SHARROCK / NIBLO PARK DALLAS, TEXAS HISTORY

The Sharrock/Niblo property was part of the Peters Colony settlement; this was a land grant made in 1841 by the Republic of Texas to William Smalling Peters and partners, to colonize a significant area of North Texas including the south-eastern portion of Dallas County. Colonists were provided with land allotments of 320 acres (single men) and 640 acres (families) with requirements that they must reside on and improve the land. The Peter Colony settlers arrived in North Texas in early 1842 and settlement continued until 1848 when the colonys contract (then with the State of Texas) expired. John Neely Bryan settled on the east bank of the Trinity River in November 1841 shortly before the arrival of the Peters colonists in the area. Bryan had the land surveyed for a townsite in 1844, and the town began to develop. When Dallas County was formed by the State of Texas in 1846, Dallas was designated as the temporary County seat; it was confirmed by voters as the permanent seat in 1850. The 1850 Federal Census for Dallas County noted the county population at 2,370; this included 395 Peters Colony settlers and the new town of Dallas having a population of 430. Everard Sharrock Jr. Everard Sharrock Sr., his wife Amy Stevens Sharrock, five of their children (including son Everard Sharrock Jr.) and their families relocated from Illinois to North Texas with the Peters Colony in 1846. Texas was formally admitted to the union on December 29, 1845 and on March 30, 1846, Dallas County was established; the Sharrock family thus moved to the new State of Texas, and Dallas County. Everard Jr. was granted 640 acres of land through in the Cedar Bluff area of southwest the county. Based on Sharrock family history, Everard Sharrock Mr.s daughter Amy Catherine was born October 27, 1847 in a log cabin at this site. As the subject log cabin is the only log cabin at the site, this is thought to be the cabin constructed by Everard Sharrock Jr. sometime in 1847, and occupied by him and his family on or before October 27, 1847. Everard Jr., his wife Sarah Elizabeth Robbins Sharrock, daughter Amy, sons George Alvey and Charles Augustus farmed the land and are presumed to have also constructed the log barn, the cellar and dug the well on the site. Later property owners Everard Sharrock Jr. and family members left Dallas County in 1853 and moved to California. The land was purchased by Thomas J. Young who continued farming the land - as did subsequent owners. In 1934 Judge Grady Niblo Sr. purchased the center 100 acres of Sharrocks' western portion of the property which included the historic farmstead. Judge Niblo and his family lived in Dallas while tenant farmers continued to farm the land until the 1970s. Upon Judge Niblos death in 1985, the land passed to his son, Grady Niblo Jr. and wife Barbara Cowlings Niblo who lived at the site until 2005. The Niblo family owned the land for 71 years the longest tenure of ownership of this site. Marlin Atlantis White Ltd. purchased 78.33 acres of the Niblo property in 2005 and subsequently donated 33.74 acres of this land - including the escarpment, the historic structures and the north-west corner of the site - to the City of Dallas, Park and Recreation Department for future park uses.

Sharrock / Niblo - History

Significance The subject site and its historic structures have exceptional historic significance as one of the few sites (with intact structures) that date from the first years of Texass statehood remaining on its original site in what is now the City of Dallas and Dallas County. The cabin and its structures are also of historic significance for their association with Everard Sharrock Jr., a Peters colonist. These colonists were among the early settlers in Dallas County some arrived shortly after John Neely Bryan established Dallas as the first permanent settlement in 1841. These historic structures retain a remarkable degree of historic integrity and tell the story of the lives of some of Dallas Countys earliest settlers and how they lived. They also continue the story of how later owners continued to farm the land that was located at the crest of Cedar Bluff (now known as White Rock Escarpment) and was so near to the City of Dallas yet so distant in environment and character.

Sharrock / Niblo - History

SHARROCK / NIBLO PARK DALLAS, TEXAS DESCRIPTION OF SITE & BUILDINGS

The remaining historic buildings at the Sharrock/Niblo site are situated in a clearing on the ridge of the Austin Chalk formation, a limestone escarpment that runs roughly north-south through Dallas County. The upper land is deep rich, loamy black soil that with occasional outcroppings of the limestone rock; prior to inhabitation by man, the black soil would have been covered with mid to tall grasses. The face of the escarpment exposes the white rock and supports trees and brush growth. The log cabin is on the ridge of the escarpment, with the nearby larger, log structure fronting a clearing at the high point of the ridge. The well is located adjacent to the larger log structure. The root cellar is located just west of the log cabin. The grassy terrain slopes gently down towards the log barn and chicken coop to the north. A pond is located on a flat area of the face of the escarpment within the historic area. Trees are scattered through the clearing. The historic area is surrounded by somewhat wooded ground now infilled with brush; the brush was previously thick but the Park and Recreation Department has thinned this out to protect the historic structures. Log Cabin (1846) The Sharrock cabin appears to be a typical cabin for the Peters colonists; similar single-pen cabins within the Peters Colony remain in North Texas. The horizontal logs are hand hewn, rectangular and saddle notched corners. This one-room cabin is nearly square in plan (15 x 14) with the front door facing due south. Directly opposite and centered, the back door faces due north, towards the barn. The dry-laid stone chimney and low firebox are original. Later modifications to the cabin include a concrete floor, Portland cement based mortar chinking and corrugated metal roof - which replaced the historic dirt floor, chinking and wood shingle roof that the cabin originally would have had. The cabin is currently shored up and the roof is covered with tarps for its protection from the elements. Log Barn (c. 1846) The log barn is a double-crib structure with a center passage; the structure is hand-hewn rectangular square logs with saddlenotched corners; this log construction did not use chinking and daubing. It includes two areas for livestock, the center passage, two plank and log grain storage rooms, and a later lean-to open shed at the west side. The foundation is a combination of rock at the main portion, and bois-darc wood piers at the grain storage rooms. Later modifications to the barn include the lean-to, and corrugated metal roof which replaced a wood shingle roof that it would have had. Portions of the barn are currently shored due to structural deficiencies.

Sharrock / Niblo Descriptions of Site& Buildings

Cistern (c. 1846)

The well is situated near the log cabin and farm house. The well was hand-dug through the white rock of the escarpment and appears to be approximately 25 in depth. The original above ground well structure no longer remains and has been replaced with a round, well wall of common red brick. An adjacent concrete trough and remains of an electric pump suggest that this water source was used for many years and served the later farm house. Standing water remains within the well below grade. For safety reasons, the well has been protected with wood cover. Root Cellar (c. late 1840s). The root cellar was dug into the limestone escarpment near the log cabin and well, and is believed to be constructed around the same time as the log cabin to provide a place for food storage at low temperature and steady humidity. The cellar is 9 feet by 10 feet and the finished floor was some 6 feet below the original grade. The cellar was carved out of the below-grade white rock formation. A straight-run stair, also carved into the white rock, provides access to the cellar and had a hinged metal door; the cellar floor is white rock. The roof structure was rough wood timbers that supported dirt above. This cellar has largely collapsed. Plank Barn (thought to be 1920s or later) collapsed. The plank barn was constructed of milled wood studs and planks at the interior face with a foundation of timber beams that support 1x4 wood flooring. The timber beams sat on stone; by 2005 this foundation had settled into the grade. The roof was originally wood rafters with shingles and corrugated metal on the east side. A lean-to had been added to the east side. In 2005, the roof was largely gone and the walls leaning; the barn was structurally unstable. Much of the exterior walls, roof and the lean to collapsed in a storm in May 2007. Farm house (date unknown) The wood frame farm house is a later feature of the site and was not included in the evaluation of historic buildings; its construction date is not known. The house is constructed of rough wood logs as studs, ceiling and roof framing with composition roof; a large front porch faces east. It includes a large living/dining room, kitchen, bedroom and bath.

Dallas Park and Recreation Department City of Dallas, Texas February, 2012; provided to OOCCL June, 2012
Sharrock / Niblo Descriptions of Site& Buildings