The Mother of Little Elm, Delilah Cox King

In 1841, five years after Texas gained its independence from Mexico, the republic was struggling. There was a lack of money, a lack of people, low land value, and threats of attack from both Mexico and the local Indigenous populations. The culmination of the economic problems and threats of invasion and attack Texas faced lead the Fifth Congress of the Republic to pass a law that established the Peters Colony on February 4, 1841. The peters Colony was charted from the Republic of Texas by W. S. Peters and a company of nineteen other men for the purpose of bringing six hundred families to Northeast Texas. Every married man who was brought to the colony received 640 acres of land and every unmarried man received 320 acres. The area in which the Peters Colony was advertising/settling had no roads, mail service, bridges, schools, churches, or stores. The Little Elm area, however, did have numerous creeks, rolling prairies of grass, and vast amounts of timber to offer its new settlers.

Current map of Little Elm

Delilah Cox was born in 1806 in the Ohio/Indiana region to Christopher Cox and Hannah Johnson Cox and had four brothers. She married her husband on an unknown date and they moved around the country until finally moving to Texas As much as historians can tell, the King family was the first to settle in Little Elm when they migrated to Texas in 1845 from King’s Mountain, North Carolina. Since John was a married man he received a certificate granting him 640 acres of land in 1844. The Kings chose a spot between water and timber, nestled between the forks of the Little Elm and Cottonwood creeks. John died in 1846, but before he did, he requested to be buried next to a large oak tree near his house, thus establishing the King Cemetery. King Cemetery was eventually moved in its entirety due to the creation of the Garza Little Elm Reservoir in the 1950s.

Delilah’s son, Christopher “Kit” King, went on to establish Little Elm’s first mail service out of his home in 1845, which predates the establishment even of Denton County itself. He later became the first postmaster of the Post Office of Little Elm when it was established in 1852 and remained in that position until his death in 1880.

Delilah died in 1885 in Little Elm and was buried next to her family. The King family made strides as the first to settle in what came to be known as Little Elm and were instrumental in the establishment of needed services in the area.

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The Hedgcoxe War

The Hedgcoxe War of 1852 resulted from the dispute and subsequent tensions between the colonists and the Texas Emigration and Land Company, also known as the Peters Colony. The colonists believed that the land company was attempting to invalidate their land claims. The Texas Emigration and Land Company was no stranger to controversy. Opposition to their “villainous tyranny” had been going on for years. Selected land locators were appointed to defend the colonists at a meeting held in the spring of 1849 in Henderson County. The land locators urged the colonists of the Peters Colony to hold mass meetings and elect delegates that would represent them at a general assembly held in Dallas on May 21, 1849. However, the land controversy attracted politicians and land speculators, who took an interest in the issue. Samuel Bogart won the senatorial election over John H. Reagan because Bogart was willing to make extensive promises to the colonists concerning their rights to the land. What started as a land rights issue turned into an important political topic for the denizens of North Texas.

John H. Reagan

On February 10, 1852, the Texas state legislature passed a compromise law in the hopes of satisfying both the land company and the colonists. According to the compromise law, all lawsuits between the Texas Emigration and Land Company were to be withdrawn. Furthermore, new guidelines were to be given to the colonists and the time allotted for filing claims would be extended. The land company was given 1,088,000 acres of land as a part of the compromise. The colonists, however, were not satisfied. They vehemently opposed the compromise bill, fearing the possible sale of some claims and angry that the land company received such a generous concession. Thus, the controversy continued.

Henry O. Hedgcoxe

The anger of the colonists was compounded when, in May of that same year, Henry Oliver Hedgcoxe published an “explanation” of the compromise bill for the colonists while also reiterating the colonists had until August 4 to establish their claims with him. Hedgcoxe was the appointed agent of Texas Emigration and Land Company since 1847 and was known to have a sarcastic and haughty personality. Unfortunately, the language of his proclamation reflected his unlikable disposition and bordered on the autocratic, stoking the flames of rebellion.

During a meeting in Dallas after the Hedgcoxe proclamation, John H. Reagan made a speech to the disgruntled colonists which was published in the Dallas Herald. The speech denounced violence and encouraged moderation (at least on the surface). However, his choice of language, perhaps by design, agitated tensions further. Reagan called on a “united resistance” to drive Hedgcoxe from the colony. Igniting more unease, Ebenezer Allen, the attorney general, issued an opinion upholding the compromise law.

John J. Good and his wife Susan on their wedding day in 1854

On July 12 and 13, a committee consisting of six men broke into Hedgcoxe’s office in Collin County and conducted an “investigation” of Hedgcoxe’s records. On July 15, at a mass meeting held in Dallas, the committee denounced Hedgcoxe and proclaimed him and his dealings to be corrupt, fraudulent, and evil. John H. Reagan made another speech urging the colonists to abstain from violence. However, that very night, John J. Good, a militia commander, led a group of about 100 armed men to Hedgcoxe’s office. Hedgcoxe was ordered out of the colony and he fled to Austin the next day. His and the company’s papers and documents were seized and brought to Dallas to be deposited in the Dallas County Courthouse.

Although Good and the meeting members celebrated what they saw as a success against tyranny, the colonists were in an uproar. While some supported the actions of Good, many feared that the actions of Good and his men would jeopardize their land claims, especially those who filed under Hedgcoxe. Meetings were held by colonists in the following days. The meeting in McKinney called the attack “unwarranted” and called for the return of the documents. However, the meeting of the colonists in Denton County agreed with the actions of Good and asserted that they would defend their homes “peacefully if we can- forcibly if we must.”

On January 1, 1853, the company published a conciliatory letter “in an attempt to undo the mischief of Hedgcoxe’s arrogance.” An attempt to repeal the compromise bill failed in the Texas legislature but an amendment was made on February 7, 1853. The amendment allowed colonists to file their claims directly with the land office, Hedgcoxe’s papers were made a part of the archives, and the colonist’s claims had to be located on an official map. Furthermore, other concessions were made to the benefit of both the colonists and the land company. For the most part, this amendment fixed the issues that the colonists of North Texas had with land claims and the period of the Hedgcoxe War, or the Peters Colony Rebellion, came to an end.

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For More Information:

Connor, Seymour. The Peters Colony of Texas. Austin: The Texas State Historical Commission. 1959.

“Hedgcoxe War” from the Texas State Historical Association

“The Hedgecoxe War” Texas Historical Marker Narrative

 

Flower Mound: From Rural Town to Bustling Suburb

What once started as a small, farming community has grown into a residential suburban area located on the shores of Grapevine Lake. The city of Flower Mound is the subject of this week’s blog, with a heritage that begins in the early 1840’s.

Flower Mound is located in south central Denton County, an area inhabited by Wichita Indians before pioneers from the Peters Colony came in search of farmland. The settlers were attracted by the soil, which was perfect for growing cotton, corn, and wheat.

Beulah May Russell stands by her corn on a farm off of Morriss Road, 1930 (Images of America: Flower Mound).

The area was named “Flower Mound” for the fifty-foot-tall mound that peeked out above the surrounding Blackland Prairie. The mound bloomed with Indian Paintbrushes and wildflowers every spring, as it still does today. According to the stories, no structures have ever been built on the mound, and no tree has ever grown there.

Early settlers to Flower Mound were determined that their children would have a good education. For many, churches also served as schools during the week. Chinn Chapel was highly attended by the Flower Mound community, though it was not located in Flower Mound. Over time, quite a few schools populated the area, including: Bethel, Lane, Annie Blanton, Double Oak, Donald, and Hilliard schools.

Three students stand on the steps of Donald School in Flower Mound (Images of America: Flower Mound).

Out of those, only Donald School and Hilliard School were located in Flower Mound. Donald School was launched in 1880, located west of Long Prairie Road and south of FM 1171. After Donald School opened, the student population was split and attendance declined at Hilliard School. It closed its doors in 1903.

Donald School, on the other hand, served the community for several more decades. It was a two story building; elementary students were taught on the lower floor, and upper grades attended on the second floor. A wooden bus, driven by Frank Crawford, took the children to school every day.  The school closed in the 1940’s when the student population became part of the Lewisville Independent School District.

Students pose in front of the Donald School’s wooden school bus (Images of America: Flower Mound)

Flower Mound grew steadily through the 1900’s, and became a substantial farming and cattle-raising community. With no bustling town center, many residents made the trip to Lewisville to buy groceries. Eventually, a general merchandise store called Yoakley’s opened in Flower Mound. J.R. Yoakley sold dry goods, hardware, groceries, and more from his storefront, and ran a peddle wagon throughout town for many years. Yoakley’s Store provided locals with a cotton gin, blacksmith shop and post office.

A painting of the old Yoakley Store (Images of America: Flower Mound).

Another community landmark, Gordon Grasty Barn was built in 1938 near the border of Flower Mound. Originally a dairy farm, a runway was built next to the barn in 1948 for a flight school. Every year, Flower Mound children gathered on the runway to hunt for Easter eggs. Whoever found the ‘prize egg’ won a free airplane ride. The barn was moved to Sweety and Alton Bowman’s property in 1984.

Wiley’s Dude Ranch was an entertainment hub for Flower Mound residents and surrounding communities. Located on the southeast corner of Morriss Road and FM 3040, the dude ranch was operated by Margarete and Paul Wiley. Visitors could stay the weekend and go riding and swimming. On Saturday nights, the ranch would host dancing and live music.

An advertisement for Wiley’s Dude Ranch (Images of America: Flower Mound).

In 1952, the United States Corps of Engineers began the construction of Grapevine Lake. It was completed a year later, and became a major recreational area in the community. The lake also stimulated Flower Mound’s economy as it attracted more residents.

Though it was growing, Flower Mound was still a small community. To avoid being annexed to the City of Irving, the Town of Flower Mound incorporated on February 27, 1961. Bob Rheudasil became the first mayor.

Ernest Hilliard and Johnnie Bays standing in what is now the bottom of Grapevine Lake (Images of America: Flower Mound).

In 1968, Flower Mound was chosen as one of thirteen communities to be part of the New Communities Act. This provided developers Raymond D. Nasher and Edward S. Marcus with $18 million in federal loans to set up four village centers and neighborhoods on the north shore of Grapevine Lake. This included schools, parks, and shopping and recreational facilities.

By 1970, Flower Mound had a population of 1,685. Construction on the new town began in 1972, but federal red tape, economic recession, slow land sales, and changing federal policy were causing the project to fail. By 1976, other new towns were failing too, and the project closed. The development, which had 300 people and 100 homes by that time, was renamed Timber Creek Community.

In 1980, Flower Mound’s population had grown to 4,402. A year later, Marcus High School opened on Morriss Road. This was the town’s first high school, named after Edward S. Marcus. The first principal was Larry Sigler.

From there, libraries, park, schools, and more sprang up across Flower Mound. The community experienced rapid growth, with a population of 50,702 by 2000. The once rural town had become a bustling suburb. Today, Flower Mound takes pride in being a family-oriented community with dynamic economic growth.

Flower Mound city limits sign (Images of America: Flower Mound)

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All information in this blog was pulled from the Office of History and Culture’s archives, along with the books Images of America: Flower Mound by Jimmy Ruth Hilliard Martin and Sweet Flower Mound Land by the Flower Mound Historical Commission.

Long-Lost Icaria: A French Settlement in Denton County

While some early Denton County settlements have flourished into what makes up our present-day communities, not all of the early settlements were successful. A primary example of this is the long-lost French settlement of New Icaria.

There is little information available on the Icarian community itself, once located near present-day Justin. We do know that the entire project was characterized by deception, hardships, and tragedy.

A Not-So-Utopian Society

The story begins in the mid-1800’s with Etienne Cabet, the leader of a French socialist movement. In 1839, Cabet published his ideas about a utopian community in the novel Voyage en Icarie. The novel described Cabet’s paradise, a socialist community where everyone would share abundant wealth on an equal basis, and all private property and capital would be abolished.

A portrait of Etienne Cabet.

In the years following the French Revolution, Cabet’s ideas became wildly popular. They eventually making him the head of one of France’s most influential socialist movements, with tens of thousands of followers. So, in 1848, Cabet decided to lead his followers to Texas and put his societal experiment into practice.

To get things started, Cabet negotiated a contract with the Texas Emigration and Land Company (Peters Colony) for what he announced to the public as a million acres of land in Texas. Cabet portrayed New Icaria as an “investment adventure,” and required each participant to pay 600 francs. He called for 10,000 to 20,000 immigrants to journey to the new society, and predicted that it would ultimately attract millions of people.  As it turned out, there was much opposition among the followers of the Icarian movement, and only 69 people agreed to participate in the venture.

In February of 1848, the immigrants made their way from France to Texas. Upon arrival, the settlers realized that Cabet’s land agreement with Peters Colony was not what they had been led to believe. The contract contained many issues- for one, the land was not a million acres- it was 10,240 acres. It wasn’t even a continuous plot of land, but was instead divided like a checkerboard into unconnected half-mile squares. The settlers were also told they could only keep the land if they had built cabins on it by July 1 of that year.

Despite their worsening situation, the determined Icarians set out to build as many cabins and claim as much land as possible. Dealing with a rocky landscape a lack of water, horses, and supplies, the settlers had little success. A promise from Cabet that a second party of 1,500 immigrants was on its way was one of the few things that kept them going.

In the midst of the hot Texas summer, 12 colonists died from malaria. Five more decided to leave the community, and everyone who remained was incapacitated by cholera and malaria. The settlement’s only doctor went insane and deserted them.

Cabet’s promised second party did eventually arrive, but instead of the expected 1,500 people there were only ten. The colonists realized that no more support was coming, and decidedly abandoned their Texas site. Most made their way to New Orleans, and some eventually returned home to France.

A Remnant From the Past

The Office of History & Culture’s interest in this French utopian society was sparked a few weeks ago when we re-discovered a tomb stone in the Courthouse-on-the-Square’s basement. Pictured below, the tombstone reads in French:

Phelonise Roy, 1794-1856
Amelie Roy, 1826-1855
P. Coradin, 1816-1851
Joseph Tamor, age 36

A tombstone believed to be from the French utopian society of New Icaria.

Based on the dates, we believe there’s a chance this tombstone could have belonged to some of the members of the long-lost French society. For now the tombstone remains at the Courthouse-on-the-Square, where we will hold it in hopes of returning it to a family member.

The Movement Spreads

In the mid 1850’s, another French utopian settlement, La Reunion, sprang up in Dallas across from the Trinity River. This was a colony of well-educated and adventurous French, Swiss, and Belgian immigrants, some of whom were political refugees from the unrest spreading across Europe at the time.

This colony was lead by Victor Prosper Considerant, a follower of democratic socialist Charles Fourier. Victor began his settlement in 1854 on land he had purchase west of the Trinity River. Unfortunately, this settlement didn’t fair much better than Icaria. There were too many scholars, not enough farmers, and by 1859 the community had been deemed a failure.

Many of the settlers left La Reunion, but several did stay. Those that stayed became successful businessmen and community leaders. One of them, Benjamin Long of Switzerland, was mayor of Dallas for two terms in the years following the Civil War.

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All Information in this blog was pulled from the Office of History & Culture’s archives, as well as the following websites:

• Texas State Historical Association: https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/uei01
• Flashback: Dallas: https://flashbackdallas.com/2016/03/26/la-reunion-utopia-on-the-trinity/

Hidden in Plain Sight: The Gibson-Grant Log Cabin

The discovery of the Gibson-Grant Log Cabin in Flower Mound, TX is an exciting and rare example of history hiding in plain sight. For nearly a century, the cabin sat disguised within the walls of a seemingly average ranch-style home, making it impossible to tell that it is one of the oldest log cabins still remaining in North Texas. In fact, the Gibson-Grant log cabin almost ceased to exist until it was discovered just before demolition plans unfolded.

In May of 2015, Vaquero Development had set out to clear land along Quail Run in Flower Mound for an upcoming project. A small farm house resided on the property and was set to be demolished. However, Curtis Grant, who worked with Vaquero Development, received a tip from the previous owners of the farm house, telling him about a newspaper from 1903 they found hidden inside of the wall of a closet. He investigated the claim by removing a layer of sheet rock in the home, revealing the logs that set the foundation.

After his discovery, Grant got in touch with Denton County officials and Flower Mound’s historical preservationists. The logs were studied by Dr. David Stahle of the University of Arkansas, professor and director of the institution’s Tree Ring Laboratory. He determined that the logs were cut between 1857 – 1860, dating the completion of the log structure to the 1860.

Local historians also began researching the 4-acre site and determined the property was part of a Republic of Texas land grant offered to settlers coming to North Texas. The land grants offered 640 acres to married men or 320 acres to single men with the requirement that the landowner build a 16′ x 16′ log cabin and cultivate 10 acres of land. William Gibson, a settler from Missouri, patented the land in 1854. Gibson built required 16′ x 16′ log cabin on the property, and farmed the surrounding land until his death in 1865. The size of the cabin became an important clue to the historical significance of the structure.

The Gibson-Grant Log Cabin’s current exterior.

Settling in Texas

When Texas became a Republic, its Congress, continuing the drive to attract more people to Texas, adopted temporary laws granting free land to settlers. In 1841, the Texas Congress received a petition from 20 men who wanted to colonize some unoccupied portion of the Republic, including William S. Peters. Peters’ company pledged to introduce 600 families into their colony within the first three years. On Jan. 16, 1842, the Texas Congress authorized President Sam Houston to extend the time limit for five years and to add over ten million acres to the Colony’s land grant.

Peters’ campaign to populate Texas reached the states of Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri in the 1840s. The many creeks that flowed through the newly settled area of Denton County made it an ideal place to farm, live, and start communities.  Flower Mound’s Long Prairie was a plot that sat one mile wide and four miles long and became a home for many new settlers.

In May of 1844, 16 families from Platte County, Missouri made the trek to relocate in North Texas, including the Gibson family. They settled in various locations around southern Denton and Tarrant Counties. Enamored by their new location, the group set out to go recruit more families from Missouri a year later.

The Missouri colonists quickly made Texas feel like home. They established the Lonesome Dove Baptist Church in February of 1846, and 1847 marked the construction of a new log cabin near Grapevine that served as both a school and church. The Hallfords, one of the 16 original families, established Hallford’s Store in present day Lewisville.

In 1854, William Gibson patented 640-acres in Long Prairie and by 1860, he constructed his one-room 16×16 cabin. It sat on the edge of where the Long Prairie transitioned into the Cross Timbers. He was also central to development of the Lonesome Dove Baptist Church and Malone’s Grist Mill. Gibson lived there for five years until his death.

The removed sheet rock and wood paneling reveals the original cabin structure.

Moving Forward

The property and cabin had several residents from the time of Gibson’s death to the rediscovery of the cabin. One of the earliest known families who lived there were the Kerr’s, who owned the property from 1890 – 1828. They were also Texas settlers who moved to the state in 1872. The Kerr family built an addition to the cabin in the 1890s and lived in the home until the 1920s.

At some point throughout the years, the small log structure was encased by a 20th century farm house. Building the walls around the original logs preserved them, essentially preserving the cabin in a time capsule. The history behind the cabin shows that it is the oldest existing log structure on the original Long Prairie site in Flower Mound and one of the oldest in Denton County.

Plans are in place to restore the cabin to reflect its original state. The Mound Foundation, a local preservationist group, has been working on restoring the condition of the original site with the help of the Denton County Office of History & Culture. By doing this, local historians hope to discover more about the early settlers of Denton County.

Since the site’s discovery in 2015, there has been a lot of support from the local community. Flower Mound Girl Scout Troop #4007 took on the cabin as their Bronze Award project, hosting open houses with tours, and creating an informational video to be share with school groups in the future. Also a Flower Mound Boy Scout is working on his Eagle Scout project at the cabin, planting native wildflowers and building a sign for the site.

Be sure to check back with the OHC for the next Open House event and any volunteer opportunities at the Gibson-Grant Log Cabin!

Members of Girl Scout Troop 4007 assist in the cleanup of the Gibson Grant Cabin in 2016.