Oct. 16 will mark 170 years since a wagon train headed from Monroe County Kentucky to Texas landed in Pleasant Valley. That wagon train brought the Kirby family to the North Texas area. The trip took 45 days, and the wagon train arrived Nov. 30, 1854, with numerous members of the family. The group included five Kirby brothers, their sister and their families. There were 25 adults and more than a dozen children.
This family became some of the earliest pioneers of the area that was Pleasant Valley, Liberty Grove, Rowlett and Garland. They built and shaped the young community with various businesses, schools, churches and more.
Additionally, the family integrated with many of the other founding families of the area, like the Tuckers, Williams, Coomers, Nelsons, Newmans, Pooveys, McDaniels, Comptons, Goforths, Garrisons and others. Many of the names are recognizable from street signs in the area. There are currently more than 200 living relatives still in the area and many more have moved on.
On Nov. 3, they will celebrate the 170th anniversary of their arrival in Texas at the Tucker/Kirby family reunion, an annual tradition that has lasted over 100 years. The gathering is on what once was family farmland (known today as Central Park in Garland). The reunion is an opportunity to relearn and connect with the past, as well as celebrate the future as a growing family.
The event will also serve as a celebration of Garland’s newly dedicated Tuckerville Park after many years of planning.
The wagon train dates listed above have been verified from family records and local biographies of the early 20th century by the writer of this correspondence, Mr. J. D. Peavler. Online re-postings have reported the dates incorrectly, primarily due to a page fold in an old book.
https://dallaspioneer.org/1854-wagon-train-to-dallas-county/