THE PROMISED LAND

  Bell County, Texas, and its surrounding area had been called "The Promised Land" as early as 1830, when handbills describing this area were circulated through Kentucky, Georgia, Missouri, Illinois and Louisiana. The purpose of these handbills were to attract settlers and the Land Agent behind it all was Sterling C. Robertson. He himself had visited this area in 1826, coming from his native state of Tennessee, and was impressed with the moderate climate, fertile soil, winding rivers and wildlife.

  Robertson was not the first to visit this area. Along the banks of the Lampasas River were the remains of prehistoric dwellings. Indian burial grounds and kitchen middens were all over this area. Skeletal remains of pre-historic men have since been found in several archeological fields’ rich with traces of early history of Bell County's first inhabitants.

  In 1721, the Aguayo expedition had come to the area south of the present day town of Belton. He and other Spaniards had searched this area for gold and silver, and in inaccessible spots the mineshafts are still visible today.

  Foundations of houses built by these explorers are evident, grown over with the wildflowers so abundant here. (From TEXAS; A GUIDE TO THE LONE STAR STATE).

  Land Agent Robertson contracted with the Mexican Government to bring colonists to Mexican-controlled Texas. He was able to offer settlers approximately 5,000 acres of land (a "league") for only $30. Terms were available to pay the $30 in several installments.

  The first colonists came in 1833. Eight families lived in Bell County in 1835, but the next year the Texas War for Independence with Mexico caused the settlers to leave the area. Except for a few brave pioneers, few settlers stayed in the area afterwards until 1842, due to the threat of annillatlon by Indian tribes native to that area.

  In the late 1840's, numbers of families moved into Bell County and by 1850, there were 595 whites, and 60 slaves in Bell County (or stated otherwise, 90 families, 20 of which owned slaves; too, there were 43 single men). The greatest number of these people lived on the north and south banks of the Little River. Small settlements were also located on the Leon and Lampasas Rivers, as well as at Reed's Lake and Nolan, Salado, Cowhouse, Pepper and Cedar Creeks. (From; BELL COUNTY REVISITED).

  The talk of cheap land and abundant natural resources lured the Andrew Jackson Turnbough family to Texas. The family traveled with other Tennesseans in a wagon train to their new homeplaces In Texas. Such a move at that time was very slow and cumbersome. Several families traveled together for mutual protection against the Indians and to aid each other in crossing streams. Their wagons were the old "prairie schooners" usually drawn by two or three yoke of oxen, though sometimes by horses or mules. A trip of this distance must have taken at least three months and was probably made by the Turnboughs during the spring or summer of 1857.

  The family originally settled near the present day community of Florence in Williams County, Texas. (This is just a few miles south of Bell County).

  An early Texas historian, George Tyler, gives a flowing description of this area that would explain its attractiveness to pioneer settlers.

Tyler states;

  "The area in its primeval state was covered with a high waving grass, called "sedge grass", which grew as thick and as high as wheat in a field ready for harvest. The vast prairies were coated with this luxuriant grass for miles and miles, as far as one could see. And it appeared in all the open spaces in the higher timbered lands. Along the streams, in open bottoms, a species of wild rye likewise grew in the winter and furnished good range for stock. "

  "The land was also amply supplied with animal life. Wild horses and cattle, thought to be descendants of those who escaped or were abandoned by Spanish expeditions, freely roamed the countryside, in addition, this area was populated by buffaloes, deer, antelopes, Javelinas, bears, cougars, bobcats, foxes, squirrels. jack rabbits, armadillos and beaver. With such an abundance of wild life, food would be plentiful.

  "Additionally, there were large numbers of birds native to the countryside, including, wild turkeys, prairie chickens, doves, partridges; too, this area was visited periodically by various migratory birds. "

  "The streams of the area were abundant with fish including, such varieties as catfish, buffalo, bass, trout, perch and gars. "

  "On the less welcome side, this countryside was home for rattlesnakes, moccasins, copperheads, and a healthy population of skunks." (From; HISTORY OF BELL COUNTY).

 The village near the Turnbow homeplace was originally called Brooksville. About the time of their arrival, the town's name was permanently changed to Florence. This area, according to Mrs. R. S. Caskey In her book One Hundred Years in Florence, Texas, was originally settled in 1851. Early settlers of this area included Billy Tomlinson, R. B. Caskey and Tom Redding, who, like the Turnbow family, all came from Tennessee.

  From old land records found in the Williamson County Court House, Andrew Jackson settled on 1080 acres of land just south of Florence. The legal description of one of the two tracts of that land was as follows:

  "About one mile south of the town of Florence on the Salado Creek it being the southeast corner of G. C. Bowels tract formally A. G. Casey's and the northeast corner of the tract herein described then south 71 degrees, west 13 rods to a stone mound as corner it being on the line dividing the Bowels tract from the tract herein described then south 19 degrees east, 60 1/2 rods to a stone mound far corner it being on the line dividing G.G. Thompson's tract from this tract thence along said line north 71 degrees, east 120 rods to the middle of said Salado Creek thence along the middle of said Salado Creek to the place of beginning." (Verbatim)

  From all reports, Andrew Jackson continued his dual vocations as farmer and horse breeder. This location on the Salado Creek would have been suited for both.

  The first task at hand was to build his growing family a house. From historical records we know that most of the houses around this area, and at this time, were usually built of logs. They were notched and fitted at the corners, from trees cut at the Lampasas River. The wood being green when the walls were built usually resulted in cracks up to an inch wide after the wood seasoned. Few of these early houses were ceiled. The cracks between the wall-logs were "chinked" with mud or mortar; the chimneys were made of crude stone masonry. The floors, at first, were either dirt or puncheon (split) logs. Window glass had not yet been introduced to that area and would only come later with increased population and transportation facilities.

  As soon as possible Andrew Jackson no doubt fenced in a small field for his livestock. This was before the days of barbed wire (later appearing in the mid-1870's) and making a fence was extremely slow. Fences of that day were made either of oak or cedar rails, eight rails high, of Virginia "worm" construction, "staked and ridered, or, of stone when the material was readily available.

  House furnishings of that time were very simple. Chairs, tables, and beds were homemade. The cooking was done in the fireplace in iron skillets, frying pans and pots, the latter usually hung from an iron bar or crane.

  Neighbors, by turns, killed a beef and distributed it around in quarters once or twice a week. Pork, mutton, venison and other game and fish were also eaten. A store in Florence supplied the people with coffee, sugar, salt, pepper, and other provisions, as well as with tobacco, calico, jeans, domestic gingham, denim, shoes, boots, hose, thread, hats, etc.

  Rawhide was the article of most universal use among all the people. Saddle trimmings, harness, shoes, belts, lariats, whips, bell collars, plowlines, floor mats, chairbottoms, door and window shutters were fabricated from this material and numerous other uses were found for It. It was indeed the "rawhide age"; back in the 1850's for rawhide was plentiful and cheap.

  At this time, there were no such things as breech-leading guns nor cartridges and cartridge belts. The guns used at that time were the old flintlock types where the powder and shot were forced down with a ramrod. The rifle served many important purposes; it helped provide food as well as protection from the Indians who roamed across this area.

  On May 28, 1858, the Turnbows added another son to their family with the birth of William Claborn Turnbow. His name was taken from Andrew's brother, William, and Louisa's father, Claborn. This brought their family to a total of five, with one daughter and two sons.

  In late 1859 or early 1860, Andrew Jackson moved his entire family up on the Lampasas River, between the Onion and Rock Creeks. The reasons for such a move are not clear but one could speculate that it was for additional water and land sources. The sleepy Salado Creek that had been initially settled was known to dry up during long, dry spells. This new homesite, though, sat between three excellent water sources. It was a beautiful location atop a raised section of land that overlooked the two running creeks and the larger river. It afforded some degree of protection from the Indians In that the creeks and river limited access to the homesite.

  He first built a log cabin to provide temporary shelter until a larger, more finished home could be built. This new homesite was located where there had recently been a large Comanche campground. Indian artifacts can still be found in this immediate area giving testimony to its use by the Indians.

  It was here on April 10, 1861, that their fourth child, James Allen, was born. With Lucinda being eleven years of age at the time, Louisa had her help with this newborn child.

  Living with the Turnbow family at that time was a J.B. Black (or Slack) who was 42 years of age and from Kentucky.

  The 1860 census lists him with an occupation as "farmer". It would appear that he and Andrew Jackson may have been partners in their new homestead area. Mr. Turnbow's worth at the time of the 1860 census was listed as $600 In real estate (a large amount In those times) and $400 In personal property. Unlike some of his neighbors, Andrew Jackson did not own any slaves.

  The area of his new homeplace came to be known as Youngsport. Today It Is a small village of fifteen or so homes, located twelve miles south of Killeen on Farm Road 2484.

  Sometime prior to 1851, a wagon train came through the country along the Lampasas River. The Michael Young family was with this train. The story as told by Mrs. Mildred Holmes Gower is that they had a small daughter who became very ill. So ill in fact, that the Young family stopped and camped in order to care for the sick child. The little girl died and was buried In a place that later became the Live Oak Cemetery. Mr. Young liked the country along the Lampasas River and decided to stay. Some say he had been a sea captain on a ship and remarked that he had found his "port". So, the place became known as Young's Port.

  Among the earliest settlers of this area were E. P. Kellum, R. L. Furnace, William Denson, Newton Lawler, J.F.Beach, John McKinzier, Thomas J. Ray, and T.R. Brancum.

  The Cosper Wagon Train came later (In 1870) led by Rev. Joel Cosper, a Methodist Minister. He brought his married children and relatives, named Moore, Wiggins, Gibbs, and Gatlins. There were a total of 106 people with the wagon train. The Cospers settled on the river, three miles below where Youngsport Is now located.

  During the time Andrew Jackson was building his family's new home, his wife, Louisa, decided to accompany a friend Into Florence. Louisa was given Andrew's chestnut stallion (said to be a racehorse) by the name of "Yalgo". (Supposedly this word is Indian for yellow and related to the horse's unusual color).

  Louisa and her girlfriend rode Into Florence. After visiting their friends, they left to return to the Youngsport area. It was a beautiful spring day and a group of Comanche Indians were in the area. The girls spotted the Indian riders pursuing them. Louisa urged her girlfriend to abandon her horse and climb up behind her on Yalgo. She felt that Yalgo could outrun the smaller Indian ponies, even with a double mount. The girl said no and urged her to flee. They both headed toward home as quickly as possible to reach the safety of their families. However, the girlfriend's horse fell further and further behind. The last time Louisa looked over her shoulder she saw two Indians carrying her friend off with them.