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SEELA CABIN
The
Seela's journey west illustrates what was happening across the country in
the mid to late 1800s. After leaving his native home of Illinois, Isaac
Seely (later spelled Seela) and his wife, Rebecca White had settled in Missouri
in 1832. But by 1854, Missouri's growing population was crowding the Seelas.
The lure of the west beckoned, so they sold their 160 acre farm, loaded
their household belongings into wagons and made the trip to Texas. It is
believed that the family went first to Goliad, where they stayed only a
short time before moving northward into what is now Parker County where
Isaac homesteaded 160 acres on Spring Creek, about twelve miles south of
Weatherford, Texas. Of particular interest is the family "tale" of how Isaac
Seela chose the site for his cabin. When he first staked out the 160 acre
site, there was a group of Caddo Indians camped on Spring Creek. One old
Indian, known as "Caddo Tom", warned him not to build his cabin too near
the creek which had been known to flood the area during times of heavy rains.
Isaac paid no heed to this warning, which did not come true until the cabin
was washed away by a flood in the early 1860's. The second cabin, built
above the flood plain, stood on it original location until Isaac's grandson
James Newton Seela, donated it for restoration at Log Cabin Village. Today,
the Seela Cabin is furnished with artifacts from the Seela family as well
as various samples spinning wheels and other spinning tools that reveal
the masterful, but laborious task of making, measuring, and dyeing thread. 
