TX BIOS:  Mrs. Frank Montague
   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
   
   McGuire, Delise
   
   April 22, 1936
   
   Floyd County
   
   District 17 [?]
   
   "Hillcrest"
   
   Page 1
   
   Bibliography
   
   (Interview with Mrs. Frank Montague)
   
   In 1897 Mr. and Mrs. Frank Montague, then a young bride and groom
   started out to make their home in this western country, settling on a
   section of land 16 miles northeast of [DEL: Floydaa :DEL] Floydada.
   They purchased the land from the State of Texas for $1.00 per acre and
   a set of improvements that were on the [DEL: pace :DEL] place from L.
   H. Lewis for $300.00. The land had also formerlly beloged to Mr. Lewis
   but he had turned it back to the government.
   
   Before the establishment of a Postoffice at the Montague home the mail
   was carried from Floydada to Childress by stage and the teams were
   changed at [DEL: [?] :DEL] their home. Mrs. Montague's brother,
   Charlie Wilson, still a [?] of Floyd County was one of the first stage
   drivers.
   
   Mr. and Mrs. Montague decided they needed a Post Office and made
   application for it in 1898. Mrs. Montague, now a resident of Floydada
   tells about it in [?] own words: "The first thing we did was to get a
   Post Office director and search it through to see that we did not
   submit a duplicate name. Also we had to ave only one word as two words
   were not accepted then as names for Post Offices we had just read
   aweet little story entitled, Hillcrest,, and as I remember it, it was
   something about a young couple just starting out in life. This was an
   idea and so Hillcrest was the name submitted. It was accepted and the
   new Hillcrest Post Office was created in 1898
   
     NOTE: [?????]
     
   00022"We thought too, the name was appropriate for the location since
   our home was the first one after you came upon the cap / rock. It was
   very romantic and a great thrill to us when we were informed that our
   name, Hillcrest, had been accepted by the Post Office Department. Mr.
   Montague was supposed to b the postmaster but in reality I did the
   work. He kept pretty busy with his other work, occasionally he carried
   the mail, nusing a two wheel cart, drawn by two Spanish mules. They
   were driven in a dead run.
   
   "The Mail Carriers were true westerners, coming rain or snow and
   serving the whole countryside by bringing from pins to plows. Lots of
   times there were passengers on the stage and we soon made provision to
   take care of passengers and also drivers who would spend the night in
   bad weather. [DEL: [????] :DEL]
   
   The first mail carrier was Festus A. Steen, brother, of Homer Steen,
   now Editor of the Floyd County Hesperian; second, Horse Edwards;
   Third, Tom W. Deen, now County Judge of Floyd County; fourth, C. W.
   Thagard; fifth, Jno. Fawver.
   
   Mr. and Mrs. Montague moved to Floydada in 1901 and the Post Office
   was moved to the W. B. Crabtree place, 14 mi crow flight, northeast of
   Floydada. It was discontinued in 1910
   
   The old Hillcrest / Post / Office building was moved to Floydada when
   the Montague's came and it was used as their residence. Later it was
   sold to J. H. Shurbet and has the distinction of being the first house
   on South [DEL: Min :DEL] Main Street. Finally Mr. Shurbet moved the
   house to his property near Muncy, where it stands today on the
   floydada and [DEL: [?] :DEL] highway

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