Elizabeth Boyle Smith was born in Blair Mains, Dairy, Ayrshire, Scotland on July 12, 1848 to Allan Boyle and Elizabeth Orr Young. She came to the United States in 1871 after the death of her mother that year to follow four of her brothers who had had come to America. The siblings and their families first lived in Missouri before settling in Texas. Elizabeth was a single woman keeping house for her brothers when she met Henry Clay Smith. They were married on April 10, 1984 in Palo Pinto County.
Henry was born August 15, 1836 in Rossbrun, Worzburg, Bavaria, Germany. His name was “anglicized” from his birth name of Heinrich Schmitt. His father died when he was 12 years old. He came to the United States with two sisters in 1851. Henry first lived in the northern United States where at least one of his sisters had settled. After working at various jobs in the north, he is said to have visited the west as far as Missouri, Wyoming and and on to California. Henry served in the 4th Texas Cavalry, Confederate Army, in the New Mexico territory in the Sibley Brigade under John R. Baylor. Afterward, he moved to West Texas where he met and married Elizabeth. It was said to be love at first sight. Henry was about 38 and Elizabeth was around 26 when they married. For about four years, they resided in Fort Griffin and operated the Occidental Hotel, the only hotel for miles.
The couple had a son, Henry A. Smith, who was born and died the following year. The following children were added to the family: George William, Leila Elizabeth, Robert Burns, Annie Josephine and Mary Magdalene, all of whom lived to be adults and were born in West Texas.
Old Fort Griffin was a frontier outpost. From 1867 to 1881, the military fort was operated by the United States Army to defend against the native tribes. A community developed outside the boundaries of the government property. Fort Griffin also served as a stopping point for the buffalo trade and later for cattle drives heading to northern markets. The adjacent community was known for its wildness, saloons and brothels. Around 1876 or so, Henry Clay had helped a businessman named Charles P. Tasker in financing the construction of a planned Mt. Blanco rock house located over 150 miles to the west in what is now Crosby County on the eastern edge of the Llano Estacado, the vast area known for its so called table-land.
Tasker was sometimes referred to as an Englishman but most likely was an American-born young man who hailed from the Philadelphia area. He had come to West Texas around the same time as had Smith. Tasker planned to settle in the previously uninhabited Mt. Blanco area to create a large ranch that he planned to call Hacienda de Glorieta. He was aware that the canyon next to Mt. Blanco, a limestone mesa, included a water source that could be dammed up to create a reservoir which could attract buffalo and deer and possibly be used for irrigation. He had engaged Smith to assist in the construction of his planned estate. Smith had financed some of the construction cost. However, Tasker ran into funding problems and was forced to leave the project incomplete. To settle his debt to Smith, Tasker abandoned his interest in the house and property. Smith moved his family there in 1878 and completed the residence which came to be known as the Rock House. It was the first permanent structure built in Crosby County, making the Smith family the first anglo settlers in the area.
The Smiths raised all their children the rock house. Mt. Blanco is located about 140 miles northwest of Abilene and around 10 miles outside of the current town of Crosbyton. The two story structure served as the post office and Mrs. Smith served as postmaster until 1918, a period of 40 years. The house was the only structure for miles and it became a way point for travelers. At various times, Smith had operated a store out of the residence. In addition to her family responsibilities and postmaster duties, Elizabeth was said to have become the nurse, school teacher and provided other services as needed. Over time, the Smiths became known by the locals and Uncle Hank and Aunt Hank.
The area was not without its risks. From time to time, they had to deal with Indian raids, though their arrival was near the end of more frequent hostilities. Hank Smith also factored into the establishment of another settlement known as Estacado. A Quaker by the name of Paris Cox had been attracted to the wide open nature of West Texas. Cox had a vision of establishing a community of fellow believers there. During the late 1870s Cox had come with the buffalo trade where he sought out and met Smith. Inspired by Smith’s property, he and Smith traveled about 20 miles to the west and found an area previously also uninhabited by anglos. Comments about the timing of Cox’s arrival include that it was during a somewhat rare period of plentiful rain for the region. It seemed to be lush with buffalo, antelope, wild turkeys and other game. Cox established his community there, calling it Estacado. It was the first anglo settlement in the area. Its first few residents endured a cold, harsh West Texas winter. Despite the more typical dry weather of the region, Estacado seemed to gain a foothold for a time before drought conditions, grasshopper swarms and harsh winters discouraged the settlers. For a couple of years, the community operated a college known as Central Plains Academy, but soon the Quaker settlers began to drift away to more hospitable areas. In 1886, Estacado began to serve as the county seat. Then Cox succumbed to suspected throat cancer in 1888. After an election in 1891 the county seat was moved to nearby Emma. By the mid 1890s, most of the residents had moved away. Now only a cemetery remains.
Henry died of unknown causes at Mt. Blanco in the spring of 1912. He was 75 years old and was buried in the cemetery at Emma. Elizabeth died in 1925 at the age of 77. She had been a resident of Crosby County for forty-seven years. Funeral services officiated by Rev. W. K. Johnson of Lubbock were held at her home. Local ministers assisted at the graveside services and she was interred at Old Ema Cemetery, south of Ralls, beside her husband Henry Clay.
The Rock House was inhabited by members of the Smith family for many years. A granddaughter recalled growing up there while Elizabeth and Henry were living. Elizabeth was still active, she said, and though Henry was in poor health and needed a walking stick to get around, he enjoyed going down to the creek and watching the water flow by. She also recalled that they had a bed of peppermint plants which they picked to flavor their hot tea. There was a water wheel that operated a mill. An article mentioned that Elizabeth was known for her wonderful yeast rolls and bread which she cooked on her weekly baking day. A final memory was of the cowboys who would ride up to the house to pick up their mail, including mail order catalogs. After being left to the elements, the original Rock House finally collapsed on itself. Some of the contents are housed in a Crosbyton museum along with a replica of the Smith’s limestone home.
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