The Night They Drove The Settlers Down To Waxahachie And How Soap Creek Got It's Name

--------------SOAP CREEK------------------

Ok, the title is stretched to try to match the classic song by The Band. But one day in early Ellis County History half the settlement near Alvarado fled to Waxahachie. The new settlement was made up of Ovillians who decided to start there own community. Rev White was a resident of Ovilla at the time of the evacuation but was asked to come teach in the new community for the Summer. My guess is that the event happened in the 1850's. Seeing that the Rev started living in Ovilla around 1850. This event also gave Soap Creek it's name. Which it still holds today. The above picture is where 67 goes over Soap Creek. Which might have been where they crossed Soap Creek during their evacuation. They could have crossed further south because the story says the end up on a high point south of Waxahachie. Soap Creek follows VV jones road for awhile and ends just south of Midlothian. I thought it interesting how the Rev White shrugs off the danger but still evacuates because he wants to visit a young lady in Waxahachie. I wonder if the young lady he wanted to visit was his first wife? Anyway read his recount to find out the reason for the evacuation and then what was the true story behind the bru-ha-ha. The incident is referred to as Mitchell's War.

Here is the recollection Of Rev. R. M. White:

"a report was circulated that the Indians were coming in overwhelming numbers, killing people along their route and devastating the country. They had taken the forts, so it was said, and were marching along in triumph. A courier was sent from Waxahachie notifying us of our danger and requesting us to be at that town before nightfall, for safety and defense A council of war was called to meet at the school-house, and after discussing the matter it was very much doubted whether the Indians were on the war-path; yet, as a matter of courtesy to the "Waxahatchets, combined with a faint probability that the report might be partly true, a rendezvous was appointed at the corner of Captain Bache's field. About one hour by sun the entire settlement had arrived in their wagons, with wives and little ones and such household goods as they could bring under the circumstances. The order being given to march, Aunt Susie Billingsly mounted a rock and called the assemblage to order. She then referred to their bravery and heroic conduct in Tennessee, Arkansas, and other sections where they had settled new countries; where they had fought and driven out the Indians, and now when they were more numerous and with no Indians within a hundred miles, they would flee from their homes and all they held dear! " Where, O, where," said the staunch old lady, " is your heroism of former days?" She then avowed that she could and would whip all the Indians that came; that they could do as they pleased, but that she, like Joshua of old, was going back home and would sleep soundly under her own roof. Thereupon, about one-half of the party returned to their homes, the others taking up the line of march for Waxahachie, I among the number, not that I believed the report, but I wished to come home any way to see friends, and especially a certain young lady. This I could consistently do, as I would have but little school where half or more of the children were gone. So, on we traveled, the wagons squeaking, as they were the wooden-axle sort, and no grease upon them. I and the young ladies put in the time singing and laughing to drown the noise of the wheels and the discordant jingle of bells, which were numerous. One good old sister called us to order, saying she thought prayers would be more appropriate to the occasion, as we did not know what moment we would be killed. I replied that if we had not prayed before, it was too late now, and that scared prayers would not avail much, if anything. On we went until finally reaching a creek, the largest one in the valley between Alva-rado and the Ovilla settlement. Going down the bank of this stream, which was steep, the goods of Mr. John Balch burst the front end gate of the wagon bed and the contents of the wagon, among which was a half barrel of soft soap, were spilled into the creek. I exclaimed, " Soap creek," which name it bears to this day. The damages being repaired as well as we could under the circumstances and the goods placed in the wagon, we moved on, reaching the top of the eminence south of the city of Waxahachie before daylight; then on to the houses of friends, and especially to the domicile of my dulciana. The Waxahatchets had gathered into the town and put out guards, some of whom were still at the ford or bridge of the creek south of the town. Seeing something in the distance they imagined that they saw a vast body.of Indians approaching the town. They gave the alarm and scouts were sent out to reconnoiter, when they discovered the visitors to be a herd of cattle that had stationed themselves on the eminence, as is their custom, to rest and ruminate. Day arrived and it was learned that the foundation for the alarming rumor was that a man had gone out to trade with the Indians and had taken too much of the devil's ale with him, which the redskins drank freely. The trader thought that when he had gotten them under the influence of the liquor he could cheat them more easily, but they caught him at his tricks and were about to get in their work on him, when he fled, and spread the report as stated above. Peace being restored, the settlers returned to their homes, doubtless wiser from their experience."

The incident in Ovilla that gave Squaw Creek it's name

1843 Ovilla, Texas. Mr Mitchell was watching over his heard of cattle. (His land was one mile north of the Billingsley settlement(also called Shilo then.) All the sudden there was a disturbance in the herd. INDIANS! The band of Indians brought down his cattle with their bows and arrows. They slaughtered Mr. Mitchell's cattle and began to eat the beef raw! (When I read that part, I flashed back to "Dances with Wolves" when Dunbar ate the raw Buffalo liver .) Mr Mitchell sent a runner to the Billingsley settlement. The Billingsley's hid their family in the creek bottom and told their family "to make no noise and answer no calls until Sammy came for them." (I assume Referring to Samuel Billingsley who would have been 50 years old at the time according to the book "The Peters Colony of Texas" pg192.

After boarding up their homes, 10 riflemen one by one in the night came to Mr Mitchell's aid. In the morning they confronted the Indians demanding payment for the slaughtered cattle . Indians hightailed it and took their stolen beef. They headed to the Brazos. The settlers had also sent a runner to Ft Worth to get the Texas Dragoons. The Dragoons ,also known as Texas Rangers, showed up too late for the confrontation but soon picked up the Indians' trail. They ambushed them on the Brazos river bank. The remaining Indians took flight to a cave on a small creek 5miles from the ambush. The Indians were found and all killed except for one Squaw who had ran down the creek only to be caught. The Dragoons named the creek, Squaw Creek after the Indian Squaw. Squaw Creek flows into the Paluxy River near the the Paluxy's intersection with the Brazos just East of Glen Rose, Texas. A canoe web-site shows a good map . It also is dammed for the Comanche Peak Nuclear plant. The Comanche Indians referred to the Peak as "Que-Tah-To-Yah" or "Rocky Butte".


Reference for this is "The Ovilla History Book" pg 14-15. "A Letter from Aaron Billingsley outlining the settlement of Ovilla"

Reading "The Peters Colony of Texas" by Seymour V. Conor I have found a David Mitchell who was involved in the Peters colony. He had a land certificate in Johnson County and in Ellis County. It also says he migrated to the colony a family man before July 1 st 1848. Maybe this is the same Mr Mitchell in our story who lost his cattle?

What tribe of Indians were in Ovilla when settlers came?

I grew up in Ovilla and in my High School days was able to find a little bit of Ovilla History at Sims Library in Waxahachie. There is a book in the archive area that has many recounts of early Ovilla History. From what I remember the Indians in the Ovilla area were friendly. Probably remained in the area because, although it may be hard to believe, Buffalo were plenty in Ellis county at one time. Tonkawa indians are the name of the Indians I have heard about in Ellis County and Ovilla. What the Handbook of Texas says about the Ellis County Indians is

"the Tonkawa Indians were the earliest inhabitants of the future county, though parties of Wacos, Bidais, Anadarkos, and Kickapoos often hunted in the area. Spanish missionaries worked with the Tonkawas, and as the American settlers began to move into the region in the middle of the nineteenth century, the Indians offered little organized resistance. By 1859 the Tonkawas had been removed to Oklahoma."

Comanches had squeezed the Tonkawa out of their land so the Tonkawa became Anglo friendly against a common enemy.

The Hanbook of Texas says about the allegiance,

"The Tonkawas often aided their new Anglo allies against the Comanches."

Growing up in the early 1980's my friends and I would ride our bikes to fishing ponds. We rode down water street, across the old wood bridge (not there now) over Red Oak creek, and to Bryson lane then at the Y split to Montgomery rd. If you kept riding until the road turns right 90 degrees(3 way stop there now) and goes down hill to a bridge you will find a flat field. To the back of the field (Northerly) runs Red Oak Creek. The east side there is a small tributary (where the bridge crosses). All along the West side of the field is a hill covered with trees. I have been told and have read it is called "Indian Hill". The naming of the hill I guess is because of the obvious. Old timers tell me that they found artifacts and arrowheads in the field. I personally have found a crude arrowhead in the field. But it has been picked over pretty good and houses are in the area now. My friends and I would also venture there to fire shotguns and rifles. Occasionally we rode three wheelers or motorcycles in this low land cul-de-sac we called "Sheeps bottom". I think it was named after the fella that owned the land. I believe he also owned the old Gas station near the old Cotton Gin in Downtown Ovilla. It is also reported that "Indian Hill" is a Texas Ghost Town. But the only time I did venture up there I did find some old wood but no structures to speak of.

I had talked to a police officer that said in the 70's he had arrested a bunch of naked hippies down in "Sheeps bottom". Apparently it was a "parking" spot for teenagers for sometime. I remember there being a dirt car path all the way around the field. Maybe the wild spirit of the Indians exist there?

I've posted three pictures I took of "Sheeps Bottom" and "Indian Hill" today. Two pics are at At Montgomery and Ashley Circle. First picture on top is straight down the middle of the field where Red Oak Creek is behind the houses to the right and straight behind the house is more of the field. The second is facing the West side of "Sheeps bottom" where the trees go up Indian Hill. There is a distinctive house with columns closest to Montgomery in the field but I didn't get a pic of it. The third picture is farther West up Montgomery (up the Hill). (My etrex gps coordinates are N32degrees 31.916' W096degrees 55.022'.) The land pretty much stays this elevation on the north side of Montgomery all the way to Joe Wilson Rd. If there was an old town here it probably was along this whole stretch. It is in ideal place for an Indian camp. High ground to defend against enemies and near a water source.

Note:07/12/2007 Since posting I have that Lester Lindop was nicknamed "sheep" because of his snow white hair according to the Ovilla History book page 125. He ran a restaraunt called Star Cafe and the Co-op and Gin for 25 years in Ovilla. I think his place is where we got green apple bubble gum. For some reason Pickard's didn't sell the green version.