From "The Flo News" published in Buffalo
Express Dec 5, 2006
Written by Norma Moore
The Fort Boggy Stockade was built in 1840 on
the north bank of the Boggy Creek in the Leon Co. prairie settlement. This
was located along the Kings Highway between the Brazos and Trinity Rivers.
Due to hard times and high prices in the United States other
settlements were making their way to the new republic of Texas due to farm land
was so cheap. Bonnie Middleton and his family and the James Riley family
all of Illinois were the first settlers to claim the Leon Prairie as home.
Others to follow were Robert and Stephen Rogers, John Byrns, Christopher Staley
of Tennessee, John and James Erwin of Mississippi. They came here in many
different ways, by wagon, trains, and boat. If they came by boat they
arrived at the port of Galveston. They traveled with all of their
possessions. Those who came by boat suffered more hardships; they had to
start all over with everything. These families are credited as being the ones
who actually established the foundation of Leon Prairie which in turned paved
the way for our Leon County.
Soon these families settled into a promising life style of
farmers. They worked long hours and endured hours of clearing every part
of their land for planting cotton, corn, gardens and fruit trees. This was
done even before they built their cabins. These cabins were built out of
the same wagons they came to Texas in. Each family would help the other
with the building projects, this being about the only time they saw one another.
They had no time to spare due to all the work that needed to be done for
visiting and socializing.
The first year was very hard, the families had little or no
money had to raise their corn and cotton to take to market and their gardens for
food. They felt blessed with the wild game they found on this new Texas
frontier. The families were real good about sharing with one another.
Soon other immigrants were joining the families; they were
seeking a better way of life. Many were young and unmarried men who came
by horseback. Some of these men were Easton's, Howells, Hinton's and James
Bynrs. This group is remembered as some of the best leaders of the Leon
Prairie.
For Leon County to have success and survival and prosper
happened as more families moved in such as the Erwin's, Jones, Bloodworths and
Capps. All was going well until one morning when Christopher Staley head
what he believed to be a wild turkey, got his gun and went hunting, he was
immediately killed by Indians in plain sight of the Staley's and Byrns
residences. After they buried Staley the following day the residents got
together to address their Indian problem and the days that followed they
continued to raid and steal their livestock. The killed Steven Rodgers.
With the discovery of two Indian villages, the Kichai
(Keechi)) and the Kickapoos located three miles north of present day
Centerville. The settlers were gripped with fear they were determined to
have protection. They came to the conclusion they would build a fort and
they immediately agreed the fort would be built on the Erwin land. It was
already for crops and it was located on the north bank of the Boggy Creek.
The residents felt this to be a safer position for them to keep a watchful eye.
It was also agreed that the fort should bear the Erwin name.
Since the fort was located nearly on the Boggy creek the men referred to the
fort as Thor Fort on the Boggy and soon an accepted agreement was settled the
name of the fort would be Fort Boggy which has remained until this day.
The fort was built under the authority of President of the Republic of Texas.
Mireabeau Lamar declared the fort would be formed with a
military company that consisted of Captain Thomas Greer, first lieutenant Tom
Middleton and second lieutenant Elisha Whitten and John Byrns as Ensign and
twenty five young men signed up to e soldiers and several regular Texas Rangers.
In 1840-1841 it was a construction that took two years when it was finished it
consisted of blockhouses with eleven simple dwellings which was described as
being very simple shanties. Inside was a picketed square of seventy five
yards. The blockhouse was constructed of post oak trees which were
plentiful in the boggy area. The blockhouses were built two stories high,
the upper story extending over and beyond the walls of the lower floor so that
defenders could prevent an approach to the ground entrance.