A LAKEFRONT Legacy:
The Early Family Homestead to the
new hillsdale Community
This land carries a story as wide and enduring as the Texas sky. For more than seven decades, the Moseley, Early, and Erickson families helped shape its character through grit, work, and stewardship. It began as part of a 147-acre family homestead purchased by Earnest and Claudine Early in 1952. In 1960, the landscape began to change when 115 acres were sold to the Tarrant County Regional Water District for the creation of Cedar Creek Reservoir. By 1969, the area had become part of a new Texas city called Gun Barrel City, and the family’s remaining land now stood in the middle growing lake community. Through each change, the property remained tied to the same frontier spirit: hard work, self-reliance, family, and a deep respect for the land.
Today, that legacy continues forward into a new chapter called Hillsdale—a community built on history, heritage, and the promise of Lake Life Perfected.
Old Gun Barrel Ln mid 60's
Family Timeline & Transitions
1952: Earnest and Claudine Early purchase the original 147-acre parcel.
1960: Approximately 115 acres are sold to the Tarrant County Regional Water District for the creation of Cedar Creek Reservoir.
1962–1978: Claudine Early and her second husband, Fred Moseley, build their retirement home on her 16-acre tract.
2007–2009: After the passing of Claudine and Fred Moseley, Deborah Early Erickson and grandson Josh Early continue caring for the land.
2011–2023: Deborah and her husband, John Erickson, live full time on the lake property until November 2023.
2023–2025: The 16-acre Erickson/Early parcel and the 6-acre Hill parcel are combined and developed into Hillsdale.
Life on the Land
Fred Moseley played a central role in the life of the property. In retirement, he maintained the land through traditional skills and daily work, including:
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Plowing gardens with his mule, Jack, using an heirloom plow.
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Keeping bees and selling honey at the local flea market.
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Raising quail and hosting fish fries with catches from the reservoir.
The next Chapter
After decades of stewardship, the family sold the property to Hillside Development. Deborah notes a sense of "immense peace" knowing the land will be transformed into a "showplace" for new families, ensuring the history of the property continues in a new form.
