Ike
Ike, named for Ike Henley , is located about three miles northeast of
Waxahachie on FM Road 878. There is still a marker bearing the name
on the road, although there are no remnants of Ike except for a few dwellings.
Many once believed that Ike was the place where bank robbers buried
their treasure and for many yars a search was carried on up and down Grove
Creek.
Capt. Cade came to Ellis County from Georgia soon after the Civil War.
He was one of the many Southern planters who had been ruined by the
War. He bought a two hundred acre tract on the north side of Grove
Creek east of the village of Waxahachie. and built his home in a grove of
trees on a little hill near a spring of cold, clear water. There were
four rooms in front, a porch and an ell which contained the dining room and
kitchen - it was the first frame house built in the settlement. Mrs.
Cade, or "Miss Lura" as the Blacks called her, did not like Texas and could
not take pioneer life. She was so dissatisfied that the Captain put
the place up for sale. George N. Aldredge (later a judge in Dallas)
had come to Waxahachie as a young man to practice law, and wrote to his father,
Dr. J. F. Aldredge, in Pittsburg, Texas, describing the place, wich the doctor
later purchased. Dr. Henley had land on both sides of the creek
to the east of the Aldredge farm. Mrs. Henley died during this time.
The Henleys had four children: Sally, Oke, Charlie and Ben (who died
in childhood). In 1872, Mr. and Mrs. William A. Boyce moved
to this farm when their daughter, Maude Boyce (Farrar) was only a year old.
A road had been opened on the east side of the Henley property that crossed
Grove Creek on to the road leading to Waxahachie. Rev. Power, a Baptist minister,
had land which lay at the east facing the road. He died soon after
his home was built, leaving a wife and four children, Roger, Ben, Howard
and Virgie. To the east of the Power property was the Peters' farm,
and adjoining it was land belonging to C. C. Wilson. Crossing the creek
on the road to Waxahachie on the south side of the creek lived the Massies,
Basses and McMinns. Mr. Frank Wilson bought land facing the Henley
road, close to the Power family and the King place was just across the creek
on the south side. There were four King daughters and a son, Ben, who
became a Baptist minister. Thus we have a bird's eye view of the community
as described by Mrs. Maude Bouce Farrar.
Up until that time no attempt had been made to build churches and schools.
Mr. Olin A. Finley and his wife moved into the settlement. Mrs.
Finley was friendly, charming and well-educated, so when the people realized
they might have a teacher among them, they called a meeting and decided to
build a schoolhouse. It was called "Bluff Grove" because it was located
on a high bluff on the bank of Grove Creek. This was a typical country
house - about forty feet long and thirty feet wide with three windows on
each side and a door in one end. In the winter it was heated by a wood
stove and lighted by tallow candles. Mrs. Finley organized the school
and it was quite a success. Pupils came from miles around. The
building was not only for school but also a place of worship. Every
denomination was welcomed to hold services - all came. There were singing
schools, writing school sand best of all "Spelling Bees." These were
held on Saturdays and people of all ages came from all around. The
Blue Back speller was always used. Ike school became a two teacher
school, but was incorporated with Waxahachie in 1944.
Archibald J. Rice, whom everyone called "Baldy Rice," moved to Ike
about 1890. He bought a plot of land from Ike Henley in the
corner of the Henley land, facing the road and bordering on the north
side of Grove Creek. and built a store and residence for his family. A
post office was granted in 1898 and that's when the name of Ike replaced
"Bluff Springs." A. J. Rice was appointed postmaster March 30, 1898,
but the office was discontinued June 30, 1903. After that the mail
went to Waxahachie and was delivered by rural carriers. According to
the Cam Perrys, in early days rural stores were served by a peddler's
wagon, operated by a man named Garrison. The Perrys had the history
of Ike sealed in the chimney of their home, but they recalled the store keepers
since 1899. At that time , the Orr brothers operated the store; then
came T. W. Teague who bought the Rice Store and operated it over fifty
years. He married Miss Mary Wilson, daughter of Frank Wilson. The
Ike grocery company, composed of Bill Eskridge, Clyde Witherspoon and C.
W. Davis, was operated by Eskridge. Other store keepers were Wayne
Thompson, Cam Perry, Cap Pryor, Blon Stoffregen, J. B. Almond and Bill Gumm
in 1959. By 1971 there were no stores.
Among the prominent church women of Ike have been Mrs. Roy Borders, who
in 1959 attended church in Waxahachie and the late Mrs. Joe Jenkins. The
churches were moved to Waxahachie in 1956. Among the citizens left
in 1959 were Clyde Witherspoon and R. N. Aday.
From the mid 1920s to the 1960s, the population was reported as twenty-five
and by 1990 had decreased to ten.
References:
Hawkins et al, Ellis County History Workshop, History
of Ellis County, 1972.
Personal interviews
Newspaper articles by Elizabeth Parsons
The Settlement of Ike by Maude Boyce Farrar (submitted by Ida M.
Brookshire)
"IKE, TX." The Handbook of Texas Online
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