Young County, TX - History - Tonk Valley Reunion History, 1952 ************************************************************************************* This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Dorman Holub Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************************************************* Colorful Young County Festival Began as "Tonk Valley Reunion" TONK VALLEY FATHERS - GRAHAM. Sept 26 (Special) - These are fathers of the Young County Pioneer Reunion and old Tonk Valley Schoolmaters. Back row, left to right, are Hope Timmons, Will Coffman, Clay Parker and Lewis White. Center row, George H. McClaren, Lee Coffman and Zack Timmons. Front row, Mitchel Abbey, Frank Lindsey and James Dowdle. Only two of the group are still living. They are cousins. They are Clay Parker, former member of the State Legislature and oil man of Graham and Mitchel Abbey of Pep, Texas. by ALTHEA MAE ALBRIGHT Wichita Falls Times Review Less than a hundred years ago the Tonkawa Indians roamed nomadic style and hunted buffalo in Young County. They lived in skin tepees, planted little, or not at all, and bore a reputation, probably deserved, for cannibalism. They fought, at one time or another, most of their neighbors, from the Apache to the Caddo. This is the backdrop of Young County's famed Old Settlers Reunion scheduled to be held in Graham Saturday. The year 1874 marked the close of Indian hostilities in Young County, with all the tribes in this part of Texas placed on reservations in Oklahoma. Meanwhile, the home of the Tonkawa was settled by pioneers who braved the wrath of the Tonkawas - where their main campground was located - they found a beautiful and fertile land about four miles southwest of Graham and not far from the Brazos river. The community was named Tonk Valley after the Indians. It is actually two valleys, separated by a mountainous ridge. After the school district was formed, the valleys were designated Upper Tonk and Lower Tonk. Early Day Schools In the early 1870s, Miss Adda McNabb told her neighbors in Upper Tonk Valley that she needed another horse for farming and that if they would pay her enough to buy the horse she would teach in school. So, with the salary of an old gray pony and a few dollars extra, Miss McNabb taught the first school in Upper Tonk. The school term was three months duration during the time the children weren't needed at home. The school house was an old log cabin with a dirt floor. The furniture was made of split logs with peg legs. Miss McNabb taught two short terms, followed by Miss Zena McCloud. Mr. Alcorn taught the next term, which was in 1879, and is the first school recorded in the county records. There were 29 pupils on the roll. In 1887, a more modern school was built on the same location and the owner of the land deeded two and one-half acres to the school and church. The small boxed building was heated by a huge wood stove equipped with a big drum above it to throw out heat. The seats were modern, too. They were benches made of boxing plank about 20 feet long. They had not backs. Ten years later, when Upper Tonk became more populated, a larger school was built with S.T. Seddon, W.L. Cornett and F.C. Isenberry as trustees. It was used until 1922 when the Tonk Valley schools were consolidated with the Graham Independent School District. Lower Tonk Valley In Lower Tonk Valley, the first school was held in 1874 or 1875, in a log house with Mrs. Neff as teacher for two or three short subscription terms. In 1890, a two story structure was built on the same spot and by 1893 the population had grown so much that two teachers were needed. Professor Romulus Lindsey was the principal and Miss Sallie Whittenburg was the assistant teacher. Some of the pupils were Zack and Hope Timmons, George H. McClaren, Lee and Will Coffman, Horace Aynesworth, Ike Holt, Cam and West Parker and O.H. and Clay Parker. Among the girls were Alice and Oma Timmons, Lillian Ernest, Necie Holt, Ora Askew and Mary and Victoria Keetre School Reunion in 1895 In 1895, George H. McClaren, who had attended the Lower Tonk Valley School was teaching in the Ming Bend Community. He decided it would be a good idea to have a reunion of old school maters. With the help of Miss Lillian Earnest, also a former pupil, invitations were sent to other former pupils, and to Professor Lindsey. The reunion was held December 27, 1895 at the Al Coffman home. A large crowd attended and enjoyed the program of recitations, songs and speeches. A set of Gibbons' "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" was presented to Professor Lindsey. A speech, "Our Country's Call," was given by McLaren, who in later years became a well known teacher in the county. In 1900, he was elected District and County Clerk and held the office for several years. Present Day Reunion The pioneers who settled in Tonk Valley made a wise choice. The land proved to be ideal for farming and many years later rich oil pools were discovered beneath the old Tonkawa camping grounds. In the pioneer days, the people of Tonk Valley were known far and wide for their hospitality. The same is true today. Their descendants are proud of the heritage. In order to keep alive some of the old traditions and to bring relatives and old friends together, a reunion is held annually on the first Saturday in October. It began in 1939 as the Tonk Valley Reunion. But in 1947, the name was changed to the Young County Old Settlers Reunion. From three to four hundred folks gather each year at the Community Center at Tonk Valley about four miles from Graham on the Breckenridge highway. They come from all points in the state of Texas. Many come from other states. The day is spent in hearing from old timers and from one or two outstanding personalities; elect of new officers, sing songs, and to eat barbecue furnished by the reunion organization, boosted by huge amount of food brought for the occasion and spread on long tables by the women attending. Reunion Officers President of the Young County Old Settlers Reunion is W.H. "Willie" Wadley, a life long resident and farmer in Tonk Valley. Lee Jones, Young County commissioner of Graham, is vice president and Mrs. Gladys Jarrell of Tonk Valley is secretary - treasurer. President Wadley has announced plans for the 1953 reunion to be held Saturday, October 3, at 10 a.m. Mr. and Mrs. O. W. Hill will be in charge of registration; Mr. and Mrs. Loyal Choate, coffee; Ernest Bishop, tables; W.H. Wadley, ice water; the Young County Singing Convention, will lead the song sessions.