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W. P. Herrin came to Palo Pinto County from his
native Georgia where he was born, May 26, 1853 and lived for several
years working for H. G. Taylor as a cowhand and later as a deputy
sheriff. He returned to Georgia and married Martha Jane Rayme at
Summervell, April 22, 1883. In 1892 the couple came to Mineral
Wells living for a time in the Richards Hotel until a home could be
found for them. At the time they had three children and spoke of
the long train trip and especially the crossing of the Mississippi
River.
In Mineral Wells, water was scarce, except the mineral water which they
didn't like the taste of and the wife begged to go back to her native
home. Soon they moved to a place in the Pleasant Valley community
and Mr. Herrin did his first Texas farming. He later farmed in
Village Bend and the Santo community
He always had his own blacksmith shop, shoeing his horses and doing
needed repairs. His wife learned to make soap and spin and weave
back in Georgia, but now she must learn to make suits for growing
children and their father and to churn and sell butter, sometimes for 10
to 25 cents per pound. About the same price was had for a dozen
eggs.
They enjoyed church and Sundays and when a camp meeting was held within
reach, they attended. They were charter members of the Methodist
Church and Woodman of the World lodges at Palo Pinto. Returning
from church one night the family heard shots ring out across the valley
near Lake Creek and thought someone had shot an animal that was after
their chickens but learned next day that a neighbor girl and her
sweetheart had been shot.
In 1901 Mr. Herrin bought a livery stable in Palo Pinto, later selling
it to W. W. Fleming. He then went to California for his health and
stayed a year returning to Palo Pinto to send the children to
school. He bought a home. He retired in 1914 and died in
1916. Mrs. Herrin lived in the old home until 1950 then she moved
to Mineral Wells and she died two years later.
Three sons, W. P. Herrin, Jr., Christopher Rayme Herrin and F. T.
Herrin, and a daughter, Mrs. Otis Moon alll live in Mineral Wells.
Another son, Frank, lives in Dallas and Charles, lives in Tulsa, Okla.
Frank Herrin, eldest son of the W. P. Herrins, was the first mechanic in
Mineral Wells and had the first garage. He drove the first
automobile from Mineral Wells to Palo Pinto, a car owned by the Lorenz
family.
Grancchildren of the pioneer couple are Robert Herrin of Stephenville;
Clayton and Merle Herrin, Mrs. Raymond Woodson and Mrs. W. K. Gass all
of Mineral Wells, and Mrs. Jack Hitt of Tulsa, Okla.
Great grandchildren are Robert Jr., and Jim Herrin of Stephenville, Judy
Woodson and David Gass of Mineral Wells and Jim Joseph, Johnny and Jill
Hitt of Tulsa.
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