Grayson County; an illustrated history of Grayson County, Texas. Page: 83
180 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this book.
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fruits were made into cordials. Mustang wine was popular
and there was a beverage called persimmon beer. The
art of distilling early made its appearance. And of
course there were jellies, which were put up in crocks
with a cloth tied over the top. The jelly soon molded,
to the great joy of the housewife, who knew that
the mold would form a tough, air-tight scum which
would preserve the jelly perfectly. With a knife or
spoon she could roll back this preserving layer and
have as fine a delicacy as anyone could desire.
One of the do-it-yourself projects of the pioneer
was to dig a well. Getting good water if you did not
live on a branch could present a problem. The well had
to be deep enough to tap the water table in the driest
season. This meant usually that the farmer well-digger
had to dig through shale and rock. Of course everyone
was interested in a new well and the depth at which
water was found, and well-digging sometimes provided
topics of community conversation. In 1859, for example,
in digging the well for the Anderson House, the principal
hotel of Sherman then, located on the north side
of the square, the digger reported that he found a bull
frog in the solid rock eighteen feet below the surface.
The creature was alive though in a comatose state, but
he soon came around and hopped about in the best of
health. The Patriot said that when found the frog had
a gray appearance, but soon regained his natural color.
Another case of a monstrosity tound in a well was
reported in the same year. A Mr. Blackwood found at a
depth of forty-eight feet a slab of granite. Upon it
was a part of a tree with petrified roots and branches.
Blackwood also reported shells, birds' bills and claws,
" and when us old Texans
came together, we always met friendly." To make an
initial visit to a new neighbor on the next branch it
was not considered an imposition to load the whole
family into a wagon and go for a week or ten days.
When a family set out for Texas, rarely did they
expect to see their friends and relatives again. The letters
written back to acquaintances in the east were
often pitiful with loneliness, as the following letter
illustrates.
State of Texas County of Grayson
the 1848 May the 21
My Dear Uncle . . . I heard by the Montgomerys that you
had got home but have not hear from one of the conexion by
leter since you was at my house . . . you promist to come
by when you was discaged from the army and I told you that
I would go home with you which I should tried to have done
so as I have a great desire to visit again my nativ land and to
see alfycneinnerytoyasha!lpe icsee all my connexion nearly two years has elapsed since I
have received a letter from one of myrelation 0 my uncle
do write I feel like one cast of indeed I have left my old
settlement and moved to another where there is very little
socialility among the people and we hav no preaching near
to go to and mr. thompson is gone a great deal of his time
a hunting of his cattle so I feel quite desolate indeed, but I
hope for better times here our legislature have granted a
charter for a railroad to connect gaveston bay with upper83
redriver and if that is done we will have one of the finest
countries in the wourld there is nothing that has been told
but grous fine as I have ever seen in any country cotton corn
tobaco potatoes garden vegitables of all kinds I wish some
of my connexion would move to this country and get land
near where I live . . . I have another fine daughter we
call her Elizabeth Jane Mr. Thompson sends his best respect
to you . . . and except the love and well wishes of your
unfortunate niece
Martha J Thompson
Joseph Gresham
N.B. When you write direct your letters to State of Texas
Grayson County washataw post office.
Martha J. Thompson was indeed separated from her
connections. She had been born Martha Jane Gresham
in Georgia in 1820. At the age of sixteen she married
William Caruthers and moved to Grayson County at
"the Knobs" in 1837. After the death of her first husband
and Thompson's second wife, Martha Jane married
James G. Thompson about 1847. It is illustrative of the
isolation of Grayson County that the family of Nancy
Shentally Thompson were not certain of her death for
at least ten years as the following letter shows.
Owens ville Clermont Co., Ohio
to Mr. James G. Thompson . . . your
Father and mother
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Grayson County: An Illustrated History of Grayson County, Texas. (Book)
An illustrated history of Grayson County, Texas with numerous photographs and a pioneer name index (p. 120).
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Landrum, Graham. Grayson County; an illustrated history of Grayson County, Texas., book, 1960; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth24647/m1/87/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.