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Arrowood Cattle Brand
The "Empty Saddle" parade was on as Coryell Coounty began the celebration of
one hundred years in 1954. Leading the parade was Barry Jordan, son of Calvin and Desree
Arrowood Jordon, in reminiscence of the first cattle brand registered in Coryell County.
The county court records recorded the brand in the name of Anderson Dan Arrowood. Barry is
a great-great-nephew of Andeerson Dan Arrowood and at the present time this brand is
registered in Barry's name. Even though there is not many ofthe Arrowood Ancestry that
have need of the cattle brand today, we are proud of our heritage and treasure our brand.
< photo BCJordan.jpg >
Barry C. Jordan, 1st recorded brand registered in 1854
A restless group of people living in Henrietta, North Carolina made a decision to form a
wagon train the Spring of 1850. The Wilkeys, Carsons, Kirbys, Rodgers and William Joseph
Arrowood, born 1794, and his wife Elizabeth Anderson, born 1796, were a part of this
train.
In the early 1850's William Joseph Arrowood settled in Milam County and opened a
blacksmith shop. At his death Elizabeth moved to Coryell County and established a farm
homestead on Arrowood Creek six miles southeast of Gatesville. There is now an old
abandoned Arrowood Cemetery near the original homesite.
George Washington Arrowood born 1841, died 1917 was one of the 13 children of William
Joseph. He was married to Frances Oglesby in 1863, and later to Sallie Sarah Kames in
1868, who died in 1931. They reared three children; George Washington Jr., Maude, and
Annie Mae. George Jr. married Ida Pheffer and they had nine children: Alvin, Eva, Desree,
Annie, Anderson, Alvina, Dan, Doris and George Washington III. February 17, 1924 George
Jr. died leaving his wife to rear eight children. The youngest one, George III, was only
thirteen days old
Annie Mae Arrowood married Josh Allen Tharp who was elected to the Texas House of
Representative in 1915 and again in 1919-1920. Their children were Frank, Josh Jr., and
Daisy.
In 1905 Maude Arrowood, being an ambitious young lady, left the farm life in the Pecan
Grove Community moved into Oglesby to work for her Uncle Dan and was one of the first
telephone operators. Uncle Dan Arrowood was in the business of installing telephone lines
over the area. While working as an operator, Maude entered a sales contest the McGregor
Mirror newspaper sponsored on highest sales of subscriptions. She won. The prize -- a
piano. Later she married Leonard Alexander Ivy, 1917, and eventually her son Loyd,
daughter Wilma Ivy Spence, and grandson Jerry Helms would take lessons on this piano.
In July 1941 , the original George Arrowood homestead burned leaving Maude's family to
live in a cook shack and tent until a new home could be built that same year. Jerry Helms,
the great-great-grandson of George Arrowood and wife, Brenda Kirby Helms, now reside at
the old homestead.
-- Melba Ivy Galley, daughter of Loyd and Nathile Sims Ivy
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