Alfred Chandler, An Old Texas Ranger -
( born in Arkansas 1821, raised in Washington County which is due north of Fort Smith on the Arkansas / Indian Territory border )
In February 1842, Alfred Chandler crossed Red river the first time at Coffee's Bend, now called Preston, in company with a young man named Isaac Babb. They crossed in a canoe, behind which they swam their horses. Reece P. Murray, who conducted the ferry, also sold whiskey and tobacco on the Texas side of the river. Murray kept a constant lookout for marauding Indians, who were attracted by the incentive of "fire-water" for which they possessed an ungovernable appetite.
Mr. Chandler says there was no evidence of a fort or its ruins at Preston in 1842 and he does not believe, as it is sometimes claimed, that there ever was a fort at that point. They remained at Coffee Bend for three weeks, waiting for a large company of movers, who were coming on in that direction en route to the Three Forks of Trinity river. This period of waiting was very pleasantly spent.
The population of Coffee's Bend in 1842 while he was there, consisted of forty men and one lady, Mrs. Coffee, a very beautiful woman. Most of the company, like himself, were temporarily adjourning there. He remembers Col. Coffee, Maj. Murphy and Capt. Ritten, all half brothers. When the band of movers came along they preceded with them, their guide being a mark across the prairie made by the end of a pole which was dragged along under the axle of the hind wheels of some previous traveler's wagon.
They pitched their camp about three miles above the present site of Dallas, later known as Cedar Springs, where a few nights afterwards Indians stole twenty head of horses from them-all they possessed except two poor old mares owned by a fellow whose corral happened to be some little distance apart from the balance of the horses.
Mr. Chandler remained four weeks at Cedar Springs. Game was plentiful. Deer and turkey were found in abundance. Wildcats infested the county, some of them being bold and vicious. "This was the only place I ever found before or since," he declares, "where I could catch fish (big blue cat) as fast as I could throw them out with my line." Myraids of prairie chicken were scattered unmolested over the country. Wolves were plentiful. There were some panthers, but he never saw any, although the sight of a bear was no infrequent thing. Col. Bryant lived at Cedar Springs, but this lone permanent settler and family enjoyed life immensely. They had plenty of "pound-cake" all the time, which they obtained by beating corn up into meal.
From Cedar Springs Mr. Chandler went to Pinbrook, Lamar county, which frontier village afterwards changed its name to Paris. He remained at Paris most of the time till 1843. A portion of the time he was deputy county clerk. Later he purchased a remnant stock of general merchandise and engaged in selling goods, but burdensome taxes consumed all his profits in business and he closed out his stock. At an auction sale of town lots during his stay in Paris, uncle Alf bid in two of the best ones on the public square for about $100-the same property is now valued at many thousands.
He made two trips back to Arkansas and then started to Mexico with the intention of joining Gen. "Rough-and-Ready" Taylor's American army in the invasion of that country during the Mexican war, just then breaking out. When he reached a point near what is now known as Bloomdale, near Vineland, this county, he joined Capt. Andrew Stapp's company of Texas Rangers. Stapp was later succeeded by Col. Bill Fitzhugh. In both of the latter's two companies of rangers Mr. Chandler was made Second Lieutenant. For three years they ranged over North Texas, protecting the early settlers from Indian depredation or other danger. Their company was divided a good portion of the time - a detachment under Lieut. Chandler being in camp or with headquarters on Hickory Creek, one mile north of Pilot Knob, in Denton county.
While camped there Judge John T. Mills held two courts and Judge Bennett H. Martin one - being perhaps the first justice to hold court in this section of the state. Justice was dispensed in a vigorous manner. Petty crimes were punished by so many lashes on the bare back. Uncle Alf vividly remembers the whipping of two men at his camp - one for stealing six pounds of old iron and the other a pair of wooden frames. He recalls many very thrilling incidents occurring during his ranger service. While they never had a pitched battle with the Indians, the prowling savages were frequently chased. While camped on Hickory Creek, Indians lurked about their quarters one time for ten successive nights, trying to steal their horses or inflict injury to their dreaded foe, the Texas Ranger. One redskin paid the penalty with his life and another was known to have been wounded. While camped there a big sleet fell in the early part of the year of 1849 and lay on the ground for six weeks. It was one of the longest and most bitter cold spells he ever experienced in Texas.
On February 2nd 1849, he was mustered out of the ranger service at Connor's Station, on Chambers Creek, about 100 miles southwest of here. Josiah Nichols is the only surviving member, besides himself, of Captain Stapp's original company. His brother, Albert Chandler, an honored citizen of Chambersville, was a ranger with him in Col. Fitzhugh's second company. After being mustered out of the rangers, these brothers returned to Arkansas remaining there from May to September, 1849.
This was his last trip back there for 35 years. He returned to Collin county in 1849 and boarded with James Herndon, an early settler living just west of McKinney. Uncle Alf and the late Dr. G. A. Foote were staunch friends. The latter purchased his license from him to wed Miss Mary Ellen Magner, December 17, 1849. The license was purchased at McKinney, then a village scarcely one year old. It was issued by Joel F. Stewart, first county clerk of Collin county. Esq. Alfred Johnson officiated at the marriage which took place at the house of Dr. Jas. M. Feland.
In the spring of 1850 he purchased 275 acres of land three miles west of town from Capt. Jack McGarrah and settled on the same. For over 53 years he has continuously resided on it. He paid $1 for the prairie land and $1.25 for the timber land, opening up one of the finest farms in the Bois D'arc community, which would now easily bring from $50 to $75 per acre if placed on the market. His first home was a little elm log house that stood on the spot occupied by his present residence.
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McKinney Democrat, 25 February 1904
( born in Arkansas 1821, raised in Washington County which is due north of Fort Smith on the Arkansas / Indian Territory border )
In February 1842, Alfred Chandler crossed Red river the first time at Coffee's Bend, now called Preston, in company with a young man named Isaac Babb. They crossed in a canoe, behind which they swam their horses. Reece P. Murray, who conducted the ferry, also sold whiskey and tobacco on the Texas side of the river. Murray kept a constant lookout for marauding Indians, who were attracted by the incentive of "fire-water" for which they possessed an ungovernable appetite.
Mr. Chandler says there was no evidence of a fort or its ruins at Preston in 1842 and he does not believe, as it is sometimes claimed, that there ever was a fort at that point. They remained at Coffee Bend for three weeks, waiting for a large company of movers, who were coming on in that direction en route to the Three Forks of Trinity river. This period of waiting was very pleasantly spent.
The population of Coffee's Bend in 1842 while he was there, consisted of forty men and one lady, Mrs. Coffee, a very beautiful woman. Most of the company, like himself, were temporarily adjourning there. He remembers Col. Coffee, Maj. Murphy and Capt. Ritten, all half brothers. When the band of movers came along they preceded with them, their guide being a mark across the prairie made by the end of a pole which was dragged along under the axle of the hind wheels of some previous traveler's wagon.
They pitched their camp about three miles above the present site of Dallas, later known as Cedar Springs, where a few nights afterwards Indians stole twenty head of horses from them-all they possessed except two poor old mares owned by a fellow whose corral happened to be some little distance apart from the balance of the horses.
Mr. Chandler remained four weeks at Cedar Springs. Game was plentiful. Deer and turkey were found in abundance. Wildcats infested the county, some of them being bold and vicious. "This was the only place I ever found before or since," he declares, "where I could catch fish (big blue cat) as fast as I could throw them out with my line." Myraids of prairie chicken were scattered unmolested over the country. Wolves were plentiful. There were some panthers, but he never saw any, although the sight of a bear was no infrequent thing. Col. Bryant lived at Cedar Springs, but this lone permanent settler and family enjoyed life immensely. They had plenty of "pound-cake" all the time, which they obtained by beating corn up into meal.
From Cedar Springs Mr. Chandler went to Pinbrook, Lamar county, which frontier village afterwards changed its name to Paris. He remained at Paris most of the time till 1843. A portion of the time he was deputy county clerk. Later he purchased a remnant stock of general merchandise and engaged in selling goods, but burdensome taxes consumed all his profits in business and he closed out his stock. At an auction sale of town lots during his stay in Paris, uncle Alf bid in two of the best ones on the public square for about $100-the same property is now valued at many thousands.
He made two trips back to Arkansas and then started to Mexico with the intention of joining Gen. "Rough-and-Ready" Taylor's American army in the invasion of that country during the Mexican war, just then breaking out. When he reached a point near what is now known as Bloomdale, near Vineland, this county, he joined Capt. Andrew Stapp's company of Texas Rangers. Stapp was later succeeded by Col. Bill Fitzhugh. In both of the latter's two companies of rangers Mr. Chandler was made Second Lieutenant. For three years they ranged over North Texas, protecting the early settlers from Indian depredation or other danger. Their company was divided a good portion of the time - a detachment under Lieut. Chandler being in camp or with headquarters on Hickory Creek, one mile north of Pilot Knob, in Denton county.
While camped there Judge John T. Mills held two courts and Judge Bennett H. Martin one - being perhaps the first justice to hold court in this section of the state. Justice was dispensed in a vigorous manner. Petty crimes were punished by so many lashes on the bare back. Uncle Alf vividly remembers the whipping of two men at his camp - one for stealing six pounds of old iron and the other a pair of wooden frames. He recalls many very thrilling incidents occurring during his ranger service. While they never had a pitched battle with the Indians, the prowling savages were frequently chased. While camped on Hickory Creek, Indians lurked about their quarters one time for ten successive nights, trying to steal their horses or inflict injury to their dreaded foe, the Texas Ranger. One redskin paid the penalty with his life and another was known to have been wounded. While camped there a big sleet fell in the early part of the year of 1849 and lay on the ground for six weeks. It was one of the longest and most bitter cold spells he ever experienced in Texas.
On February 2nd 1849, he was mustered out of the ranger service at Connor's Station, on Chambers Creek, about 100 miles southwest of here. Josiah Nichols is the only surviving member, besides himself, of Captain Stapp's original company. His brother, Albert Chandler, an honored citizen of Chambersville, was a ranger with him in Col. Fitzhugh's second company. After being mustered out of the rangers, these brothers returned to Arkansas remaining there from May to September, 1849.
This was his last trip back there for 35 years. He returned to Collin county in 1849 and boarded with James Herndon, an early settler living just west of McKinney. Uncle Alf and the late Dr. G. A. Foote were staunch friends. The latter purchased his license from him to wed Miss Mary Ellen Magner, December 17, 1849. The license was purchased at McKinney, then a village scarcely one year old. It was issued by Joel F. Stewart, first county clerk of Collin county. Esq. Alfred Johnson officiated at the marriage which took place at the house of Dr. Jas. M. Feland.
In the spring of 1850 he purchased 275 acres of land three miles west of town from Capt. Jack McGarrah and settled on the same. For over 53 years he has continuously resided on it. He paid $1 for the prairie land and $1.25 for the timber land, opening up one of the finest farms in the Bois D'arc community, which would now easily bring from $50 to $75 per acre if placed on the market. His first home was a little elm log house that stood on the spot occupied by his present residence.
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McKinney Democrat, 25 February 1904