Shannon (stampede springs)
The following is an account of life in the southern most part of Clay Co. from 1875 to 1893, written by Mr. J. E. Gates,
born in 1871, son of T. B. Gates and brother of James T. Gates.
Back in 1875-77, the south part of Clay County, like all other frontier counties, was very sparsely settled. Bluegrove
was the only settlement north before reaching Cambridge and Henrietta. It was a scattered community and there was
no other settlement south between the communities now known as Shannon and Jacksboro. Some of the early settlers
were drifters who stopped for a short time, built cabins of native logs, daubed with mud, and moved on a few months
later. But many stayed and became builders of communities.
This was the era before the wire fence came into use as all the country was unfenced and was known as open
range, so the settlers were few and far between, and neighbors were scarce. One did not see them except on rare
occasions. Naturally the wives and children had a rather lonely existence, as they had little outside social contact of any
kind.
About the only thing to break the monotony would be an occasional lone cow hand riding past, sometimes stopping
for a drink of water, a meal, or if he should be far from headquarters, he might wish to spend the night. In this case he
always received a hearty welcome because he and his kind were always courteous gentlemen.
Sometimes, but not often, the family might see a freight wagon headed toward or from Fort Worth, as this was the
nearest railroad and market. Coming from Fort Worth they were loaded with supplies for a distant western point;
returning they wee usually loaded with buffalo hides for the Fort Worth market. These wagons were pulled by ox
teams, consisting of from one to three yoke of oxen, depending on the weight of the load. Frequently there would be a
trail wagon chained to the rear of the first wagon.
The drivers of these ox wagons, known as bull whackers, were in a class by themselves, for they developed peculiar
characteristics not common to other people. There were long stretches of miles when they saw nothing more exciting
than their own yoke of oxen as they plodded and strained at their loads along the dim wagon trails. Those trails were
never repaired and were full of sand beds and mud holes with very few bridges of any kind across the streams. And the
bridges were built of rough poles cut from nearby timber and were unsafe for heavy loads.
But as they plodded along their way they usually saw plenty of wild game or an occasional bunch of Texas longhorn
cattle, which were as wild as game.
These drivers developed and perfected a very colorful vocabulary. While it would probably not be considered in
altogether good form, measured by our present standards, whatever it lacked in culture, was amply atoned for in
forcefulness and profanity, for anyone who heard a member of this gentry spiel one of his masterpieces, as he
sometimes did when coaxing his team to pull the load through a deep mud hole, would pause and wonder that such
eloquence could fall from human lips. At any rate, these boys developed a technique for which there was no worthwhile
substitute. These men were rough, but good and kind-hearted, and always ready to help anyone through a tight place.
They always saw that their teams got plenty of feed and water. Their Winchesters and six shooters were just as much a
part of their equipment as was their clothing, and their courage went unchallenged. I have given them space because
they were necessarily a part of the West at that time.
During the time the U.S. soldiers were stationed at Old Fort Richardson just across Lost Creek from Jacksboro, the
booming of the cannon at each sunrise and each sunset could be heard across the county line and far into Clay County
when the atmospheric conditions were right. Just seeing the old military telegraph line reaching from Fort Richardson in
Jack County across Clay County and on to Fort Sill sometimes reminded the people that there was an outside world.
This line came through by way of Buffalo Springs where there was a small fort or government house of some kind.
In the years 1874-75, just prior to this period, roving bands of Comanche Indians made foraging expeditions into Jack
County, and of course this was followed in 1876 by other reports and scares. I remember at one time during this period
that war parties of Indians were reported to be only 12 miles from our home. These reports were later proven to be
false as we were never at any time molested by the Indians. However, one time my father and I met a small detachment
of soldiers with two captive Indians whom they had followed farther west and captured and were returning them to Fort
Richardson. I do not believe these had at this time committed any serious offense, but I rather think that bringing them in
had a good moral effect on other members of war parties who might have been planning to raid any of the
settlements.
All these happenings and reports naturally caused a good deal of nervousness and apprehension among the
settlers. So in the summer of 1876, in response to the appeal of the people for some protection, the government sent
an official of some kind among the pioneers asking every able bodied man to join what became known as the Minute
Company organized for protection of each man’s family. Membership in the organization was strictly voluntary and in no
way compulsory, but on becoming a member each man was oath bound to respond to any call for assistance at any time
or at any place on one minute’s notice. I think it was from this that the company derived its name. Very well do I
remember when my father, Thomas B. Gates, joined this organization, for he was given a gun together with 100 rounds
of ammunition. This gun was known as a needle gun,
and to my childish mind at that time it was a very vicious looking shooting iron. But as there were no further Indian
troubles, as far as I know, none of these men were ever called to defend any part of the country. At any rate, about one
year later, an official came through and collected all arms given to the Minute Company.
While this writer has lived in Clay County practically all his life, it was so near the Jack County line that at times he
does not feel sure as to whether his feet were on the right side or the wrong side of the Clay County line. I mention this
with reference to seeing the captive Indians as well as mention of the Minute Men; these are both recollections of Jack
County. Although my father lived at this time not more than one-half mile from the county line, the happenings in either
county were so closely related and interwoven that it becomes almost impossible to write any of my recollections without
barging across the county line, for this invisible line at that time meant very little to a community where everyone had
friends and neighbors on either side of it.
Prominent among the early cow men and cowboys in this section and period were: Sanford Wilson; Nub White;
William McElroy; Newt Jones; Ben Cobb; R. S. Hilburn; Sandy McGraw; Sim Melugin; W. B. Sheffy; Sam Sherwood; Mr.
Woodward; R. C. Brumley; George Brumley; Wig Brumley; Bob Brumley; S. B. Harbison; Charley Burch; Elbert Hicks and
many more.
A few more prominent old timers were: Hiram Burch; William Hammer; M. E. Ivie: Jeff Penn; Bob Haney; Wallace
Haney; Tom Haney; J. F. Williams; Mr. Keetle and several sons; Ben Canterbury; the Whitingtons; the Whites; E. L.
Collie; Ash Moore; Cart Renfro; the Slaughter family; and Jimmie Eiland, father of A. D. Eiland. Now, for fear some of my
old friends of Shannon and surrounding communities may wonder why I have failed to mention their names, I repeat that
I am writing only of the period from 1876 to 1883.
Old Stampede Springs was a great watering place for cattle before the country was fenced in. The old springs are
located about one-half mile east of the little town of Shannon and about equal distance from Jack County line and barely
in Clay County.
It was here in 1879 that T. B. Gates, father of the writer and grandfather of Claude, Rex, Lola, Winnie and Floyd
Gates, established and operated a small store. It was the first of its kind in all the south part of the county with the
exception of a few businesses that were established at Newport and one located at Buffalo Springs some two years
earlier.
My father’s store was a popular gathering place especially when his two weeks old copy of the Kansas City Times
arrived as he was one of the very few newspaper subscribers in that locality at that time.”
The old timers of these settlements made every effort to give their children some kind of an education. The houses
of learning were constructed of both logs and lumber and consisted of one room only. The length of the school term
was usually two or three months in mid-winter. Some of these early day teachers I remember were Ben Canterbury,
Stark Whitington, and Steve Fugate.
And to these I think it altogether proper and fitting that I should include the name of Mrs. T. B. Gates, mother of the
writer, who in 1882 taught one term. This was after the death of my father in 1881.
To the memory of these men I offer grateful tribute, for it was largely through their patient and untiring efforts that
this writer was enabled partly to master his three R’s. Notwithstanding the fact that they sometimes inflicted punishment
by forcing me to stand up on top of an empty nail keg which always stood conveniently and conspicuously in one corner
of the room near one end of the wall black board. This was a very choice location, as it provided an unobstructed view
for the other pupils, who always derived a great deal of enjoyment from these little entertainments. But for some
unexplainable reason, the chief actor in this little drama did not appreciate the fun caused, I suppose by different points
of view, for circumstances alter cases. But the sweetest morsel of revenge for the offender came when the member of
the audience who enjoyed the show to the fullest became the chief actor for the next entertainment, but on this occasion
his mirthful ardor was subdued to the extent that it was impossible for him to appreciate the fun.
The spiritual interest and religious life of this community was kept alive largely through the efforts of two visiting
preachers, Rev. Dick Miller of the Methodist, and Rev. M. A. Epps of the Baptist Church. The former at that time was a
young man. Later he became one of the famous preachers of the state. He was one whom everyone loved and all
homes were open to him regardless of creed or sect and everyone appreciated his visits. The same can truthfully be
said of Rev. Epps, who was a very lovable old gentleman. These men sometimes preached in the little school house or
if the weather was fair, under a brush arbor.
For several years including this period, the country seemed to undergo no great change. But in the year 1882 the
Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad made its advent into Clay County and on into Henrietta. At that time the country
began to go under fence, as the barbed wire was beginning to come into use. This meant the breaking up of the free
and open range and marked the end of an epoch as well.
After the country was all fenced, certain men and certain elements, who were opposed to the fencing of the country,
organized themselves into secret bands for the purpose of destroying these fences. At night they worked along the
fence lines. Each was furnished with a good heavy pair of pliers, known at that time as wire cutters, and thus supplied
they were able in a very short time to destroy several miles of fence. Their work was very thorough, cutting all the wires
on both sides and close up to each post. Naturally, the next day when the owners of these pastures saw their wrecked
fence, they boiled with rage. But several months went by and there was no let up in these depredations. In the
meantime feeling was running high. So one dark night, when the cutters were destroying the east line of a big pasture
belonging to the Red River Cattle Co., suddenly a rain of bullets poured into their ranks and one of the cutters was
killed and there was supposition that others were wounded. It was generally credited that the company hands had been
laying for the wire cutters. But this tragedy broke up their organization and brought to an end its unlawful acts. This
took place about one mile north of where the town of Prospect was later located.
The following is an account of life in the southern most part of Clay Co. from 1875 to 1893, written by Mr. J. E. Gates,
born in 1871, son of T. B. Gates and brother of James T. Gates.
Back in 1875-77, the south part of Clay County, like all other frontier counties, was very sparsely settled. Bluegrove
was the only settlement north before reaching Cambridge and Henrietta. It was a scattered community and there was
no other settlement south between the communities now known as Shannon and Jacksboro. Some of the early settlers
were drifters who stopped for a short time, built cabins of native logs, daubed with mud, and moved on a few months
later. But many stayed and became builders of communities.
This was the era before the wire fence came into use as all the country was unfenced and was known as open
range, so the settlers were few and far between, and neighbors were scarce. One did not see them except on rare
occasions. Naturally the wives and children had a rather lonely existence, as they had little outside social contact of any
kind.
About the only thing to break the monotony would be an occasional lone cow hand riding past, sometimes stopping
for a drink of water, a meal, or if he should be far from headquarters, he might wish to spend the night. In this case he
always received a hearty welcome because he and his kind were always courteous gentlemen.
Sometimes, but not often, the family might see a freight wagon headed toward or from Fort Worth, as this was the
nearest railroad and market. Coming from Fort Worth they were loaded with supplies for a distant western point;
returning they wee usually loaded with buffalo hides for the Fort Worth market. These wagons were pulled by ox
teams, consisting of from one to three yoke of oxen, depending on the weight of the load. Frequently there would be a
trail wagon chained to the rear of the first wagon.
The drivers of these ox wagons, known as bull whackers, were in a class by themselves, for they developed peculiar
characteristics not common to other people. There were long stretches of miles when they saw nothing more exciting
than their own yoke of oxen as they plodded and strained at their loads along the dim wagon trails. Those trails were
never repaired and were full of sand beds and mud holes with very few bridges of any kind across the streams. And the
bridges were built of rough poles cut from nearby timber and were unsafe for heavy loads.
But as they plodded along their way they usually saw plenty of wild game or an occasional bunch of Texas longhorn
cattle, which were as wild as game.
These drivers developed and perfected a very colorful vocabulary. While it would probably not be considered in
altogether good form, measured by our present standards, whatever it lacked in culture, was amply atoned for in
forcefulness and profanity, for anyone who heard a member of this gentry spiel one of his masterpieces, as he
sometimes did when coaxing his team to pull the load through a deep mud hole, would pause and wonder that such
eloquence could fall from human lips. At any rate, these boys developed a technique for which there was no worthwhile
substitute. These men were rough, but good and kind-hearted, and always ready to help anyone through a tight place.
They always saw that their teams got plenty of feed and water. Their Winchesters and six shooters were just as much a
part of their equipment as was their clothing, and their courage went unchallenged. I have given them space because
they were necessarily a part of the West at that time.
During the time the U.S. soldiers were stationed at Old Fort Richardson just across Lost Creek from Jacksboro, the
booming of the cannon at each sunrise and each sunset could be heard across the county line and far into Clay County
when the atmospheric conditions were right. Just seeing the old military telegraph line reaching from Fort Richardson in
Jack County across Clay County and on to Fort Sill sometimes reminded the people that there was an outside world.
This line came through by way of Buffalo Springs where there was a small fort or government house of some kind.
In the years 1874-75, just prior to this period, roving bands of Comanche Indians made foraging expeditions into Jack
County, and of course this was followed in 1876 by other reports and scares. I remember at one time during this period
that war parties of Indians were reported to be only 12 miles from our home. These reports were later proven to be
false as we were never at any time molested by the Indians. However, one time my father and I met a small detachment
of soldiers with two captive Indians whom they had followed farther west and captured and were returning them to Fort
Richardson. I do not believe these had at this time committed any serious offense, but I rather think that bringing them in
had a good moral effect on other members of war parties who might have been planning to raid any of the
settlements.
All these happenings and reports naturally caused a good deal of nervousness and apprehension among the
settlers. So in the summer of 1876, in response to the appeal of the people for some protection, the government sent
an official of some kind among the pioneers asking every able bodied man to join what became known as the Minute
Company organized for protection of each man’s family. Membership in the organization was strictly voluntary and in no
way compulsory, but on becoming a member each man was oath bound to respond to any call for assistance at any time
or at any place on one minute’s notice. I think it was from this that the company derived its name. Very well do I
remember when my father, Thomas B. Gates, joined this organization, for he was given a gun together with 100 rounds
of ammunition. This gun was known as a needle gun,
and to my childish mind at that time it was a very vicious looking shooting iron. But as there were no further Indian
troubles, as far as I know, none of these men were ever called to defend any part of the country. At any rate, about one
year later, an official came through and collected all arms given to the Minute Company.
While this writer has lived in Clay County practically all his life, it was so near the Jack County line that at times he
does not feel sure as to whether his feet were on the right side or the wrong side of the Clay County line. I mention this
with reference to seeing the captive Indians as well as mention of the Minute Men; these are both recollections of Jack
County. Although my father lived at this time not more than one-half mile from the county line, the happenings in either
county were so closely related and interwoven that it becomes almost impossible to write any of my recollections without
barging across the county line, for this invisible line at that time meant very little to a community where everyone had
friends and neighbors on either side of it.
Prominent among the early cow men and cowboys in this section and period were: Sanford Wilson; Nub White;
William McElroy; Newt Jones; Ben Cobb; R. S. Hilburn; Sandy McGraw; Sim Melugin; W. B. Sheffy; Sam Sherwood; Mr.
Woodward; R. C. Brumley; George Brumley; Wig Brumley; Bob Brumley; S. B. Harbison; Charley Burch; Elbert Hicks and
many more.
A few more prominent old timers were: Hiram Burch; William Hammer; M. E. Ivie: Jeff Penn; Bob Haney; Wallace
Haney; Tom Haney; J. F. Williams; Mr. Keetle and several sons; Ben Canterbury; the Whitingtons; the Whites; E. L.
Collie; Ash Moore; Cart Renfro; the Slaughter family; and Jimmie Eiland, father of A. D. Eiland. Now, for fear some of my
old friends of Shannon and surrounding communities may wonder why I have failed to mention their names, I repeat that
I am writing only of the period from 1876 to 1883.
Old Stampede Springs was a great watering place for cattle before the country was fenced in. The old springs are
located about one-half mile east of the little town of Shannon and about equal distance from Jack County line and barely
in Clay County.
It was here in 1879 that T. B. Gates, father of the writer and grandfather of Claude, Rex, Lola, Winnie and Floyd
Gates, established and operated a small store. It was the first of its kind in all the south part of the county with the
exception of a few businesses that were established at Newport and one located at Buffalo Springs some two years
earlier.
My father’s store was a popular gathering place especially when his two weeks old copy of the Kansas City Times
arrived as he was one of the very few newspaper subscribers in that locality at that time.”
The old timers of these settlements made every effort to give their children some kind of an education. The houses
of learning were constructed of both logs and lumber and consisted of one room only. The length of the school term
was usually two or three months in mid-winter. Some of these early day teachers I remember were Ben Canterbury,
Stark Whitington, and Steve Fugate.
And to these I think it altogether proper and fitting that I should include the name of Mrs. T. B. Gates, mother of the
writer, who in 1882 taught one term. This was after the death of my father in 1881.
To the memory of these men I offer grateful tribute, for it was largely through their patient and untiring efforts that
this writer was enabled partly to master his three R’s. Notwithstanding the fact that they sometimes inflicted punishment
by forcing me to stand up on top of an empty nail keg which always stood conveniently and conspicuously in one corner
of the room near one end of the wall black board. This was a very choice location, as it provided an unobstructed view
for the other pupils, who always derived a great deal of enjoyment from these little entertainments. But for some
unexplainable reason, the chief actor in this little drama did not appreciate the fun caused, I suppose by different points
of view, for circumstances alter cases. But the sweetest morsel of revenge for the offender came when the member of
the audience who enjoyed the show to the fullest became the chief actor for the next entertainment, but on this occasion
his mirthful ardor was subdued to the extent that it was impossible for him to appreciate the fun.
The spiritual interest and religious life of this community was kept alive largely through the efforts of two visiting
preachers, Rev. Dick Miller of the Methodist, and Rev. M. A. Epps of the Baptist Church. The former at that time was a
young man. Later he became one of the famous preachers of the state. He was one whom everyone loved and all
homes were open to him regardless of creed or sect and everyone appreciated his visits. The same can truthfully be
said of Rev. Epps, who was a very lovable old gentleman. These men sometimes preached in the little school house or
if the weather was fair, under a brush arbor.
For several years including this period, the country seemed to undergo no great change. But in the year 1882 the
Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad made its advent into Clay County and on into Henrietta. At that time the country
began to go under fence, as the barbed wire was beginning to come into use. This meant the breaking up of the free
and open range and marked the end of an epoch as well.
After the country was all fenced, certain men and certain elements, who were opposed to the fencing of the country,
organized themselves into secret bands for the purpose of destroying these fences. At night they worked along the
fence lines. Each was furnished with a good heavy pair of pliers, known at that time as wire cutters, and thus supplied
they were able in a very short time to destroy several miles of fence. Their work was very thorough, cutting all the wires
on both sides and close up to each post. Naturally, the next day when the owners of these pastures saw their wrecked
fence, they boiled with rage. But several months went by and there was no let up in these depredations. In the
meantime feeling was running high. So one dark night, when the cutters were destroying the east line of a big pasture
belonging to the Red River Cattle Co., suddenly a rain of bullets poured into their ranks and one of the cutters was
killed and there was supposition that others were wounded. It was generally credited that the company hands had been
laying for the wire cutters. But this tragedy broke up their organization and brought to an end its unlawful acts. This
took place about one mile north of where the town of Prospect was later located.
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