By Doug Raasch
(Originally published in the Featherless Flyer, July, 2009)
When is
Goode good ? Maybe Goode is goody. No dude, Goode is gewed. Look at Steedman Marsh, but pronounce
Steedman as Steadman. We have Deaver Pond
and Dunning Pond, but don’t forget those Derby Ponds. OK, enough of that.
The more you
use Hagerman Wildlife Refuge, the more you become familiar with the names that
define and identify geographic points.
In the early 1940’s, small family farms grew a little cotton, grazed a
few cows, fattened a hog, gathered chicken eggs, and most of all, raised
children. Those farmers that tired of
the toil, moved to the small but bustling town of Hagerman. Unfortunately, while this little town was a
good place for a railroad switch, it was also a perfect spot to build a lake.
As World War
II was expanding, huge Lake Texoma was filling with runoff from 91,430 square
miles up the meandering Red River. When
Harold Ickes established a wildlife refuge in February, 1946, it was apparent
that the little farms and the little town lost the race for survival. Migrating waterfowl were the winners and
still rule to this day. Oddly enough,
there is nothing bearing the name of Ickes.
Ickes Pond ?? Ickes Marsh ?? Harold’s
name is a bummer for titles.
As the local
folks abandoned their homesteads, the family names were left behind to become
eternal markers on the maps of the refuge.
Area cemeteries hold the familiar names on the grave stones. The grave of J.P. Smith, the father of
Hagerman town, overlooks the Hagerman cemetery.
Georgetown cemetery holds the long and prosperous line of the
Goode family. The Steedman family has
burial plots in Mt. Tabor and West Hill cemeteries.
Fortunately,
a number of descendants of the early settlers still live in the area. They are a diverse and interesting group, friendly
and willing to discuss what they know about families in the area. Violet Jones Bruce and her brother Herschel Jones
remember Hagerman as a near perfect place to grow up. Their father worked for the KATY railroad and
made the decision to move to town in a house across the street from the school.
Since their front yard was a playground,
Vi and Herschel always had ball games
available. Vi rode a goat to school
once, but when high school came, brother and sister took the bus to Denison
high school. One of the main events that
the people of Hagerman looked forward to was the “hog killin’”. This get-together
provided the opportunity for trading, which was Daddy Jones true calling. Cars, cows, horses, canned food and any other
necessity came from his shrewd bargaining.
Dr. Carlos Araoz
and his late wife, Eulalia Steedman Araoz, are Life Members of the Friends
of Hagerman. Eulalia’s family history
traces back to L.A. Steedman and wife Lilly Jane who left Sherman in 1908 to
farm the area around Deaver Switch.
L.A.’s father was a Grayson County judge for eight years beginning in
1888. The post office at Steedman, Texas
was located in the family home. The year
1907 marked the formation of the Hagerman Independent School District. In 1920, a two story brick school house was
completed to accommodate the three teachers with the names Steedman, Ballard,
and Goode. The upper floor of the school
house became a meeting place and a cultural center for the north Texas area,
featuring debates, literary societies, music, and plays. The last program took place in 1942, with Lake
Texoma threatening just outside.
Gerald Payne
is a descendant of the Goode Family and has direct connection to the
refuge. Gerald explained that the Goode
family lost most of their farm to Hagerman refuge, but his family still owns 97
acres along the boundary near the Refuge Road entrance.
E.Y. Goode
moved from Kentucky to Grayson County in a covered wagon. E.Y. eventually bought 2500 acres of land and
became the Chisom Trail Cattle Inspector.
He had the power of attorney to confiscate cattle judged to be stolen
and return them to their rightful owners.
The Goode family farm eventually covered the area that became Perrin
Field. After building a 14 room house, the
farm became the 55 Ranch. E.Y. was one
of the original owners of the M & P Bank.
Other farms
that have familiar names are Curtis Terry (Terry Lane); Wiley Dunning (Dunning Pond); Daucy Harris
(Harris Creek); John Ballard (Cedar of
Lebanon); Richard Meyers (Meyers
Creek).
The next
time you plan an outing at Hagerman, look for the ghost of the characters that
make up the history of the refuge.
ED Note: Doug Raasch, long time volunteer at the Refuge and original author of the popular trail guide series now has a trail named in his honor.
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