Early Texas Lore - Shelton's Fort on the North Sulfur River

[crs]

My wife has been doing a lot of genealogical research on my ancestors and it seems that they were among the early settlers of east Texas, arriving here before 1840. So, this Saturday, we drove over to the east Texas Sulfur river area to check out some historical sites, including Old Union and Oak Lawn Cemetaries, Shelton's Fort, and museums in Cooper and Enloe. After visiting with the museum folks and a family with which we shared a lunch table in a Cooper cafe, it appeared that everyone knew a Shelton or was related to one. A small world and only an hour drive from our place in Farmersville!

It seems that in 1837, one relative built a cabin with a stockade for protection of the family and neighbors from the indians and that became known a Shelton's Fort. The fort was on a barren hilltop with a 360 degree view and was located near the north shore of the North Sulfur River.

Yours truly at the marker:


The marker detail on the fort:


We are already planning another exploratory trip back to the area. However, I plan to avoid the old overgrown cemetaries until the dead of winter when the grasses, chiggers, and mosquitos are dead and the snakes are in their holes.

[JerryB]

Family history can get real interesting. Sounds like you hit paydirt.

[hfcable]

i love that kind of history! your ancestors are the kind that built nations. wouldn't it be great to know more about this.

[DixieBoy]

crs - I've been hooked on reading about early Texas history and the Comanche and Kiowa wars for a couple years now. It's fascinating stuff, and one thing you can't help but come away knowing: those folks had some real guts back then.

Been reading a book called The Warren Wagontrain Massacre by Capps the last few days. The whole thing is devoted to just one raid by the Kiowas and the warrior chief Satanta in May of 1871. You get a feel for how rough things still were even more than 30 years after your ancestors settled. No doubt, some tough folks. - DixieBoy

[allhands]

Very interesting history crs! Great post and please keep them coming.

[20cows]

Very cool!

[Pitchy]

Neat

[.45colt]

Can't wait to hear more about this. what a great way to spend a day.

[Charles]

That is a great find! I know very little about East Texas, so keep the information coming. I am interested in learning.

[Griff]

Way Cool!

[bdhold]

sounds like he's from here.

[gamekeeper]

Can't wait to hear more about this. what a great way to spend a day.

+ 1..

[crs]

Dixie Boy,
My wife has ordered a set of 4 books on Texas history by an author that interviews folks to get family lore for his books. One or more of the books has chapters on my ancestors, so I hope there were more Methodist preachers than horse thieves.
If the books turn out to be worthwhile, I will post information on them.

BTW, Marty found some well documented family lineage back to Merrie Old England in the form of Sir John Shelton, a courtier to King Henry the 8th. It seems that he, oops, that is another story, so lets stick with east Texas in this thread.

[RKrodle]

CRS, your ancestors beat mine to Texas by about 60 years, except for Great Grandma Pike, she was Cherokee and we're not sure when she came to Texas yet.

[RKrodle]

crs - I've been hooked on reading about early Texas history and the Comanche and Kiowa wars for a couple years now. It's fascinating stuff, and one thing you can't help but come away knowing: those folks had some real guts back then.

Been reading a book called The Warren Wagontrain Massacre by Capps the last few days. The whole thing is devoted to just one raid by the Kiowas and the warrior chief Satanta in May of 1871. You get a feel for how rough things still were even more than 30 years after your ancestors settled. No doubt, some tough folks. - DixieBoy

DixieBoy, If you haven't read "Empire of the Summer Moon" yet then you need to. It is an excellent book.

http://www.amazon.com/Empire-Summer-Moo ... 1416591052

Sorry for hijacking your post CRS