Hometown 7

Hometown Tales Location # 7 - Allen Log Cabin
Traffic box located at corner of White Settlement Rd and Las Vegas Trail

The year was 1854 and the Allen family was geared up for a significant journey. Seeking to begin a new life of farming and ranching, they would be traveling from Todd County, Kentucky to Tarrant County, Texas. But new beginnings didn’t come easy in 1854. The destination was nearly 720 miles away and formal roads were limited. This left them and those they were traveling with the challenge of using trails, rudimentary roads, and sometimes following waterways for portions of the journey. The Allens wouldn’t be traveling alone. Instead they were joining up with others, including the Hagood family who were also headed to Tarrant County. The full group was made up of 10 wagons. A larger wagon train brought benefits, safety being chief among them. But just as numbers multiplied the positives, they also multiplied the negatives. More wagons meant more people, more animals, and the need for more supplies. Life on a wagon train was a demanding and dangerous experience. Extreme weather, disease, accidents, and having enough clean water and food were all constant concerns. After over a month navigating these challenges, the wagon train arrived in Tarrant County. 

One member of the Allen family that arrived on the wagon train was young William Allen (1842-1893). As he reached adulthood in Texas, William served in the Confederate Army. In 1864, his time in the army over, William married Sarah Fannie Grant (1849-1870). The two purchased 160 acres of land and built a 13’x18’ cabin on White Settlement Road. Small by modern standards, a small cabin provided several benefits to William and his family. A smaller structure is easier to heat, making winters easier to endure. It also takes fewer materials and time to build. 

After his first wife died, Allen married her sister Theodocia E. Grant (1854-1931). They added to the cabin several times, including a bedroom, that was known as "The Professor's Room". This room was reserved during school months for the local teacher to utilize. The cabin was the family home until 1908, when a frame cottage was built nearby.

In 1933 Allen's heirs sold 22 acres which included the cabin. The new owner moved the cabin north of the original site and enlarged it. In 1953 the land was sold to the United States government for runway additions to Carswell Air Force Base. The cabin was moved to Fort Worth. The White Settlement Historical Society, organized in 1976, raised funds to number the logs and move the dismantled cabin to the present site. It was restored to its original size and opened to groups interested in local history.