Jim Webb is amazing in all he knows about the early history of Cisco. He has either owned land and buildings in Cisco and the area, or he has built or rebuilt many homes and structures. During this process he has collected a large number of abstracts—at one time these were retained with the deeds and as he sold his property, he kept some of the interesting ones. At one time Jim Webb owned 37 Vi acres at the former site of Red Gap, which predated the founding of the town of Cisco. This acreage was owned by W. T. Caldwell, who became postmaster of Red Gap and was also postmaster later in 1882 in Cisco. Thanks to Jim Webb for sharing some interesting original documents.
The earliest document is from the General Land Office of Texas, dated July 14, 1880, and is a receipt for $32.00, a first payment on 320 acres of land in Eastland County, being W/2 of Section 86, surveyed by the H & Texan as Central, on the waters of Sandy Creek, a tributary of the Brazos, about 11 miles South 82 W from the town of Eastland City.
In Volume 28 on March 4, 1904, Caldwell's land was situated in the City of Cisco, in Eastland County, Texas, and known and described as lots number (6), (7), (8), (9), and (10) in Block number 64 in said city of Cisco, as represented on map of said town drawn by Theo. Kosse recorded in Book E pages 465-6-7 deed records of Eastland County, Texas, bemg the same property conveyed by the Texas Central Ry Co. to Mary E. Caldwell on January 2nd, 1882, recorded m Vol. H, page 224-5 deed records of Eastland County, Texas. These lots were purchased with Mary Caldwell’s inherited money and then signed over to W. T. Caldwell. An Application To Purchase Town Lots, To Robert M. Elgin, Land Agent, Texas Central Railway Co., Houston, Texas, was made January 3, 1882. Sixty dollars in cash was paid and a note was signed to pay $60 dollars at 12 months, 24 months, and 36 months, a total of $240. The Vendor's Lien was released by Texas Central Railway Company to Mary E. Caldwell January 26, 1885, but wasn’t filed until June 6,1893.
