William Cagle and his wife, Louisa Risenhoover, made their way to Red River County TX in a covered wagon in the early 1900's where they settled in Peter’s Prairie which is right south of Clarksville. They had eight children total. Their oldest son Charles Green Cagle married Rosa Thomas and lived their life together working in the cotton fields around Clarksville. Their oldest daughter, Rosemary, was born in 1928 and remained their only child until 1936 when they had Walter “Buck” Cagle. Rosemary, being eight years older than her brother and with parents gone in the fields all day, was responsible for the care of her baby brother most days.

My Mimi, Rosemary, would tell me stories of how she would dress Buck up in her doll clothes when he was a baby and played as if he was a doll. Mimi’s family was lower class growing up and she worked all day on Saturday’s cleaning a lady’s house for 25 cents. Rosemary put herself through college on scholarships and after graduating, started her first of two, 30-year careers. She was a lover of all sports and would regularly be seen watching one game while listening to another. She married LB Caviness in 1950. After years of wanting a child, they adopted their daughter Roseann when she was born in 1961. While Rosemary was the Vice President of the local bank and then later the Director of the Housing Authority in Clarksville, her husband LB ran the local sporting goods store, Sportsman’s Corner.

Bryarly was founded in 1892 by Joseph Bryarly. His father, Thomas F. Bryarly, had settled the area when his brother, RT Bryarly had written to him about the great opportunities Red River County Texas offered. The town was originally called Mound City until Joseph took over the land and became Postmaster in 1892. He also took over the town’s general store and steamboat. He named the steamboat the RT Bryarly after his uncle. Joseph unfortunately never married or had children, so the land and businesses were passed down to his brother, James Colvin Bryarly. James’s daughter, Lelia Bryarly married William Edwin Bonham and they had Louis Fitzhugh Bonham who took over the general store and ranch. Louis had one daughter, Mary Louis Bonham, with wife, Dorothy Bonham on July 30, 1934. Mary Louis Bonham, along with husband, Bobby Harvey ran the general store and ranch until it’s closure in the early 1980’s. Mary and Bobby raised four children, Boyd, Amy, Clay, and Amber on the ranch, and it had become the focal point of the entire Harvey/Bonham family. It was the heart of the family. Growing up our Nana, Mary, was full of stories from the ranch. Her favorite thing as a child was after dinner watching her Father record the day’s sales in the family ledgers by candlelight. The only thing that remains now is the large magnolia tree that my Nana planted as a child and the old brick fireplace from the living room.