Vol 07 No. 12 - September 1930 Download

Richard Coke, Governor Of Texas

Brief account of Richard Coke was born in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1829. He was Texas governor 3 terms and then Senator. He came to Texas in 1850 and located in Waco, a town at that time less than one year old. This is his story. Further Mentions: Edmund J. Davis * Richard B. Hubbard *

Helped To Organize Kimble County

Mrs. A. T. Whetstone, Noxville, Texas

THIS ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE OF JOHN C. KOUNTZ, OFFERS EXCELLENT EARLY HISTORY OF JUNCTION AND OF KIMBLE CO, TX

NOTE: THIS ARTICLE AND THE ONE THAT FOLLOWS CONSTITUTE SOME OF THE FINEST, VERY EARLY HISTORY AND GENEALOGY TO BE FOUND ANYWHERE – THIS IS A UNIQUE AND RARE ISSUE WITH RESPECT TO THE EARLY

History of Kimble Country, TX

Story also contains old photo of both Mr. Kountz and his wife.

Mentions: John C. Kountz was born October 14, 1850 in Russell county, Virginia * He was the son of Dr. E. K. and Harriet Lindwood Kountz * In the spring of 1869 the Kountz family moved to Southeastern Kansas about three miles north of Coffeyville * they owned and operated a store at Kolloch, on the L. L. & G. R. R. * In May or early June, 1875, they moved to Texas, direct to Kimble county * C. C. Kountz * herd was owned by Lewis & Hurst * Big Tom Moore, who later became a banker at Llano. * Arkansas City, Silverdale and Coffeyville * Fort McKavett * Isaac Kountz a brother to John Kountz * The Kountz family put up the first store in Junction, and Mrs. Kountz. the mother of John, was the first postmaster. * The first district court held in Kimble county was held * They kept the clerk's office and the postoffice and store in the same building * The ranch on which John Kountz had spent fifty-two years of his life, was purchased by the Kountz family in 1877* He worked in. the county clerk's office from 1880 as deputy clerk under W. A. Spencer for four years * under A. J. Wilson * W. G. Boyle * In 1880 he was married to Miss Laura Turner * Fred Kountz of Phoenix, Arizona; Paul Kountz, Bisbee, Ar * John Kountz, Jr., Houston, Texas * Mrs. G. G. Martin, Chicago, Illinois; Mrs. W. P. Riley, Junction, Texas; Mrs. Ruth Kersting, Chicago, Illinois; Mrs. Carl Wolf, Junction, Texas; and Mrs. Ben Hey * , C. C. Kountz of Balmorhea, Texas, and Sebastian Kountz of Junction ; two sisters, Mrs. N. C. Patterson of Junction, and Mrs. Dixie Allen of Pasadena, California *

Kimble Co. History Tells Of Pioneer Struggles

By Coke R. Stevenson, Jr.

THE TERRITORY embraced in Kimble County, was formerly a part of Bexar County. Several volumes of the county records were transcribed from the Bexar County Records, and in these early volumes of county records will be found some interesting bits of information in regard to the early land grants and pioneer families of this county. It is from these early Bexar documents that portions of the following article are derived.

Mentions: Area was named for George Kimble, one of the heroes of the Alamo * Sutton County was then attached to Kimble County for judicial purposes * Kimble County in 1876. It was organized in that year and set up its county government * The first county officers elected in Kimble County were Wm. Potter, County Judge, Dr. E. K. Kountz, County Clerk, Frank Latta, Sheriff, N. Q. Patterson, Treasurer, W. F. Gilleland, Assessor, and M. J. Denman, Surveyor. The commissioners were J. R. Steffy for Junction City, Felix Burton, Bear Creek, Henry Pearl., Saline, and Noalu Knox, Devil's River * The principal settlement in the county at this time seems to have been around the mouth of Johnson Fork * Dan Baker had a store and it was the only store in the county. Bill Estes hauled his goods for him from San Antonio. John A. Miller, Jerry Roberts, J. A. Browning and others lived in that settlement. Dr. E. K. Kountz lived at that time on South Llano about where the Kountz residence stands today. He was the father of Isaac Kountz * Dr. Spears who lived on North Llano about two miles above where the Courthouse in Junction now stands * the Johnson Fork settlement * John A. Miller, Jerry Roberts, Dan Baker and Bill Estes * N. Q. Patterson * the Spears boy had been killed * Bear Creek * the Spears house * Billie Waits, Billie Gilleland * a man named Lemons * Lieutenant Moore * the county seat was known as Kimbleville * the old Will Taylor pasture * District Court was held at this place one or two sessions, for the most part under liveoak trees * In 1873 William McLane purchased the tract of land upon which Junction now stands * All of the even numbered lots in the town were given by Urbane to Kimble Comity * the odd numbered lots to a firm composed of W. A. Williamson, H. T. Allen and G. W. Ragsdill * One of the first buildings in any new town ill those days was a saloon * Frank L. Wilson's office * Jasper Lewis * Len Lewis, E. W. Brewer, J. D. Maruice * L. M, Wall * the Hovee Brothers * Ed Stevenson * Church of Christ * Rev. L. S. Durst * The first Baptist * Howell's Filling Station * the Bissett lot * Alma Smith was the first girl born in Junction * Sam Smith and Miss Alice Graham * Jack Jobes, was the first boy born in junction * Captain Creed Taylor * James River * Mr. and Mrs. N. C. Patterson * E. K. Kountz * ., B. C. Dragoo * Mr. S. H. McCaleb * The first newspaper in Junction * "The Junction City Clipper," * by "The Kimble County Citizen," * "The Junction Eagle," J. M. Botirland * "The Junction City Clipper." H. L. Winslett and C. M. Nichols * "Kimble County Citizen," * the Kimble County Crony * Riddick and Roberts * J. D. Motley established an independent newspaper * the Junction Light * Allen & Co * Wall Bros. & Schraub * . A. Williamson * McInnis Drag Store * E. Holekamp * Schreiner-Hodges Company * Kimble County Alliance * Schmelter & Co * G. K. Gordon * Ale J. Hamer * Garnn * J. A. Heyman * the Harrison & Martin saloon * Hawkins-Piley Dance hall * Coke R. Stevenson and W. P. Rile * the Hankins Drug Co * Dr. J. W. Burt * The Junction Hardware Co * Philip Joseph * Mr. Holekamp's * the Charles Schreiner Company * Junction had its first telephone system in 1905 * Mr. T. B. Phillips * the Llano River Irrigation & Milling Co., one of Junction's oldest Corporations * Mr. C. W. Atchison * The first merchant in that town was W. B. Waggoner * John T. Wilson * Noxville was first established on Devil's River, near the pioneer ranch home of J. H. Parker * the early home of Creed Taylor * the R. T. Dupuy Ranch on Klak, the O. B. Fleming Ranch, the T. C. Taylor Ranch, the Peter Paterson Ranch, the W. W. Allen Ranch, and the S. H. Guthrie Ranch * Mack Huffman, Jinks Coleman, Felix Watson, J. S. Fleming, S. A. Griffith, J. W. Bartley, Theo Hunger and Andrew Paterson * Segovia, Cleo and Yates * the present ranch home of O. D. Nance * William Hall * Brambletye *

James Harvey Litton, A Pioneer

By T. U. Taylor

Account of James Harvey Litton whose father John Litton, in 1830, ran away from Missouri and joined his uncle, Leman Barker, in the new province of Texas, near Elgin. Before this Somewhere and somehow John Litton met Sarah Standifer, the oldest daughter of Elizabeth Standifer. Romance ripened and budded in the forest and John Litton induced Sarah Standifer to link her fortunes with his. Later his uncle Leman Barker, married Elizabeth Standifer, the widow. James, the fruit of this union, is the subject of this account and his many and varied experiences as a cattleman on the Texas frontier are herein described. Story includes excellent old photo of James Harvey Litton

Further Mentions: Austin's Colony * the present town of Elgin, but the original name of the place was Hog-Eye * the old Concord Stages * Jim Bowie * Lemuel Litton, John Thomas Litton, Martha Litton * Sarah Litton * William Litton * Richard Litton * Ed Harling * Jennie Litton II * Calvin Turner * Litton's Bend * was a famous spring several miles south in Caldwell county, and at this spring he erected a scaffold from which to shoot deer and buffalo * The Battle of Plum Creek * Baxter Springs * Jim Daugherty * Owen's Well * the Widow Owens *

Saving $5.00 Cost Him His Life

By Max Coleman

When Ira Mckee wanted for murder in Dawson county, Texas, played a joke on a farmer in Henderson county, he did not know he was signing his own death warrant. His car fast in the mud, he promised a farmer $5.00 to pull him out. His car on dry ground, however, McKee said,

"See you in the funny paper, I was joking about the $5.00!" But as he sped away the farmer wrote down the car number which bore a Lubbock county license. This is the story. Mentions: Jack Bryce proprietor of a filling station at Sparenberg * W. R. Billinsley * Hobbs, New Mexico * Mrs. Mayhall * . J. Wolf, of Ranger * Sheriff Wade Hardy of Lubbock county * Tom Able, chief of police from Slaton * O. B. Conley * Deputy Sheriff Buck Bennett * Dawson county * District Attorney Tom Price. A. W. Gibson, county attorney, and J. E. Garland special prosecutor * by J. C. Willis * Hon. H. J. Stead of Hobbs * FROM AN OLD TIMER

Brief account of Ben McCulloch Roberts whose father came to Texas in 1822 and settled a headright in Caldwell county, near where Lockhart is now is. Mentions: Indianola * Town Branch, erected by Mr. Sullivan *

MADE TRIP TO NORTH WITH CATTLE HERDS

By Carl Hasty Wright

William Lee Roye was born near Booneville, MO, in 1860. His parents and grandparents came to Texas in covered wagons in 1862. They made their homes in Falls County, and engaged in stock raising and farming. For a number of years they lived in Hill, Johnson and Kaufman Counties. Will's father died while they lived in Johnson County; some time later his mother was married to Brown Lee. At the age of 15 Will began to roam over the prairies of Texas. At this early age, old-timers say, that he was one the best cowboys Texas had ever seen. This is his story.

Mentions: he was working for Choate & Reed of Karnes County * Will Roye * Elm Creek, near Lockhart * his wife Miss Nannie Wright * La Salle County * the Olmos pasture * Mr. Earnest * Caldwell County * he worked for Blanks at the ranch west of Lockhart * Blanks sold out to Jim Dobie *

From One Who Lived In Menard 49 Years Ago

Account of early Menard settler, S. H. Bridgers who went there as a little boy in 1879. The story is rich in early Menardville history and genealogy.

Mentions: the Sheriff, J. H. Comstock, who was the first Sheriff of Menard after the County was organized. * the home of a man named Patterson which was at the extreme west of town, and the farm house of Felix Mann which was to the east * the Stuckens, Decker's Murrays, Harris family * Russell's White's * Old man Murray * Doug Murray * Stucken's general store * Miss Mary Wells, an only daughter of Parson Wells * Douglas Murray, the only saloon keeper of the place * Bob Bedow * Miss Mabry * Menard 's first school was... * While the Sheriff did his best to preserve law and order during the early days around Menard, the larger part of it was left to the Ranger Company stationed about ten miles west of Menard on the north side of the San Saba and were camped in a beautiful shady spot. This Company numbered about twenty-five and was under command of Capt. Dan Roberts, the Seiker Brothers being his two Lieutenants * Sheriff Comstock and Capt. Roberts were great friends * Mrs. Roberts * the Guadalupe mountains *

SKELETON OF INDIAN CHIEFTAIN PRESENTED TO CANYON MUSEUM

Mentions: skeleton of an early Plains Indian chieftain * found in Collingsworth County * L. F Sheffy * West Texas State Teachers' College * Ken Cannon * Floyd V. Studer of Amarillo *

The Adventures Of Big-Foot Wallace

By John C. Duval. First Published in 1870 (Continued from last month)

This is the Fifth of a fifteen-part installment series of this quintessential Texan hero, frontiersman, Indian fighter, soldier, patriot and Mier captive. Duval does a masterful job capturing the character and uniqueness of the man and advantageously borrows heavily from Wallace’s own personal diaries, quoting from them at length. Wallace, from the old Scottish hero-heritage of the Wallace and Bruce clan, carried his noble blood to many escapades of which the history of the great state of Texas will forever be grateful and stands proud to call him one of her own sons. We can supply you with the rest of this great series – just email us for details.

Jean Lafitte, Buccaneer Of Gulf

"Story of Jean Lafitte, the hijacker of the Gulf of Mexico-who has not heard of him and all the legendary glamor that, surrounds his swift, cruel exploits in the waters of Louisiana and Texas was the great-great granddaddy of the modern outlaws of the lake."

Mentions: Claiborne * The Atucricans * Jean and Pierre * General Andrew Jackson * Lake Sabine * Elm Creek * the Fitzpatrick home

Woman Stolen By Indians In 1864 Believed Found

H. l. Kiefer

Account of Miss Millie Durgan who was taken captive during a raid that was one of the biggest that was ever made by the Indians in this country. They killed and carried off on that day 18 people-killing eleven and carrying off seven. Millie was among the capptives.

Mentions: * Ben J. Brothers of Quanah and H. C. Williams of Newcastle * Young county * Elm Creek in Young county * Lottie Durgan * Mr. H. J. Johnson * Tom Wilson * George Bragg * Tom Hamby and Thornton Hamby *

Texas In Early '50s Really Wild, Says Louis Blaylock

By W. S. Adair

Louis Blaylock, former Mayor of Dallas gives his perspective of life in early Burnet, Burnet County, TX.

Mentions: Father, Willis Blaylock, a native of North, Carolina * Sevier County, Arkansas * Mayor Johns * Blanco, Texas * John Neely Bryan * Old Preston Trail * Fort Hamilton * half-brother, E. L. Shaw * Parson Gillette * Dean Richardson * Professor DeBray * Bishop Gregg * Mr. Baker * David Richardson * Austin and Brenham * Houston & Texas Central Railroad * Austin Weekly Gazette * Judge A. B. Norton * Joe Walker * W. A. Shaw * Rev. I. G. Johns * Willard Richardson * the Christian Advocate * George F. Alford * T. W. Hurley * Mr. Veal * W. I. Veal * Tom Cain * Mr. Hurley * Col. A. H. Belo * Mayor Holland * Mayor Wozencraft *

Chisholm Cattle Trail In Texas Preserved By Writers

By Raymond Brooks

The writer collates and examines the various details and suggestions of notaqble Texas historians including Dean T. U. Taylor and Prof. J. Frank Dobie, southwest's most famous author on subjects of the cowboy lore in order to determine the facts regarding this ever famous and yet equally mysterious cattle trail.

Mentions: branch near Cleburne * Austin and Round Rock and Georgetown * Montropolis * Brownsville * Abilene, Kan., and Abilene, Texas * Old Buchanan * Red River Station * Maj. Littlefield of Austin * Lockhart * Salado creek * Sam Bass

RANGER WITH FIVE NOTCHES ON GUN TAKES ON LIFE

Account of William Ware, early-day Texas ranger, who had killed five men "without counting Indians." Born and reared in Uvalde, Ware was a ranger when bad men were bad and unflinching courage was the first requisites. He served under the late Capt. Pat Dolan. In his rangering days, Ware had numerous skirmishes with Comanche Indians in Uvalde County and many narrow escapes.

Mentions: M. F. Collier * Bob Ware, San Angelo * Coroner R. B. Rawlins * James G. McNary * Cady Lumber * Sacramento Mountains near Alamogordo *

CELLULOID AND WAR FROM TWO CUT FINGERS

Mentions: Alfred Nobel * John Wesley Hyatt * Edward F. Slosson *

Roadrunner Can Fight A Rattlesnake To Death

R. A. Sell

If peculiarities were quills, the Texas roadrunner would be a queer porcupine. A bird that is not like other birds, a bird-curosity that defies all bird-like attributes, an outlandish caricature of bird life in appearance and in everyday habits, this monstrosity in feathers streaks and volplanes, capers and monkeyshines along the edge of the chapparral thickets to a point where the edge of credulity is reached…

But his virtues outshine his peculiarites, as this story suggests. Mentions: William Witts of San Antonio * Flour Bluff, a few miles from Corpus Christi *

SALT LAKE IN HIDALGO COUNTY

Mentions: one of the curiosities of the Rio Grande Valley is a real salt lake known as Laguna Sal, in Hidalgo county, about 25 miles northeast of Edinburg *

Kills Leopard Cat In A Cave

Account that takes place in the early 1870's when the Henson brothers (Captain Jepp Henson, & brother, George W. Henson of Big Foot, Texas) were hunting in the Nueces Canyon, when they came across Indians tracks, which put them on watch, from all sides; for, as Mr. Henson said, they were hunting bear, deer and wild game -Indians.

Suddenly they heard a queer noise and thinking sure it was Indians, they hid and watched. Behold two big fat bears came trotting past. The two dogs, which were untrained pups, ran in pursuit, and after them the men. Up the steep mountain side the bears climbed, pulling up by brush and crag, the dogs following. But the latter would lose their hold and fall to the bottom, then up and start again. The bears gained the top of the mountain and standing on its topmost crag, raised on their hind legs and looked calmly down on their pursuers. So there was no bear meat in the camp that night, and the brothers separated for other game, ever on the lookout for Indians.

In the late evening Mr. Henson saw a big buck deer forty yards away. He fired and struck the animal, which ran a few - yards and fell. Rushing forward he cut the buck's throat that it might bleed, and then leaned upon his gun and looked with pride upon his prize.

Just then a heavy hand fell upon his shoulder and a voice yelled…"

Long Lost Cave Found In Bell County

Here is the story of Bell County's Lost Cave. J. C. Stubblefield, grandson of the late J. S. Stubblefield, after a search of many years for a cave discovered over fifty years ago by his grandfather last Sunday found the long-lost cavern. The cave is located on the old Shaddick place about four miles northeast of Youngsport in a country seldom visited by man.

When J. C. Stubblefield discovered the cave soon after the civil war, he went only a short distance into the first room, where he discovered a large quantity of ammunition and guns. That section of the country was occasionally frequented by desperadoes and various bands of outlaws and cattle rustlers, and the elder Stubblefield, supposing the owners of the property, judging by the age of same, to have been early day outlaws, who would never return, took his find for his own. A few weeks later Mr. Stubblefield was waylaid and shot, supposedly by a member of the gang which stored a part of its spoils in the cave. Before dying he told his son, J. L. Stubblefield, about the cave and tried to give him the location, but the son was never able to find the cavern. J. C. Stubblefield, from directions and markers told him by his father, after a ten-year search at odd times, found the lost cave Sunday.

The entrance to the cavern was discovered in the side of a canyon, in a clump of trees, briars and thorny undergrowth. A large flat rock, similar to those on every side, covered the door. Leaving nothing unturned to locate the cave, Mr. Stubblefield he moved this rock as he had many others in a vain effort to find the old hide-hole and to ascertain what it contained.

Great was the surprise of the party when they saw…

Historic House Once Sheltered Travelers

Here is an account of A. H. Dobkins, founder of the town of DUBLIN, TX and some very good early history of the town and Coryell County area.

Mentions: Gattesville * John R. Holland * Tom Holland * Mrs. S. T. Harber of Dublin * Miss Myrta Bishop of Dublin * Joe Bishop * The first store was put up by Frank Oldham * Virginia Higginbotham * Mike Cagney * T. C. Murphy and a Mr. Clifton * Dr. J. G. O'Brien * Dr. R. A. Miller * Bluff Dale, Stephenville * John Birmingham * The Texas Central, now owned by the Katy * Stamford * Miss Ruda Dobkins