Ellington, Caroline McDowell 1985-08-12

Mrs. Ellington discusses her late husband, F. M. (Frosty) Ellington, former cowboy and later Terry County sheriff (1920s), and her life on a farm near Brownfield.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: Caroline McDowell Ellington

Additional Parties Recorded:

Date: August 12, 1985

Location: Brownfield, Texas

Interviewer: Richard Mason

Length: 2 hours

Abstract

Tape 1, Side 1: Background, b: 1890, Parents, Surene and James William McDowell, Occupations, Childhood reminiscences, Grove City, Pennsylvania, Family farm, Oil activity, Harvest, Fuel used, Children's chores, Home production, Livestock, Chickens, Strawberries, Honey, Mother's personality, Father's personality, Education, Living with sister to avoid developing tuberculosis, Father's death, 1908, Ponies ridden to school, To Texas, Brother's move to Artesia, New Mexico, Homestead in Texas, House built, Learning to cook, Train to Yoakum County, Texas 1911, Teaching school, Students in Harris school, First impression of Plains, Landscape, Weather, Digging mesquite roots for fuel, Gathering cow chips for heat, Neighbors, Pennsylvania

Tape 1, Side 2: Neighbors, Yoakum County, Texas, Terry County, Texas, Sunday services, Frosty Ellington, Marriage, June 5, 1912, Transportation, Entertainment, Dances, Food, Music, Dance steps, Weather, Blizzard 1918, Sandstorms, Dances (again), Reasons why dances were stopped, 1920s, Sandstorms (again), Teaching school (again), Teachers following Mrs. Ellington, Subjects taught, Harris Community, 1920s, Description, Mail service, Doctors, Childbirth, Medicines available, Mr. Harris, Church, Farming, Crops raised, Livestock, Windbreak, Church (again), Frosty Ellington, Personality, Occupation, Breaking horses, Sheriff, 1925-1929, Night watchman, Sheriff (again), Prohibition, Reasons for running for office

Tape 2, Side 1: Frosty Ellington (continued), Opinion of alcohol use around Brownfield, 1920s, Railroad reaches Brownfield, 1917, Going to town, Riding horseback, Diet, Dairying activities, 1930s, Selling cream, Churning butter, Jersey cows, Murray Produce, Poultry production, Egg sales, Cotton production, Yield for Ellington family, Pulling cotton, Ginning, Poultry production (again), Bringing turkeys out of the rain, Hog slaughter, Processing and preservation, Killing and scraping of hog, Rendering lard, Sunday dinner, Baking bread and pies, Gardening, Vegetables raised, Putting up vegetables, Insect problems, Scorpions, Bed bugs, Garden insects, Church, Frosty Ellington, Arlene and sons, George McDowell, Family, Death

Tape 2, Side 2: Branding cattle, Anecdote: falling from horse, Cooking for the crew, Calf sale to pay off note for production costs, Eastern Star activities, Teaching music, Leonard Ellington, Upbringing, Community involvement

Range Dates: 1890-1985

Bulk Dates: 1917-1930s

Access Information

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