The Newton Cabin

The Newton Cabin in Midlothian, Texas is one of the surviving Peters Colony structures. The Larkin Newton family came from Neosho, Missouri to receive their 640 acres granted from the Peters Colony. Hanbook of Texas says

"The William Alden Hawkins and Larkin Newton families were the first to obtain permanent land titles at the site, under the authority of the Peters colony in 1848."

The contract agreement required them to be on their land and to have a home built by July 1st 1848. Mr. Newton found timber for the house in Dallas County. Hauled it back to Midlothian. The Newton cabin is built with a technique called The Half-Dovetail Notch. It is a very reliable structure when built properly. According to the Historical marker at the Cabin in Downtown Midlothian(N 32 29.032' W096 59.658), the cabin was originally built approximately 3 miles Southwest from it's current location. So I cranked up my etrex garmin gps and drove until I found 3 miles Southwest from the Cabin. N 32 27.039' W097 01.535' is exactly 3 miles SW of the current cabin location.

It is in the middle of Water works rd at MT Peak. It's near some quarries. Chaparral Steel warehouse is near that location. Since it's an approximate location I figure it was probably built at one of the higher points. I wonder if the quarry company or Chaparral Steel had the Cabin moved and preserved for a gesture to the community or maybe a tax write off? Can you imagine Mr. Newton hauling that wood across wild country? Tells you how valuable Oxen, Horses and mules were back then. That's why they hung you if you stole one.

Here is a quarry near the area.
I wonder what the Newton family's water source was? There is a pond near the area but looks like the Quarry folks built it.
Couldn't tell if a creek fed it. If they had a well I can't imagine getting through all that rock. I don't think they invented dynamite until mid 1860's? The Newton Branch runs through the area but doesn't seem to hold that much water. Maybe it held more back then or enough for what was required to live on. Of course their was Hawkins Spring right down the road/trail.

UPDATE ON CABINS ORIGINAL LOCATION Probably near HERE