Vol 8 No. 4 - JANUARY 1931
Contents of this volume:
JACK HAYS WAS born February 23,
1817, on a farm in Wilson county,
Tennessee, about twelve miles east
of the Hermitage, the home of Andrew
Jackson he was given such educational
opportunities as the county then
afforded, and when he was fifteen
years old he went to Mississippi
and secured employment with some
surveyors. He received good training
in this profession, and when he
was twenty years old he came to
Texas,
and engaged in, this kind of employment.
After a time be enlisted in the
newly organized Texas ranger force,
where his splendid qualities as
a daring fighter and scout soon
attracted public attention. In time
he became captain of the Texas Rangers
and was assigned to duty in
Southwest Texas,
patrolling the region of the
Nueces
to
Corpus Christi.
One of his notable exploits was
the pursuit of about two hundred
Comanche Indians, who had raided
the country and stolen a great many.
horses. With only twenty men he
drove the Indians off and recovered
the stolen stock. His defeat of
the Mexicans at
Laredo
in 1841 and the services performed
during the Vasquez and Woll raids
upon
San Antonio
in 1842 are familiar to the reader
of
Texas
history. This article goes on to
recount other notable events and
accomplishments in the great Ranger’s
life.
Further Mentions: Lieut. Col. P.
H. Relf,, In 1849, the
California
gold rush, Vicente Peralto, Samuel
J. Tilden,
Drunken
Bully Started
Newton's
"General Massacre"
Paul Wellman. The, in the early
'1870's, was as notorious as ever
were
Dodge City,
Abilene,
Hays or
Caldwell.
This story is a brief history of
Newton
when it was a cow-town, between
the years of 1870. and 1873. The
famous "General Massacre" which
awoke the citizens to a determination
to bring law to their city, a determination
which they carried out after a deadly
struggle lasting for months. This
is the story of the climax of that
struggle.
Further Mentions: Dr. T, S. Floyd.,
Judge R. W. Muse, one of the city's
first residents, Mr. Peter, Boot-foot
Hill 'Which once was populous with
graves of those, who died violently.
Snyder and Welsh, Gregory's saloon,
the
Chisholm Trail.
a mysterious character known as
Irvin, Johnson, later city marshal
of Newton, Lee, a handsome, friendly
young cowpuncher, Emerson Hough,
Frederic Remington, McCloskey, Riley,
a gaggling, sunken-chested youth,
in the last stages of consumption,
Jim and Richard Anderson, Perry
Tuttle, George Halliday, Fitzpatrick,
Jim Shay, a desperado, Dave Hamil,
Pioneer
Mother Tells of Early Days
By. Speaks of Sullivan family, early
pioneers on
Kansas
frontier. Coming to
Kansas
as a bride was little short of adventure
to the young Mrs. Sullivan who was
then not yet twenty years of age.
All her life she had spent in eastern
Canada
near
Ottawa,
and her coming west was the turning
point in her life and that of her
husband.
Further Mentions: Arthur Sullivan,
Sullivan's dam, Arch McVickars and
the Gibbons,
The
J. Frank Dobie. Captain Crouch's
foreman Otis Coggins, while riding
near Loma Escondida, sees a mysterious
stranger riding into a mesquite
tree, and back out agian! His investigations
lead to a discovery that…
Further Mentions: Captain Crouch,
a veteran of cow camps, Loma Escondida.
Presidio Crossing on the Leona River,
Jeff Cassidy, the 7D's, the old
L7 ranch, Sheriff Rhodes, Friotown,
Newton boys, Alfredo, Trebe's commissary,
the Trebes ranch, Otis Coggins,
the Crouch ranch,
Texas
Rangers May Lose Even Their Name
Will the glorious frontier force
of
Texas
be blended into a massive state
agency? Such was the SUGGESTION
which has been made by Capt. Tom
Hickman of the Texas state rangers
Article goes on to describe early
days of the Rangers and formative
events.
Further Mentions: It was in 1874
that the first financial provision
was made by the legislature for
the maintenance of a ranger force.
John B. Jones of Corsicana, H. M.
Bundy, Capt. J. B. Gillett, Lipans
and Kickapoos, Comanches and Kiowas,
Apaches, Capt. John Ikerd, Lieut.
Millican of Ikerd's company, Capt.
H. J. Richard, Fort Duncan, Dr.
Woolbridge, Corp. Eckhart, David
Adams, Eagle Pass road, the Blance,
16 miles east of Fort Inge, Walter
Richarz and Joseph Riff., Capt.
McNelly
The
Adventures of Big-Foot Wallace
By John C. Duval. First Published
in 1870 (Continued from last month).
This installment brings Big-Foot
to the ill-fated Mier Expedition.
Great step-by-step account with
the great hero into the hell-hole
of
Mexico
and this terrible moment.
Further Mentions: Tonkawa warriors,
Tom Jones, Bill Decker, Jeff Bonds,
Big-Foot's ranch., Brigadier-General
Somerville, De Boyce, Colonel Bennett,
General Green, Colonel Cook, Colonel
Fisher, Tom Hancock, Captain Sameron,
Dr. Sennickson, Mexican officers,
Algereto and Carasco. General Ampudia,
Bexar
By Frederick C. Chabot,
San Antonio,
Texas.
The great city of
San Antonio
originally had the name of "Bexar"
. This story recounts the most early
events surrounding the founding
and emergence of
San Antonio
and many excellent details are offered.
Further Mentions: the site of modern
Bexar or Bejar, situated about twenty
miles south of
Madrid,
Spain., Juana was the second wife
of Herman Cortesy Mouroy, the famous
conqueror of
Mexico,
the Marquis of the
Valley
of
Oaxaca.
In 1604 Cervantes Saavedra dedicated
his Don Quixote to another duke
of Bexar. the Olivares Espinosa-Aguirre
Expedition who named the San Pedro
Spring., Rio de San Antonio de Padua,
Father Olivares San Antonio de Padua,
the Raman Expedition (1716), In
the early part of 1718 Alarcon arrived
with his expedition, San Antonio
de los Llanos, General Teran, Kendall
County was created January 10, 1862,
and was organized February 18th,
of the same year. Its county seat
was Boerne. It was named after George
Wilkins Rendall, a native of
New Hampshire,
who in the early 30's established
himself in
New Orleans,
and was instrumental in founding
the Picayune at the place. His participation
in the Santa Fe Expedition is universally
known. Subsequent to his marriage
with Adeline de Valcourt, he removed
to
New Braunfels,
Texas,
and in 1875 acquired his first great
tract of land in, what is now
Kendall
County.
Comal
County
was created
March 24, 1846;
Guadalupe,
March 30, 1846;
Medina,
February 12, 1848;
Atarcosa and Bandera,
January 24th, 1856;
and
Wilson
County
was created from territory formerly
included in Bexar,
February 13th, 1860.
The old county was gradually reduced
to the present
county
of
Bexar,
hounded by Kendall, Comal, Guadalupe,
Wilson,
Atascosa,
Medina
and Bandera counties.
Told
by Mathis Woman
San Antonio Express. Story of, who
lived sixty years in the
Nueces
Valley,
and wrote a book about it. This
account describes the book and the
woman who wrote it. Further Mentions:
the bride of S. G. Miller, Terry's
Texas Rangers. Mrs. Calile Freeman.
Old
Broad, King of Longhorns, Coming
Back
Houston
Chronicle. Story of the Longhorn
breed of cattle, especially of a
giant Longhorn Steer, Old Broad,
whose magnificent horns, reached
8 feet and 2 inches from tip to
tip. Further Mentions: Frank Dew,
well known
Houston
cattleman, who raised him, Another
steer "Villa" now rules where Old
Broad once was king. Lee Russell,
of
Fort Worth,
The
Autograph Library
"The one and only very original
Autograph, Library at Christmas
Cove, founded, developed and maintained
entirely by, the Poet Ranchman of
Texas, is a great addition to Christmas
Cove and thereabouts. Many autographed
copies are included in the library.
Numerous names are mentioned in
story. "Mr. Chittenden was born
in Montclair, though, he has long
been interested in Jones County,
Texas, where he still has a large
ranch of many thousand acres and
a very flourishing colony of 45
families, all interested in farming,
cattle and…"
Veteran
Officer Tells of Wild Days
By. Lawman speaks of wild days in
and around. An excerpt: ""We
lived the first winter in
Waco
and the following spring moved to
a town. Good black land was worth
$2 an acre. But because a plow would
not scour in black land, as plows
did in the soil of
Tennessee,
father concluded it could not be
very fertile, and he selected for
his purchase a tract of sandy land.
Up to that time there was very little
land in cultivation, though farmers
were coming now in droves. The open
country was full of cattle and horses,
all pretty wild, and in almost any
direction you could see a bunch
of deer, not much wilder than the
cattle and horses.
Under tire reconstruction, period,
the lawlessness of war times bad
been continued in,
Texas.
Thieves were so numerous and bold
that it was not safe to turn a work
horse out at night. The thieves
found a secure retreat in the bottoms
of the
Brazos
River.
But all this very speedily changed
when the Hon. Richard Coke of Waco
beat Governor Davis, the reconstruction,
Governor, for re-election, and the
people of McLennan County at the
same time made Gen. Sul Ross Sheriff.
Further Mentions: Paris, Clarksville,
McKinney, The Houston & Texas Central
Railroad, Ellis County, Waco, The
Waco Tap Railroad, a spur *of the
Houston & Texas Central, from Bremond
to Waco, Lampasas and Brownwood,
both wild towns, Coryell. Hamilton
and Brown Counties, Constable Joe
Ellison, Brann's Iconoclast, the
day the Harris brothers were killed
by Judge G. B, Gerald, Lon Moore
and his brother, who had killed
Abe Pate, Deputy Sheriff of Dallas
County. Sheriff Ben Cabell., 'Deputy
Sheriff Pate, Allison Harrison,
Woman
Who Fought Savages Smiles at Troubles
San Antonio Express. Story of brave,
who when she was just 14 did the
family laundry in a creek and at
one time was attacked by Indians
while gathering it. She was forced
to battle hand to hand with a savage
to defend her baby brother at the
same time.
"It was about sundown," she said
"when my three little brothers,
a visiting boy, Lon White, and I
went down to the creek, which flowed
about 100 yards from our home. I
being the older, and a girl, was
delegated to take the laundry from
the bushes on which I had hung it
earlier in the day. I reached resignedly
for the first piece but never touched
it for as I turned I saw an Indian
hiding in the thick bushes with
his rifle trained directly on me.
I screamed to my companions to run
and at the same time heard the detonation
of the gun and felt the impact of
the bullet.
"The Indian ran, toward me as he
fired and seized my hair as if to
scalp me. A net I wore came off
in his fingers and, evidently at
a loss, he threw me down on the
ground and caught up my little brother,
George. George was, standing near
me and I grabbed him at the same
time. The Indian tried to jerk him
away but I held on with what little
strength I had left. - I hesitate
to think what might have happened
then had not the family pet ' -
a huge bulldog, come up snarling
and engaged the Indian from the
rear. His arrival and that of my
mother with a rifle clutched in
determined hands caused a rather
precipitate retreat; not, however,
before they had fired a, parting
shot at me which struck me just
above the left elbow.
Further Mentions: a farm about 10
miles from Jacksboro on Keechi Creek,
where the attack occurred, Lon White,
Jim Kelton; Upshur county, J. C.
Cox, Decatur, Gen. Jim Throckmorton,
J. Frank Dobie (an authority on
the Bowie knife) Offers little known
background and info on both the
famous
Texas
hero and martyr, and the legendary
Bowie knife.
Further Mentions: James Bowie was
born in
Georgia,
but in the year 1802 removed to
Catahoula parish,
Louisiana.
The two brothers, James and Resin,
came into the state of
Mississippi…
a young man by the name of Lattimore,
a son of Dr. William Lattimore,
Sturdevant, Judge Crane, he became
a naturalized citizen at
Saltillo,
and soon after married the daughter
of vice-governor Veramendi, of
San Antonio.
On the 2of November, 1831, James
and Rezin Bowie and seven other
Americans and two negro servants,
started from
San Antonio
to hunt for the San Saba silver
mines. the surrender of Piedras,
at
Nacogdoches,
Bowie
was superior to Fannin, who was
then only a captain, while
Bowie
was a colonel.
Bowie
was for a time connected with the
army at Goliad. Lieut. Gov. Robinson,
Gov. Smith.,
Texan
Saw "Stars Fall"
By Mike Pinehart.
"I was about 15 years old, then,"
She said. "We lived in
Shelby
County,
three miles from a neighbor. We
were eating supper, when suddenly
I decided to go out on the front
porch and get a drink of water.
When I opened the door, I was startled
by streaks of fire flying in every
direction. It looked like millions
of stars were shooting down to the
ground, Several yards from the side
of the house, we had a hog pen,
and it seemed like most of the stars
were falling right in on top of
our hogs.
"I screamed to father. The whole
family came rushing out. For a moment,
father gazed at the scene of falling
fire. I could see his face as the
flashes lit up everything, and it
had a look I shall never forget.
'Children,' he said, 'the world
is coming to an end. We had better…
Further Mentions: Mrs. Roberts,
who before her marriage was Julia
Palmer, born in
Shelby
County
in 1820, While still in her teens,
the family moved to
Leon
County,
near Jewett, Mrs. Mattie Vickery,
Groesbeck, in
Limestone
County.
she was married to William Roberts.
Hogg and Clark campaign. Persotiville
to Farrar
Woman
Describes Pioneer Days in
Falls
County
By Marjorie Rogers, Marlin,
Texas.
Account of the early 1850's by.
Mrs.. Maxwell lived in Falls County
77 years and watched it grow from
a wilderness. She left the county
only twice on short visits. She
is the mother of six children:.
This is great early history and
genealogical info of the region.
Further Mentions: Sarah Melvina
Greer, daughter of John Greer, was
born in
Sevier County,
Arkansas,
September 11, 1846,
where she lived until 1852 when
she traveled with her family to
Texas
in quest of her mother's health.
On this trip the family camped for
two weeks at
Waco.
"There was only one log store that
is now known as the city of
Waco.
The proprietor lived in one end
of the long building and kept store
in, the other. Travelers usually
camped here because it was the best
place to cross the river. There
were no bridges then and folk had
to wait if the river was on a rise
until the rise fell.
Further Mentions: On
November 8, 1853,
we pitched, camp in
Falls
County,
on: Pond Creek, near the present
town-cite of Travis, Johnson Poole,
the well known Indian fighter, and
his family, were our nearest neighbors.
They lived six miles from us. the
H. and T. C. Railroad., Marlin,
the present county , seat of
Falls
County,
was just a crossroads village when
we stopped in '53 to buy axes from
Green & Bartlett, Boles & Co. in
'56. The latter store was the first
brick building to be erected in
Marlin, and now is used as the city
ball. The first courthouse was built
by Francis Fredro, Robert E. B.
Baylor was the first judge to hold
district court on
April 21, 1851.
the first Baptist Educational Society.
J. B. Wright was the first preacher
of the first church organized in
Falls
County.
This was a non-denominational church
located at Salt Branch. The
Marlin
Baptist
Church
was organized
April 10, 1852,
by Elder Z. N. Morrell, a pioneer
missionary Baptist preacher from
Tennessee.
Z. N. Morrell came to
Texas
in quest of health, and did much
toward organizing churches and spreading
the gospel over the wilds of
Texas.
The original members of the Marlin
church were A. B. Ewing, L. S. Barton,
Nacy Dobbs, Margay Morgan, a Mr.
and Mrs. Prewitt and their one servant.
"The first Presbyterian church,
located about two miles east of
the present town of Durango at a
place known at that time as Carolina,
was organized by John Balsch November
12, 1853. Coleman Prairies, J.
W. Jarvis,
teacher. Viesea, Sumpter Reed, the
Jones farm, B. A. Shepherd, Uncle
Amos Foster, Cedar Springs, the
Milani district, the old Tankoway
Indian village, the home of Col.
Zenas Bartlett, who served Falls
County as treasurer during the civil
war. Isaac Marlin, son of John Marlin,
pioneer settler, for whom the town
of
Marlin
is named, Colonel Barlett built
a residence upon this town tract
of land, and today it is occupied
by Mrs. Mollie Bartlett, daughter-in-law
of Colonel Bartlett. This is the
oldest habitation in
Falls
County."
LOST WILD. STALLION ON
TEXAS
RANGES SUBDUED BY LASSO
The king of the stallions, the last
of the wild horses in
Western Texas,
has a rope around his neck for the
first time in his fifteen years
of life. The giant bay; the only
animal in 120-section pasture of
J. H. Tippet in Culberson county,
at the foot of El Capitan mountain,
the highest peak in Texas, gave
up after five cowboys had trailed
him in relays for three days and
nights. Riding day and night, the
cowboys finally got him…
TEXAS
PIONEER IMPRESSED BY STATE IN 1836
Photostatic copies of a letter writ.
ten May 18,, 1836, by from San Augustine
to his brother in
Connecticut
have been acquired by the
University
of
Texas
library. The original is in the
hands of descendants of the brother
to whom it was written. Descendants
of S. Allen now live in Georgetown
and Cameron
The first part of the letter tells
of the possibilities of
Texas
as a place f or a man seeking his
fortunes here. His description of
the
Battle
of
San Jacinto
is graphic and he concludes with
this comment: "The only reason that
quarter was given to any was because
our men were satiated and. glutted
with human blood." The full significance,
of the battle had not come to his
knowledge, for he thought the only
possibility for
Texas
was independence with hopes of annexation
to the
United States.
Santa Anna should, by all means,
be put to death by legal process,
he declared. "The tyrant is now
in our power," he said, "he richly
deserves death, and we ought to
inflict it on him to avenge the
brave and gallant spirits who have
been inhumanly murdered by his order."
According to the letter, Allen,
was staking all his possessions
on
Texas
land. He offered his brother all
the land he could use if be decided
to come to Texas, saying that he
himself had all lie could possibly-use
and planned to double his property
in the next year….His letter is
invaluable, according to Miss Winnie
Allen, assistant archivist in the
library, as an indication of the
public spirit at the time it was
written. It shows a very wide knowledge
of affairs and conditions in
Texas.
A PIONEER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION
One of the early and most noted
educational institutions of
Northeast Texas
was,
Red River
county. This institution of learning
was founded by Rev. John Witherspoon
McKenzie, in 1841.
The founder and only owner of the
school was born in
North Carolina
in 1806 and was educated at the
University
of
Georgia.
Early in life Mr. MeKenzie became
a member of the Methodist church
and was licensed to preach. In 1836
he was sent as a missionary to the
Indians in what was then, the
Indian Territory.
Three years later he accepted a
large circuit from a Conference
in
Northeast Texas.
His health failing so that he was
unable to continue his work as a
circuit rider, he settled on a farm
near
Clarksville.
He soon opened his first school,
which was housed in a log cabin
and attended by sixteen pupils.
The school was continued for twenty-five
years, buildings being added as
needed, and the enrollment finally
reached 405. Students came from
all. sections of
Texas
and from
Arkansas,
Louisana and the
Indian Territory.
Like many Southern institutions,
McKenzie Institute was…
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