Lampasas, Lampasas County
First chapter of the Farmers' Alliance in Texas. Founded 1877, it became one of the strongest arms of the national agrarian reform movement of the era. The group was begun by John R. Allen on Donaldson Creek (1 mi. S) in a "rawhide" (rough) lumber school. Its main purpose was to improve ruinous farm living and economic conditions. Missing livestock were traced by 2 secret officers known as "Grand Smokies". In 1887 the 3,000 sub-alliances merged with the "Farmers' Union", then helped spark the Populist Party drive of the 1890's; but by 1900 they had died out.