LUCY ANN (PHILLIPS) SHARPE
Birth: 25 Dec 1852
Death: 22 Jan 1941
(age 88 years, 0 months, 27 days)
Life Story of Lucy Phillips Sharpe (1852-1941)
I am a reader of the press. Also I like to listen my radio programs, and when I read and listen to the preparations and programs being assembled for the great Texas Centennial, the 100th anniversary of Texas, my mind drifts back through the rift of years and events that made up my life while pioneering in Texas. It seems that I have played a part in the drama that might fill a little niche of Texas frontier history.
My grandparents and parents came from the blue-grass country near Frankfort, Kentucky where he raised and bred fine horses and mules, some of which took silver cups years after years at the various state fairs. One of these trophies, a solid silver cup, I now possess. My cousin in Dallas also has one. In the year 1845 my grandparents, Colonial William Myers settled in Dallas on a farm which at this time is the center of Oak Cliff. (These old settlers are buried in the old country cemetery out the Jimtown Road – Old Jive Mile Church.)My Father, Thomas A. Phillips, and my mother settled in Tarrant County near Birdville and raised cattle, where I was born on December 25, 1852. When I was four they moved to Dallas and settled on a small farm two miles west of Dallas. My father owned a small herd of cattle at this time. During the winter they would drift across the Trinity River and the rustlers would get them. That would be the last we would see of our cattle. There was nothing we could do. So the rustlers broke my father up in the cattle business. As he was broken in health he did not continue in the cattle business in 1861.
Being a child, naturally childish, my memory is more vivid on the real important things. In 1861 when the war of the states broke out I was nine years old. One-day soldiers came to our house and our watchdog, Cobb, sprang between them and the women folk and growled. O0ne of the soldiers drew his pistol to shoot the dog. My oldest sister, Bearella, stepped between the dog and the soldier and said, “Don’t you shoot the dog.”
During the War we had some very dry years. The Trinity River was dry for miles and we had to haul our drinking water two miles from a spring in the riverbank. The French Colony was a mile northwest of my home. There was where I got my education by attending school a few months each year.
On August 21, 1873 I married H.L. Sharpe. The wedding was performed by Reverend A.P. Smith of the Presbeterian Church in Dallas. After our marriage we lived in Dallas County until 1876. Two sons were born in Dallas --- H.P. Sharpe was born April 29, 1874, who now lives near Cartersville, Parker County, Texas; and E.L. Sharpe born on September 20, 1875, who now lives on Clear Fork eight miles northeast of Weatherford, Parker Country, Texas.
In 1876 we moved to Clay County, Texas. I begged my husband not to move our cattle but to sell them and buy more when we got settled. He would not take my advice and when the first blizzard struck they jumped the canal and left us. We got one cow back, however, the next winter she left and we never saw her again. The winters were very severe. While building our home we were caught in a blizzard with only a partly built house. But we all moved into the Ritthers and by stringing a tarpaulin up to keep the wind out, we managed to live fairly comfortably until we could complete our house.
We had two daughters born in Clay County --- Minnie Harriet Sharpe born on October 23, 1876, who is now Mrs. Barney Barker, wife of ex-sheriff of Parker County; and Sarah P. Sharpe born on July 27, 1879, who is now Mrs. C.L. Kendrick and lives in Lawton, Oklahoma with her family.
In 1896 we moved to Parker County and located on a farm nine miles northeast of Weatherford. Six children were born to us in Parker County --- W.T. Sharpe born on March 29, 1886, who lives on his farm on the east side of Clear Fork; Issac H. Sharpe born on February 1, 1884, who lives at Perryton, Texas where he owns a small truck farm; M.C. Sharpe born on January 21, 1887, who lives in Follett, Texas where he is rural mail carrier; J.E. Sharpe born on September 22, 1888, who lives on a farm north of Weatherford in the Weiland Community. C.W. Sharpe born on August 21, 1892, who lives in Weatherford at 207 Church St., owner of the Sharpe Grocery Store; and Lucy Sharpe, born February 28, 1895 who is now Mrs. Robt. A. Harris and lives in Ft. Worth where she teaches school.
On October 13, 1906, I lost my husband after which I and my two younger children moved to Weatherford and bought and lived at a house at 613 W. Bridge Street (Now 711 Bridge Street in Weatherford) where I still reside. When I look back over all these years and count my 38 grandchildren and my 21 great-grandchildren and know I was born, reared, and still live in a depression; And while I am 83 years old, I still live by the 23rd Psalm. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” He has always taken care of me.
My sister who died in Ft. Worth a few years ago was the first white child born west of the Trinity River. She was Mrs. Sallie Brittian of Kennedale.