Oakalla, Texas May 1941
“This is a short history of Burnet County near Oakalla, Langford and Briggs” written by Mrs. C. H. Wykes Sr.
My husband, C. H. Wykes, Sr. and I came up from near Austin in Feb. 1880, 61 years ago.
I came as a bride, living in this part of Burnet Co. and in this home without any change of residence, only temporary, for a short time.
There were people here when we came up to make our home in this community known as Langford. The neighbors were kind and friendly.
Our nearest neighbors were Mr. and Mrs. Langford, the old father and mother, their sons and one daughter who lived ¾ of a mile south of us. Mr. George Smith lived a little southeast. Mr. Tom Cloud lived south, on what was known as Cloud Branch. Mr. Jim Smith and family lived east of us, and Mr. Jack Smith northeast about 2 miles. Mr. Henry Perry lived 1 ½ miles west of us. The Coffey family, 3 miles northwest of us.
These comprised our nearest neighbors. The people that lived here were “pioneers.” My husband and I might be called “near pioneers.” We lacked the conveniences for easier living that come to those who lived in later years.
We were blissfully ignorant of the easier way and set ourselves the task of making the best of our surroundings and doing the best we could. Many changes have been made in that time.
The house we lived in, one part of it we still occupy, was a three room box home, with a hall, no porch to shelter from the summer sun. The neighbor that built in later years, seemed to follow this style of building.
Two brothers, named Cahal White and John L. White first settled this place three or four years before we came. They hauled the lumber from Austin, 60 miles away, with a wagon and team. They are probably far away, so will not be embarrassed by what I am going to say. Their neighbors told me they lived on cornbread and clabber, saved the butter to sell, to help pay for their home. They had the pioneer courage. When they came here to live, there were two log houses or cribs, (perhaps they built them) with a shed roof between. Two brothers with a family each lived in these log homes. They had the true pioneer spirit. As soon as they could they hauled the lumber to build their homes. It must have seemed like a palace to them.
We only had a small farm but added to it as the years went by. I think this is what our neighbors did to. There were no pastures of any kind in all this country. Cattle and horses roamed at will, going miles in any direction. Men on horseback had to round them up in the spring and brand the calves and colts.
My husband built the first pasture to hold a saddle horse, and team. He called the wrath of the neighbors down on his head for fencing 20 acres of all this vast territory.
Incidentally some of our first teams were oxen. They were gentle and well mannered, 2 yoke of them. They were gentle and easily managed, slow but sure. I believe our first pasture was built of planks. There were no sheep in this country. They were not tolerated. As in other places, men who owned sheep were not tolerated by cattlemen. There was always some hard feelings. I think my husband was ignorant of all this, because he bought 250 head, going out of this county to get them, and brought them up to our place. We did not know much about caring for them, or what was required. He was raised principally in the city of Chicago. Anyway the fates were against us. Our sheep shed was not large enough for protection for the weather that was unusual and unexpected. On the 14th and 15th of March, 1880, a slow rain was falling, freezing as it fell. It looked more like a northern winter, with the trees, grass, and everything a mass of ice. No living thing could get a bite of anything green. We had not prepared for the sheep, as grass was supposed to be plentiful. The sheep were trying to keep warm, consequently the lambs were all trampled to death. After piling them up there was a mound of dead lambs 3 or 4 feet high. That was such a discouraging blow, we soon decided to sell the sheep and raise cattle.
Our first venture in cattle raising was the long hair kind. We know no other kind. It took a pen full to make a pound of butter.
There have been many changes in all these 61 years. When we came to this part of Burnet Co. we could have bought 1000 acres of grassland around Briggs for $1.00 per acre, in that rich farming country. There was no object in investing in such land, as no use could be made of it. Having no fences on it, taxes would accumulate, with no other prospect for years to come.
The settling of this land was grassland. Settlers gradually came in, putting the land in cultivation.
I can not recall many of the early settlers of Briggs. There were the Ganns, Taylors, and Pulliams. Mr. Henry Taylor was a good neighbor, and a good man. He was noted for being a great hunter. He kept a number of hounds, and many foxes and wildcats were caught. It was a help to the farmers in protecting their chickens and turkeys. I remember on one occasion, the hounds treed an opossum in a limb of a tree atop a bluff at 2 o’clock the morning. Mr. Perry went out to investigate. He went out on the limb, fell over the bluff, and broke both his legs. He was laid up some little time.
Our way of living was rather primitive. We had rock chimneys for heating. Some had cook stoves. Some cooked on the fireplace with skillet and lid for baking bread. Ovens and kettle for cooking potatoes, meat and vegetables. This way of cooking had its advantages, if not quite so convenient. The food cooked in this way, in the coals, was the very best. IT had a flavor all its own. The memory of it remains with me yet.
The farmers raised corn, cotton, wheat and some oats. We sent our wheat to distant mills to be ground into flower to make bread. Also had our corn ground for cornbread.
Getting our cotton ginned was a problem. My husband decided to build a small cotton gin, which he did, on Rocky Creek, just above what is known as a the Blue Hole. This was built in 1889. The body of water where it was located is known to this day as the Gin Hole. This did not prove a very fast process, but answered the need at the time. Later it was decided to move to another locality. It was still on Rocky Creek, or near the Lampasas River below Oakalla, near where Rocky Creek goes into the river. That was given up after a time, as it was inconvenient to work so far from home, and necessitated camping during the ginning season. I can not remember when the first gin was built in Oakalla. More corn, cotton and grain was raised in these localities. Farms were enlarged, homes built for new settlers until all the land, farming and pasture land had private owners.
Burnet County is now considered the healthiest in the state. When we came up, nearly everyone had chills and fever every summer and fall, because of the drinking water. We had to use spring water, or water from dug wells. This was surface water and contained germs that caused sickness. My husband, I believe was a pioneer, starting to drill wells, to get pure water for drinking and household use. Before this time when we were not near a spring, we had to haul our water in barrels from the creek.
For doing the family wash, some took their tubs and wash pot, and went to the creek to do their washing. It was not safe to leave the vessels on the creek bank, for the next washing, as often when a rain come the vessels were in danger of being washed away.
On September, 21, 1921 we had 18 inches of rain in 24 hours. This was the heaviest rainfall and the greatest rise in the creek Rocker, that came since we come up to this part of Burnet County. This was the most beautiful creek I had ever seen, large trees, many of them lined the bank. They were washed out by the roots, and came tumbling down the stream, going down stream toward the sea. At this same time at Taylor, 24 inches of rain fell in 24 hours. It has been said that this was the greatest rainfall ever known, in this county at least.
Mr. and Mrs. Langford were the ones our school and community was named from. Mr. Langford gave the land on which our first school was located. IT was designated to be for school and church. It was primarily Methodist, but was to be used by all denominations. After using this building for a time, it was conceded to be to small, as the community was growing all the time. Both the church and school were growing. We had a good school and a good teachers. Our community prospered. We had good trustees that took an interest in the school, trying to build it to its greatest efficiency. We had some of the best teachers.
In later years it was decided by the community that a tabernacle would be a help in holding meetings. People came from far and near to help and gave more comfort to those attending. The tabernacle is still standing, a mute monument to the Christian activities of other days. This was at one time a really and truly a Christian community. I heard untold preachers say he spent the happiest time of his life here at Langford. We had a large Sunday School. Everybody seemed to be happy. We had a miniature Eden for years.
We had singing at different homes and at the school, singing classes with the teachers. We had prayer meeting at different homes.
This state of affairs lasted for years, then dissolution crept in. It is better to cover all with a mantel of charity and forgetfulness. I have faith to believe that all the work that was done here at Langford, in the church and Sunday School, and even the day school, our labor was not in vain. The influence of Christians influence this life. It is so ordered by the Father above.
The deed to the Langford school and church was secured July 22, 1889. The Methodist church was probably organized in 1890. Only a few members to begin with. Increased in numbers as the years went by. We had a flourishing Sunday School.
In 1916 part of the members living in another community decided to withdraw from the Langford Methodist church. The Chapel Hill church was organized, and the church was built in 1916.
The Methodists, Baptists, and Church of Christ combined in building the tabernacle at Langford, furnishing plenty of seats, where the three churches held protracted meetings in the summer, using the home for services. Each denomination had preaching once a month.
The Methodist and Baptists had Sunday school. The Church of Christ a Bible class. This continued for a time until the Church of Christ decided to move their membership to Briggs and build a church of their own.
The Baptist church, owing to inadequate numbers, that could not support a preacher, they had to quit. The Methodist continued for a while. But because of lack of numbers, they too had to quit, some going to other churches, so ended Langford.
After years of traveling over rough roads, a new era set in. The people got interested in trying to make the roads better for traveling. They turned out with picks, wagons and team and plows, and made wonderful improvements.
IT took hours to go to Lampasas with a wagon and team, or horse and buggy, as the case may be. This was only the beginning. As the years went by the government took up the task of building the roads, making them passable for cars and trucks. This seemed like a long time coming, but it was finally accomplished. Now it is a pleasure to ride over roads. Now it seems like wonderland compared to other days. After the passing of years cars were coming to view, that made good roads a necessity to make traveling a comfort.
My husband bought the first car in Burnet County, a car without rubber tires, in 1910 or 1911. It would be a curiosity now wit hall the cars as they are made now.
Our homes were lighted with kerosene lamps, an improvement over the earlier days when tallow candles were used. Electricity was another forward step for the country people. In the last two years electricity has come to most farm homes. Some have not had it installed, but in time I believe it will be. It certainly has worked a change in the help it has been making life pleasanter. Now we can have lights and refrigerators, to keep our food, milk, butter, fruit and vegetables fresh for some time, add to our enjoyment of life. Then we have radios to give news of the day and can hear what is going on over the world, and that is very important now that war is going on that my involve us before it is over. We can hear our president and other great men speak, telling of the things that may concern us and our home and way of living. We can hear the wonderful sermons by some of the world’s best preachers, and sacred songs that are an inspiration of better living.
Another great step forward in the march of (?) is the telephone. We have had the latter for years. They were first installed in1905. They have been helpful in so many ways, especially in the country. When a doctor had to be called, instead of going on horse back for miles in case of serious sickness, we go to the telephone and make our wants know. As everyone knows, we use the telephone ever to visit with our neighbors.
Briggs
The earliest history of Briggs dates back to 1852, according to Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Nichols, given to Mrs. Stella Shafer Skaggs.
Mr. Jim Drake took up a presentation from the state land and settle in a fraction of the land now owned by Mr. T. C. Cloud, west of Briggs. State land was offered for 50 cents an acre, but there was no sale for it.
The land that Briggs now stands on was purchased by Mr. Steve Taylor, who came from Tennessee in 1800 (??). He built the first store in 1882. Two years earlier he built the first gin. It changed hands several times.
The first Post Office was opened in 1888. Mr. J. W. Edgar was the first postmaster.
In 1882 a school house was built at Gum Springs, where church services and gatherings of the community were held. This being an unhandy location, another building was erected in 1884, which is the present location of the Briggs school. The first teacher in this school was Mr. Jack Smith.
The Methodist was the first church, and was located two miles south of Briggs. It was dedicated the 2nd Sunday in May, 1892. It was called the Prairie View Church. In 1906 it was moved to it’s present location in Briggs. The Missionary Baptist church was located on the Burnet and Williamson county line. The Church of Christ was dedicated for public worship on Dec. 17th, 1927.
Oakalla
History of the beginning of Oakalla through the courtesy of Mrs. Dave Cameron.
In the year of 1876 Mr. Carlile came to the place that is now known as Oakalla, and put the first store. The first post office was in Mr. J.M. Kincaid’s dwelling house in the year 1877, and he was the first postmaster. It was located on the west side of Rocky Creek.
The mail at this time was carried from Florence, then called Brooksville. The people took turns bringing mail for the whole neighborhood.
It was bout this time that Oakalla got its name. Oak Valley was the name sent to Washington D. C. for approval. Because of poor writing, the name sent back was Oakalla.
In 1878 Mr. Kincaid turned the post office over to Mrs. Julia Coats, daughter of Dr. Alexander and was moved over to the Carlile store, now owned by Dr. Alexander. HE was the first doctor in Oakalla.
The next Dr., Dr. McCallum came to Oakalla in 1882. He did not stay long.
The next Dr. was Dr. Hine, coming from Ohio. He came in 1885. He was our good Dr. and served until his death in 1918.
In 1878 P.B.D.D. Hoover put up the first gin, the first in this part of the county.
They did not have preaching often in Oakalla. At first it was held under a tree, or in peoples’ homes.
The first school house was built on Gregory Branch, northeast of Oakalla, about the year 1875. The first teacher was Mr. George Smith, brother of Jim Smith. The second school house was built about 1880.