A collection of other Belle Meade
Experiences:
From an article by Carrie Schmoker Anshutz in the
Pioneer
Stories of Meade County:
We drove across the valley to the Jones and Plummer
Trial, then on to the "Hoo Doo" Brown Road Ranch then
just built. two low sod buildings, one for a dwelling
and the other for a store in which groceries, whiskey
and tobacco were kept. From "Hoo Doo" we went north to
our place and on to the Post Office in Meade County
established by the Ohio Colony. For a number of years this Post Office at Pearlette,
the first post office and a store, were kept by William Jobling's parents. Later Belle Meade Post Office was
established several miles nearer to us and we got our
mail there. It was first kept by a family named
Milligan.
It was on
one of our trips to the post office that we heard a baby
boy had been born to the Eliason family. He was the
first white child born in Meade County.
Near Belle Meade Post Office was a cluster of
homesteaders-John Worthis, Franklin Sourbiers, Oliver
Normans, Petersons and several others. At the Sourbier
farm home was organized our first Sunday school and here
all who were inclined met every Sunday afternoon for an
entire summer. For seats, boards were laid across
chairs, wagon seats were brought in and so we managed.
Attendance was good for all were drawn together by the
common purpose of building homes.
Life was not
always peaceful especially during the summer of 1885. Indian
scares were quite common and widespread near Belle Meade and
throughout the county. The following appeared July 16, 1885,
in the Fowler City Graphic.
While
other towns are watching and waiting for the red man,
Belle Meade, in her slow, sure way, sent out scouts to
see what there was in the report. Reverend Childs headed
the company. They went twenty-five miles south and east
and reported the county entirely deserted by the farmer.
Much praise is due the Martin Brothers who were roused
up at 2:00 in the morning and told that the Indians were
within a few miles of them, they walked in the dark and
rain until daylight, waking up the neighbors and helping
Mr. Crone drive his cattle to Belle Meade. They came in
well armed with five Winchesters and your correspondent
felt safe under their protection.
Another
report appeared the same week, July 16, 1885, in the
Meade County Globe:
A
preliminary organization was perfected last evening and
scouts were sent to all parts of the county. No Indians
were discovered, but people were met on every road
greatly alarmed, claiming that during the night parties
came to their houses and hallooed, The "Indians are
coming," and then rode off at a fast gait. While our
people regard the whole matter a hoax, still we are
thoroughly prepared for any emergency. Being some
distance from railroad and telegraph communications, our
people are more vigilant than they otherwise would be.
Most
settlers, however, didn't take the Indian scares seriously.
The following appeared in the Fowler Graphic on July
16, 1885:
The
Indian scare last week was but a ruse of the cattle
interest of this section of country to regain its lost
supremacy. Finding that the old drought and grasshopper
business has lost its force, they have resorted to more
desperate means, for we do insist that even if there was
any danger of an outbreak, the trouble was incited by
parties jealous of the granger element and its growing
greatness and prosperity. It is cattle supremacy dying
in the last ditch and it dies hard, too.
C. E. Boyer
records his views on the Indian scares in the book,
Pioneer Stories of Meade County.
It was
reported the Indian scares were put on by cattle thieves
who had their ranches in Oklahoma and Texas. They would
gather cattle in from all directions until they had
thousands of cattle, then in the spring they would start
to trail those cattle north to Dodge City where they
could ship out. Two of their number would go in advance
of the herd and tell settlers along the way; "The
Indians are coming and are killing everyone they can
find. We are trying to keep ahead of them and warning
the settlers to flee to ranches where they can get
protection." The settlers would be so frightened they
would get away as fast as possible, and while they were
gone, the cattle thieves would come along and drive off
all the cattle they could find.
Towards the
fall of 1885, much of the excitement in the area was long
gone and Belle Meade slowly waned with most of its buildings
transferred to neighboring towns. The following was recorded
in the Meade Center Press on Oct. 15, 1885:
Two more
buildings are on their way to the Center this week, both
from Belle Meade. One is a grocery and hardware store
belonging to Mr. Williams, another is a building
containing a stock of merchandise belonging to Wm.
Randolph.
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