A History of Mustang Community
As told by - Mrs. H. D. Tisdell

My father, A. F. Caddell and mother, Emma Caddell, made their first move to Texas from Gadsden, Alabama in the early part of l885 when my youngest brother was a very small baby. To their misfortune in about four months after arr1ving here, Mother was stricken with typhoid fever in a very bad form. She was down in bed four months. They thought most of the time they would loose her and the baby, too. When she began to recover, she had to have help to learn to walk again. She, like all young mothers, became so blue and dissatisfied with Texas she wanted to go back to Alabama where she would be close to her parents and other relatives and to die, so she thought.

This country didn’t have deep wells of water at that time, everybody drank cistern water caught when it rained or hauled from some surface well of water and emptied into cisterns. Mother thought there was no chance to ever be well and drink that kind of water. She begged so hard to go back to Alabama that in less than two years they broke up housekeeping and moved back.

Father worked at different jobs and in different places, having lots of hard luck and disappointments, having had a bad spell of illness himself which prevented him from working. They had sold their home and possessions to make this long move and didn’t seem to be able to get settled down at anything any more. He was so anxious to get something established in the way of a home for his family; he was afraid the money he had to make his payment would get away from him, so they began to discuss with each other about another move, which wasn’t easy, but mother decided if he could make their living easier some other place, she was willing to do whatever he thought best.

My Daddy lost his father when he was just seven years of age and he was of a large family of children, five girls and three boys; he being next to the youngest and was the youngest boy. He had lots of responsibilities in his young life trying to help his mother and manage for himself. He always made mention to us of how much he had missed the council and advice of a father.

Daddy's oldest brother had moved to Texas several years prior to this time with his family and settled in Grayson County, so in the early fall of 1892 my father and mother decided to make another move back to Texas which was the final one.

He and two other men, friends of his that were wanting to move to Texas too, chartered a car to move their house furnishings. We landed in Aubrey, Texas as Daddy had some relatives there. The car sat on the tracks for several days.

He rented a farm from an uncle who was taking lots of interest in helping him to get settled two and one-half miles northeast of Aubrey. The house still stands in which we lived; it’s being used as a hay barn. We made one crop there. The sand was awfully deep and he decided to rent a place in the Navo Community on the prairie from Mr. Jim Byron, an old settler here at that time.

We lived there two years but they didn’t want to sell any of their land and my father was trying to locate something for a home for his family. He wanted to be in what he termed a good community to raise his children, close to school and church and not too far from town, so in the fall of 1895 we moved into the Mustang Community on a big ranch owned then by Mr. Jim F1ippin of Dallas, a part of what is now Mr. Dee Moberely's farm; there was just four houses on the ranch, two east of Little Elm Creek and two on this side. They were preparing to build houses all around over the ranch and had lumber hauled from carloads of lumber from Dallas, McKinney, and Sherman and unloaded it all around our place. My father was selected to oversee this lumber and that was quite 62 some job with so many houses being started and different men involved with it.

My parents and older sisters joined the Mustang Baptist Church at this time and in the fall of 1897 we moved closer to the Mustang store and church in a house that stood in front of I. L. Moore's home which was owned then by Mr. Henry Auatin and wife, Dollie, (well known to this community at that time).

That was just too close for neighbors to have garden and chickens and there, we too, had to haul water, which they didn't enjoy very much. At that time there was gin, a grocery store, blacksmith shop, post office and a doctor's office with the church at Mustang.

We then moved three miles southeast of Pilot Point on what was then the Hundley place, now owned by Mike Amen. We were in the extreme north edge of Friendship School District and had to walk back to Friendship which was a long way, so at the first of the year of 1900 my father bought our home back in the Mustang Community, which ended our moving. He had found what he was looking for and was happy there.

At one time every member of the family was a member of Mustang Baptist Church. In October 1918 we lost my youngest brother, James Albert, better known as Jack, and in March 1926 my father passed away, and the following May, mother was called to meet him. In 1938, my oldest sister, Luther, passed away. In 1943 my husband Hubert D. Tisdell and myself bought the other heir‟s part of the home and in December 1945 he passed away and in 1946, eldest brother W. M. (Bud) passed away, leaving three of us girls out of our family living with me, Bessie Tisdell. My son and wife own the old home which we have had 51 years.
Mrs. N. E. Snyder, 805 Oakland Ave., Denton, Texas,
Mrs. J. A. McGee, 1504 Pierce St., Amaril1o, Texas, Mrs. H. D. Tisdell, Pilot Point, Texas. 63


History of Mustang
As told by Mrs. I. L. Moore

G. Ed Moore and I. L. (Curg) Moore of Frost, Navarro County, Texas are first double cousins who married sisters, Tennie, and Leota Bills. They first turned their thoughts toward North Texas in the summer of 1912. Their f1rst trip into this county and the Mustang neighborhood was made with a real estate dealer from Corsicana, Texas. They came by automobile and were looking for locations for farm homes. Both of them were optimistic over this particular community and its surroundings. Ed bought the farm that year, then owned and occupied by a practicing physician, the late Dr. T. M. Harris. Ed moved here the following Jan. 1st, 1913, with his wife and three children, Luna, now Mrs. L. A. Grimes, Vernon E., and Alice, now Mrs. Fred Sharp. Two other sons were born since moving to Mustang. They are Gary A. and Randell L. Moore. In 1947 Ed moved to Pilot Point but still owns this farm.

Curg Moore waited until three years later, 1915, when he made another trip to this commun1ty and bought the H. T. Austin farm, but did not move to it until October 1, 1917 with his wife and one small daughter, Ruby Fae, now Mrs. Carl L. Perkins.

Both families came here by railroad. Each family having chartered a car and moving all their possessions “that not being too great amount”, but it did consist of teams, tools, chickens, household effects and “what have you”. 64


History of Mustang
As told by Mrs. Tommie Anderson

My grandfather, John W. Brown came to Mustang in 1879 from Missouri with his wife and three children, Minn1e, Alton, and Ada. His wife, Marth J. Brown, lived only a few years after their move. Minnie married G. F. Smith in July 1890, Alton married Lizzie Steen October 1890, who lived only three years after marriage. Ada married Frank Schoemaker in December 1894. They moved to Oklahoma four years later. The Browns bought their farm from a Mr. Peyton.

In 1885, a Dr. Clayton practiced medicine in Mustang; also a Dr. Mitche11 from Blue Ridge, Texas. They were succeeded in 1896 by a Dr. Biggerstaff.

Mr. Mitchell Cunningham is credited with having the first deep well dug at his gin in 1910.

The general store in 1885 was operated by Mr. Rayzor and Mr. Wright. In 1890, Mr. W. E. Bowner ran it, Mr. Austin in 1905, Barns and Francis from 1910 on and Mr. Ford in 1930. In 1951, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Perkins maintained a store, filling station, and icehouse. All origina1 buildings having been razed except the one used by Dr. T. M. Harriss for his first office, which has been incorporated into a barn and is being used by Mr. Potter. The boiler of the gin used by Mr. Mitchell Cunningham lies half submerged in a creek bed near the original site of Mustang, which is west of the present site.

In 1885, a small one-room school was taught by Mr. Jim Rayzor.

In 1933, a three-room frame building burned while Mr. & Mrs. Rutledge were teaching there. A two room brick was built which saw service as a school house only two years, Mr. & Mrs. Pendergraft teaching.

Mr. Henry Austin, an orphan, reared by Mr. Cashion, his uncle, married Miss Dollie Smith at Mustang in 1890; their only chi1d, a son, passed away at Wichita Falls in 1944. Mrs. Austin died in 1912. The fami1y left Mustang in 1916.

The Mobberly fami1y bought a farm near the present Mustang schoolhouse in 1910. A son, Mr. E. D. Mobber1y resides on it.(1951).

The Hollingsworth family came from Alabama by rail in 1890 and purchased a farm which has been in the family ever since and is in 1951 occupied by a son Roland, who married Miss May Jones. Other children were Villa, Mrs. W. H. Lundly, of Denton, Alvin, who married Bell Caddell, Ethel, who died in 1907 and Emma, Mrs. Henry Bouns, who died in 1946. A1vin served his precinct as road commissioner.

The A. J. Smith family arrived by wagon in ………………… from ………………… with three children, Finis, Jennie, now Mrs. Mace Carpenter, who resides in Tioga and Dollie who became Mrs. Henry Austin. Finis died in 1948, Dollie in 1912. 65



MUSTANG
As told by E. D. Mobberly

My father bought this farm in 1910. I think they built the Methodist Church in 1913. They first had preaching in the old schoolhouse in 1912, and the pastor was a Mr. Brown. Next year Mr. Comkins had them to build the old church where the new one now stands. Brother Rankin of Dallas dedicated it in the fall of 1913.

I think Mr. Joe Wright, Mr. Mace Carpenter, and Mr. Jackson were the first stewards.

As told by M. T. Austin
Some facts as I remember them, as far back as 1885. At that time there was a small schoolhouse, a gin, store and blacksmith shop. A man by the name of Jim Razor taught the school. Mr. Wright was a partner with Mr. Razor in the store. At that time all denominations used the schoolhouse for any kind of service. In 1890, there was a small brick schoolhouse built. The same year there was a Baptist Church built about one and one half miles west of old Mustang. There was a gin built and E. Bonner built a store. A blacksmith shop was also built. Later two other stores were built and a few houses. At that time nearly all of the water was bad and we had a lot of typhoid fever. Mitchell Cunningham was running the gin and he had a deep well dug and at ninety feet they got flowing soft water. Most everyone in a short time had deep wells dug and we did not have any more fever.

As to my family, I was raised an orphan near Celina by an uncle, by the name of Dewit Cashion. I had one sister who died here four years ago, no brothers raised. I had one son who passed away in 1944 at Wichita Falls. December 7, 1890, I married Dollie Smith at Mustang. In 1890, I bought a farm at Mustang and lived there until the fall of 1916. My wife died July 26, 1912. The years I lived in Mustang were happy years. There are very few that I know there now. Will name some of the old timers that lived there then: A. J. Smith, my wife‟s father, who raised three children, Ferris Smith, who died at Tioga about three years ago; my wife; and Mrs. Jennie Carpenter who lives at Tioga now. Will name a number of people that lived near Mustang at that time: the Julians, the Shearers, two families of Sebastians, Warren boys, Taylors, Jim Lassiters, George Tisdel, Holmsworths, Sitz Evans, Coffees, Bonners, Harris, Nowell, Flippin, Browns, E. D. Jones, Mitchell Cunninghams. There aren‟t many of the old timers living around Mustang now.

About 1885, Dr. Claton, a young man then located at Mustang; later Dr. Mitchell from Blue Ridge joined him in his practice about 1896. They both moved to Celina. Then a Dr. Bigerstaff located there for two or three years and he left. Then a Dr. Burks was there a while about the year 1900. Dr. Harris located in Mustang and he was the last doctor to live in Mustang.


In 1912 some Navarro people, the Ed Moores and a cousin, I. L. (Curg) Moore became interested in north Texas. They accompanied a real estate dealer to Mustang by automobile from Corsicana, Texas. Ed bought a farm from the 66 late Dr. T. M. Harris. Soon he, his wife and three children, Luna, now Mrs. L. A. Grimes, Vernon E. and Alice, now Mrs. Fred Sharp. Two other sons were born later, Gary and Randell. The farm in 1951 was still owned by Mr. Moore. Lary residing on it.

Three years later Curg returned to Mustang and bought the H. J. Austin farm, moving on it two years later. His wife, Leota Bills, was a sister to Ed‟s wife. They have one child, Ruby Fae, now Mrs. Carl L. Perkins. These families each chartered a freight car and brought their entire remainder of farming essentials with them.

In 1910 the Meinen family arrived from west Texas. Of the eight children two reside in Mustang community in 1951. Will who married Martha Hessel and Herman who married Dora Phipps. A son of Hermans, Ray, also resides in the community.

In 1879 the John W. Brown family from Missouri purchased a farm in the Mustang community. The A. J. Smith family also lived there at that time. Springs were the chief source of water and families settled near creeks and wooded lands first to be near them. The original site of Mustang was west of the present site, located on the banks of the creek. In 1885 the store was run by Mr. Rayzor and Mr. Wright. Mr. Jim Rayzor taught school in a one room building in which both Baptist and Methodist churches held services. Dr. Clayton and Dr. Mitchel were early doctors who practiced medicine there.

The Caddell family from Alabama arrived then but being unused to that type of drinking water Mrs. Caddell became ill with fever; when she recovered they returned to Alabama, but as Texas held greater promises they later returned to make it their permanent home. While residing on the Flippin Ranch they saw the erection of twelve houses in which new and old families took up residence. They later bought a farm near where a daughter, Mrs. Bessie Tisdell, now lives; also her son Loren, who is serving his second term as commissioner for that precinct.

New arrivals in 1890 included Mr. & Mrs. Henry Austin, a bride and groom, who resided there until 1916. The Hollingsworths from Alabama arrived by rail; they purchased a farm on which a son, Roland, still resides. Another son, Alvin, served his precinct as road commissioner two terms. Mr. W. Bowner ran the store and Dr. Biggerstaff attended the sick.