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INDIA, TEXASEllis
County, North Central Texas
FM 780
Just S of Dallas
3 miles N of Ferris
Population: 12Book
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A former store in India
Photo courtesy Erik Whetstone,
July 2004 |
History in a Pecan
Shell
It was settled by A. J. Moyers in 1853 and known as Morgan
until a post office began operation in 1892. At this time the town's population
was estimated at 150 and the name was changed to India. The post office closed
in 1904.
One of the first cotton gins in Ellis County was located in
India.
The population was eighty-four during most of the first half of
the twentieth century and dwindled to only twelve by the 1990 census. |
India,
Texas Forum
Remembering India
Dear Texas Escapes, I lived at
India from 1931 thru 1937 on the Alfred Jefferson Moyers home place. Annis Wiles
Collins Witherspoon Moyers, Wife of Alfred Jefferson Moyers Jr. was my g-grandmother
who died in 1931. Her husband died in October of 1903. They had 14 children-4
boys & 10 girls. When she died there was a need for someone to move into the homeplace
and take over the farming. My grandparents, Billy & Ola Moyers Wilcher moved in
with their four boys and three 3 girls. My mother and oldest Uncle- Moyers Wilcher
worked in Dallas. James (the youngest) and I went half a year to the India school
run by a man and his wife. I don't recall their names. I moved with my mother
to Ft.Worth after the 8th grade.
Mr.Eagle ran the General Store at India.
There was a cotton gin and a watertower where people filled their water wagons
for family use. Papa and the boys raised cotton, big gardens, feed for the animals,
and sheep for the wool. Cows were strictly for milk and butter, and we had horses,
pigs and chickens. There was a family at India that had a peach orchard and another
that had a big berry patch and in season you could go and buy their produce, picked
or pick it yourself. I used to go with Papa. Papa knew a farmer at Cedar Hill
and at Christmas he'd let Papa cut down a tree. Down in back of the big pasture
there were Mustang grapevines growing on tall trees-they must have been there
for years because the vines were as big around as a man's arm. They had formed
swings & seats. It was really fun to play down there. Mama would make grape juice
and jelly, can peaches and make preserves, put up berries for pies & jam. Of course
vegetables were canned and we had a potato hill for both sweet & irish potatoes.
We always looked forward to the 1st.norther and the 1st.hog killin' of the season.
The smoke house was replenished-Papa made really good sausage-Mama made sacks
for it out of un bleached muslin just the size to fit on the stuffer. There was
also a cream seperator that seperated milk and cream so Mama could churn and make
butter.
I wouldn't take anything for having grown up in that period and
being that close with my grandparents and knowing all my grand-aunts and uncles.There's
nothing like family! - Peggy H.Nelson, June 11, 2007
Anyone
wishing to share history or photos of India, Texas, please contact
us.
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