Jess described the rocky soil of Cannon perfectly. One of my GGFs was plowing, it bucked on striking a rock, hit him in the stomach causing eventually fatal injuries. If you compare that w/ the fertile black soil of Ellis Co (just south of Dallas), you know why the great exodus. My paternal GF became a prosperous cotton farmer pioneering the use of terraces for soil conservation and using tractors early. Three of his 4 sons stayed on the farm in the immediate area, only my dad bucking the trend by going into business -- yet I was still born there. Being further away from most of the bitter battles, from what I can learn, reconstruction was not as vicious in TX as it was in TN. These people came to TX because of the opportunities offered, and for the most part they made the best of it, The spirit of entrepreneurship they brought contributed greatly to the enormous growth we have enjoyed. Joe Sissom