Central Texas farmer reflects on over 100 years of family land heritage

By MANDY SPIKES | Central Texas Edition

Harold Lewis holds one of the many arrowheads that he has found while working his families' land. -- Staff photo by Mandy Spikes

March 25, 2004 -- The Texas Department of Agriculture presented special recognition to 116 different farms and ranches across the state during its 29th annual Family Land Heritage ceremony that took place March 19 in Austin. The ceremony recognized families who have kept their farm or ranch in continuous agricultural production by the same family for 100 years or more.

One family that received the recognition was Harold Lewis, whose family has owned their land since 1890. "I am glad that they were able to recognize this land that has been in my family for the past 113 years and that the land has been able to remain in tact," Lewis stated.

The Lewis family heritage began in South Carolina, he said. "My great-great-grandfather, David Lewis, was a civil war veteran. There was a lot of bitterness going on during that time and my family wanted to start a new life somewhere."

Lewis' family began traveling from South Carolina to Texas, living for a small time in Arkansas. "My family then moved to Grayson (county) and in 1891, they moved again and bought another block of land." Lewis added that any other information about his great-great-grandfather is very vague.

"My great-grandfather, D. D. Lewis, inherited the land, which is what his family lived and farmed on. He was a very successful farmer and even helped found the Baptist church." In 1939, D. D. Lewis passed away.

Lewis' grandfather bought 234 acres of the original land, where he and his wife raised their eight children. "My grandfather, R. P. Lewis, married his first wife and they had three children. When she passed away, he met his second wife, who already had a little girl from a previous marriage. After they were married, they had four more children. So, they had a lot of help to work the land."

In 1957, Lewis' father, A. F. Lewis, bought a part of the land from R. P. Lewis. In 1975, he bought another portion of the land. "From my father, the land was passed on to me. I have 308 acres of land between Comanche and Erath counties. The county line divides my land so that 150 acres is in Comanche and 158 is in Erath."

When Lewis received the land, it was very under-developed. "There was a lot of timber when I got the land. I bought net wire fences and bought some goats. As the land became more developed, I cleaned the land up and started farming.

"While I was working the land, I found a lot of arrowheads lying around from when the Indians lived on the land. It's amazing to look at something and know that it has been here for thousands of years."

Until recently, peanuts were the main source of income for his family, he explained. "My family were peanut farmers for the past 60 to 70 years. I had to convert the land that I purchased over to livestock raising, though. This is because the peanut business has been dropping in this area for the past few years. I am now raising Brangus cattle on the land.

"I have lived in the country nearly all my life. I like being in the country, because even though it doesn't keep the bad things away it's nice to feel a little safe."