This story was handwritten by my grandfather,
Dennis A. Looney, in March 1948.
It describes events and people who lived in the Rosebud area in the late 1800s.
This is the story as my grandfather wrote it.

In the fall of 1888 when I was a lad of 16 father and mother moved to
Rosebud. Four years before there was a store here. Cedar Springs (Valasca
then) had a store and old - what we call a mule gin across the road from the
present school. The men would tramp the press full of lint cotton. There was
a beam attached to a press underneath and a mule would go round and round 
like a sorgum mill. Until the cotton was pressed.

There was a gin at Wilderville run by steam. A Dr. Role, a grocery
store and a beer joint.

We picked cotton for old man Rick Harris on the Polk farm, mile west
of Wilderville. We also picked cotton for fitty Bill Smith on the ridge east
of Travis about 3/4 mile. Father rented land from Bill Grooby 1889. Grooby
had the first gin in Rosebud. It was on Marlin and Rosebud Road near the Eddy
Pashel place. There was no store in Rosebud. Just Post Office and Black
Smith shop owned by Allen Taylor. There was 8 families lived in the present
city limits. The Gotts, Ben Grooby, Frances A. Looney, Tom Perkins, John
Grady, Shed Grady, Mr. Mullins, Jim Gott. There were wild turkey, deer,
racoons, wolves and wild cats. I wish the boys of Rosebud just had the game
we boys had then. Jess Howard and half brother of mine was hunting in Pond
Creek bottoms, a deer jumped up and both shot at him and killed him, but never
knew which one killed him. Both had old time muzzle load rifles. Anyway
they divided 50-50. We chased a wild cat one night with hounds until he got
to Pond Creek bottoms, the racoons was so thick every dog taken a coon trail
and we lost track of the cat. Yes there was lots of deer and turkey here up
to 1902.

There is only one woman living that was here in 1888 that I remember.
Mrs. Marthy (Howard) Williams, George Williams wife. Miss Marthy lived with
her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Howard south of Rosebud. There is only 5 men
with myself that lived here 1888 and 1890. Tom Gotts, Dares Furgeson, Neely
Watkins, Hall Stalsworth. We moved from Rosebud in 1891. Came back in 1899
and worked the S. J. Slade land the same we worked in 1889. Made 31 bales
cotton, sold it at 8 cents. Made a crop on Thorton Asbury place 1900, that
was on Hogg Creek east of Tom Gotts present home and where the Brama Cattle
Ranch is now. I went to Spindle Top oil field July 1902, thru Beaumont, Sour
Lake, and married Miss Emma McBride Sept. 3, 1903. Moved back to Rosebud 1904
thru to the grove. And here I am now wife and one daughter. Living in three
blocks of where I lived with my parents in 1889 - 1899 and give God praise for
my long life and good home.

Rosebud Texas March 12th, 1948. The coldest 11 and 12th of March in
Texas history.

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