Thanks Fran!! That really could be a possibility. Several of my ancestors left Titus County separately and settled in Hill County immediately following the Civil War. They had previously been subsistence farmers, so I fail to see their commitment to cotton, however. Where they settled in Hill County, and surrounding counties, was also not quality land for cotton production, nor was it of any quantity. That's why I wonder if they quit farming and possibly went to work for the railroad or some other lucrative opportunity. Their land in Titus County was quite fertile, so I remain confused about why they would be seeking better farmland.