A Way of Life (GoatNeck)
C420

Some describe it as isolated and desolate.
to others, with different tastes, it is quiet and
peaceful. Any way you look at it, though,
Goat Neck is a community that lies off the
beaten path. Whether you travel west on
Highway 67 and turn south on 1434 by the
Elks&'; Lodge or head south toward Rio Vista
before turning west in the direction of
Hamm&';s Creek, when you arrive in Goat
Neck, you will not be in a center of commerce.
Instead of buildings, you will be surrounded
by cedar brakes. Instead of asphalt and
concrete, you will drive on the white dust and
gravel of limestone county roads which form
a labyrinth that can swallow those who are
uninitiated into the secrets of its twists and
turns.
Goat Neck is in the same general vicinity
as Hiland and Freeland, and outsiders talk
about all three in the same breath as if the
communities were interchangeable. Residents
know better. In fact. they know exactly
where one locale ends and another begins, but
their description would rarely make sense to
an outsider who would not be familiar with
the landmarks that prove so useful in the
everyday workings of a settlement.
According to Dee Peterson, the community
even got its name when the last switch was
made and the people in a bend of the Brazes
became a part of Johnson County. Depending
upon the story you hear, the transfer took
place either because the residents got tired of
traveling all the way to Hillsboro to take care
of their legal matters or because Hill County
didn&';t want to maintain the roads out in Goat
Neck any more.
Whatever the reason, Dee Peterson, Goat
Neck’s oldest resident at 83, claims that Goat
Neck got its name during the legal transfer
of the area from Hill to Johnson County.
Clem Pierce, one of the early settlers of the
area, was asked to describe the piece of land
for one of the legal documents necessary to
the transfer. According to legend, he said,
"It’s just a little ol’ goat’s neck out in the
cedar brakes along the river."
The name stuck, and goat&';s neck eventually
became Goat Neck.
Peterson remembers other details about
Goat Neck&';s past as well he should. He was
born in 1900 in Tarrant County, but he
moved to Goat Neck in 1902 and has lived
there ever since. He recalls the days when
Oren "Pee Wee" Jones used to deliver mail
on horsebeck to Goat Neckers, when the
Hiland and Live Oak Schools were the local
educational institutions before they consolidated
with Clebume, and when the Hiland
Church of Christ flourished before it disbanded
andd became the Goat Neck Community Center.
Peterson believes more people used to
inhabit Goat Neck long ago than do now.
"There used to be 20 or 30 families here," he says.
At present, he can recollect the names
of only nine or ten: Baker, Wallace, Ormsby,
Mitchelt, Scott. Runnels, Humphreys, Prayter,
Hansen, and Clemens.
Peterson received a unique honor from his
neighbors earlier this year. Although Goat
Neck is not an official governmental entity,
on April 7. 1984, the residents of Goat Neck
presented him with a plaque proclaiming him
"Honorary Mayor of Goat Neck." Peterson
also has a hat with his honorary title on it, and
he wears it with pride.
Floyd Ormsby, who owns the 4,000 acre
Ormsby Ranch with his son, is another
prominent resident of the Goat Neck-Hiland-
Freeland section of Johnson County.
He describes the location of his ranch as
"kinda in the suburbs of Goat Neck," a place
he picked out in 1945 just after he returned
from World War II.
Ormsby recalls when there was a regular
newspaper column from Goat Neck. "Every
article," he says, "started off by saying
whether the river was up, down, or dry."
Apparently, the river depth was the most
important aspect of Iife to the Goat Neck
back then because, depending on the height
of the water, they could cross the Brasos to
shop in Kimble, much closer than Cleburne.
Besides farming near the river (especially
peanut farming) and ranching back from the
river, Goat Neck is also known, according to
Ormsby, for supplying road materials for
nearly the whole county. "Right now," Ormsby
believes, "all four precincts are hauling out
of the Hiland community."
Peterson and Ormsby certainly supply the
outlook of some current, long-time residents
of Goat Neck. The most intimate view of Goat Neck&';s
past, however, can be found in the
pages of a diary kept by J.A. Crook, who was
born in 1896 and lived in Goat Neck until his
death in 1973. His daughter, Mrs. Floyd
Morrow, remembers her father going off to sit
under a tree on their property to find the
privacy in which to write.
Concerning the doctors in the early years of the
century in that area, Crook writes,
"Them days there was no gravel roads, no
bridges, but those old pioneer doctors never
failed as children had to be born and people
with pneumonia had to be cared for or they
died " About one physician in particular, Dr.
P.M: Adams, he writes, "He was on 24 hours
call at all times."
About Grandpa Brewer, a river man who
lived in Goat Neck at about 1900, Crook
writes, "It never got too had for Grandpa to
put his boat across the river for sick or well.
One of the neighbors died, and she was buried
across the river. It was bank full. They took
the corpse in a wagon, carried it to the boat,
and Grandpa ferried the coffin and box across
Then he ferried the family across and
ai1 the friends on this side. He was glad to be
of service to anyone."
Crook even remembers the days when
cedars were rare in Goat Neck. "Mr. Merts
(a rancher) told everyone to he careful with
the cedars as he needed them for fence posts.
Then the robins, for some cause, come in here
in the early &';20&';s and began to eat the berries
from the cedars. Soon they began to come up
everywhere and became a nuisance, taking
the pastures, fence rows, and everything else.
Old fields soon became a cedar brake."
He also describes two incidents which must
have been talk of the area for weeks afterward
in days gone by. The first was the Hiram
Wilbanks families experience with unfriendly
Indians who, in an attempt to scare the
family off, shot one of their horses and killed
and ate their cows. Wilbanks sent two of his
sons, Tommie and Nannie, to gather some
neighbors who knew the Indians.
"The boys left there like a summer breeze,
and the Indians saw them leave so they sent
four or five braves after them. But they soon
came back as the boys got too much of a lead
over them." Well, the two neighbors came
right over and "held a powwow with the
Indians" who were Tonkawas. The Indians,
whom Crook describes as "sort of friendly hut
would steal you out of house and home"
Eventually agreed to leave the area.
An even more dramatic incident involved the robbing
And beating of two elderly ladies Aunt Jettie,
and Aunt Sissie Moore, sisters. They lived
on 20 acres that their father had purchased
Years before. (See Highland for more information)
By Steve Bell Johnson County history Book Page 267

Editors Note JA Crook diary talks a lot about
Peg Leg LD Pierce
will try to get that typed in later.

Life Style of Goatneck to 1940 

Aug 9 1999 this is not error corrected Yet--I 
did improve the formatting

Some families owned their farms and did
their own farming. Some ware tenants that I
farmed and some people living in the community
would work at day work during the I
arming season. It was about 1918 when the first car
made its appearance in Goatneck. ( people living in the
area walked, rode horse back, horse and buggy, or wagon and team.
The first day of each month was trade&';s day
at Cleburne on the Market Square. People
would leave on a Sunday, taking horses, Cows,
pigs, chickens or whatever they had to sell or
made. Sometimes the wives would go along
to do their buying in the dry good stores. It
as usually a two or three day trip. There
were two wagon yards in Cleburne: The Lone
Star and The City. Before leaving on a
Sunday, the men would put enough hay and
? in the wagon to last until they returned
?. Most would take bedding and sleep in
their wagons. They would rent a space for the
wagon and a stall for the horses in one of the
wagon yards. The wagon yards had a rest
room for people staying there. It was a big
thing to go to First Monday. They would visit
with people from all over the county. Almost
every Sunday a church service was conducted
the school house. A two weeks meeting was
4d in the summer time and a big dinner
osed the meeting. Ball games were played
? a Sunday afternoon, during the summer.
erring the winter months, there were coun-.
&'; dances and play parties in the summer.
,tmuch wenton in thefall,aseveryone WEB
zking cotton and gathering corn. Some
nilies would go out West and pick cotton.
:ee big fish fries on the Brasos River.
rring the summer there would be two or
Nays on the Fourth of July was ice cream
a fish fry. Most of the farmers always had
termelon patches, and would give anyone
relon, but for fun, a bunch of the men and
s always wanted to raid a farmer&';s patch.
e of the raiding bunch would tip the
mer off and he would be waiting with his
t gun. Just about the time the raiders
Ild get a melon,,the farmer would start
,oting. The raiders would run in all
xtions, running into wire fences and
.sh.
,t the old Cal&an Farm was a syrup mill.
the fall those that planted syrup me rled their cane to 
the mill, and most of the
lmunity was employed in making syrup.
se has been many gallons of syrup made
the old mill. The nearest doctor was at
"ball, his name was Dr. E&l. When some
became sick, they would get the best
horseback rider to ride to Kimball for the
doctor. Sometimes the doctor would send
medicine, but most likely he would hitch his
se to the buggy, no matter what hour of
day or night, and cross the Brazos River
the Ramsey Crossing into Goatneck to see
sick person. If the Brazos River water was
deep and swift, some one would put him
ass in a boat. Dick Anderson once swam
09s the Bravos River when it was almost
of its banks to get the boat, which ~88 on
other side of the river. He rowed across,
doctor got into the boat, and he rowed the
&';tar across the river, dodging all of the logs
debris, and other trash that was floating in
the current of the river. The first person to
keep the post office, was a Mr. Watters. It was
located on his farm, then later moved to the
Runnels Farm. In addition to the other
tragedies mentioned, there was a shoot-out
between a Mr. Bush and a Mr. Peterson.
There was no winner; both died. The Ford car
and truck changed the way of life in the Goat
Neck Community. Luther Blackstock owned
the tint Ford truck in the community. He
hauled the first bale of cotton to the gin for
Claude Johnson. He also hauled many groceries
for the people. By Herbert Blackstock

Four Counties once claimed Land

While Goatneck has never changed locations,
it has been under the jurisdiction of four different counties.
In the early 1830&';s Texas had 56 counties,
not difficult to form a new county, for plenty
of open spaces unclaimed by anyone, all that
it took was a surveyor to outline the borders
and some one to draw up a petition which was
easy; many times the survey was, just from
here to yonder.
In 1838, a group formed Robertson County,
adjoining Brazos County on the north with
Franklin as county seat, the northern border
extended to what is now the northern line of
Hood County, Tarrant and Dallas Counties.
Then they found it was more than they
could administer, so they lopped off many
counties to the north, one of which they
designated Navarro County for the furthest
north. This was done in 1845.
Still too big for one county, so in 1854,
Naverro sliced off the northern section
forming Ellis, Hill and Johnson Counties,
Johnson being the larger of the three. In 1866
Johnson County had more than they wanted
to administer, so they sliced off a portion,
forming Hood County.
In all the cutting and slicing there Was a
wee bit of a place that was kinda no mans
land, so Hood gave a small slice off their
county and Johnson County gave a small slice
off their county, added to the unclaimed and
formed the third smallest county in Texas,
Somervell.
When Ellis, Hill and Johnson were formed,
the boundary lines were fairly straight unless
in the case of a stream of water, so the eastern
lines of Hill and Johnson County were the
western line of Ellis, the northern line of Hill
to begin at a point about two miles just east
of south of Venus, then west 14 degrees south
of the Brazos River. The Brazos River
forming the west line of both Hill and
Johnson County.
This east-west line, crossed Ham Creek,
about one and one-half miles from where it
empties into the Brazos River, on top of the
mountain at Klondike; to the Brazos River at
or near what was once known as the Rock
crossing on the Brazos, or just below the
island in the river; thus forming a perfect goat
neck and head in that portion of Hill County.
So Goat Neck is there, when land was
traded like pocket knives on the market
square, about the time Johnson County and
Hood County formed Somewell County. Hill
County transferred to Johnson County that
portion of land, changing the line from a
point just east of Ham Creek south to the
river near the Allison Park.
So there really is a Goat Neck in Johnson
County; one time in Robertson County, then
in Navarro, then in Hill County, now in
!Johnson County.

Log House Memorials

Freeland

C406

George Freeland was one of the earliest
settlers in the western pert of Johnson
County in the community which would bear
his name. The Freeland post office was
established in the 1870&';s. first in Sim Glenn&';s
home, then "Uncle" Allen Wilbanks built a
store and the post office was transferred to
the store. Wilbanks was appointed postmaster
in 1890. He served as Justice of the Peace
and County Commissioner for Johnson County.
There were several big ranches in this area:
Cameron, Pierce Willingham, Mertz, and
others in what is now Somervell and Hood Counties.
The Mertz ranch in 1880, was the first to
fence their land. Albert Crook says people cut
this fence until they just got tired and quit.
Sometimes it would be cut between every
post. Before this they had been able to go
anywhere they pleased, riding. walking or
driving their wagons across country the most
direct route to their destination, and they
resented not being able to do as they had
always done. However, as fast as the fence
was cut it was repaired. A law was passed
calling for a gate every mile and making it a
violation of the law to carry a pair of pliers
to cut a fence. At least one family had their
house and barns burned by stockmen, who
did not want anyone moving in and fencing
off grazing land.
The first schools were in a vacant house or
private home. Then they began building log
schools. Such a log school was located on what
is now Albert Crooks&'; land, on a hill north of
his home. Buffalo bones were found in the
ashes of the old, rock fireplace. All that is left
now are a few rocks from the old chimney and
some old live oak trees. Tom Cravens told
Albert Crook that one day, when he was going
to school here, some of the children saw
Indians and ran to tell the teacher, "Come see
the Indians, they are going by out here by the
hundreds." Sure enough they were!
The last Indian baby born here was in a
thicket at the Lonme Wilbanks place. The
squaw dropped out of the group when she
came to the thicket. She tied her horse, which
was pulling a buffalo hide travois. cleaned out
a place under a little hackberry and hung a
papoose bag on the tree. Somemen working
out this way saw her and when they went to
the house they told Mrs. Wilbanks. She went
down to help, but the Indian woman sent her
away saying she would have the baby okay
without any help. Mrs. Wilbanks worried
about her all night and went back at daylight.
The Indian woman had all her belongings
loaded and the baby strapped on her back.
She got on her horse, waved goodby to Mrs.
Wilbanks and took the trail of the other Indians.
After the white men came into the south-
west and destroyed the buffalo the Indiana
have never again faired as well as they did in
the old days. Tepees were buffalo skins
stretched over tent poles, which could easily
be converted into travois - at first hauled by
dogs and women and children, then after the
days of the Spanish, who brought in horses,
the travois were fastened with strips of hide
and pulled behind the horses. Household
equipment clothing and food were carried in
this manner by the women and children. The
men carried only their weapons - flint knives,
war clubs, bows and arrows and short spears
and later guns. Sometimes they had shields,
made of rawhide, hardened by fire, perhaps-painted
with feathers.
The Indians used all the parts of a buffalo.
His hide furnished tepee coverings, sleeping
robes and material for bullboats for crossing
rivers. His bones and horns were used for
making weapons and tools. His sinews made
strong thread, and his hoofs furnished glue.
No one owned any land, but they recognized
he right of other groups to certain
hunting domain. If they met another tribe
whose language they did not understand,
they used sign language, by means of which
they could express almost everything. They
were able to carry on long conversations
without saying a word.
by Viola Block Johnson County history Book
Pages 256-257

NEW HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH

C408

LD Pierce Journal November 1 1998
Reagarding Pierce Ranch at Goatneck.