2017-11-18: Geocaching Close to Home at a Cemetery, a Nice Hike, an Old Bridge, and a Dancing Tree

Hello and welcome back to our Geocaching Adventures Blog. Today was kind of a lazy day. We did get out for some caching and enjoyed the beautiful weather, but stayed close to home in Killeen and Fort Hood, Texas.

Our first stop was a small historic cemetery and ghost town next to the airport. From the historical marker: "Brown (Okay Community) Cemetery" Elisha Ivy, for whom Ivy Mountain Road was named, established a home and store in this vicinity in the 1860's. In the 1870's, a community known as Liberty Hill was developed northwest of his property. In 1896, when the rural settlement applied for a post office, it's name was changed to Okay. Area residents supported churches, a school, and businesses, and Samuel Marion and Mary Elizabeth (Evans) Brown set aside land for a community burial ground formally deeding it in 1907.

As military installations in the area grew, the community of Okay was displaced and ceased to exist in the 1940's. In 1953, the U.S. Government decided to extend the runway at Gray Air Force Base, where the Brown (Okay Community) Cemetery was located, approximately 1,600 feet southwest of this site. The Army Corps of Engineers moved 70 graves, 30 of which were unidentified individuals, to this location and aligned the burials similarly to original positions. The earliest marked grave dates to 1882 and is that of infant David Davis. Today the cemetery is a reminder of Okay Community and the families who lived there.

After looking around at the different headstones, I forgot all about the cache and left without finding it. Oh well. Just means we'll be back another day!

Have you ever found yourself driving down the road and spotting something out of the corner of your eye and you just start laughing? Well that happened on our way to the next cache! Driving down Maxdale Road on the way to the small community of Maxdale, we were passing through part of the Fort Hood Recreation Area. It's just a wooded area set aside for hiking and some off road trails. I think the army base may sometimes perform some training maneuvers there also. But as I was driving though I spotted what looked like an old dead tree doing some John Travolta disco dance moves! Oh I just had to make a u-turn and get a photo. While the picture doesn't quite come alive like the images I had going through my head, perhaps the tree has the Fever on Saturday Nights! Maybe this is what the large walking talking trees from the Lord of the Rings movie do when nobody is around. HaHaHa!

OK, enough of the dancing trees. A short ways further down the road and we arrive at Parrie Haynes Equestrian Center and our next two caches (GC4B0BF, GC4B0BN). The first was by the office. The host there noticed we had been looking for some time and came out to inquire if we were looking for that "Geo thing." I said yes and she pointed out where it usually is but said some kids were playing around there and it may have been moved. Well we expanded our search and eventually found it, returning it to where she had said.

The second cache was a short hike down a trail. There was a trail ride or some kind of horse event going on, so a lot of muggles riding horses everywhere. Most were off in the woods, but occasionally we encountered one or two riding along the dirt hiking trail. When we arrived at the cache location it was in the middle of some trees next to an old windmill and watering hole.

Arriving in the ghost town of Maxdale, Texas, we first stop at the old truss bridge built in 1914 (GCMFXE). Crossing the Lampasas River, it has been replaced by a more modern bridge a short distance away. This cool historic bridge is no longer open to cars. Just the brave pedestrians willing to venture out onto the wood planks, some of which are missing. But there is a geocache hidden out there so of course I'm going! Though it isn't that bad, so I would have gone anyway. As for the cache itself, it hadn't been found in five months. Two of the last four cachers having logged DNFs were experienced cachers too. Even those that did find it had posted about the container being damaged and a wet log. I spend about 20 minutes looking and came up empty. Since this was a historical place and a cool location, and the original hider was no longer active, I decided to go ahead and replace the cache with a new container. I happened to have a magnetic key holder which was perfect for this location. Some disagree with this practice and I'd wouldn't normally do this if there wasn't anything to see here. But I wanted to continue bringing other cachers to this location. 

Crossing over the newer bridge, brought us into what's left of Maxdale, Texas. The area began settlements in the 1860's, it wasn't officially established with a post office until 1883. The town never really blossomed, reaching a maximum 50 residents in 1925. The post office closed in 1926 and the town slowly started declining. The population today is reported at only 4 residents.

Over at the Maxdale Cemetery is our last two geocaches, one traditional cache GC298G0 and one virtual cache GCG2EJ. From the historical marker: Established in the 1860's to serve the rural community of Pleasant Grove, this community is one of the oldest in Bell County. Land for the graveyard was given by Frank N. McBryde Sr, whose 1883 application for a post office for the community resulted in the name change to Maxdale. The earliest documented grave is that of Louisa Marlar (1849-1867), although an 1863 tombstone marks the site of a grave reinterred here from another location. Others interred here include pioneer settlers and veterans of the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and Korea.

The one headstone that caught my eye was this one belonging to: "Thorpe and Mosley, Killed in 1876 by John Carver."

That was it for today. Like I said, not a big adventure but enjoyed the wonderful day and saw some interesting places. Until next time...

2017-10-14: Geocaching in a Cemetery, at a Cannon, and a Ghost Town

Thank you for returning to our AwayWeGo's Geocaching Adventures Blog. My name is Mark and I'm the blogging half of the awayWEgo. Today wasn't a busy caching day. I'm still working as a construction surveyor on a commercial solar power plant in West Texas. But now with a home also in Killeen, about 5-6 hours away, where the better half of the awayWEgo will soon be working. This means a long commute on the weekends.

On today's long 360+ mile drive back to West Texas, we made a few stops to geocache and break up the long drive. This also gives us a chance to see some historical sights and learn about Texas.

Our first geocache was in a town called Brady at the cemetery (GC2H37Q). Live Oak Cemetery in Brady, TX has over 4200 permanent residents dating back to the 1800's. Two graves that caught my attention were these brick covered plots. The one having the opened top makes me wonder if they've escaped and now wandering the surface with the walking dead.

McCulloch County was organized in 1876 with Brady as county seat. The first courthouse was built in 1879. This second and current courthouse was completed in 1900 on the same site. Modified Roman architecture employing arch vault, Victorian copula, pine woodwork, flooring, and native sandstone from local quarries.

The town of Brady is often called "The Heart of Texas" because of it's almost near geographical center of the state. There is a historical marker north of town referencing the geographic center. However, the actual geographical center is a few miles from it and located on private property.

Also in town square and to the side of the courthouse is our next cache called KA-BOOM (GC2HF3A). It took some searching and Candy actually spotted it first with her keen eyes. Hidden on a United States Army 155mm Howitzer model M114A1, upgraded to A2 Type, and built in 1944. Dedicated on Veterans Day November 11, 1995 to honor all McCulloch County Veterans. 

Continuing westbound a few miles, we arrived at our first ghost town and our next geocache (GC15638). West Sweden was settled in 1905 when a flock of Swedish immigrants transmigrated from their farms in Travis and Williamson County, led by their pastor Ernest Severin. The town's name carried on a tradition (after New Sweden in Travis County and nearby East Sweden, Texas) but the town never prospered and it is believed the residents returned to their previous homes. The community remained on highway maps in 1948 but by the 1980's it was just a memory. All that remains is the cemetery.

And finally, we make a stop in the Garden of Eden (GC4FKW0). The town was not named after the biblical garden but after one Frederick Ede (the 'n' was added later), a settler who moved to Concho County in the early 1880s. In fact it was Ede who donated land for the townsite and town square. He was thus honored when the town was granted a post office in 1883. 

By 1890 Eden had a population of 107 and growth was steady and promising. 1908 brought a public windmill and well. Eden incorporated in 1911. In 1912 Eden became the end of the line for a stretch of track of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad running from Lometa. The town had 600 people in 1914 and got its own school district in 1920. The population went from 600 in 1925 to 1,603 in 1941. The population peaked in 1954 with 1,993 people.

Near the center of town you'll find the Garden of Eden. A community garden full of native flowers and trees. It was a nice little stroll and we found the cache hidden among the rocks.

2017-09-24: Geocaching a Couple of Pioneer Cemeteries in Texas

So Friday night we drove over from West Texas into the Killeen/Ft Hood area to look at some houses to rent. That is how we spent yesterday. Today we made the drive back to Monahans, stopping a few times along the way to grab some Geocaches.

Our first cache was a quick one right at the hotel and then another in the Walmart parking lot. Then we drove over along side the airport to find the Brown (Okay Community) Cemetery cache (GC4QKZ8). 

Elisha Ivy, for whom Ivy Mountain Road was named, established a home and store in this vicinity in the 1860s. In the 1870s, a community known as Liberty Hill developed northwest of his property. In 1896, when the rural settlement applied for a post office, its name was changed to Okay. Area residents supported churches, a school and businesses, and Samuel Marion and Mary Elizabeth (Evans) Brown set aside land for a community burial ground, formally deeding it in 1907.

As military installations in the area grew, the community of Okay was displaced and ceased to exist in the early 1940s. In 1953, the U.S. Government decided to extend the runway at Gray Air Force Base, where the Brown (Okay Community) Cemetery was located, approximately 1,600 feet southwest of this site. The Army Corps of Engineers moved 70 graves, 30 of which were for unidentified individuals, to this location and aligned the burials similarly to original positions. The earliest marked grave dates to 1882 and is that of infant David Davis. Today, the cemetery is a reminder of the Okay community and the families who lived there, added to the long list of ghost towns.

Our next stop was for another Brown Cemetery geocache (GC3D2BY) just outside of San Saba, TX. After living for a time in Arkansas, John H. "Shorty" Brown (1817-1896), his wife Jane Ann, and some of their children came here. Brown helped found San Saba in 1854 and became a civic leader. Although San Saba County provided a graveyard, Brown and his wife deeded this plot of land near their home for a family burial ground. Jane Ann, who bore 17 of Browns 21 children, was probably the first burial here about 1874. Brown's son and son-in-law who were murdered are buried here along with other family members and friends.

Next to the cemetery is a community park that has a train trestle railroad track passing over the entrance that made for a nice photo. I just wish I could have removed those signs first and then taken the picture.

Our next and last geocache of the day was located in a town called Eden, TX. The Pioneers Rest Cemetery (GCM02B) was set aside in 1882 when the town of Eden was platted by Fred Ede. Though older burials may be present, the earliest tombstone is that of the five-week old infant son of Frederick and Susan (Reynolds) Shutt, buried in 1882. Several graves for children and infants bear witness to the harsh conditions of pioneer life.Adults, too, faced difficult time. John Emmett Molloy and Charles Edward Waring both were killed in accidents with horses. According to oral history, a woman named Carson was killed by a runaway horse in 1887 and is buried in an unmarked grave of an estimated 33 or 34 burials believed to have taken place here, only fifteen tombstones remained standing at the dawn of the 21st century, but Pioneers Rest Cemetery continues to be a chronicle of Eden's history. Unfortunately when it comes to the cache, this one was a DNF as it was missing.

Not as big a geocaching adventure as usual, but this wasn't a caching trip. More of taking care of some business with some caching tossed in to break up the long drive. Thanks for stopping by to read our blog. See you out at the next cache...