Voices From The Past

Remembering & Resurrecting History: Bosque River Valley DAR brings colorful personalities of yesteryear to life with Living History Cemetery Walk fundraiser

CLIFTON – Making the past live in the present is the best way to engage people in history. With their educational fundraiser, the Daughters of the American Revolution Bosque River Valley Chapter did just that with an informative and interesting Living History Cemetery Walk at the Clifton Cemetery Nov. 17.

On an uncharacteristically warm November day, actors in period costume brought people to life who played significant roles in the history of Clifton at the site of their final resting places. The engaging presentations were enhanced with a display of historic photos of the people brought to life by the actors.

“We are thrilled to have had the generous support of so many sponsors that allowed us to completely fund our scholarships this year,” Organizer Vice Regent for the DAR Bosque River Valley Chapter Dana Herod said. “We are focusing on rebuilding our DAR membership numbers. We will really need to increase our active members to make hosting another event a reality. It was fun and we hope too.”

In the past the DAR BRV Chapter offered two $1,000 scholarships to a Bosque County students. “The portrayers were so amazing and did an incredible job of bringing our Voices of the past to life,” Herod said. “Our hope is everyone made a connection to the founders and business owners who shaped the past.”

Steve Harr brought John Milton Bradstreet Jr. to life at his gravesite. Coming to America in 1630, great-grandfather several times over, Simon Bradstreet was heavily involved in colonial politics. He eventually becoming the last governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Dad John Milton Bradstreet Sr. was a prominent business man in Ohio and New York, founding the John M. Bradstreet and Sons. This firm later merged with the rivaling Douglas Agency to form Dun and Bradstreet.

Still a prominent business after 180 years, Dun and Bradstreet supports companies in the areas of sales, finance, compliance, procurement, and marketing worldwide. J.M. Junior chose a more pastoral life, settling on a 1,000 acre land in Bosque County with his wife Mary. For over 165 years, this land remains in the family – a true Texas Heritage Farm.

Their sons, Henry Clifton and Frank Kelsey, established their families in Clifton. Henry married Ella McSpadden of the Thomas McSpadden family who were early settlers. He later worked in the Post Office then the County Clerk’s office. Frank married Jinnie Bird Strange of Kopperl. When they moved to Clifton by 1919, they owned a soft drink bottling company downtown.

The early settler, Confederate soldier and member of the Ancient Free & Accepted Masons, Scottish born Thomas Alexander McSpadden (1833-1919) was portrayed by Steve James. He had moved to Bosque County with his four brothers from Mississippi, settling near Clifton in 1852. McSpadden was a deeply religious man and lay preacher. He married Mary Jan Jones and the couple had six children born in Bosque County.

Visitors also heard from D.C. (Duff) and Beulah (Lucy) Caraway D.C. (Duff) Caraway – portrayed by Bryan Davis and Liz Caraway – about how they established the Cliftex in 1916. The movie theater is now considered the oldest continuously operating movie theater in Texas. Duff died in 1950 and Lucy in 1971. They are buried side by side in Clifton Cemetery next to his parents and brothers.

Cousins Davis and Shane Caraway are fourth cousins, related to D.C. and Lucy While preparing their contribution to the cemetery walk, Liz also discovered that her husband Shane, Duff Caraway and Davis each descended from John E. Caraway, born in Colonial Virginia in 1652.

“I have attended these events in Stephenville, and they are always enlightening,” Davis said. “What a great way to learn more about Clifton's past while helping pave the way for its future.”

Other characters from Clifton’s past also came to life, including Francis Marion Kell and his daughter Sarah Lucinda (Sallie), played by Gary Waller and Belinda Honea, and Dr. William Rush Sedberry played by Michael Richardson,

The Sedberry family came from Tennessee in the early 1850s, with six kids in tow. Five more children would be born here in Bosque County. A successful farmer and livestock raiser William Rush Sedberry, Sr. became active in the politics of young Bosque County and became Bosque County Judge of in 1858. Senior also served in the Texas Legislation and joined the Confederate Army in the Civil War with two of his sons, Summer and Merritt.

Born in 1859, William Rush Sedberry, Jr. was just four years old, when Senior died of illness in Arkansas during the Civil War, Mother continued to farm the land, becoming the quintessential Texas Pioneer Woman, making decisions about planting, sowing, harvesting and selling farm produce. Her story is representative of many women, adapting during the war years from being dependent on her husband to a woman who was competent, successful and willing to perform duties commonly attributed to men.

Dr. William Rush Sedberry graduated medical school from Vanderbilt University, first practicing medicine just down from the road in Valley Mills before moving to Illinois where he met his wife, Miss Ida. The eventually moved back to Texas to Waco before coming back home to Clifton to set up practice in the new town, during the old horse and buggy days of a country doctor. The couple had four children. Sedberry died at the young age of 47. His wife had died three years earlier.

Born in Indiana in 1832, Francis Marion Kell, came to Texas with his parents came to Texas in 1838, settling first in the Anderson and Bell County areas. At the young age of 20, farmer and cattleman Kell bought land on both sides of the Bosque River. His first home was a stereotypical double log house with a dog run. Kell married Sarah Lucinda Potter in 1854.

The pioneers lived in constant fear of the Comanche raids and he became part of the minuteman militia with Capt. George B. Erath and Buck Barry. After a twin birth, Sarah passed away in 1871, leaving father Kell to raise 11 children. Kell had another six children with his second wife Emma Jo Biffle, 20 years his junior.

In the early 1880s, migration began from “Cliff Town” on the east side of the Bosque River to the town’s present location here on the west side where Kell owned all of the land . He added more rooms to the family home and ended up operating it as boarding house called The Kell Hotel.

Kell’s grave site is impressive, with his likeness, with one hand pointing the way to God and holding a Bible in the other. He had the monument with the inscription “For He will not forsake thee,” built for people to remember the faithfulness of God.

The DAR Cemetery Walk initiator and organizer Herod became involved with the DAR in 2013 through Sherrod Fielden and his wife Sue. Sue was the founding Regent for the area chapter. Herod’s cousin Glenda Stone was a Tarleton Librarian for over 40 years and also served on the board with Cindy Shipman at the Stephenville Historical Museum.

Together, Stone and Shipman worked on the first spirit walk in Erath County 15 years ago as a fundraiser for the institutions they worked for and to educate and share local history. They have successfully hosted the Erath County Spirit Walk for almost 15 years. Herod has volunteered as a tour guide and done the photos for each site for about 10 years.

Clifton High School freshmen from fellow DAR BRV member Gaye Lynn Seawright’s English class served as guides for the walk, taking guests to and from featured graves And as they performed their duties as guides and helpers, they too learned more about several fascinating people who helped to mold the Clifton community.