In
November of 1924, Will and his father-in-law C.C. Newton made
a trip to Lamb County, Texas. Mr. Newton bought a labor of land
(177.1 acres) at thirty-eight dollars per acre. This land was
located six and a half miles south of Sudan. In December, Will
sold their house in Oklahoma in preparation for the move to Texas.
On February 25, 1925 Will and the two oldest sons returned to
Sudan to get a 14 X 16 foot box and strip two room house built
on Mr. Newton’s land. On March 10th, they returned to Oklahoma
to move the rest of the family to Lamb County. The family arrived
at Sudan on March 15, 1925.
Thursday,
November 25, 1926 was a black day for the area. By 10:00 a.m.,
one could not see one hundred yards down the road for the dirt
in the air. The cotton that survived the sand storm eight days
earlier was blown out and ruined. Will wrote in his journal, “Conservatively,
the sand and wind today caused $500 damage for me.”
Mr. DeLoach recorded the sale of crops and livestock in his journal.
He wrote of tractors replacing mules, the births and deaths of
family and friends, and other everyday occurrences. Will wrote
faithfully in his journal until August 5th, 1958. At that time,
he decided to donate all of the journals to Texas Technological
College. Mr. DeLoach wanted to keep all of the journals together,
and he could not single out just one of his children to give them
to. It was a difficult decision for Mr. DeLoach to make. In fact,
he asked the Southwestern Collection to return his ledgers in
November of 1958 because he felt lost without them because he
had written in them for such a long time.
Will DeLoach’s last entry stated, “This is Saturday, March 28,
1964. My first entry was made on Saturday, March 28, 1914, but
I am getting so infirm in more ways than one. I have decided not
to make any more entries. This is 50 years that outside of a few
days at different times I have kept a daily account of my where-abouts
and work that I was doing. So good-bye Diary. You have been lots
of help in lots of ways.”
“This diary is dedicated to Sallie, my wife, as a living
remberance (sic) of her.”
“Will G. DeLoach”
William G. DeLoach died April 1, 1967 and is buried in the Sudan
Cemetery.
Sallie returned Will’s journals to the Southwest Collection in
1975.
Sallie Newton DeLoach died April 18, 1980 and is also buried in
the Sudan Cemetery.
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