Odle Log Cabin
Valley Mills, Bosque County, Texas
Marker Inscription
A native of Tennessee, pioneer John Odle (1824-1913) moved to Texas in 1843, one year after his marriage to Lucinda Reeder (d. 1890). They came to this area in 1856 and built this cabin of oak logs about 1860. They occupied this structure until Odle could erect a more substantial rock house for their family of 13 children. During the Civil War (1861-1865), Odle served in a frontier ranger company and fought in the Battle of Dove Creek, January 8, 1865, against Kickapoo Indians. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1978
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Tennessee-born pioneer John Odle brought his family to this Bosque County country in 1856 and about 1860 raised a cabin of oak logs, living in it until he could build a sturdier rock house for his thirteen children. During the Civil War he rode with a frontier ranger company charged with guarding the settlements, fighting at the Battle of Dove Creek against the Kickapoo in January 1865. The surviving cabin is a rare relic of frontier homebuilding.
Why it matters
Odle's cabin and ranger service capture the double frontier of Civil War Texas, where settlers fought less over the Union than to hold the edge of settlement.
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Related people
- · John Odle
- · Lucinda Reeder Odle
Related events
- · Battle of Dove Creek
Themes & tags
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