LITTLEFIELD, William Thomas (1874 - 1959)

William Thomas and Jennie Littlefield holding Janie Bell Martin

William Thomas Littlefield was born January 17, 1873 and he died March 6 1959. He was 3 years old when his Father was killed (Pete Horas) They lived in what is known as the Littlefiled community until after he was married at the age of 31 years. Sara Jane Garner was born August 20 1878 and she died April 19,1964. She was born in a community known as Tennessee Valley not far from Topsy Texas. She was raised in the Littlefield community and was 26 years old when she got married.

They were married in 1904 in Coryell County. They started west in a wagon in the fall of 1906 with Exie and Gerald and all their worldly goods. They had 3 cows and 3 horses. They came to Rotan in Fisher County, they farmed there for one year in 1907. Then they moved to Meadow Texas in Terry county, in the fall of 1907 on land that belonged to the same man, Lee Morrow. (he had one boy)

Tommie J. was born May 9, 1908 in Terry co. and twin girls Maude Edith and Myrl Ethel were born October 31, 1909, Myrl died at birth. (at Meadow) They farmed at Meadow (Meadow was one mile south and six miles east of where it is today. Meadow moved in 1918 when the railroad was put through.) They raised some cotton and had to haul it to Colorado City, Tx to get it ginned.

Then they moved to Plainview, NM which was fourteen miles across the state line. They homsteaded one half section (320 acres). Half way between Plainview and the state line. In the Prairiewiew Community. The Littlefield House was one and a quarter miles from the Prairieview school house. The school was first started in 1908. The kids from Exie down through Sis (Verdie) went to the school all at one time, 8 Littlefield kids. The rest of the children were born here.

W. T. Littlefield freighted from Seagraves, Texas to Lovington NM hauling groceries and cotton seed cake. He had Three wagons trailed together with ten horses, all strung out two to a place. He was out in the 1918 snow storm which froze a lot of cattle and several people to death. He got up that morning and fed his horses and went back to bed and stayed all day. The snow was so bad that it covered up our hogs in the hog pen which was around three feet deep. We had a rock chicken house and it filled with snow with the chickens in it. It was 3 or 4 days before we got the chicken out of it an none of the chicken froze.

He went to Hagerman NM in 1922 to pick apples and cotton and stayed until March of 1923. We had to have two wagons to haul the family and household goods to the camp site. He came to Meadow September 1925 to pick and pull cotton until March 1926. There he rented one section of land that had 80 acres of farm land. Papa and all the kids put in one hundred acres more to farm. That was 7 miles east of Meadow.

In 1927 we moved two and a quarter miles southwest of Meadow to work about 300 acres. Then moved 7 miles northeast of meadow in 1928 We had a little over 500 acres that we worked for 2 years. Then had 640 acres through 1933 He then moved one mile south and one mile west of Tokio and worked 1320 acres for one year 1934. Then in 1935 moved ten miles west and five miles south of Brownfield on 640 acres with 600 acres to farm. He farmed it though 1939. Then we bought 160 acres eleven miles west and one mile south of Brownfield and moved on it in 1942. We moved to Brownfield in 1948 and sold the farm in 1951.

He lived in Brownfield until he (W. T.) passed away april 19, 1959.

Written by Tommie Littlefield (age 81 plus) Lived at 401 North 10th St. Brownfield in 1950.


ANOTHER ACCOUNT 
They lived in Coryell Co until 1906 or 1907, then moved to Terry Co, TX until Dec. 9, 1909. They homesteaded in Territory of New Mexico, lived in Chaves and the Lea County in the Prarieview Community. Moved back to Terry Co. Tx in 1925 Lived on a farm several years and latter moved into Community. Moved back to Terry Co. Tx in 1925 Lived on a farm several years and latter moved into Brownfield. William was a stock farmer in New Mexico. Was a cotton farmer after he moved back to Texas. Aunt Sis said they moved from a farm to Brownfield in 1948 they had 2-3 rent houses and one thay lived in. Will loved to sing and whistle and when they bought land in Lovington NM a neighbor said he had never seen Will, but he heard him everyday, so he knew he was there. Will liked to get all the kids together and sing. He had 8 copies of a song book so they knew the words. He was really good at it.