This is an Article from The Austin American Statesman- probably around 1932 (estimated from the year of Mrs. Cluck + 86 years)

Cedar Park Woman Tells of Adventures of Early Texas Days

By IRMA BROWN CARDIFF

Written for the Sunday American-Statesman

If ever a white woman took the Chisholm Trail from Texas to Kansas before she did, 86-year-old Mrs. Harriet Cluck said she never had heard of it.

She was born in Cherokee county, Alabama, in 1846, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Standefer, hearing wonderful stories of the possibilities of Texas, brought their one-year-old daughter with them to live in Live Oak Prairie. They had very little in those days. Corn was ground by shelling it on a large flat rock and driving the family horse over it until he tramped it into powder. One spoon and a skillet comprised their kitchenware, but regardless of these inconveniences young Harriet grew into a fine specimen of young womanhood.

Full of Fun

Her eyes danced when she was telling where she first saw the man she married.

“All the young folk for miles around had come to that dance. There was George Cluck in the midst of all the fun and mischief. He and the other boys formed a circle around an old cow thief that some one had brought in, they danced and pointed at him and sang songs about what ought to be done with a cow thief. When I saw how full of fun and how nice he acted about everything I could not take my eyes off of him.”

Soon after that dance at the age of 17 young Harriet Standefer became the bride of George Cluck. Two babies blessed this union and they lived happily, Mrs. Cluck keeping house and tending to her children while Mr. Cluck looked after his stock and began getting ready to take them to market.

When asked why he took her to Abilene on that long Chisholm trail with him, Mrs. Cluck said:

“There was nothing else to do with me and the babies but to take us with him. He took all he had in the world with him, and we wanted to be together no matter what happened.”

Trail Long, Travel Slow

There were 16 adults in the party, Mr. and Mrs. Cluck and the trail drivers and two big herds of cattle. Driving was slow and they had heard of such harrowing experiences others had suffered, they lived in fear of what might happen.

When they came to the Red river, Mrs. Cluck said she could imagine the swift current sweeping away the wagon, carrying herself and babies, so she got astride of the horse back of Mr. Cluck. He held the babies at arm’s length clear of the water, while the cowboys drove the wagon carefully, their good horse swam across to safety with the Cluck family.

She said the reason so many parties had trouble with the Indians was because they did not pay them for the right to cross the Indians’ lands. Her party shared their provisions with them, giving them a whole beef for the privilege of traveling over their possessions and thus remained on peaceful terms.

Met Bandits

Once on the trip they received quite a scare. Looking ahead they saw a great cloud of dust and their first thought was unfriendly Indians. On closer range it proved to be bandits.

The leader, a sullen sort, came up to the Cluck party that had grouped around the wagon and stated his business. He said that if they offered any resistance he had 16 of the best men in the country to fight them.

Mr. Cluck said,

“There you are wrong. The best men in the country are right here in my outfit and if you don’t believe it we will show you.”

Several of the younger cowboys went to the rear (they said) for fresh horses, but Mrs. Cluck, thinking they were deserting, said,

“If any of you men are afraid to fight, stay here and tend to my babies, and I’ll take your guns and fight for you.”

With that taunt they all made ready to oppose any attack of the bandits.

When the bandits’ captain saw they meant business and would match them in strength and numbers he called his men together and ordered them to ride off.

Wintered in Abilene

They traveled for months on that Chisholm trail before they finally arrived at Abilene. Never did a place look so good to travelers.

They sold their herds to advantage and being so tired from their tedious trip, they decided it would be best to winter in Abilene. Mr. Cluck, however, was not idle. He bought two more herds of cattle and sold them for a profit, so by spring he had a nice purse of money and was ready to bring his family back to Texas to live comfortably.

The trip back did not seem long, for they were on the way to sunny Texas. Mr. Cluck brought his family three miles past Live Oak Prairie, their former home, to an unending spring where Running Brushy heads.

With the money he received from the sale of his herds he bought 320 acres of land at a very small sum. The location of his home was then and still is a garden spot of Texas.

Family Grows

He built a log cabin and with the assistance of his good wife helped to make the kind of civilization that we Texans are proud to claim as our background.

Eight more children came to them and a larger house was constructed as time went by.

More for the accommodation of the people who settled in the Running Brushy community than for the actual salary, which was only a percentage of stamp cancellations, Mrs. Cluck became postmistress and served a number of years. The old stage coach running from Austin to Lampasas came by and she attended to the duties of her office for an average of $3 to $4 a month. One can still see the little slot for letters in the front wall of the Cluck home.

When the railroad came through the name of Running Brushy was changed to Cedar Park and now a nice little settlement has grown up in this garden spot.

Homestead Increased

More acreage has been added to the Cluck homestead until now it includes more than 1000 acres.

A stone quarry is on the Cluck land that furnished materials for Gov. Ross Sterling’s home near Houston, the old university library, the Austin post office and the trimmings for Herman hospital in Houston.

An Indian mound rich in relics and reputed to be the largest in the state is less than 200 yards from the home place.

When asked how she spends her time now, Mrs. Cluck, who is called “Aunt Hattie” by all who love her, said,

“I had rather piece quilts than to do anything else.”

At the age of 86, she is active, gets around like one of half her age….

“When they miss her at the house they find her with her little shovel at the Indian mound digging for arrows, of which she has a rare little museum collection.”