Joe Smithee was the son of Samuel Harrison Smithee and Martha Emily Fortenberry Smithee(sister of Thomas Bandy Fortenberry). Joe married Oliner Mary "Ollie" Green September 29, 1894.
The Smithee, Green and Fortenberrys lived around Slidell, Texas, on the border of Wise and Denton Counties. By 1890, the Indian troubles were about over and Joe's uncle, John C. Fortenberry decided to move to the Llano Estacado or Staked Plains of west Texas. John and his wife, Ann had three small children, two covered wagons and nineteen head of horses. Joe Smithee and a friend, Jim White went along to help John move and build a home. They followed the railroad tracks to Childress, Texas. This was the main trading center for the Staked Plains. They went on west about seventy miles to the Caprock, the edge of the High Plains. A few miles on, they found a lake and decided to build next to it. They took the wagon box off the wagons and staked out the horses so Ann could take care of them while John, Joe and Jim took the wagon running gears back to Childress to get the lumber to build their home. It took about two days to get to Childress and load the lumber and supplies they needed to get through the winter. John gave Joe and Jim a twenty dollar gold piece each to spend in town and then left on horse back to return to Ann as soon as possible. You could buy alot of things for twenty dollars in Childress, but Jim only bought some tobacco and Joe had his gold piece in his pocket when he left. In two more days Joe and Jim were back above the Caprock and ready to build the home. It was late October and the blizzards could set in anytime. The only way to keep warm in that area was to have a full dug out home. It took Joe and Jim two days to dig the 16X18 dug out and then the lumber was used for the roof. John and Ann stayed there at Hackberry Lake and raised a fine family and had a 2500 acre ranch. Joe went back to Denton Co and married Ollie Green.
The Smithee, Green and Fortenberrys lived around Slidell, Texas, on the border of Wise and Denton Counties. By 1890, the Indian troubles were about over and Joe's uncle, John C. Fortenberry decided to move to the Llano Estacado or Staked Plains of west Texas. John and his wife, Ann had three small children, two covered wagons and nineteen head of horses. Joe Smithee and a friend, Jim White went along to help John move and build a home. They followed the railroad tracks to Childress, Texas. This was the main trading center for the Staked Plains. They went on west about seventy miles to the Caprock, the edge of the High Plains. A few miles on, they found a lake and decided to build next to it. They took the wagon box off the wagons and staked out the horses so Ann could take care of them while John, Joe and Jim took the wagon running gears back to Childress to get the lumber to build their home. It took about two days to get to Childress and load the lumber and supplies they needed to get through the winter. John gave Joe and Jim a twenty dollar gold piece each to spend in town and then left on horse back to return to Ann as soon as possible. You could buy alot of things for twenty dollars in Childress, but Jim only bought some tobacco and Joe had his gold piece in his pocket when he left. In two more days Joe and Jim were back above the Caprock and ready to build the home. It was late October and the blizzards could set in anytime. The only way to keep warm in that area was to have a full dug out home. It took Joe and Jim two days to dig the 16X18 dug out and then the lumber was used for the roof. John and Ann stayed there at Hackberry Lake and raised a fine family and had a 2500 acre ranch. Joe went back to Denton Co and married Ollie Green.
Joe Smithee was the son of Samuel Harrison Smithee and Martha Emily Fortenberry Smithee(sister of Thomas Bandy Fortenberry). Joe married Oliner Mary "Ollie" Green September 29, 1894.
The Smithee, Green and Fortenberrys lived around Slidell, Texas, on the border of Wise and Denton Counties. By 1890, the Indian troubles were about over and Joe's uncle, John C. Fortenberry decided to move to the Llano Estacado or Staked Plains of west Texas. John and his wife, Ann had three small children, two covered wagons and nineteen head of horses. Joe Smithee and a friend, Jim White went along to help John move and build a home. They followed the railroad tracks to Childress, Texas. This was the main trading center for the Staked Plains. They went on west about seventy miles to the Caprock, the edge of the High Plains. A few miles on, they found a lake and decided to build next to it. They took the wagon box off the wagons and staked out the horses so Ann could take care of them while John, Joe and Jim took the wagon running gears back to Childress to get the lumber to build their home. It took about two days to get to Childress and load the lumber and supplies they needed to get through the winter. John gave Joe and Jim a twenty dollar gold piece each to spend in town and then left on horse back to return to Ann as soon as possible. You could buy alot of things for twenty dollars in Childress, but Jim only bought some tobacco and Joe had his gold piece in his pocket when he left. In two more days Joe and Jim were back above the Caprock and ready to build the home. It was late October and the blizzards could set in anytime. The only way to keep warm in that area was to have a full dug out home. It took Joe and Jim two days to dig the 16X18 dug out and then the lumber was used for the roof. John and Ann stayed there at Hackberry Lake and raised a fine family and had a 2500 acre ranch. Joe went back to Denton Co and married Ollie Green.
The Smithee, Green and Fortenberrys lived around Slidell, Texas, on the border of Wise and Denton Counties. By 1890, the Indian troubles were about over and Joe's uncle, John C. Fortenberry decided to move to the Llano Estacado or Staked Plains of west Texas. John and his wife, Ann had three small children, two covered wagons and nineteen head of horses. Joe Smithee and a friend, Jim White went along to help John move and build a home. They followed the railroad tracks to Childress, Texas. This was the main trading center for the Staked Plains. They went on west about seventy miles to the Caprock, the edge of the High Plains. A few miles on, they found a lake and decided to build next to it. They took the wagon box off the wagons and staked out the horses so Ann could take care of them while John, Joe and Jim took the wagon running gears back to Childress to get the lumber to build their home. It took about two days to get to Childress and load the lumber and supplies they needed to get through the winter. John gave Joe and Jim a twenty dollar gold piece each to spend in town and then left on horse back to return to Ann as soon as possible. You could buy alot of things for twenty dollars in Childress, but Jim only bought some tobacco and Joe had his gold piece in his pocket when he left. In two more days Joe and Jim were back above the Caprock and ready to build the home. It was late October and the blizzards could set in anytime. The only way to keep warm in that area was to have a full dug out home. It took Joe and Jim two days to dig the 16X18 dug out and then the lumber was used for the roof. John and Ann stayed there at Hackberry Lake and raised a fine family and had a 2500 acre ranch. Joe went back to Denton Co and married Ollie Green.
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