TX BIOS:  Mrs. Phoebe Arnett
   Selected and converted.American Memory, Library of Congress.
   
   Washington, 1994.
   
   Preceding element provides place and date of transcription only.
   
   This transcription intended to be 99.95% accurate.
   
   For more information about this text and this American Memory
   collection, refer to accompanying matter.
   
   U.S. Work Projects Administration, Federal Writers' Project (Folklore
   Project, Life Histories, 1936-39); Manuscript Division, Library of
   Congress.Copyright status not determined.
   
   00011
   
   Page NO. 1. Life History
   
   Folklore,
   
   Miss Effie Cowan,
   
   McLennan County, Texas,
   
   District 8. No words 2,250
   
   File NO. 240.
   
   No. of Words
   
   REFERENCE:
   
   "Interview with Mrs Phoebe Arnett, White Pioneer, Stranger, Texas.
   
   "I was born in Robertson County on the 30th day of July 1848. My
   parents were Mark and [DEL: [?] :DEL] Polly Sommerville. They came to
   Texas when it was under the rule of Mexico and settled near the
   present town of old Wheelock. They lived with the [DEL: Wheelock :DEL]
   [Wheelocks?] and a few other families in a fort the first two years.
   This was for protection against the Indians.
   
   "This community was a small settlement [DEL: situat d :DEL] situated
   near the town of Franklin in Robertson County. Most of these settlers
   came from Tenneessee with Sterling Robertson (for whom Robertson
   county was named). I was 13 years old when the [DEL: war :DEL] War
   between the [DEL: states :DEL] States started, and can remember when
   it was declared and the [DEL: southern :DEL] Southern states seceded
   from the Union. There was a company formed at Wheelock known as the
   Wheelock Company, I do not remember the other name, what company it
   was, but I do remember that I had a cousin who went with this company
   to fight for the [DEL: southern :DEL] Southern cause, or the cause of
   the Confederacy, and out of this company of a 100 men, only five lived
   to return.
   
   "There was a [DEL: drouth :DEL] drought in Texas this year and only
   two men in the community raised any corn. The flour was shipped in by
   wagon train to the little store at [DEL: [] :DEL] Wheelock and we had
   to pay an enormous price for it. We lived out in the country after
   leaving the [?] fort attended the old Shiloh church. When my
   [parents?] came to Texas they did not have any team but oxen , and so
   they drove them to [DEL: [?] :DEL] their wagon. This made the travel
   slow and they were weeks getting to the Wheelock fort.
   
   00022
   
   "On the 10th day of Jan, 1866 I married Hansford Arnett , who had
   returned the year before from the service in the Confederate army. He
   [DEL: [?] :DEL] fought in several battles , some in Missourri , and
   some in other places , but he came through it with only a bullet wound
   in his arm. He passed away in 1879. We had six children , all living
   but one. Those living are Mrs Mollie Tate, near Marlin: Mrs Lizzie
   Richardson , who lives with me[.?] Mrs Edna Hays: Stranger. Tom
   Arnett, Groesbeck: Robert Arnett, Kosse:
   
   "I have lived with in five miles of Stranger ever since I married in
   1866. I have seen the [?] towns surrounding grow from small
   communities to villages and then towns. I have seen the soldiers as
   they passed through Wheelock as they were going and coming from
   fighting for the Confederate Cause. We lived on the road which ran
   through Wheelock to San Antonio, and also to Houston. When the
   soldiers passed, they would often stop and [DEL: demand :DEL] command
   my mother to cook them something to eat. If the women did not feed
   them , they helped themselves to what ever they could find, such as
   groceries, meat , hogs , or chickens , or cattle. They considered they
   were fighting for as and it was our place to feed them. Very few of
   the folks refused to give them what they asked for.
   
   "I have lived [DEL: [throuh?] :DEL] through the trying days of Texas
   during the Reconstruction period, following the days of the War
   between the States, the Spanish - American war, and World war . [DEL:
   [?] :DEL] But the most trying things that we had were the days of
   [DEL: reconstruction :DEL] Reconstruction and the Indians. The
   delegates to the first [DEL: reconstruction convention :DEL]
   Reconstruction Convention were elected just two days before I was
   married and [DEL: on :DEL] a month from the day I was married , the
   convention met and was organized.
   
   00033
   
   "I came to the Stranger community with my husband when we married, in
   1866. We traded at Bremond the nearest town at that time of any size.
   Marlin, over about 11 miles to the west was just a small village, as
   was Kosse to the east. This was long before the Houston and Texas
   railroad built through Kosse. To the north about fifteen miles was the
   little community in later years called Willow Springs, but now the
   town of Mart. [DEL: his :DEL] This community sprang up about the year
   1870 , I think. I know that a few of the pioneers from the Ridge ( [?]
   ), moved to the Willow Spring community. Among them the Douglass, the
   [DEL: Harlan' :DEL] Harlan's, Jones, [DEL: Cowan :DEL] Cowan's and
   other's I do not remember.
   
   "And now let me go back in memory to the early days of The Ridge as
   the Stranger community was called. The Ridge takes it name from a long
   strip of land from a point near Steele's or Garrett's place near
   Limestone county and extends in a southwesterly direction almost to
   the Robertson county line. It is in reality a ridge and the [DEL:
   Stranger :DEL] Stranger community lies on top of an elevated section
   from which one can look over a large section of the Big [DEL: [reek?]
   :DEL] Creek valley westward to the court-house at Marlin, even to
   Beans Hill which is the beginning of the Brazos.
   
   "Many of the pioneers have passed on, but there are a few of us who
   lived in the days I have mentioned , following the [DEL: war :DEL] War
   between the [DEL: states :DEL] States. As we stand on the Ridge and
   gaze westward- eastward, northward and southward, our minds go back to
   the days of the past and once more we see in memory those [DEL:
   other's :DEL] others who helped to build the community. We see many
   horses and rigs of all sorts, the roads are winding, rough and full of
   mud holes in the rainy season, in the summer they are dusty and bumpy.
   
   00044
   
   "The stage coach at first passes by on its way to Marlin and the east
   to Kosse. There is no hurry, every one has plenty of time. We see once
   more the aristocratic Jasper Garrett, moving among his family and his
   neighbors , taking great pride in his family his neighbors and his
   friends. Once again Harris Kay conducts Sunday School in the old
   church -school house or they open their home to the community for a
   Christmas party. We can hear in memory the chuckling voice of Arch
   Hodge and his quiet humor, as the voice of Mrs [DEL: [odge?] :DEL]
   Hodge in her quiet matronly way.
   
   "Then in memory one can see Jesse Brothers as he rides around his farm
   watching his men at work. Then it grows dark and one can see the
   hounds on the run. From the woods down the [DEL: ravin :DEL] ravine
   from the Ridge one can hear the baying of the dogs on the chase.
   Following the dogs are Uncly Billy brothers -Joe Sandlin, our
   humorist, some of the Erskines and the Garrets and some of the then
   younger generation. They are having a great time , when hunting was
   real sport and at the end of the chase they brought home the dear or
   the wild turkey.
   
   "Around the corner of the road near the school house and church are
   the family of Jim Swinnea. And in the house are Ida and Lil and Floyd,
   and perhaps some neighbors passing the time of day. Ida and Lil are
   living in that house [DEL: [?] :DEL] today. A little farther to [DEL:
   he :DEL] the south and west sits John Eddins in his home. He is
   smoking a pipe, his face is covered with long whiskers, ( the style of
   the day ), he is meditating over the days gone by, perhaps in the
   service of the Lost Cause. Its warm and in the house one can hear the
   hum of the sewing machine as "Grandma Eddins sings, "There's not a
   friend like the lowly Jesus: No not one-- no n-o-t o-n-e." 00055.
   
   "Once again I see beyond the old well on the south side of the road
   near Stranger store, just below the hills, a horse and buggy and in it
   sits a gentleman with an expression of peace with the world. He has a
   peg leg and he lets the horse have its way over the road. It is the
   mail carrier--Joel Roberts carrying the mail-- and [he's?] been
   carrying it since Stranger got its post office and a name!
   
   "Along the pages of memory there goes Dewitt Stone-- still having a
   good time. He has just found a skeleton from an old Indian mound, and
   here comes a candidate for office where-upon Dewitt lifts up the skill
   and from thence hurriedly goes the candidate without waiting to ask
   him for his vote. Then there goes [DEL: [a?] :DEL] young doctor
   Poindexter in his buggy of bygone days, and once again we hear him
   tell the story of his first patient. For a whole month the new doctor
   had'nt had a patient and he did'nt see how be was to pay his board
   bill at "Granny Williams".
   
   "About sundown be gets a call and all night long [DEL: he :DEL] his
   patient lay groaning, grown pale then hot and pains in his side. The
   doctor tries all his remedies, it seems his patient is going to die in
   spite of all his efforts. ['?]He goes out to the hen-house and [DEL:
   [rols?] :DEL] rolls up a big pill and gives to the patient.
   Immediately be relaxes and falls into a peaceful sleep from which when
   he awakes the next morning the pain is gone and he is a well man, or
   at least for that time, the trouble being what was later known as an
   attack of appendicitus, but at that time it was just plain
   indigestion. Later Dr Piondexter spent many years of his successful
   career practicing medicine in Kosse, serving his old time friends
   00066.
   
   at Stranger.[?] Riding the winding roads a herd of cattle ahead, we
   see many of Strangers fathers and [grand?]-fathers with their riding
   boots astride [DEL: a :DEL] of [DEL: horse :DEL] horse's rounding ap
   the cattle[.?] There [are?] bridles and harness for the buggies,
   surries, wagons with spring seats, and fine teams of horses and miles,
   such were the modes of travel and when the new machines called
   automobiles come in we hear these fathers and grand-fathers saying
   "you wont catch me in one of those "contraptions"!
   
   "Again ; down memories lane we see the neighbors meeting for a big
   picnic among the [DEL: tre s :DEL] trees in Garretts pasture-- plenty
   of well filled baskets -- a string band and all day speaking , for it
   is election year. The [DEL: [?] :DEL] band is made up of country
   musicians from all sections of the county[,?] it sounded so good
   despite frequent discordant notes or misplaced key. There's a lull in
   the enthusiasm, things are beginning to drag. The band leader knows
   the remedy. Shaking his fist and bringing his hand down briskly, out
   comes loud and clear the strains of "Dixie" --and the crowd responds
   with the chorus of "I wish I wuz in de lan' [of?] cotton, ole times
   dar am not forgotten-- Hurray-- hurray [DEL: . :DEL] , in Dixie lan' I
   takes my stan' to lib an' die in Dixie"'.
   
   "A sudden gleam shines in the eyes of Jasper Garrett, John Eddins,
   George Barnes, Jesse Cornelison, Bill Clawson, Ed Vann, Dr Shaw and
   other old Confed's, including Dave Boyles of Reagan, ( later Judge
   Boyles,) the spirit of "Dixie" is catching [DEL: [?? daughter] :DEL]
   sons, and daughter's grand-sons and grand daughters alike join in the
   chorus of hurrahs and there's new life in the crowd after the band
   plays Dixie, and the platform is [DEL: clear :DEL] cleared for and old
   time square dance.
   
   00077
   
   "Another look into memories pages and we see the old school house and
   church building which served for both, during the week for school and
   on Sundays the different denominations took their turn about holding
   services. It is a school day and Mr. J.A.Dunkam is teaching school.
   There are big boys and little boys. Big girls and little girls, and
   today these boys and girls are fathers and mothers of the younger
   generation. Professor Dunkam has passed on, after having led a
   successful teaching career [DEL: [?] :DEL] and afterward made a
   success as a banker and farmer in the Marlin community.
   
   "But look ! there are other teachers who pass on the stage of lifes
   memory and leave their footprints on the sands of Time. There is John
   Lattimore whose father was a teacher too. Professor Stout , Blair ,
   and others. All took their turn in the old church and school house
   combined. Then comes the Sunday services. [DEL: [?] :DEL] One incident
   stands out clearly in my mind. The Baptist's are having services.
   Throught the audience the deacons are passing the plate around with
   the "bread and wine" for communion.
   
   "Down near the rear of the church is a young man who has imbibed of
   [the?] wine of the grapes a little too freely. He rises and
   remarks["?] I want some of that"! The deacon returns "You cant have
   it, You're not a Baptist". He comes back with "Well I'm a Methodist.
   Besides this church belongs to us all". The deacon replied "It may be
   your [cchurch?], but this is our day", our time to hold service". It
   was then that the argument [DEL: grestronger :DEL] grew/stronger and
   [DEL: str nger :DEL] stronger until there sprang up two factions , one
   for, the other against "close Communion" and the outcome was the
   Baptist built their own church in the year 1902. 00088"Following the
   long procession down Memories Lane comes "Granny Moffett" -- quiet,
   kindly, Old- timey, typical of the pioneer women in which she lived
   and spent her youth. Typical of the days of San Jacinto. [DEL: [she?]
   :DEL] She could tell you lots of things about the days when Texas was
   fighting for her freedom from Mexico. She ran with the other settlers
   in the Run- away Scrape as people fled from Santa Anna-- before
   General Sam Houston turned the States destiny at San Jacinto. She
   could tell all about when Texas won her independence , and also the
   days of the Reconstruction when Texas also won her independence all
   over again , and her fight for the vote , after the men who were
   soldiers during the [DEL: war :DEL] War between the States had the
   vote taken from them. She saw the transformation from a Republic to a
   state.
   
   "This reminds me that in the month of Febuary after I was married in
   January of 1866 that the Reconstruction convention met and was
   organized, with Throckmorton for President and did not adjourn [DEL:
   til :DEL] until April , and at a general election the constitution was
   adopted and the legialature met at Austin.[?] [DEL: on :DEL] On the
   13th day of August , Throckmorton was inagurated governor and Wash
   [DEL: [ones?] :DEL] Jones Lieutenant Governor. It was in March of the
   next year 1867 that Congress was displeased with President [DEL:
   Johnsons :DEL] Johnson's plan of reconstruction and declared the
   governments of Texas and Louisiana provisional only. and in April of
   1867 General Griffin, the military commander at Galveston prohibited
   all elections in Texas. Then on the 17th day of April he put the
   negroes on the juries[?]with an order issued preparing for the
   regristration of the voters. The best of my memory the voting strength
   was about equal, around [DEL: [?] :DEL] 56,000 whites to 47,500
   neg-[?] [?]00099"Looking down Memories Lane there unfolds a panaroma
   of Texas history with the incidents politically, socially and
   economically that has made Texas what it is today, but the picture
   that I like the best is the simple life of neighborliness and the
   companionship of the pioneers as they met in social gatherings,
   church, schools, [alldday?] singings, picnics, celebrations and in
   some year [DEL: [?] :DEL] , the political meetings.
   
   "Entertainment came from fellowship, conversation, music, and stunts
   for the young, instead pf picture shows on fine Sunday afternoons the
   young men and women rode their horses, played and enjoyed the simple
   [DEL: sport :DEL] sport's. Unlike today-where the young [DEL: eople
   :DEL] people go to the movies and to the professional entertainments
   with no contact with their neighbors.
   
   "Yes! Things are different! The old Ridge itself is the same. The
   birds still, sing merrily as they fly from tree to tree, just as they
   did in the fifties and sixties when I married and came to the Ridge.
   The old Big Creek flows or stands still just as in the days gone by.
   It is we who are different, and we are different because the progress
   of civilization has made us so.

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