Goza's Wanderings and Wonderings: Oddfellows, Indian Attack and Small Town Cafe

Location: Liberty Hill Campground (COE), between Corsicana, Texas and Waco, Texas.

The nearest town to this campground is Dawson, Texas. The population is about 800 and has a Family Dollar store and a gas station with a Subway inside. Those are the commercial highlights of the town. But in typical Texas fashion, it is also the home of the Mighty Dawson High School Bulldogs. The bottom line; it's a small town, the kind I like. The town started growing after the railroad came through in 1881 and its population peaked at about 1,500 in 1928. In doing some reading about the town, I read about an "odd" building just off of the main street of town. I found it. It is a large, two story brick building. It turns out the building is a closed lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. I can't find any information as to when this lodge was operating or when it closed but I know their logo is three interconnected rings with the letters, F, L and T inside each ring. The letters stand for Friendship, Love and Truth. Their organization has been around for many centuries. I've also found out they ran/run orphanages and schools. So it's possible this building housed and educated orphans from this area. There is a IOOF headquarters in Corsicana that is open to the public. It originally housed a large orphanage/school. I wish I had known about it when I went there the other day because it sounds like an interesting place. Oh well, maybe I'll go if I'm in the area again, but I will be on the lookout for more of their lodges because I like what I've read about them so far.

The old "Odd Fellows" building. Maybe it was an orphanage and school, but I can't confirm it. The town of Dawson should clean it up and post the history of the building.

As proof of one time ownership, there is a plaque above the second story, middle window. The letters on top are IOOF (Independent Order of Odd Fellows). The three rings with F,L and T are the Odd Fellows logo. I still would like to know why it was built in such a small town. Oh well, some mysteries remain mysteries.

Since I went to see the veteran's memorial in Corsicana the other day, I had to see a different type of memorial here in Dawson. This memorial commemorates a fight between Indians and Non-Indians. For the first time, I'm using the term Non-Indians instead of Whites, because the non-Indians included many other races beside Caucasians. History is suppose to be accurate facts without any bias. This fight occurred back in 1838. As it is in most cases, the winner writes the history. So, the "facts" we know about the fight must be taken with a little dose of skepticism. Supposedly, a party of 30 non-Indians were surveying the area to locate property to be given to some of the soldiers that fought in the Texas War of Independence. Meanwhile, a group of 300 Indians were on a buffalo hunt and told the surveyors to leave. Apparently, the didn't leave quick enough so the Indians ambushed the surveyors, killing 25 of the 30 surveyors. About 30 Indians were also killed.This memorial is at the location of the mass burial of the non-Indians. Although the fight was in 1838, this memorial was erected in 1881, the same year that the Railroad came through the area. Nothing is mentioned about the Indians or why they would risk a fight with the Non-Indians knowing retaliation was bound to happen. I couldn't find any information as to what happened after the fight. You can bet "hell was raised" when 18 men employed by Texas was killed in a supposed massacre. Again, the winner writes the history.

The memorial is a simple one located just off the roadway. Apparently, the local garden club maintains the site.

It's a simple stone monument with the names carved in to the sides.

It is a nice location. Under a shade tree with a wide open view of the land.

To end this post on a happier note, I found a great little small town cafe in the city of Hubbard about 10 miles or so west of the campground. I found it online and the reviews were very positive. As soon as I entered the cafe, I got a good vibe. I was given a menu but didn't need it because right in front of the table at which I was sitting was a white board with the special of the day written in dry-erase pen. I ordered the chicken fried steak, mashed taters, pinto beans and side salad. Two rolls, cherry cobbler and coffee was included with meal. It was all really good. I wish I would have ordered the pea salad because it must have been very popular because during my meal, they erased it from the board due to being sold out. Being a small town cafe, I was able to overhear most of the news and gossip in town. I hope the husband gets out of the hospital and recovers from what his wife did to him after she found out what he did. Also, along the news front, a woman at the booth next to mine was telling the waitress and anyone else within earshot, about her trip to Mexico a couple of years ago. She didn't go there for vacation, she went just across the border for laparoscopic surgery to reduce the size of her stomach. She said her weight at the time of the surgery was 280 pounds. It cost $15,000.00 for the day surgery which was half of the quote she received in the U.S. When she stood up to get a re-fill of her iced tea, I could tell the surgery was a success and she looked great. I told her so as I walked past her table on my way to pay my bill. She and the other woman she was sitting with lit up with a smile,,,,, maybe I helped her have a good day. By the way, she isn't the one who "educated" her husband. Life in a small town.