Deep Creek Community

Deep Creek Community, named for a nearby natural landmark, was settled about 1854 by pioneers Sam Woody and Tom McCarroll, and its population grew as several of Woody's former neighbors from East Texas joined them. Along the creek, farmers raised cotton, corn, and cattle. In 1860, Tom McCright and Andrew Mann gave land for a cemetery, and local Baptists built a church that also served as a schoolhouse. The dangers of frontier life were reflected in the grave of Miss Sally Bowman, who died in 1868 after being shot during a wild chase by Indians who surprised her while she tended her father's herd of fine horses, and a neighborhood monument stands at her grave. Other early settlers buried there include many Civil War veterans. The community was also the boyhood home of Lawrence (J. L.) Ward, president of Decatur Baptist College during 1900-1907 and 1910-1950. In the 20th century, the nationally known ballet "Winter at Deep Creek," produced by the American Folk Ballet and originated and choreographed by Burch Mann, a great-granddaughter of early settler John Mann, recaptured the flavor of pioneer days.

Texas · United States