In June of 1858 Franklin and Elizabeth purchased a parcel of land on Salado Creek in Bell County, Texas. They paid $240 for about 350 acres about 3 miles above the creek's mouth. At this time Franklin was still spelling his name "Huston."In 1988 I visited the the place where the Houstons tried to scratch out a living, and it was a beautiful place. The creek was thickly bordered by oak, hackberry, and pecan trees. The lush sloping land is now a horse ranch. Just three and a half years later they sold the property for $270. Why? It may have had something to do with the outbreak of the War Between the States. Texas had seceded from the Union in February of 1861 and joined the Confederacy in March. With the fall of Fort Sumter in April war must have seemed inevitable. There are family rumors the Houstons were Northern sympathizers. They were not slaveholders, and had lived for some time in Springfield, Abe Lincoln's hometown. In the fervantly Confederate Bell County, they may have been viewed with suspicion or even persecuted. Other family myths say that Franklin took part in driving cattle eastward to supply the Confederate army with provisions. Sources: