TX BIOS:  R. A. McAllister
   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
   
   [??] FOLKLORE -- White Pioneers
   
   Miss Effie Cowan, P. W.
   
   McLennan County, Texas,
   
   District No. 8
   
   No. of words 2,000
   
   File No. 240
   
   Page No. 1. Reference:
   
   Interview with Mr. R. A. McAllister, [Odds?], Texas.
   
   "I was born in 1865 near the present town of Odds, but at that time
   was just an open range country. It is located half way between Marlin
   and Groesbeck, on the road which connects the two towns. My father was
   Willliam B. McAllister. He was born in South Carolina, a son of Andrew
   McAllister who came to America from Ireland in the days before the
   Revolution.
   
   "Father came to Texas in 1853 and located on the strip of land known
   as Blue Ridge, come eight or ten miles from Marlin, Texas. He lived
   there a few years and moved to the present Odds community in 1856.
   Here he married my mother, Mary Erskine, who was a daughter of Hugh
   and Jane Erskine of this community and who came to Texas with my
   parents. To my father and mother were born sever children, all of whom
   lived to reach maturity and had families of their own. There were
   three boys and four girls, namely: Margaret, who became Mrs. Z. T.
   Todd of Falls County; Mary Ann, wife of T. H. Hammond; Olive, wife of
   [.?] J. Walker [of?] Falls County; and Lizzie, wife of J. H Sundy. The
   boys were Hugh (who moved to the Indian Territory before it became the
   State of Oklahoma), and myself. All have passed away but my sister,
   Mrs. Walker and myself.
   
     NOTE: [???????]
     
   "My father's family were of the old school Presbyterian denomination,
   and he belonged to the Blue Ridge and later the [?] Church, was an
   elder in the Church from the time I can remember. The first church
   which we attended was the first church organized in Falls County.
   00022This was a non-denominational church located at Salt Branch.
   
   "The first Presbyterian minister to preach to the Odds Church was
   named Jones, and he went from house to house. The first Methodist that
   I remember was Rev. J. [C.?] Jordan and later Rev. Sanders. And for
   the Baptist, Rev. Willingham, who was an evangelist. Before the
   Baptists had a church, either on the Ridge or in the Odds community,
   they went to Marlin to hear Rev. Z. [.?] Morrell who organized that
   church on April 10, 1852, just one year before my father located in
   the Blue Ridge settlement. I have heard my father speak of the charter
   members of that church, who were A. B. Ewing, L. S. Barton, Nancy
   Dobbs, and [Margay?] Morgan; a Mr. and Mrs. Prewitt, and their one
   servant.
   
   "The first Presbyterian church organized in Falls County, was across
   the Brazos River two miles east of the present town of Durango at a
   place known as Carolina, and was organized by John Balsch, on November
   12, 1853. As it was the only church of my father's faith in the
   county, we sometimes attended church there.
   
   "The pioneer schools were supported by private donation, the first in
   the county being held at Coleman's Prairie, three miles south-west of
   Marlin, with J. [W.?] Jarvis as teacher. The early school buildings
   were made of logs. Marlin, the county seat of Falls County, was just a
   cross-roads village when my father came in 1855. In 1856 Green and
   Bartlett had a hardware store, and so did Boles and Company. The
   latter store was the first brick building to be erected in Marlin. And
   until the new City Hall was rebuilt, it was used as the City Hall. The
   first 00033court-house was built by Francis Fredro. This was one large
   room built of split logs with a ground floor. The old court-house was
   replaced by a two-story cedar building in the early fifties and this
   was burned in 1868. They had a Union Church in Marlin which was used
   as a school building during the week; this building was located about
   250 yards west of the present court-house.
   
   "After father moved to the Odds community in 1856, I remember that
   there was a one teacher school about three miles south of us, where I
   attended and my teacher was named Miss Mollie Sanders. I was a small
   boy then. There was a school which served the Odds community, in 1880,
   taught by Rev. John Soders on what was called Rocky Island near the T.
   [.?] Garrett home about a mile south of the present town of Odds.
   Among the first teachers were Jeb Long, Mrs. Price, Solon Bunn and
   later A. C. McDaniel who taught for ten or twelve years. Some of the
   trustees were A. C. McDaniel, John Erskine, J. C. McKinley, Jim Brady
   and later on Tom Garrett.
   
   "The first school was built on the present site of Locust Grove School
   about 1890. The original building being rebuilt. This is on the
   Odds-Groesbeck road. It is called the Locust Grove School and the
   present teachers [areMr.?] and Mrs. J. A. Byrd and Miss Dimple Miles.
   The present trustees are R. R. Erskine, G. [.?] Small and Carl
   McAllister. All descendants of the early pioneers. It was about this
   time that a church was built at the present site of Odds. Mr. McDaniel
   and Tom Garrett helped to organize the Methodist Church. It was under
   the 00044Thornton charge. The Baptist denomination organized several
   years later. Ellsbury Criswell was Church Clerk. The membership in
   both churches was small, but they were in earnest and believed in
   having the benefit of the schools and churches close by. The younger
   generation had the benefit of the religious and educational advantages
   at their door.
   
   "Father was a stock man. We did not raise cotton at all those first
   years of my boyhood. There was some stealing of the young calves on
   the range. The unbranded calves or yearlings were called mavericks. In
   that day it was not really thought to be stealing, the range was free
   and therefore the stray yearlings were supposed to belong to the first
   man who branded them. The cattle were taken to Marlin, after the
   Houston and Texas Central Railroad was built from Houston to Waco, and
   shipped to the markets. Before that time, the men would go in together
   and drive their cattle up the trails to the market as in Abilene and
   Kansas City.
   
   "I do not remember the exact year, but I was a boy about twelve years
   of age and was working in the field thrashing grain. It was in the
   middle of the afternoon and the sky all at once became dark and no
   clouds to indicate rain, we rushed to the house, the chickens all went
   to roost, and we could not at first think what in the world it meant.
   We children were scared and thought the world had come to an end. It
   was dark as the darkest of nights. My oldest brother was out on the
   range hunting cattle and when he saw it, he had but one thought and
   00055that was to make it to our uncle [Jeems'?] before the end of the
   world came. But after awhile the sun came out and father said it must
   have been the sun in eclipse. In that day we had no weather forecasts
   and did not know when to expect these things.
   
   "It was in the fall of 1877, that the grasshoppers came thro' our
   community and the sky was again darkened for two or three days. They
   were in great droves and destroyed the grain and damaged the bark of
   the trees, they left their eggs and the next spring they hatched out
   and the gardens were ruined from them. When they grew wings they left.
   They came with a September equinox storm.
   
   "In the earlier days the land produced far more abundant crops than it
   does now. It was expected after we commenced to raise cotton that at
   least a bale would be harvested to the acre. The insects had not
   gotten a start and the soil had not washed away. If we had the coil
   conservation in those days our production now would have been a
   different story and the land in much better shape . The open spaces in
   the Odds community in the early days was covered with mesquite trees.
   It was considered Prairie land, altho' the terrain is hilly and
   rolling. Prairie fires must have prevented the growth of trees in days
   gone by. A few trees dot the community here and there and if they
   could talk, they could tell many a story of picnics and happy days of
   the young (now the old) generation. Up at Buffalo [Mott?], where the
   cowboys used to camp, and rest in the heat of the summer sun, many a
   boy's name with the initials of his sweetheart was carved on the
   00066trees.
   
   "In [?], Mr. [???] of Marlin and Bill Cooper owned a gin in our
   community. I can recoollect taking the cotton to the gin, where it was
   unloaded from the wagon, and baskets were used to carry it to the gin
   stands. This was before the invention whereby the cotton was carried
   to the stands by conveyors or wind blasts. It was not only work to
   carry the cotton to the gin stands, but it was very uncomfortable at
   times. Stinging scorpions were bad and many times the carrier was
   stung by them.
   
   "I recoollect one time the late [Whit?] Criswell decided to play a
   prank or the man hired to carry the baskets to the gin stands. He
   found an extra large stinging scorpion, clipped his tail and said,
   "Now watch!' whereupon he dropped the tail in the workmans open shirt.
   Of course the workman gave out a long range of bad words when the
   stinger took effect but the funny part was that Whit Criswell gave a
   yell at the same time, a lizard had stung him just below the right
   eye!
   
   "Speaking of jokes when boys and girls got together and did not have
   the benefit of picture shows and radios, as well an automobiles to
   help pass the time, they found other amusements some times in jokes on
   each other. One instance was when the following boys and girls were
   picnicking around the rocks at old Buffalo Mott. In the group were
   Irma Ship, now Mrs. R. [.?] Carter; Oscar and Frank McKinley, Beulah
   and Amelia McKinley (the latter now Mrs. Turner Criswell of Marlin);
   John, Jim and Lee Brady and others. 00077Lee Brady (now vice-President
   of the First National Bank of Mart), became dissatisfied because the
   others would not play the games he wanted to play. he assumed a
   downcast attitude and told the crowd that he had as soon kill himself
   as not. He disappeared from the crowd and a little later they heard
   groans coming from a grove of small trees nearby. Some of the boys and
   girls went to investigate and there lay Lee Brady with what looked
   like blood all over his shirt and face, around his throat and
   collar--with a bloody knife across his chest.
   
   "With wells of surprise and horror every one ran frightened to break
   the news of the tragedy. Lee had to run like the devil to keep up with
   them to stop the news from getting back to the old folks, since the
   boys and girls were really frightened out of their senses. Lee had
   only faked the stunt by using poke-berry juice to resemble blood.
   
   "This is my father's diary, written when he was in business in the
   Stranger-Odds community. The first pages read as follows;
   
   "Monday, December 25, 1848--Myself, A. Stevenson, [Wm.?] R. Erskine
   and John Todd went to Broadway bottom and split out some buggy spokes
   and it rained all day. We stayed all night at Erskine's.
   
   "Tuesday, 26th--clear in the morning, but clouded up in the evening.
   "Myself [Wm.?] R. E., A. S. and I. T. went to the sewing at John
   Stevenson's this evening but part of us left after supper and went to
   Andersons to a dance. Stayed all night at A. Todds'.
   
   "Wednesday, 27th--It rained all day today. I stayed in town 00088and
   spent the night again at Todds'.
   
   "Thursday, 28th--A little cloudy and cold. I came home this morning
   Myself, A. S, and I. T. started serenading and gathered a crowd and
   had a frolic at Mrs. [.?] Smith's. It rained all night and we played
   all night. Misses N. S., [.?] D., M. [.?] E., M. E. K., I. [?.], [B.
   S.?] [.?] S. were the crowd of girls.
   
   "Friday, 29th--I came home this morning. It was cold and rained all
   day.
   
   "Saturday, 30th--I came home this morning and went to Dr. Anderson's
   today. Returned home and again went to Uncle James Todd's.
   
   "Each day is more or less of a routine nature until starting again
   on):
   
   "Monday, January 8th, 1849--I went to Anderson's to the clerk's
   election. I also went to Mr. Bailey's this morning.
   
   "Sunday, January 14th, 1849--I went to Broadway to preaching today and
   Mr. Carlile preached from the 8th verse of the 49th Psalm. I went with
   Margaret home and stayed all night at Todd's.
   
   "Monday, January 15th--I stayed all day in the village trying to get a
   negro boy for mother. I bargained for Henry, a yellow boy, today.
   
   "Tuesday, January 16th--I went to B. Erskine's last night and stayed
   all night. I came home this morning and went to work.
   
   "Wednesday, January 17th--I made a pair of cart shafts for 00099D.
   Brown on account today etc.-----.
   
   "Saturday the 20th--I went to the election today; we elected I. B.
   Moor Captain----, (here the records become illegible at the bottom of
   the page).
   
   "Monday 22nd--I worked today and went to Anderson and stayed all night
   and heard a temperance lecture by Mr. Duryee.
   
   Elsewhere in the book this notation appears: Something uncommon:
   
   "April 15th, 1849--A considerable snow fell today.
   
   "April 16th.--A heavy frost this morning. Also on the 17th, 18th and
   19th.
   
   "Father's Diary was not kept up but the names in the book to whom the
   blacksmith work was done are of interest. Some of these names dated
   for the years 1848 to 1854-55 are those of the following: Elias Pool,
   James Long, [.?] R. Todd, Robert Todd, J. D. Erskine, Jesse Brothers,
   Dr. Pouncy, Rv. B. Erskine, Mr. Wells, Moffett, [.?] L. Kilpatrick,
   [.?] Sparks, A. H. Morrell, John Todd, James Guffye, W. Gaimpson, H.
   Steele, Col. Goudy, T. Garrett, Samuel Bell, Thos, Garrett, E.
   Thompson, David Barclay, James Stevenson, E. P. Stevenson, Larkin
   Rogers, [.?] G. Hunnicutt Other names in the list of customers were
   names of residents all along the Blue Ridge settlement: Willaby
   Sparks, James McGhee, L. Edwards, Isaac Hason, Henry Rogers, Garrett
   Long, Wm. [?], M. L. Edwards, Mr. Vinson, John Hodge, G. B. Duncan,
   Isaac Smith, Robert Smith, R. Keogans, John Henefee, Granville Rose.
   Other names in this day book for work done by my father were Alexander
   Hodge, John Mitchell, Mathew Sparks, Dr. 001010Forbes, John Ferguson,
   Mr. Farris, Jesse Corneilison, John Rogers, Mr. Kendall, Dutch George,
   Henry Woodland, G. [.?] Duncan, Milliford Long, R. S. Springfield, B.
   Y. Bennets, Wilkins.
   
   "This day book shows that branding irons were in use then (1848-1856)
   The words "pinchers, staple, clevis, horse shoeing, buzzard plow,
   re-rim wheels, hooks, chains, ox-tongues, filling wagon wheels mend
   spur, sharpen plow, fit head or barrel, sharpen maddox, set of
   chair-frames, ragwheel and catch for loom chimney irons, were all used
   in describing the work done.
   
   "In the day book are receipts of accounts paid by my father as well as
   those he received. One receipt is a final payment on the estate of
   Wilburn Jones, and reads this way:
   
   "Received from [.?] S. McAllister the sum of $20.00 same being the
   amount in full of all demands in favor of the estate of Wilburn Jones
   deceased. May 10, 1860."
   
   "Our forefathers were not without their feelings of sentiment and in
   view of the shortage of song books, in the back of his day book are
   the following songs written in his own handwriting: "Remember Me",
   "Will you love me then as now?" "think of Me", and a few other popular
   songs of the day.
   
   "The book reveals the lives of the working world in the accounts, as
   well as my father's own life--as evidenced by his diary, and the
   finishing touch with the longing common to all the world, to be
   remembered when 'Time will be no more'."

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