09-27-06

After I received the old railroad map of this area that my Cousin Billie worked so hard to find, I found that one question led to other questions surrounding events and the lives of the pioneer family settlers. The maps have different symbols for log houses and barns in the area. The maps of 1853 and 1871 that Billie was able to find have been the highlight in my historical researching.

Wesley Calvin Redfearn was fourteen years old when he arranged his trip to the Onaga area. There were no roads, or dots on the map in the area just east of the Texas and Pacific railroad from the underpass north of town to close to Oak Grove community. This area had not been settled at this time.

Wesley Calvin Redfearn looked at this area and found land that appealed to him. After he finished his mission of escorting the Whiting family, he planned to return to this area. Wesley Calvin Redfearn was a scout for the small family wagon train of the Whiting family. Mr. Whiting was involved in a shooting incident with outlaws and was running from law enforcement, when he proposed to Wesley Calvin Redfearn the adventurous trip of riding in the family wagon, taking the family west. Mr. Whiting slipped through the woods and rode along in hiding with the family as they traveled with the wagon train.

The families in the wagon train left Ozarka Town, Missouri, which is the home of the famous outlaw Jesse James. After escorting the Whiting family to the west, Wesley Calvin Redfearn worked at the Lights Ranch at Pilot Point. When he turned nineteen, he found his lifetime sweetheart and wife, Edna Wells from Parson Community.

The couple had nine children. They were: twins, Bailey and Deck; Bill; Charlie; Harlan; Edna Mae; Dovie; Irene and Jewel. Irene currently lives in Denton.

Bobby Redfearn is a third generation peanut farmer to farm the rich, fertile soil in this area. He is the son of Deck Redfearn. His grandparents were large producers of watermelon and sugar cane. One of the photos shows the sugar cane steam engine that was used in the manufacturing of sugar and syrup.

Bobby said that the entire family was a very hard working group of peanut farmers and that Wesley Calvin was the head of this hard working family.

The other photo shows a 1928 farm truck. There are many turkeys under the truck and cotton plants surrounding the truck. The truck was loaded with watermelons that were to be taken to Dallas.

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