the kids. Ike and Dick started drinking then. Mom moved to a school about 15 miles east and started teaching. GP went broke again and started the kids to working in the fields and picking cotton. That is how they ended up in the valley at home.

The start of the depression must not have been too bad for them - Dad, Henry, and Jud all bought new deer rifles - Henry and Dad .30 Remingtons, Jud the 30-30 Winchester now owned by Bob F. Dad and Jud went to Mason County to deer hunt in 1929. Don't know about Henry. Dad went back several years in a row. He and Port Howard, his best friend. Walt [Zunaseralt] borrowed Dad's .30 rifle several years and went south 3-4 days and brough back the rifle, 18 shells from a new box of 20, and deer steaks.

Walt drowned in 1941, crossing the Red River at the [footbridge] - washed out and their boat turned over. He hung in brush and came up 3 days later. Turtles ate his nose, ears, and fingers. Dick Gill came to see us soon after, fishing caught several large turtles. Had Mom make him turtle soup. No one else would eat any - finally told Dick about Walt - Dick's old friend. Dick went outside and puked up his turtle soup. I was 8 - Dick took me squirrel hunting and let me do the shooting. I killed 3 - first time I can remember shooting or hunting. All were in the Oak Tree on the ridge in the woods at the Brown's fence.