the founder of Burleson College; and was a very able and influential Baptist preacher.

We crossed Red River at what was then known as the Mill Creek crossing, near the mouth of Mill Creek, and traveled the old Mill Creek road until we came to the farm of Rev. William Duke.

A few days before Christmas we reached the awfulest mud hole I had ever seen. It was at the east edge of Rev. Wm. Duke's land. A mile beyond we stopped in a postoak grove to camp for the night. We were then still on our way, as we thought, to Smith County, and no one had a thought of locating in Red River. But Sulphur was impassable, and the season was so far advanced that the three families decided to stop and make a crop before going farther. In fact, we didn't feel as if we were in Texas.

Uncle Tommie and Cousin Robert each rented a farm in the White Rock community just north of our camp, where the Stiles, Farrys and Giddens were then living. Shortly after this Uncle Tommie bought a farm in the White Rock community, which he later sold and moved to English.

Tried to Rent

Pa tried to find a place to rent but couldn't find a house that was vacant, so he had to buy the tract on which we were camped in order to get a log house of one room, twenty feet square, to shelter the family through the winter. The Negroes lived in tents nearby while they were building log cabins