Dear Sir : I recognize one last name- Hooker. There is a Hooker Cave between Abbott and West. Most Abbott kids have been through a short section, including Willie Nelson. It is in McLennan County, barely. Mr Hooker ran a cotton gin in Abbott, Hill County, Texas. His grandson whom he raised, was Mart Cole, deceased, who used to raise money for Baylor University. Most entrances to the cave are now closed because of the methane gas danger. it was photographed and published in the Texas Caver. It had a turtle carved in a tree and ORO on a rock nearby. It was a stop for Gold bearing Mule trains from Arkansas back to Mexico. Mr. Hooker's father in law was a Carr- brother to Judge Carr of El Paso who financed Judge Roy Bean. He had a stagecoach stop near the cave. This is near the Abest overpass on I-35. North of Fort Worth was the cave, south of Denton used by Sam Bass. -on I-35. South of Waco at Camp Tahuya is a nother cave with deep cuts in rock in the Boy scout camp done by stagecoaches. Caves were a way to escape hostile Indians and get warm in the winter. This pattern follows to San Antonio and Laredo. The same general path for I-35 follows the ancient Spanish trail, in some of the sorry part of Texas- following the protection of trees and on the gravel ridges between deep black land to the east and mixed farm and ranch land to the west. Many stories of Mr. Hooker and the Coles and Carrs are in Hillsboro, West, and Waco papers. Probably in El Paso stories too. Limestone for Abbott, West, Waco, and Hillsboro were quarried near the cave. Ring any bells" Charles Wyly On Wed, 12 Aug 1998 11:04:16 -0700 "Jan" <pjscorner@pcola.gulf.net> writes: >Mr. Wyly, > >I have thoroughly enjoyed your Erath stories and I am collecting them >in >hard copy for reference. > >Though it may be to far back, I was wondering if you had any stories >or >information on J W. MILLER m.Sarah Delitha HOOKER . Children were >Minnie, >Lester, Maude (Mollie,my g-mother), Lena, Martha(Mattie), Dewey, >Jessie, >Carl, Birdie. I have made copies of the advertisements my g-father >placed >in the Erath County Appeal, which is now on-line. Wonderful! > >Most important though is anything on my g-father, WE or WS SMITH. The >stories I have put him on the HASTINGS ranch when he and my g-mother, >Maude >Miller, met and married, Nov. 1908 in Stephenville. Anything about >him or >this ranch would be appreciated. I have not been able to find out >anything >about him, his family etc. > >Thank you, >Jan Hoblit > > > > _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]