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Bend,
Texas
Chapter
2 - Heading for Texasby
Harland Moore
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In the fall
of 1868, Seth and Damaris Moore, along with two year old Frank and infant Ella
, left Tennessee on a steamer and came to Galveston,
Texas. From Galveston, they went on up and settled on the Colorado River in
Colorado County. They lived here for about five years and were blessed with three
more children. Seth Winchester was born Mar.13, 1871. Silas Alfred [My Grandfather]
was born Dec. 23, 1872. William Thomas was born Nov. 12, 1874. About 1875, that
family of seven, moved by covered wagon on up the Colorado River to San Saba County
to a beautiful setting that would later be called "Bend." The story goes that
Seth Moore bought 160 acres of land on the east side of the river for 120 gold
dollars. He and his family built the first house there about 200 yards from the
river. I understand that it was a log house with an up stairs or a sleeping loft.
It was located not far from a river crossing called Eagle Ford, because of an
eagle nest that was used for years in a cotton wood tree near by. Wagons and teams
could cross the river here when it was very low. A post office was later established
in that old house and Seth Moore became the first post master and the place was
officially named "Bend", Texas.
Hettie Ann
Moore was born here on Dec. 14, 1876. At that time Uncle Frank was 10 years old
and my Grandfather Silas was four. A little later Seth Moore subdivided his land
and sold off several blocks as the community began to grow. When he finished his
house and the boys began to get big enough to help. He built a ferry boat across
the Colorado River so that people could cross even when the river was too high
to ford. It is interesting that he would construct this ferry on the river. Someone
told me when I was young that he could not swim and would not even try to swim.
They felt that he feared his wound and missing chin part might cause him to drown.
On the west side of the Colorado River, that is the Lampasas side, A Mr. Mc Annelly
had obtained a league of land in the bend of the river. This was an unusually
acute bend in the river and it actually flows from south to north at this location.
Several people obtained land from him and that side of the river began to develop
and grow as well as the San Saba side. My great grand mother, Damaris, had some
brothers that moved here from Tennessee. William Robert Alexander, who was born
Mar. 9, 1833, was married to Mary Marley, born Oct. 17, 1843. I think that she
was of the Marley family that lived there for many years. She was buried in Sand
Hill Cemetery and I think that she was the second person buried there. William
Jennings was buried there three days earlier. If I have it figured right, Grandmother
Damaris had another brother named James Newton Alexander who was the father of
H.W. [Woodson] Alexander, born Nov. 24, 1874. James Newton Alexander came to Bend,
Texas, to visit his brother, William Robert. James Newton died while he was in
Texas and was buried in Sand Hill Cemetery at Bend on Dec. 16. 1877. At the time
of his death, James Newton had five children. The oldest, John Rankin Alexander,
was 10 years old. The next was William Oliver Alexander (I knew him as Uncle Will
as he later married my grandmother’s sister). He would have been about 8 years
old when his father died. Then there was Mary Maranda, age 6, ( She died at age
20 and was buried in Sand Hill Cemetery) The next child was Henry Woodson Alexander,
age 3, and the youngest was Emma Bell Alexander, about 2 months old. These children
were all brought into the home of their uncle, William Robert Alexander, where
they grew to adulthood. Cousin Emma later married John Washington Stephens and
they settled in Comanche Co. Texas, near my grandparents, Silas and Ella (Doss)
Moore. |
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