The household, hogs, and chickens were sent by train.  Dad had come down to build the necessary buildings before we moved.  It was the custom in those days to put up the out-buildings first.  The family then stayed in the barn or shed until the house was ready.

 

A five-room house was soon built on the land.  In rainy weather it took four mules to haul lumber out to the place.  There were no electric lights in the house - only kerosene lamps.  The land clearing  was left for Daddy.  It was a hard job, but there were plenty of hand to get.  I remember the night sky aglow with light from many fires as the brush land was cleared by new settlers.

 
 

More settlers came from the La Grange and San Marcos areas.  Soon the new country was booming.  People got acquainted at picnics and fish-frys.  There were plenty of ducks and no game laws!  Mullet were good eating until the new settlers were told it was no eating fish.  Old and young enjoyed swimming at Bayside.

 

William Schlabach raised some sugar cane on the farm for his molasses press, the only one in the area at the time.  The children had fun stripping the cane of leaves and seed and bringing the cane sticks in on a sled drawn by a mule.  The cane was then fed into the press which was operated by mulepower.  The juice was then sent through a series of boiling processes to emerge finally as fine molasses.

   

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