The Old Plow and “Sod Busting” – by Louise

It had leaned against one of our big log barns until JM moved it across the river and it leaned against the little barn until the wooden handles fell off. Then he didn't want it.

Tommy asked for it and built a stout little table over it. It set in his house. For 15 years now it has set on my open front porch. Horses were not strong enough to pull it and break up the sod. They brought in oxen. Us Gills, we never saw any oxen used. We never used this plow. Sod was the hardy tangled grass roots that had grown undesterbed for years and years.

The Hittsons never owned slaves there. They hired bunches of freed slaves, and big oxen. They were brought in to do the first plowing on the open bottom land along the Brazos River. They first cleared the brush and little trees. Two horses couldn't pull it. The first sod grass roots were very tough and tangled. It was watered and fertilized every few years; by big floods and river rises. Slaves cut the big logs and built both the big log barns too.

If land hadn't ever been plowed, the first plowing was called 'sod busting' and the sod was 'broke up'. The level land along the river got flooded when the river flooded. That made this land very fertile. We had 200 acres, 'under the plow.' A good place for our big watermelon patch. We always tried to keep some- up under our house- it was always the coolest place. Oh, they were good.

Uncle Billy wanted sons so bad; that he named his last, fifth daughter, 'Willie'.