CHAPTER XIV.

Pioneers, Continued.-Shelley & Shelton-The Bakers-The Crosses, and Cross Stage Stand-Proffit, Gregory, Goodlett-Friendly Indians-Belled Hogs-Capt. Puckett, G.B. Dillahunty, Chambers-Naming of Squaw, Stroud Creeks, &c-Early Merchants.

In Oct., 1853, Wm. Shelley came with his family, accompanied by his brother-in-law, Stephen Shelton, and settled on Long creek at the place now occupied by J.H. Halley. Prior to this date there had been but one house built on Long creek below the present boundary of Hood. This solitary settler was a man named Moore, who lived and kept a small trading house, with liquors and some other articles, and bartered with the Indians, at the place where the widow Tankersley now lives.

But about this date quite a number of people began to come into the Long creek valley. Martin Baker and his son Joseph, Jake Cross and his son Rylee, the latter afterwards moving to the noted cross roads and stage stand place, about two miles northwest from Cresson, and which was long known by his name; a man named Sidwell, George Cottrell, R.S. Proffit, Malachi Gregory and Jno. Goodlett. Gregory settled the identical place where he still resides. Several of these have already been mentioned. At this period the hunting parties of friendly Indians frequently camped in this section of country and often divided their abundant supplies of game with the white settlers; but these people were not wholly exempt from the perils of the Indians in subsequent hostilities. As late as about 1872 a party of Indians invaded this section, carrying away many horses; and one of the sons of R.S. Proffit was killed by Indians while engaged in the stock business in Young county.

Wm. Shelley was an active, money making man, and when he and Shelton came they brought with them a considerable drove of hogs, and as there was no hog law, these swine were turned at large to fatten upon the immense quantities of pecans and acorns, but as the grass was near waist high, in order to be able to find their hogs when wanted, they put bells on some of the leaders. In a few months they had become very fat from the heavy mast crop. Steve Shelton then being a young man, after a few years removed to Dallas county, where he lived until 1859, and having married, again returned to Long creek, where he still lives. During the war he served in Capt. Jackson Pucket's company of Col. E.J. Gurley's regiment. This company was made up principally in Hill county, where Capt. Puckett then lived. He subsequently became a citizen of Hood county, and many will remember him as a polished gentleman residing near Paluxy, and at one time before the people as a modest aspirant for legislative honors: he was a man of high honor and greatly respected by all who knew him. He died some eight or ten years ago. Returning to Wm. Shelly, he seems to have been a man of influence in his time, brought with him several horses and other property, but his destiny here was soon cut off by an unfortunate quarrel with John Click at Acton, wherein he was killed at the hands of Click in about 1860. Two of his sons and a daughter are prosperous citizens of Taylor county. The village of Acton was named by a Mr. Hollis, its first merchant. Prior to this time however, it was a postoffice known by the name of Comanche Peak postoffice. Among its early settlers was G.B. Dillahunty, who came here about 1854. He was a Tennessean, but had lived a number of years in Arkansas. Mr. Dillahunty was a man of intelligence and greatly respected. A son, Oll Dillahunty, still lives here, but the old gentleman died several years ago.

There was also settled in this locality old man Chambers, who raised a number of children here, among them A.J. Chambers, who recently died at Fort Worth, where he had lived for many years, as a prominent citizen in both public and private life; and a daughter acquired some note at Austin in literary life. A daughter of A.J. Chambers was the wife of the late Jno. P. Estes, and subsequently of Dr C.F. Rogers, and is now living in Comanche.

There were many other men of high character and good influence here that I trust to mention hereafter, when I can come in possession of the facts. Mention has been made of the way in which different places got their names, I related several legends as to how Squaw creek came by its name, but despite the romance connected with these stories, it seems to have come about in the following way: About the time the earliest settlers crossed to the west of the Brazos, there was a camp or village of Indians at the mouth of this stream, and the braves being absent on a protracted hunting expedition, the village Indians consisted, besides a few old sick men, almost exclusively of Squaws, hence the early settlers called it Squaw creek. P.V. Rhea is our authority for this, and also for the following; When P. Thorp first came out to locate his lands here, the party of surveyors had in its number a man named Stroud who, while they were surveying on the creek, lost his footing and fell into the water to his great discomfiture and the diversion of his companions; and this baptism of Stroud, contrary to the usual rule, christened the stream rather than the subject. Blue branch, above Thorp Spring, got its name from an early settler of that name, and Antelope spring, now a dry place, except in wet weather, was once a never failing fountain, where antelopes resorted in droughty seasons.

Prior to the war there was a mercantile firm engaged in business at Stockton. Wear Benge, who has been dead a long time, and Hiram Jewel, now living in Fort Worth, composed this firm, under the name and style of Benge & Jewel. They sold out for cattle about the beginning of the war, and Kingsbury, Homesley & Stone succeeded them at Stockton, At the Cross stage stand a small business, in the sale of groceries, principally liquor, was conducted by Ellis Littlepage and James Franklin, but this was probably just after the war. The old man Littlepage afterward moved to the vicinity of Granbury, where he resided until about 1872, when he died.

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