James Byrd moved his family from Tennessee to Missouri.
From Missouri, the children wound up in Texas, and finally
in Brown County in 1866.
There were four boys: Charles, William, Jessie and Martin,
and one daughter, Harriet McPeters. Harriet and her
husband, John McPeters, along with two other members of
the McPeters family, came to Brown County with the same
wagon train which brought the Byrd brothers.
Descendants of these pioneers relate that at least one
skirmish with the Indians occurred. It seems that as the
oxen were pulling the wagons and the men were riding
horseback, a small group of Indians attacked them. The
Indians tried to rope one of the men on horseback, almost
succeeding, as the rope snagged only the man's hat.
It is said that the youngest of the Byrd brothers, Martin,
had an Indian Trading Post for a short time about four
miles northeast of where Byrds Store was later located.
There were very few settlers in the vicinity at that time,
so he would trade things to the Indians for their hides and
furs, and then take them to a larger trading post to exchange
for necessary supplies for the settlers.
Martin soon decided to move the store to where there were
more settlers. He located it on the Bayou, near where
Hogg Creek (Lost Creek) runs into the Bayou. This is a
very lovely Place. The grass is green, thick and luscious,
and the pecan trees are big and beautiful. These trees made
a perfect shade for the camp meetings which were to come
later. The citizens of Brownwood considered moving
Brownwood, the county seat, to this location. But the
election was lost by only one vote. They did soon get a
post office, which was located in the Store, and it officially
became Byrds Store. The Byrds Store office opened October
11, 1877, with Martin H. Byrd in charge. |