The voice was that of a nude threeyear-old boy who ran from the men when he found neither of them was his father . The child ’ s body had been scratched with briars , and his side had been lanced by the Indians . The only explanation offered by the child was that the ‘ booger-man did it .’”
The startled settlers carried the boy to their wives who plucked briars and thorns from the poor child and dressed his wounds and clothed him . The men returned to the saddle to search for other tracks or victims .
“ Returning to the place where the young victim had been discovered , the settlers , with others , traced the footprints for about four hundred yards , where they found the ox-wagon , one of the oxen with an arrow in it , and the bodies of James McKinney , Cynthia , and their baby . Both James and Cynthia had been scalped .”
Settlers later learned that while
in Springtown James McKinney had made a very bad decision : he ’ d traded his pistol for provisions , leaving him powerless to defend his family against the merciless raiders . The body of the McKinneys ’ six-year-old daughter was later found on the trail leading north out of the settlements near present-day Bridgeport . Those of the family killed in the incident were buried in a single grave in Goshen Cemetery , about three miles west of Springtown . The surviving three-year-old boy , Joe , was raised in Springtown and later lived in Jacksboro .
“ Although Issac Brisco had left Jack County because of the county ’ s vulnerability to Indian attacks , he found no refuge from the red men ’ s wrath in his new location in North Parker County .” In 1866 , the year following his daughter ’ s family ’ s slaughter , he and his wife were also killed and scalped .
As a population center , Agnes never amounted to much , at its peak home to no more than 100 people . Historians blame it on the railroad .
“ The residents of the Agnes community like so many of the early settlers expected the railroad to come through and bring prosperity and growth . The railroad was not to be and the hopes of ever having one there caused some to move into the larger cities for work . Those that stayed lived modestly and invested their time into agriculture . As roads and vehicles made travel more accessible the younger folks got jobs in the larger cities . The farmers and ranchers stayed on , but ultimately the land began to be sold .” ( Parker County Historical Commission )
Named after Agnes Mull , the daughter of a prominent physician , the community was granted a post office in 1879 and lost it in 1907 .
Life in old-time Agnes was typical
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MAY 2018 PARKER COUNTY TODAY MKT-1918B-A
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