TAKEN FROM A BIOGRAPHY WRITTEN IN THE BOOK A COLLECTION OF MEMORIES, THE HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY 1875-1965, BY THE ARMSTRONG COUNTY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

Immediately after the marriage of Henry Moses Kight and Amy Louise Norman in Normantown, West Virginia, in October 1877, they moved to Van Alstyne, Grayson County, Texas, to make their home. In Grayson County, Henry Moses established and operated a general store.

In 1888, Henry Moses moved to the Panhandle of Texas. He filed on and bought eleven sections of beautiful open grass country northeast of Claude in Carson County. He brought with him 200 brood mares and stallions, which were of the Morgan and Blackhawk bloodlines. There was not a fence between the ranch and Groom or White Deer or Panhandle. The country was wide open. In dry weather, the horses watered at Horseshoe Lake northwest of Groom, Texas.

Mr. Kight did not move his family out to Claude until after 1890 when they came via way of train with the immigrant cars. There were three long drift fences, which went across the railroad tracks and had gates, which the engineer opened, and the conductor would close after the train had gone through. There were good improvements on the ranch, but the Kights always lived in Claude through the winter months because of school. They spent the summers on the ranch. The Rock Island Railroad crossed their land and the railroad crew made their camp at the Kight headquarters. Henry Moses and his brother, Charles Oliver, established a mercantile store in Claude in 1890. Henry's sons managed the ranch with hired help while their father and his brother operated the store.

In 1914, Henry Moses decided to retire. His land was sold or leased and one son Malcomb, bought his father and his uncle's store. Henry and Amy moved with the younger children moved to Long Beach, California. During his time in California, Henry bought and sold real estate, at one time owning all or a part of Signal Hill in Long Beach. One to two years after the sale of Signal Hill, oil was discovered. Henry and Amy remained in Long Beach until death came."

H.M.'s grandson tells me that in addition to his other endeavors, Henry Moses was also a traveling salesman-returning to the Grayson County area to peddle his wares.

According to a history written in the book TEXAS PANHANDLE FOREFATHERS  published by the Amarillo Genealogical Society in 1983, Henry Moses was also an innovative farmer introducing millet, milo, maize, gip corn, Mexican beans and kaffir corn into the Texas Panhandle region after a wheat crop failure in 1894.

TAKEN FROM INFORMATION SENT TO ME BY KIGHT RESEARCHERS IN WESTERNPORT, MARYLAND.

"When Henry was a young boy, he helped clear his father's land of native timber. Later, he taught penmanship in the State Normal School. Of his wedding, the following is written: 'On October 28, 1877, at the home of the bride's parents, Elijah Greene and Edith Ann (Hacker) Norman, a wedding ceremony was performed in the presence of members of both families. This wedding united in Holy Bonds of Matrimony the eldest daughter, Amy Louise (Norman) and the second son of Emanuel Miller and Charlotte (Ayers) Kight, Henry Moses Kight.

Following a sumptuous wedding breakfast, the bride and groom departed, by carriage for Smithville, and the home of Uncle Major Ayers and Aunt Mary Ayers, where they spent their wedding night. The next morning, they left from Ellenboro, West Virginia railroad station, by train, for South Texas, to establish their new home.' Amy was born 3/21/1861 in Normantown, West Virginia a town name for her father's family.

Henry M. Kight gave the crossroads vicinity, where he first settled in Texas (1877), the name of Elmont. He started a country store there and extended the courtesy to his customers to have Mail pigeon-holded there, by him. Thus, he established a Post Office. His first land was plowed with the aid of a rented mule (Grayson County, Texas).

The family moved from South Texas to the panhandle town of Claude, Texas, in August of 1889 to escape a fever epidemic. They went by train, via the immigrant cars. There were three long drift fences, which went across the railroad tracks. These had gates, which the engineer opened, and the conductor would close after the train had gone through.

H.M. Kight filed on and bought 11 sections of beautiful open grass country northeast of Claude; most of the land lay in Carson County. He brought with him 200 brood mares and stallions, which were of the Morgan and Blackhawk bloodlines. There wasn't a fence between the ranch and Groom or Deer or Panhandle, Texas. The Rock Island Railroad crossed their land and the railroad crew made their camp at the Kight headquarters. During the wheat crop failure of 1894, Mr. Kight introduced millet, milo, maize, gip-corn (gypsum), and Mexican beans, all previously not grown in the panhandle of Texas.

Though there many good improvements on the ranch, the Kights always lived in Claude through the winter months, and spent summers on the ranch. This was so the children could go to school. H.M. Kight and his brother, Charles, established a mercantile store in Claude in 1890. Henry's sons managed the ranch with hired help while he and Charles operated the store.

In 1913, Henry decided to retire and move to California for the health of his daughter Monnie Louise. He sold and leased his land; also selling at auction 624 horses and mules. His son Malcomb, buying out his interest in the store, Henry took the younger children and settled in Long Beach, California. Here he built a house in which he lived until moving to Orange, Orange Co, CA. in 1934.

Henry loved political discussion, but never entered in to politics. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Orange. His hobby was woodcraft, and he was never idle. After the age of 70, Henry studied corrective diet and gained much knowledge on health. He was truly a beautiful example of his preachments at the age of 82. Henry enjoyed excellent health until the day before he passed away with a heart attack at the age of 83, in his home in Orange. He was buried at Long Beach, California.

Henry and Amy took many trips back to West Virginia during their life together. He was dearly loved by all who knew him and did countless kind deeds, of which he never spoke. Amy Louise died of a stroke on July 30, 1954 and is buried in Long Beach, California."

FROM STEWART-KIGHT FAMILY BIBLE

FROM A BLANK PAGE IN THE BIBLE:

H.M. and Amy came to Texas Nov. 20, 1877, near Van Alstyne. Went into merchandise business at Elmont June 5, 188? Left Elmont (near Van Alstyne) for Claude, Texas. Arrived there August 5th 1890. Was in business there till October 1912, then moved to Long Beach, Cal. September 1913. Harp & Mall bought business.

H.M. Kight & Amy Louise Norman were married Oct. 28, 1877, Gilmer Co. W. Va. Arrived in Texas Nov. 2 - 77. Lived in Grayson Co. till Aug. 1890. Moved to Pandhandle Aug. 5, 1890. Commenced bus. at Elmont June 3, 1883 - H.M. Kight named the town of Elmont. Went in business in Claude 1890. Moved to Calif. 1913. Back to Fort Worth Aug. 1916. Back to Calif. by way of Auston? July 1918. Bt. home in Long Beach July 18, 1919.

H.M. now at Harp's Claude? 10-15-1919. Harp has Amy Louise Kight, Monnie Louise "Berkeley" Campbell. Ruth Kight sent Faye Kight Gibson, Naomi J. Kight, Norman Kight, Garland Gibson, Louise Gibson, Lillian Gibson, Hazel Gibson all in Long Beach 10-15-1919. Farm Kight Annie Reilly, Amy Ruth Kight in Los Angeles 10-1919.

Garland Gibson son of Will & Faye Kight Gibson died Aug. 10th 1920 Long Beach California as a result of an accident riding a surf board in the ocean near Grandfather H.M. Kight's home.

H.M. and Amy Louise built home in Mira Mar in Long Beach, Calif. in 1920, May 6.

THE STEWART-KIGHT BIBLE: HOLMAN'S EDITION, THE HOLY BIBLE CONTAINING THE AUTHORIZED EDITION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, A.D. 1611, AND THE REVISED VERSION OF A.D. 1881, ARRANGED IN PARALLEL COLUMNS; WITH COMPLETE CONCORDANCE, EMBRACING EVERY PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE IN THE LARGEST EDITIONS, APOCRYPHA AND PSALMS. PHILADELPHIA; A.J. HOLMAN & CO. 1900

Mary Elsie Stewart July 16 1881

son of Estella & HH Kight-Baby Moulder Kight (Twin to Wm) June 28 1920

Leah Margaret Kight Oct. 26 1904

Eugene Ralph Kight - Sept 1967