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mid to late 1800s: Howard Peak Oral History – Visiting our Grandparents

November 14, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner 8 Comments

Throwback Thursday…

A few months ago I posted the oral history of Junius Peak as dictated to the Frontier Times (Bandera, Tx) on August 6, 1927… If you are interested in reading this post, click HERE.
The name Peak is likely familiar to East Dallas residents. Captain Jefferson Peak, a veteran of the Mexican War, donated much of the land for East Dallas roadways. Many streets within Munger Place and Peak Suburban Historic Districts were named for Captain Peak’s eleven children including Junius, Worth, Carroll, and Victor.
The following is a history provided by Captain Jefferson Peak’s grandson, Howard W. Peak, on the subject of “Visiting Our Grandparents”. This is a fascinating glimpse into life in the mid-1800s.
Born in 1856, Howard Peak was the first male child born in the ‘little settlement of Fort Worth’, bringing the population to sixty-eight. He worked as a traveling salesman and later owned H. W. Peak Safe Company in downtown Ft. Worth, selling the first safe to Bill and John Ward when they opened the White Elephant Saloon in 1884.

White Elephant – 2013
Howard Peak died in 1939. Since this history is lengthly I will present it (unedited) in sections. Unfortunately, the original source was not dated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part I…

     In the late 1850s and up to the 1890s, it was customary for our family who was residing in Ft. Worth to make an annual visit to our Grand parents in Dallas.
     The month of July was usually selected, for at that time we were well worn by the heat of summer, besides it was fruit and vegetable season, and the school vacation was on. Grand Pa had large gardens and orchards of most all kinds of these luxuries.
     Captain Jefferson Peak and Malviny (the name of our Grand parents) lived in a brick house about two and one half miles east of Dallas, on an Estate of about 800 acres. Commodious out houses, pastures and fields, with stock of all kinds, buggies, carriages and riding ponies, served to make comfortable this estate.
    The family consisted of the two heads, Grand Pa and Grand Ma, their children Aunt Sarah (Mrs. Harwood) husband and family, Aunt Juliette Fowler, a widow, Aunt Florence (Field) and Uncles Wallace, Jeff, June, Worth, Victor and Matt.
     Our family consisting of Dr. Carroll M. Peak, and Mother, Sister Clara, Myself, Carroll Jr. and Everett (both dying young) and Sisters Lily and Olive.
     Weeks before the day set for our pilgrimage – we children would discuss our anticipated trip and days prior to starting, mother would begin preparations for same, and long before daylight on the prescribed morning our horses would be fed, the hack greased, fodder in bundles tied on top of the trunk behind, and by sun up old Absalom would have the team in front of the gate where all of us would be ready for a “Sun Up” start.
     Our way lay south east, where we crossed the Sycamore about where the Interurban track now crosses same, and we followed the Dallas road which led south of the Interurban track, crossing Village Creek at old Carter Cannons place card on to Johnson’s Station, which was the residence of Col. M. T. Johnson, a very wealthy planter and the original owner of the tract of land on which Ft. Worth is located. There we oft times stopped, unhitched our team and while it was feeding, we would lunch. After an hour of rest we would resume our journey, and by the middle of the afternoon reached the Goudsell’s, a French settlement near where the Interurban crosses Mountain Creek. Our route then deflected to the north east under the hill following the route now traversed by the Texas Pacific R.R.
     The county was full of hog wallows and in rainy weather was very hard to travel over, the sticky mud congregating on the wheels of the vehicle. Taking a slow gait on account of the hot weather and heavy load it would be about sun down ere we crossed the Trinity over the old bridge at the head of what is now Commerce Street in the village of Dallas; a brick Court house and a few one story brick stores, and a two story frame hotel (the Crutchfield house) on the bank of the Trinity at the head of Main Street were about all to be seen of the now magnificent city of Dallas. Pursuing our journey east ward along the lines of what are now Elm and Main streets, for about two miles we emerged from the timber and on to a plateau which we traversed for a half mile and through the big gate, into the great yard of Grand Pa’s to the great delight of not only ourselves but, to those with whom we were to spend a fort-night.
CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO PART II

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

This ain’t my first rodeo.

January 28, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner 18 Comments

Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo

Last weekend John and I were invited to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo with friends Harold and Gale Green. The trip had been planned for two months. Thursday night, John came down with a nasty case of the crud. Without the energy to roll over in bed, he certainly couldn’t road trip with the Greens. And with the Greens, energy is necessary.

Harold and Gale are expert tour guides maneuvering each corner of every exhibit before and after the main attraction, not stopping to even breathe until every drop of wine is drained in the wee morning hours, the next morning. If there is the slightest hesitation, the mere hint of fatique, Harold sings ‘every party has a pooper’ over and over and over… And I’m usually the party pooper. I like my sleep.

With John sick, I debated should I stay or should I go? Of course with John sick, he was by default the party pooper, right?Short debate. Rather than sit around all weekend in a germy house, I tagged along with the Greens and their extended family including in-laws, out-laws and children. Every family needs a fifth wheel.

Plus, there was no way I was gonna miss it.  I was super excited to wear my cute western shirt. The print is vintage cowboy. The snaps are pearl. The stitching is red. So what if I didn’t own a Stetson?

The young guy working behind the rodeo concession stand thought my shirt was cute too…

Me- One beer, please.
Guy– Is that ALL you need?
Me– Yes.
Guy– Your shirt has a cowboy on it with horse feet. (Reaching toward my shirt, he poked the cowboy printed on the seam of my shirt pocket—the seam split the cowboy making him appear part man, part horse. The cowboy he touched just happened to be positioned on my boob…)
Me– Really? Did you just touch my boob?
Guy– I touched your shirt. (wide-smiling)
Me– Uh-huh. Step away from the cowgirl shirt, concession boy… 
What’s a little sexual harassment at the rodeo? And did he really say horse feet?
Grace Grits and Gardening
Musical Pairing:
This Ain’t My First Rodeo, Vern Gosdin


Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (Now Available!)

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