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Marker Title: Deep Creek Community
Address: CR 4227, N of Aurora
City: Boyd
Year Marker Erected: 1970
Marker Location: From Aurora, take Old Decatur-Aurora
Road (CR 4227) about 4 miles north; cemetery is on dirt road just west
of CR 4227.
Marker Text: Named for the natural landmark nearby. Settled
about 1854 by pioneers Sam Woody and Tom McCarroll. Population grew
as they were joined by several of Woody's former neighbors from East
Texas. Along the creek, farmers raised cotton, corn, and cattle. In
1860 Tom McCright and Andrew Mann gave land for a cemetery, and local
Baptists constructed a church, which doubled as a schoolhouse. Testimony
to danger of frontier life is the grave of Miss Sally Bowman, who died
in 1868. She was shot after a wild chase by Indians who surprised her
as she tended her father's herd of fine horses. At her grave is a monument
erected by the neighborhood. Other early settlers interred here include
many veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865. The community is noted as
the boyhood home of Lawrence (J.L.) Ward, respected resident of Decatur
Baptist College during 1900-1907 and 1910-1950. In the 20th-century,
a nationally known ballet -"Winter at Deep Creek" -has recaptured
the flavor of pioneer days. Produced by the American Folk Ballet, the
dance was originated and choreographed by Burch Mann, a great-granddaughter
of John Mann, one of the first settlers in the community.
March 7, 1868, while Miss Bowman, a beautiful eighteen-year-old daughter
of Dr. Bowman, was out grazing her father's horses a few miles from
their home on Deep Creek in Wise County, suddenly several Indians
came charging toward her. She was riding a very fast and fine horse,
so she hurriedly dashed away toward their home. In the mad run for
her life, her horse made a twenty foot jump and cleared a fallen tree,
jumped wide ditches, etc. But such jumps, no doubt, broke down her
horse, for when she was nearing the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jones, two
Indians dashed upon her, and shot her dead. The Indians recovered
the horses Miss Bowman was herding. She was buried in the Deep Creek
Cemetery.
Ref.: Several pioneer citizens of that section; and Pioneer History
of Wise by Cliff D. Cates.
The above story is from the book, The West Texas Frontier, by
Joseph Carroll McConnell. |