Creed Taylor was earlier in Texas than any of the Goodbread son-in-Iaws. His father, Josiah Taylor, who had first come to Texas in 1811 died in 1824 (according to his tombstone, other sources say Josiah died in 1830). Sometime prior to that the family appears on a Mexican census, in which Creed's age is given as 11. His daughter Caroline Spencer protested his will, saying he was upwards of 90 years of age when he died in 1906 and was under the influence of his heirs, children by his second marriage.57

Creed Taylor’s gravestone was erected by the State of Texas in 1962. It bears the inscription “Soldier of the Texas War of Independence.”57

Creed Taylor settled in what became Wilson County, Texas, on land adjacent to Daniel Bird. After the Texas Revolution, he built a log cabin on his Ecleto ranch. It was built of logs fourteen inches in diameter and stood until a few years ago. Creed was a lover and follower of race horses.749

INDIAN RAIDS751

In about the year 1869, the Indians made several raids through this immediate vicinity. Winter time was coming on in the mountains and they were coming out of the mountains into the low country. A white man and a negro boy were riding, the white man on a horse and the negro boy on a mule, from the creek to the old Applewhite house on the west side of our present day town. The white man could easily have ridden away from the Indians but the negro boy's mule was stubborn and refused to go. As the Indians approached they started shooting. The white man was forced to leave the negro boy and flee to the house. The Indians captured the negro boy and killed him. They went by the old Applewhite house. The white man immediately rode to town and gave the alarm. A band of men were organized and immediately took after the Indians. These men, Creed Taylor as the leader, caught up with the Indians near where the depot stands now. The Indians had circled the town and were heading back toward the river. The Indians all carried rifles and most of the men withdrew when they saw the number of Indians which were about thirty and saw how well armed they were.

Creed Taylor, however, was an old Indian fighter and a very brave man. He pulled his six shooter and started alone in hot pursuit after the Indians. He killed several Indians and forced them to drop the negro boy's body.

A few years later the Indians made a raid through this county and stole about thirty head of horses. Creed Taylor, organized a band of men and started in pursuit. After they had trailed the Indians for some ten miles, they lost the trail. All of the men but Taylor, and Sutherland, turned back. Taylor, was very determined to find the Indians because they had stolen his finest racing mare. The two men came upon the Indians at a crossing known as Indian crossing, where the highway crosses the river between Stockdale, and La Vernia. The men hid in the bushes until the Indians had made camp and were settled for the night. The Indians herd the horses in a small space and made their beds around them. Taylor, as I have said before was a very brave man and an experienced Indian fighter, he crept through the line of Indians and untied all the horses. He got on his racing mare, turned her head toward La Vernia, fired his pistol and headed for home. The other horses followed close behind. It is said the fights were numerous between the white men and the Indians at the old Indian Crossing. Many graves both white and Indian marked the crossing in the early days.