Vol 23 No. 11 - August 1946

It Almost Took A Civil War To Put Dick Coke In Office

By Paul Bolton

In the annals of Texas history there has never been a civil war with Texans fighting Texans but it almost took such a conflict before Richard Coke, the 13th governor of Texas, could take office. Coke had defeated the corrupt and tyrannical E. J. Davis who had held the governor's seat for almost four long years. Dick Coke pulled a twotoone majority over Davis in the 1873 election that saw nearly 100,000 votes cast. And that's when Texas almost had a civil war of its own. Davis and his radical "congressional reconstructing" cohorts had no intention of turning the state government back over to the people of Texas and giving up their plundering dictatorship. They decided that despite their defeat at the polls they'd fight. This is the story.

Mentions: Lt. Gov. Richard Hubbard * the International and Great Northern Railroad

Old Camp Cooper

By Don H. Biggers

Origins and early history of old Camp Cooper which was established in 1856, was situated on a bend of the Clear Fork of the Brazos near the heart of the Upper Reserve.

Mentions: Col. Buck Barry * Capt. M. B. Lloyd of Fort Worth * a man of the name of Shell or Snell * John P. Baylor * J. B. Putnam * John M. Larn *

The Remarkable Qualities Of Rattle Snake Oil

By Frost Woodhull

Article espousing the virtues and medicinal qualities of Rattle Snake Oil as used in the days of the pioneers.

Mentions:Adolph Toepperwein's famous barbecues * Mr. Charles Ferguson of Charlotte, Texas * Leon Springs * Mr. Walter Scott, District Manager of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, Houston, Texas, * LeRoy Hindes, a ranchman of Hindes, Texas * Inez Brisbin * The world's best authority on Rattle Snake Oil is Willis Woolens, Curator of the San Antonio Snake Garden * Willis Woolen * Everett Townsend * Ignacio Garcia * Lorenzo Gonzales, a halfCherokee Indian and foreman of a ranch near Uvalde * Sarah McKellar, of the Hacienda Mariposa, Coahuila, Mexico * Paul Jones * Senora Carmen Rodriguez Vaca, 926 Carolina Street, San Antonio * Hernan Cortez * a castle at Cuernavaca * the Amahura Tribe * Mr. Bill Yendell, formerly VicePresident of the Continental Oil Co., Torreon, Mexico * Jovita Gonzales de Mirelies of Del Rio, Texas * Charlie Miller *

A. M. Boyd One Of Earliest West Texas Settlers

By N. H. Kincaid

Alfred “Alph” Boyd, was born July 21, 1855, near Savannah, Tenn., and when 4, moved to Arkansas in oxen drawn wagons, one of his earliest recollections was of going 'coon hunting with his brother Zack. The family located to Texas in November, 1874. Later In 1904 the family moved to Abilene and this has remained his home since.

Mentions:Mary married David Knox and Kate married Henry Nettles * Aunt Polly Harrison * Uncle Buck * A. M. Lin * Mr. Poindexter * Alfred Miller * Clarkton, Mo * His sister, Fannie * Jim Dishman * Mary Etta Sigler * Austin Miller * Snyder * Espula * Double Mountain stage stop * baby Charles * Roscoe * daughter Cula * Thomas Carpenter * Ballinger * Roby * Central Presbyterian church of Abilene * Ella and Newt Carpenter *

Shackelford County Man Marks and Brands an Indian

J. Marvin Hunter, Sr.

“A cowboy employed on one of the first 'ranches established in Shackelford County, ventured out unarmed one day to brand a young calf known to be with its mother in a bend of the creek near camp. He had accomplished his mission and was mounting his horse to return, when a single Indian fired upon him from the shelter of a neighboring bush. Without giving the savage time to reload his gun, the cowboy, whose name is unfortunately forgotten, charged down upon him with a yell, forced him out upon the open prairie, and with a deft cast of his lariat encircled his body, and dragged him, helpless and silent, back to the branding fire. As coolly and deliberately as though he was going about his every day business, the cowboy replaced the branding iron in the fire, brought it to the proper heat, and...” Mentions:Tom Jones, Bill Decker, Jeff Bonds * the Board of Registers at Clarksville *

The Work Of The Vigilance Committee

This article deals mainly with the activities of the vigilance committee around old Fort Griffin in the middle 1870s

Mentions: Edgar Rye * Kentuck * Charley McBride, Bill English and Jim Townsend * Indian Kate and her daughter, Mag * a renegade negro, named Cato * the Matthews ranch * Sheriff John M. Laren * John Sellman * Captain Arrington * Bill Cruger * Fort Dodge, Kansas * Sheriff Henry Jacob * "Shorty" Collins * E. Franke * "Bootleg" hill * Deputy Jim Draper * Lancaster * John W. Wray * John Poe * North Prong * John Wesley Hardin

Maverick Town

Book review of John McCarty's book "Maverick Town," story of Old Tascosa. Reviewed by Lona Shawver.

Stories of Pioneer Texans Retold

By Mrs. Lipscomb Norvell

This article is one of a series of sketches of pioneer Texans, written by members of the Tejas chapter, Daughters of the Republic of Texas, about their lineal ancestors. Such biographies, covering the contributions made by these early settlers to the Republic of Texas, are one of the requirements of membership in the DRT.

Mentions: Mrs. Sarah Morris, * Mrs. Aubrey Orr * Col. Josiah Pugh Wilbarger * Mrs. Reuhen Hornsby * John and Ann Pugh Wilbarger * Josiah Pugh Wilbarger * Margaret Barker of Missouri * Bastrop Military Institute * James Harvey Wilbarger * Daniel Webster Wilbarger * Dorothy Olive * James Berry Olive * Nancy Utly Olive * A. J. Ward * M. A. Gale * Arthur H. Eddy * Arnold Brothers * Rice and Bagby of Houston * G. W. Moore of New York City * C. Biddle of Philadelphia * Webberville, Texas * Hugh Barton * John Wilson * Gail Borden * Calvin B. Garwood * J. N. Price * Josephine married William P. Haymond * J. N. Gilbert * Katie married L. B. Pipkin * Lipscomb Norvell * Emily Harris * Dorothy Olive Wilbarger *

Lost Creek and Voca in McCulloch County

By Clarence Snider

The first family ever to reside on Lost Creek, so far as is known, was that of John Bomar who moved there in 1859. A year or so later, quite a number of other families moved into the vicinity. Among the families living there between 1860 and 1866, was Joe Miller, J. N. Willis, R. D. Bedwell, Jim Whitehead. Bill Manor, Marion Coon, W. J. Hill, Antney Conner, Matt Trousdale, R. A. Ragsdale, Elihu Woodall, Dan Wills, Tom Harvey, Noah Taylor, Jim Connell, Bill Black, Wade Black and Meredith Spitler. This is the story of those early settlers and history of the region.

Mentions: Elihu Woodall, Chief Justice * A. T. McMurtry, county clerk ; R. D. Bedwell, Assessor and Collector, and in 1864 Elihu Woodall, Chief Justice; Wm. L. Hayes, district clerk ; J. R. Hoy, county clerk ; James G. Connell, sheriff ; A. B. Conner, assessor and collector; J. R. Bomar, P. Pressler, S. Wilson, county commissioners; John Clark coroner; J. Beasley, J. P. Precinct * Andrew J. Hamilton * W. L. Hayes * J. L. Gauny * John Beasley * Wm. Tippens and Caleb Jones * Capt. O'Brien's Company * Lieutenant Decator Barton * H. A. Chadwick and his sons William and Milam * John Deans * Capt. Dan Wills * Henry Winslow * Post and Gober * W. C. and John Deans * F. M. Miller, * John Mangum * J. M. (Marine) Bourland * L. D. Crittenden. Meredith Spiller * T. J. (Tom) Spiller * Tom and Walter Anderson * L. D. Crittenden and J. B. Lemons * John Clark * J. L. Whitesides * Elbert Ogle * T. J. Spiller. * Dr. J. R. Wilson from Bonham * George and Bob Spiller * Horrie Malone * Geo. Spiller, Jr. J. F. Selman * Peter Campbell * the Willis brothers, Arthur and Ezra * J. T. Robertson of O.I.C.U.R. Right * James A. Stokes * T. J. Spiller * A. B. McMurtry, A. B. Conner, Squire Gatliff and Rev. E. M. Owen * Vernon * McCulloch Lodge No. 273, * the Rose Mill in San Saba county * Thos. Singer * Mr. McFarland * Prof. Sumner * Cal Davis * Zack Carter and Sam Ragsdale * Henry Eubanks * W. J. Willis * Revs. J. B. Lyons and David K. Stewart * Rev. M. Owen * the old Spiller home near where Tiger Creek runs into Lost Creek * the old Bob Binion place * Jim Connell. Meredith Spiller * Asenath Mellisa Spiller * the old Spiller graveyard * Joseph Miller * E. M. (Marion) Miller, * J. N. (Nelson) Willis, father of W. J. and D. D. Willis * F. M. Miller * J. P. Fonda, J. D. Hurley, J. W. Hunter, J. M. Plummer * the town of Fredonia * G. W. Miller.