REMINISCENCE OF PAST - THREE
CREEKS IN COLLIN COUNTY NAMES BY PIONEERS OF 1844 - RUN OUT BY THE INDIANS
Progeny of these Early Settlers among Collin’s
Most Honored Citizens
In the year 1844 William
Warden, father of F. M. Williams and Chief Warden, in company with George W.
Smith, Dick Cantrell, Jeff Hart, and another man, came from Missouri into
the northeast part of Collin county hunting a location, but were run out by
the Indians who at that time occupied the county and raised a white man’s
scalp every chance. They retreated into Fannin county and about two years
later entered Collin again.
George W. Smith, an ex-soldier of the war of 1812, was the father-in-law of
Wms. Warden and of W. C. Pruitt who was for a long time justice of peace of
Blue Ridge precinct.
Dick Cantrell was the
father of J. R. and G. W. Cantrell who live near Blue Ridge, and Jeff hart
the father of a whole generation living there.
It was at the last
entrance into county that the pioneers came to a creek and finding fresh
signs of Indians wandered around.
In hunting around they
found on the banks of another creek a place where an Indian had stuck a
forked branch in the ground on which to hang his pot, and they called this
"Pot Rack" creek. Then they moved their camp over to another stream, and
here they found numerous signs of Indians. While the others were out hunting
one of the men left in camp lost his nerve and deserted them. From this
circumstance they called this stream "Desert creek." These streams bear
these names today.
It is hardly necessary to
add that these pioneers found locations on which to rear a numerous progeny
as most useful citizens who have helped to make Collin county, once a
wilderness, the garden spot of the world. They did it with much trial and
tribulation, and we say, all honor to the pioneers.
Places Index
Recommended
citation:
"Pot Rack Creek - Places, COLLIN COUNTY HISTORY," Collin County, Texas History and
Genealogy Webpage by Genealogy Friends of Plano Libraries, Inc., <http://www.geocities/genfriendsghl>
[Accessed Fri February 13, 2004].