Letter of Caleb S. Brooks, 02-10-1979

Letter of Caleb S. Brooks, 02-10-1979 History of Caleb Sewell Brooks

Caleb Sewell ("Kay") Brooks was born January 2, 1884 in Hamilton County, Tx., the fifth of nine children born to Joab Brooks (1836-1908) and Florence R. Billinglsey (1855-1938). Caleb married Ivy Temple Johnson February 8, 1907, and spent his early adult years working as a cowboy for Charlie Goodnight and Jim Burleson, two close friends of his father. Kay and Ivy had seven children. He died September 11, 1983 in Borger, Texas.

The following text was written February 10, 1979 at the 72nd wedding anniversary of Caleb and Ivy Brooks, at the request of his family. The manuscript was transcribed, with minor editing, from a poor quality photocopy by Thomas Rue, with corrections and clarifications by Macelroy C. Brooks, son of the writer. See letter from M.C. Brooks dated October 1, 1990 below.]

By CALEB S. BROOKS, Sr. (1884-1983)

I, Caleb Sewell Brooks, was born January 2, 1884 in Hamilton County, Texas on my father's farm located a few miles southeast of Hico, Texas. Grandfather Brooks, Irishman, married Scottish girl came to U.S., settled in Mississippi where father was born on November 15, 1838. When he was 18 years old, he came across into Texas and entered the Southern Army. He was put in charge of the infirmary with three helpers. Their duty to pick up the wounded in a battle. At the battle of Bull Run, when he and a helper ran out to pick up a wounded man he was shot twice; once through the left leg between the knee and hips, breaking the bone, [and] once in the right breast coming out close to the shoulder blade. He had a small scar in front where the bullet entered and [a] larger scar where it came out. He was captured and sent to West Point, Maryland Prison and kept there until the war was over. His jailers told him the war was over; if he would take the Oath of Allegiance, he would be set free. He did not believe. His uncle John Brooks and cousin Will Brooks (northern men) came to see him and convinced him it was true. He gave up, signed the oath. Then he and cousin Will Brooks left together for Indian Territory (Oklahoma now) and married sisters. My mother's father, Grandfather Billingsley (English), and his wife bought land and Negro slaves in Oklahoma and began farming. One morning, he saddled his horse and rode out to the cotton field to take a jug of water to the slaves. There was a small dark cloud overhead. And as he sat on his horse and talked to the slaves, there was a flash and lightning came down [and] hit his head.

So, [this] left Grandmother Billingsley, Betty (the oldest), my mother, Florence Rose, and Sudie. Father and Will Brooks returned to Indian Territory and found what happened to Billings[ley] family; decided to find and help them. Found them and fell in love with the girls. Father married Rose and Will married Bettie. They decided to all move to Bell County, Texas, and located near Temple. Sudie met and married Wilford Jacobs. Grandmother Billingsley made her home with father and mother and four of my brothers were born in Bell County: George, Bud, Jay and Dave. Father moved from Bell to Hamilton County, Texas, where I was born on his farm January 2, 1884. My brother, S.L., July 7, 1886. Sister Beulah born August 16, 1889. We sold the farm in December 1889 and moved out west.

We had two covered wagons trailed, pulled by six horses. Two wagons, three yokes of oxen (six oxen), two were loaded with household goods. Two wagons loaded with grain feed. Two large, three seated hack with tents. Chuck box in the back end, door made table. Father hired Albert Scarber to drive ox wagon with brother J[ay] to help. Brother Bude and Dave drove the horse wagons. Dad drove the hack with Mother, Beulah, S.L. and I as passengers. We would start in the morning, drive until high noon, camp with water if possible. Mother would cook dinner. The horse wagons would arrive first. Then the oxen. All the stock was fed grain at noon, and horses hobbled and allowed to graze good grass nights. We finally camped on north Concho River, about seven miles above San Angelo. The banker, Mr. Veck, owned the ranch. Will reck, his nephew, with a hired hand ran the ranch. A big rock house where the two men batched looked good to Father. He went to see the banker and made a deal with him to room [and] feed. Will sent and his helper as rent for the house and some nearby land.

We spent the winter in Rock House. There was lots of pecans on the river. We picked up a lot of them. The freight wagons came home during bad weather, and went hunting with a pack of hounds. Coons, fox, possums, wolves and deer were plentiful. River full of fish. My brother caught a blue catfish on a trout line, weighed 50 lbs., while we were there. I was six years old January 2, 1890, so I caught a perch and small fish for the bait to catch the big fish. About the first of March, Father and Mother and three Children, me with my brother S.L. and sister Buelah in the big hack, and started north for Brisco County, Texas. He left the three older boys with Albert Scarber with their wagons and team to continue freighting, until we returned. We went by Big Springs, Lubbock and Plainview, several villages on to Briscoe County and arrived at Dan Brunson's house, 15 miles east of the west line and four miles south of north line of the county. Mr. Brunson was an old friend of Dad's, and had wrote him to come to his house, and he would help find four sections to live on. All of Broscoe was on the F Ranch and Mr. Burleson was the well driller for the ranch. Dad filed on one section on the plains, three below the cap rock. The F Ranch, Goodnight and Moore, covered all of Briscoe County and part of Floyd, Motley, and Hall counties. I grew up on this ranch. They sold out and moved to Canada. I went to work for Jeb Burleson's ranch in 1906. He was a bachelor. I did the cooking. He swept floors and made the beds. He had a farmer who lived in another house with his family and did the farming. We raised trotting horses and cattle. We had a big cart, long shafts so the horses could not kick us and get out. He went to Breaking to pull carts and get use to harness. On Sunday, the cart untied from the snubbing front, jumped in the cart and said lets go to Quitaque. My sister Beulah had told me a meeting was going on at Quitaque and that she had a met a girl there she thought I should meet. I decided to go see this girl. Beulah introduced us when I got there. I thought she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Her long dark brown hair hung in curls down her back to her waist. Her dark blue eyes smiled into mine and I was lost. I said to myself, I must have her. I borrowed my friend Earl Wade's buggy, got him to drive my cart. Asked if I could take her home from church. She said yes, July 1906. We were married February 10, 1907, 72 years ago February 10, 1979. We now have raised five girls and two boys. All are living except Rovinia our firstborn, died with cancer October 12, 1976 in Dumas, Texas. Buried at Pampa, Texas. She left behind husband Waller Foster, four boys, two girls and their families. All of them now live in California except John Foster, 710 Brentwood Road, Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

[Section II]

My family and I came from Happy, Texas in 1928 to take charge of Bernard and Randy store located on Main Street lot next to Borger Herald office on South. We brought with us five children: Norma, 14; Blanche, 11 years; Steve, 9 years; Mack, 5 years; Berneice, 2 years old. Steve and Mack got jobs at [the] Herald office selling papers. Norma and Blanche helped my wife and I in the store. We left our two older daughters, both married, in Happy. Rovinia Foster, our oldest child, now dead, and Violet Overley, who lost her husband Dee (cancer) in October 1978, who lives in California near Elk Grove [and] owns a 15 acre farm is grieving over the loss of her husband and has to manage the farm without him.

I was born in Hamilton County, Texas, January 2, 1884, a few miles southeast of Hico, Texas on my father's farm. He sold the farm in the fall of 1889 when I was five and moved west. He had two wagons loaded with tools and feed pulled by three yokes of oxen. Hired a man to drive them. My brother Jay rode with him to help. Two more wagons was loaded with household goods and tent and groceries. Three teams of horses pulled these wagons. My brother Bud and Dave drove this team. Father had a three seat hack. He drove with two big mares. Mother, myself, and brother S.L., baby sister Buelah, rode in the middle seat. The back seat was removed and a big chuck box on hinges put in its place. We would drive on ahead [to] choose a camping spot. The horses would show up first, then the steers. We reached the north fork of Concho River on Christmas Day about seven miles up from San Angelo. Mr. Veck, the banker, owned the ranch were we was camped.

When my family and I moved from Happy, Texas to Borger in 1928, we found no Church of Christ here. I served as minister and one of the Elders while we lived in Happy. I found a few members of the church and invited them to meet with us in the store I was operating. We closed the store on Sundays. We had living quarters in the back of the store. So we used all the front for church. We met in the store until it was closed in 1929 when the great depression hit. Men laid off and left Borger in droves. Carbon Black closed and left. Many banks were closed. The Sheriff and Ace Borger was murdered. The soldiers came to clean up the town, gave 24 hours [to] the booze peddlers, red light girls, gambling joints and outlaws were given 24 hours to leave. They left in droves; cars, trucks, wagons, great droves walking south. I was out of a job and went to work for the S.P.S. [Southwest Public Service] Company, June 1, 1930, in the water and gas department. Mr. Art Nelson was my boss. He was a real man. I tried to make him a good worker he could trust. I worked for this company 20 years, and the last four years I was promoted to storekeeper of the warehouse, a large building on East 6th Street, stocked with water, gas and electric supplies and fixtures. When I reached 65 years, time to retire me and my helper who was older than I. They could not find a man to take my place, I said get a young man and let me train him and learn him the names of all the things inside and out in the yard, keep the books, and fill the requisitions. I had to stay two more years, but he learned. We have lived and owned property in Borger for over 40 years.

October 1, 1990
Mr. Thomas S. Rue
PO Box 706
Monticello, N. Y. 12701
Dear Tom,

Please find enclosed corrected typewritten copy of my father's letter of February 10, 1979. Unfortunately, I do not have the original letter. I have done the best I can to decipher the photostatic copy I have with the memory I have of the stories told me by my father. You must remember that he wrote this when he was 95 years of age. Many of the events were relayed to him from either his parents or his older brothers. I was told of three events in which a relative was killed by lightning while working in the fields - Great Grandfather Billingsley, Uncle Jay, and an Aunt on my Mother's side. In what is referred to as "Tornado Alley" violent storms develop rapidly trapping people in the fields. These thunder storms may only be one or two miles wide, but they can contain heavy rain, large hail, and damaging lightning. In most cases the only protection field workers would have from these storms would be a nearby tree, which of course as we know today, was the worst place to be when lightning strikes. Prior to my generation many people in Texas and Oklahoma were killed by these sudden storms.
In this particular letter of 1979 my father only mentions a very few of the many events he relayed to me throughout my life with him. Of course, many of the things he relayed was as he remembered them being relayed to him. Most stories after being relayed a few times, have some remarkable changes!
For instance, Dad's understanding of how his Dad met and married Florence Billingsley. In the 1870 census of Bell County, Texas, Amanda Billingsley along with two daughters (including Florence) were listed as residents, and Joab Brooks was listed with another woman as his wife. In the 1880 census it shows Joab and Florence as husband and wife. It seems clear that Amanda Billingsley left the Indian Territory of Oklahoma and moved to Texas years before Florence married Joab. Also, Dad had his father moving to Texas when he was eighteen. The census shows him still living in Arkansas when he was in his twenties. It is equally amazing to me that both Uncle Bryant and Dad were sure that their father had been born in Mississippi when their father listed the state of his birth as Tennessee in every census that I found. Consequently, I don't know how much of Dad's letter is factual. At any rate, it makes interesting reading.
If I can be of further help, please let me know.
Sincerely
M. C. BROOKS
MCB/e
Encl.