Hi, as I understand it from H. Grady Perry's book GRAND OLE ERATH- the Story of a Cross Timbers County, the main street of old Chalk Mountain was the old dirt Hwy 67, which I was born on in Johnsville, Grandad Henry Wyly bought some land from Reed Cox family in 1920's and Grandad Henry Carey's brother George Carey bought the adjoining land between us and the Duffau Creek branch near the Selden Hatchett Cemetery. Some of the Bordner- Hatchett- Hammic connections are buried in Selden Cemetery, not Chalk Mountain. One Anderson is also there. \ Bordners were Bortner in Germany and, like Riggs men, came from Illinois and points east to the area. Old Dirt Hwy 67 was very crooked- I and Truett Carey and Williams and Carver and Wright kids and some Coxes and Pitman and McGee and Scotts and Mills and Little kids and Dr. Morris Johnson walked the old Hwy past the Johnsville Church and post office and turned off to right to old location of Johnsville School, before it became the main building of 3 way school on new Hwy 67. The present paved U.S. 67 was being built when I was born. Dad went for a Doctor through the construction rather than follow the crooked old dirt U.S. 67 to old Valley Grove area, then into Stephenville. One bridge was out near Cedar Point road- graded but not finished, and it was cold and muddy, so dad jumpped the ditch in his Model T pickup.I beat the Doctor there, and was kept warm on the south side of the wood stove in a quilt and orange crate. The open road from Chalk Mountain to Walnut Springs was the last open road before dropping off the steep hill into Somerville County. It past the park and picnic area of 1900 at Panther Cave, and Odom Chapel was on the other side of the road. Roy Fallin may have paved Erath portion of the road. Emerson Rhodeslived on the road near the cave where one of the Stephen brothers lived and wife had twins in the cave while he freighted by Ox Cart from Bellmead to Fort Graham and Foprt Griffin. Stephenville was named for a Stephen brother. The twins were Cliff and Cave. Emerson said- and was in papers- that Cliff Stephen led some of his family to the site in 1960's and, before leaving, he stared across the Tress Rios- 3 rivers Glen Rose area, towards Cleburne prairie and towards Comanche Peak in silence. His mom had killed a Panther after her bulldog had stopped him at the cowhide wall to their living quarters- one shot with a shotgun. Parhams, Ice, Fretwell, McCarty, and others lived at the foot of the hill. Jim Ice and dad traded livestock often. Cecil Fretwell's dad Scott was given Cecil's Congressional Medal of honor Posthumously by a marker on Glen Rose Courthouse square after Cecil was found dead in Korea. Way I read it at the time, some U.S. officers were dead in a dugout shelter room, several North Koreans were dead outside with bayonet wounds and Cecil was between the two groups with the only bloody bayonet in the bunch. Cecil visited some Johnsville friends to swap Motorcycle parts before we all went swimming in the Duffau, late 1940's. I rode the bus with Jiggs Laney's wife- an Edwards. His dad and mom, Ben and Ruth Laney, often exchanged visits with mom and Dad after they retired in Selden and also exchanged fruit and vegetables.Funny how old age turns lifetime acquaintances into good friends checking on each other. They had common memories. Oscar Parham, in his School bus , said there was once a cavern off the Panther Cave rock overhangs and the spring from solid rock- but so many dogs were lost in dropoffs while chasing animals, that the cavern part was bulldozed full- One used to see a place where dirt was moved and setled away from the ceiling, just enough for small animals and Rattlesnakes to enter and make a tremendous den. This is the first spring & waterfall on Hill Creek which turne back towards the Ralls Ranch and the Brazos near Eulogy. . The Parham Store in Stephenville was moved from the Crossroads area below this hill. THIS CAVE IS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY NEAR NEWER HOUSES- BUT IS DANGEROUS- KEEP OUT. I visited it as a local teacher with a Biology class with permission and gatherred specimens where "Bull " Adams, Rhodes Scholar, had found 4 Indian Graves under an overhang and sent his find to some museum. Sorry if I bored any of you, but hope your delete button still works- many books could be written on this area of many former Tennessee and other Frontiersmen Take care, Charles A. Wyly

Ok so HWY 67 had a different path than the one now. McGee is kin to us and so are the Laney's. Great stories. I would love to see the cave and the Indian graves. I am going to drive out there and take another look. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Charles A. Wyly" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, October 05, 2003 12:21 PM Subject: Re: [ERATH] Chalk Mountain > Hi, > as I understand it from H. Grady Perry's book GRAND OLE ERATH- the > Story of a Cross Timbers County, the main street of old Chalk Mountain > was the old dirt Hwy 67, which I was born on in Johnsville, Grandad Henry > Wyly bought some land from Reed Cox family in 1920's and Grandad Henry > Carey's brother George Carey bought the adjoining land between us and > the Duffau Creek branch near the Selden Hatchett Cemetery. Some of the > Bordner- Hatchett- Hammic connections are buried in Selden Cemetery, not > Chalk Mountain. One Anderson is also there. > \ > Bordners were Bortner in Germany and, like Riggs men, came from Illinois > and points east to the area. > > Old Dirt Hwy 67 was very crooked- I and Truett Carey and Williams and > Carver and Wright kids and some Coxes and Pitman and McGee and Scotts > and Mills and Little kids and Dr. Morris Johnson walked the old Hwy > past the Johnsville Church and post office and turned off to right to > old location of Johnsville School, before it became the main building of > 3 way school on new Hwy 67. The present paved U.S. 67 was being built > when I was born. Dad went for a Doctor through the construction rather > than follow the crooked old dirt U.S. 67 to old Valley Grove area, then > into Stephenville. One bridge was out near Cedar Point road- graded but > not finished, and it was cold and muddy, so dad jumpped the ditch in his > Model T pickup.I beat the Doctor there, and was kept warm on the south > side of the wood stove in a quilt and orange crate. > > The open road from Chalk Mountain to Walnut Springs was the last open > road before dropping off the steep hill into Somerville County. It past > the park and picnic area of 1900 at Panther Cave, and Odom Chapel was > on the other side of the road. Roy Fallin may have paved Erath portion of > the road. Emerson Rhodeslived on the road near the cave where one of the > Stephen brothers lived and wife had twins in the cave while he freighted > by Ox Cart from Bellmead to Fort Graham and Foprt Griffin. Stephenville > was named for a Stephen brother. The twins were Cliff and Cave. Emerson > said- and was in papers- that Cliff Stephen led some of his family to > the site in 1960's and, before leaving, he stared across the Tress Rios- > 3 rivers Glen Rose area, towards Cleburne prairie and towards Comanche > Peak in silence. His mom had killed a Panther after her bulldog had > stopped him at the cowhide wall to their living quarters- one shot with > a shotgun. Parhams, Ice, Fretwell, McCarty, and others lived at the foot > of the hill. Jim Ice and dad traded livestock often. > > Cecil Fretwell's dad Scott was given Cecil's Congressional Medal of honor > Posthumously by a marker on Glen Rose Courthouse square after Cecil was > found dead in Korea. Way I read it at the time, some U.S. officers were > dead in a dugout shelter room, several North Koreans were dead outside > with bayonet wounds and Cecil was between the two groups with the only > bloody bayonet in the bunch. Cecil visited some Johnsville friends to > swap Motorcycle parts before we all went swimming in the Duffau, late > 1940's. > > I rode the bus with Jiggs Laney's wife- an Edwards. His dad and mom, Ben > and Ruth Laney, often exchanged visits with mom and Dad after they > retired in Selden and also exchanged fruit and vegetables.Funny how old > age turns lifetime acquaintances into good friends checking on each > other. They had common memories. > > Oscar Parham, in his School bus , said there was once a cavern off the > Panther Cave rock overhangs and the spring from solid rock- but so many > dogs were lost in dropoffs while chasing animals, that the cavern part > was bulldozed full- One used to see a place where dirt was moved and > setled away from the ceiling, just enough for small animals and > Rattlesnakes to enter and make a tremendous den. This is the first spring > & waterfall on Hill Creek which turne back towards the Ralls Ranch and > the Brazos near Eulogy. . The Parham Store in Stephenville was moved from > the Crossroads area below this hill. > > THIS CAVE IS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY NEAR NEWER HOUSES- BUT IS DANGEROUS- > KEEP OUT. I visited it as a local teacher with a Biology class with > permission and gatherred specimens where "Bull " Adams, Rhodes Scholar, > had found 4 Indian Graves under an overhang and sent his find to some > museum. > > Sorry if I bored any of you, but hope your delete button still works- > many books could be written on this area of many former Tennessee and > other Frontiersmen > > Take care, > Charles A. Wyly > > > ==== TXERATH Mailing List ==== > --- Author Retains Copyright --- > -- Copyright 2003 Author -- All Rights Reserved > Post to List: [email protected] http://www.selfroots.com > Unsubscribe request To: [email protected] > ARCHIVES: http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl >