CHAPTER XXX.

The Pevelers-Early Worshippers and Preachers of Thorp Spring and Vicinity-Sears-Hill-Austin Brothers-Silas Scarborough.

A few miles above Thorp Spring on the east side of the Brazos is a large, rich valley, settled early in the fifties by the Blevins family, and subsequently by Hamp Pattillo, a man noted in his time as a desperate character. This valley, now known from its occupants as the Peveler valley, has been developed by that influential family into most productive farms, and some knowledge of this interesting family of early Texans should be perpetuated in our history. David Peveler, the father of the surviving Peveler brothers, was a native of Kentucky, but in 1838 settled in Texas and immediately gave in his oath of allegiance as a citizen of the infant republic, which document is yet retained by his son Francis as a much prized memento. David Peveler's family consisted of eight boys and four girls, ten of whom married and remained citizens of Texas. He moved in 1857 from Fannin to Young county, where he engaged in stock raising, and was living here when the Indians of the reservations began their hostilities in 1859. The depredations upon the frontier settlements became so frequent that in 1860 Col. M.T. Johnson, under authority of the state, organized a regiment of rangers, and in this service with Capt. John Cochran of Dallas, four of the Peveler boys entered and served for 12 months, at the expiration of which time they all enlisted in the C.S.A., in a company with W.R. Peveler as captain, and were in several engagements with the Indians, and all survived, except Capt. Peveler, who in Sept., 1864, with a party of five men at a point some ten miles north of Graham was surrounded by about fifty Indians, and in cutting their way through the line Capt. Peveler was mortally wounded and State Cox killed. Peveler died after 13 days suffering. [For a full and interesting account of this affair see Willbarger's Indian Depredations, page 547.] The following month the Indians, 1000 or more strong, precipitated themselves in what was known as the big raid upon the helpless settlers of Elm creek near the Pevelers, killing eleven and carrying off seven captives, plundering and devastating the homes of these settlers. At this time David Peveler, with some 12 other families, were protected by a fort they had erected the spring before, but the magnitude of this and several other raids in their vicinity caused them to break up their settlement in Young county, and in Nov., 1864, David Peveler moved to the before-mentioned valley above Thorp Spring, where he remained until his death, and where three of his sons now live upon adjoining farms, with a sister-in-law, whose former husband, L.J. Peveler, died here many years ago.

At the time of their settlement here, Josiah Washburne and Charnal Hightower were their neighbors, and their nearest place of worship was Thorp Spring, where preaching was heard once, and sometimes oftener, a month in the old log meeting house near the old graveyard. This house, erected by the early settlers of this community, was among the first church houses west of the Brazos, and here the church going people of all faiths and from a large scope of our territory long continued to worship in that simplicity of style common to the early times, and drank deeply from the fountains of living water issuing forth from the mouths of such preachers as Sears, Baptist; J.R. Hill, Methodist; B.D. and W.B. Austin, Presbyterian, and Silas Scarborough, Christian, all of whom were local or resident preachers of our territory. Save the necessary crying of babes, and the clanking of the cow-boy's spurs as he strode in and out with the smoke curling from his huge pipe, the congregations were orderly and attentive in those early days. And those green from the states opened their eyes in amazement when they saw the men all coming into church with their six-shooters buckled to their waists; but with greatly increased astonishment when the preacher rose up and took his place by the sacred stand, placed his pistols or winchester on the desk and taking his Bible from his saddle-bags, began his services. There were many preachers who came and went and some who stayed, besides the above mentioned, and some too, who were here much earlier than some of these; but they are here mentioned as representative men of their times west of the Brazos. Sears was a resident, at least a part of his time, of Thorp Spring, where he was engaged for awhile in a milling business. His mill was on the north bank of Stroud's creek above the lower ford and was first erected by P. Thorp, who was succeeded by Sears; and it was not long in operation until the boiler exploded, about 1872, killing one man. Rev. Sears preached at various places throughout the county. One of the texts, from which he discoursed long and energetically, was "And the axe did swim." Rev. Hill was a farmer preacher, residing on Stroud's and Robinson creek for many years, and afterward at Granbury, from whence he moved to the Panhandle where he now lives. He drew large congregations of devout Methodists, and held and participated in many protracted meetings throughout the county, aiding as local preacher in the upbuilding of Methodism in Hood county. It was he who organized, in the fall of 1871, the first Methodist church of only seven members, in the town of Granbury. Rev. W.B. Austin was more a school teacher than a preacher, and taught school at Thorp Spring, afterwards on the river at Blair valley. While his brother, Rev. Ben D. Austin, a most devout and earnest minister, who was noted widely throughout this vicinity as a preacher of great merit; and to him perhaps, beyond any other, belongs the credit for having promoted the early interests of the Cumberland Presbyterian church here. He was greatly beloved by all christian people. Elder Scarborough resided in the post oaks south of Squaw creek and was also a farmer preacher, having appointments at the various preaching places throughout our territory. He was here prior to the war; was tall and stout, a man of robust health; a preacher of practical, rather than sentimental ideas, and well esteemed as a good citizen. He was too long used to frontier life not to follow the westward flow of civilization, and long ago, like others of his type, drifted to the western counties.

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