A History of Collin County, Texas Page: 33
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Early Settlers
set in the ground a few feet apart and in line with the North Star.
When the shadows of these stakes formed a straight line it was twelve
o'clock, noon. Another line was then drawn perpendicular to the south
end of this first line, extending in both directions. From this point of
intersection a semi-circle was constructed on the north side of the line
and marked similar to the face of a clock. Of course, this time indi-
cator functioned only on clear days. This method was also used to
align houses true north and south.
The few clocks in use were large, about two feet high and eighteen
inches wide, with a long cord and a heavy weight for each hand. It
was necessary to wind them daily. Later, smaller clocks came into use.
These were called eight-day clocks because they would run that length
of time without rewinding.14
After the first few years securing food was not difficult. Water, wild
game, fruits, nuts, and honey were available. Corn and wheat were
easily grown. At first these grains had to be crushed with a mortar
and pestle or with small handmills. Simple treadmills and water-power
mills soon came into use. George Herndon wrote of a small water mill
which John McGarrah erected on Wilson Creek soon after 1842. One
morning he found that it had pounded up an oppossum and her young
with the meal.15
All meats were raised and processed at home. Hog killing was often
a cooperative affair. On the first clear, cold day of winter several
neighbors usually slaughtered their hogs at one place. Water was
heated in a large kettle and poured into a wooden barrel which had
been made stationary on the ground at an angle of 45 degrees. After
the animal was killed and scalded, it was scraped, hung on a tripod of
poles and drawn. It was then cut into pieces and these were placed on
the roof of the back porch to cool during the night. On the next day
the pieces were trimmed, sausage and lard were made, and the meat
was salted down in boxes or barrels in the smokehouse.16
Since there was no refrigeration it was impossible to keep fresh meat
for very long during the summer so in about 1846 beef clubs were
formed. Usually eight men would meet at the home of one of them on
a Saturday afternoon and kill a beef belonging to the host. Each would
4 C. W. Horn and J. T. Mallone in MS., Brown Papers, p. 41.
Wilson, Book I, p. 2.
Bower and Thurman, Annals of Elder Horn, p. I97.
33
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Stambaugh, J. Lee, b. 1889; Stambaugh, Lillian J., b. 1888 & Carroll, H. Bailey. A History of Collin County, Texas, book, 1958; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth61096/m1/45/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .