Fenley's and the Old Stone Fort

Lea County, "Then and Now" Volume I, 1979

Submitted by: Robby Love

     The Old Stone Fort was erected primarily as a fort. It was at first a building for storing of military and commercial supplies in 1879, but its walls, almost a yard in thickness, made it practically impregnable to the ordinary means of offense and a place of refuge and haven of safety in the successive wars that visited the old border town of Nacogdoches, Texas.

     The Battle of Nacogdoches was the opening gun in the Texas Revolution, and resulted in the expulsion of all Mexican troops from the territory. Among the first officials of the newly formed Republic, Sam Houston was named President.

     Nacogdoches served under nine flags: The Liles of France with Lasalle in 1865; the Flag of Castile and Aragon of Spain in 1716; the green flag of the Magee-Guitierrez expedition in 1813; Long's flag of the First Republic of Texas in 1819; the flag of the Mexican Republic 1821-1836; the Lone Star flag of the First Republic of Texas; the Stars and Bars of the Southern Confederacy 1861-1865; and finally the Stars and Strips.

     Vicente Cordova was the leader in the Cordova Rebellion in 1838, in which Zechariah Fenley was murdered and one of his slaves taken away. Following this, in 1840, Rebecca Fenley filled suit for damages against Cordova, not for the death of her husband, but for the loss of her slave. Cordova was a fugitive and a judgment against him for $1500.00 resulted in a sale of his half interest in the Old Stone Fort under execution, being purchased by Rebecca Fenley, who was a daughter of Mrs. John S. Roberts. Rebecca already had half interest in the Fort and lived in it. The Old Stone Fort is now a museum on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College.

     Rebecca Fenley was the great grandmother of Robby Love and the great great grandmother of Linnie Jo Strunk and Robert Love of Lovington, New Mexico.

     Robbie's parents were Robert Luther Cochran and Linnie Fenley. Lennie Fenleys sister was Amy Fenley.

     In 1913 Robert put in the first filling station in Alamogordo. Everyone predicted he would go broke, but that was not to be the case.

     Lennie's parents were Zechariah Robert Fenley and Rebecca Fenley. Robbie and her family came to Alamogordo, New Mexico when she was five, from Lufkin, Angelina County, Texas.

     In 1917 Robby Cochran was married to Bernard Love. Bernard's parents were Ed Love and Maude Hoover Love. At one time Ed Love was voted the person who had been in business longest in Lovington by the Chamber of Commerce. Ed Love and his sister, Mamie, both homesteaded in Lea County. Ed homesteaded where Sunset Acres is now located. Mamie homesteaded in the area from 5th to 9th street and from Avenue D to Avenue A.

     Robby and Bernard Love had two children: Linnie Jo, who married Gary Strunk, and Robert Love, who married Leah Dodson.