Vol 25 No. 12 - September 1948

An Early Day Texas School

J. Marvin Hunter, Sr.

Account of the frontier school which stood on the bank of Spring Creek, Gillespie county, twelve miles west of Fredericksburg. Story depicts events that occurred around 1877-1878. Account also details much history of the McDonald family, prominent settlers in the area. It includes an old photo of the McDonald Family Reunion Held at Spring Creek.

Mentions: the old Mart McDonald home * Alwilda McDonald, Eli McDonald, Mrs. Thomas, Pete Hazelwood * John Warren Hunter * Thomas McDonald and his brother, Bill McDonald, came from Illinois and settled in that community in 1854. * Mrs. Rosie McDonald Copple of Harper * Ben Casey and Gus McDonald * Eli, Lafe, Mart, Gus * Mrs. Sarah McDonald Cosper * Mrs. Gilet McDonald Solomon * Mrs. Permelia Banta Taylor * P. W. Hazelwood, * Mrs. Geneva McDonald Nelson * Ira McDonald * Frank Childs.

Old Texas Wagon Trains

R. D. Holt

The old-time freighter was no picturesque character, as was the cowboy. He cut no dashing figure as did the swashbuckling cowboy. His name is not kept alive in song and story to any noticeable extent. In frontier communities, however, he was not ranked as low in the economic and social scale as was the sheep herder. The old freighter played an essential part in the economic life of the frontier and in the development of the country. He supplied the frontier military posts along a far-flung front. He was the connecting link between the general merchandise store, kept by some enterprising merchant in a remote district, and some center of trade located on the coast or at the end of some new rail line. He took the raw materials of the sheepman, the cowman. and the farmer to some distant market. On the return trip he brought supplies to some lonely ranch headquarters. He was the connecting link between isolated stockmen and civilization. Here is the story of the frontier freighter.

Mentions: St. Denis * El Camino Real * Another early road followed by freighters was from San Antonio to Chihuahua and to El Paso * Another famous freight road from San Antonio led to the military posts to the northwest. This ran by way of Fredericksburg and Fort Mason to Fort McKavett and Concho and northward * In the early days of Texas, Jefferson served as the gateway of Northeast and Central Texas. * W. B. Beaird * Bryan and Hearne * Charles Goodnight * Palo Pinto * Beaver Lake on the Devil's River * James and John Edgar * James Edgar * Wild Rose Pass near Fort Davis * Old Espejo * John Burgess * Fort Davis * Kokernot Spring, near Alpine * John Davis and William Brooks * Miguel Brothers * August Santleben * Captain Henry Warren * General W. T. Sherman * Salt Creek in North Texas * Rich Coffey * Santanta, Big Tree and Satank * Jacksboro * the freighting company of Russell, Majors and Wadell * H. & T. C. Railroad, * JA Ranch * Las Animas * Lee & Reynolds * Monchy Russell * John W. Spencer, John B. Davis * Ed Frobboese, John Holly, Sha Hogan, John Burgess, William Brooks, James and John Edgar, Calderon, Richard Daly, William Russell * Alozia Danda * Presidio del Norte * Vinegarroon * Roy Bean * Tobe Sproul, old-time cowboy of the Concho country, * Uncle Cicero Enochs * Si Ogden * W. L. McWhorter. who ran a large general merchandise store in Eldorado.

An Indian Raid in Mexico

George W. Baylor

Account of a harrowing Indian raid (in 1850) that occurred in the quiet little Mexican town of San Juan de Endes located about thirty miles southwest of Eagle Pass in the state of Coahuila, Mexico.

Mentions: Rio Bravo del Norte * cortar la tierra * Devil's river (Rio Diablo) * General Persefor F. Smith * Tom Collins * Cuevo Pinto (Painted Cave.) * Dead Man's pass, * Camp Hudson * Don Thomas *

Troublesome Days in the Big Bend

From Raht's "Romance of Davis Mts."

Account describes notable events in railroad construction, mining and the cattle business in the Big Bend region during the 1880s.

Mentions: Jay Gould, of the Texas & Pacific Railroad * Collis P. Huntington * the Southern Pacific * the Civic Improvement Company * J. H. Strawbridge * Colonel Gray * N. H. Gillett * the G. H. & S. A. Railroad * Kleinman, an Austrian * Uncle John Davis * Colonel George W. Baylor * the Shafter Mining Company * John W. Spencer * General Shafter. Lieutenant Bullis. Lieutenant Wilhelme * S. A. Wright * D. E. Lindsey * Boquillas * Marathon * the Del Carmen mine * Captain Lee Hall *

Robert Casey Was A True Pioneer

J. Marvin Hunter, Sr.

Account of early settlers of Menard county, Texas, Robert Casey and his wife, who lived a few miles above the small village of Menardville. Seeking more extensive range for his increasing herd of cattle, Casey, in 1868, rounded up his cattle on his Menard county ranch, packed his household belongings, put his wife and five little children in a covered wagon, and headed west for New Mexico. With the help of one man, a Mexican, he undertook to drive eighteen hundred cattle through a country infested by Indians, while he depended upon Mrs. Casey to take care of the children and drive the wagon. Here is the story.

Mentions: Ben F. Gooch * Fort Stanton * Pone's Crossing * Casey settled on the Rio Hondo * the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation * Otero County, New Mexico *

Lucius Hicks Of Bandera County

Myrtle Murray

Account of early Bandera county settler, F. L. (Lucius) Hicks who lived on the Pedernales a few months, then moved to Bandera county on what was later known as "Hicks' Creek." Mr. Hicks took up many sections of land for his children, eventually acquiring holdings that totaled more than 17,000 acres. Among pioneer settlers of the region, he was a true pillar. Here is his story.

Mentions: Captain James Callahan * Piedras Negras * Hadvega Anderwald * Panna Maria in Karnes county * Castroville * Joe Miller * Gabe Anderwald* Mrs. R. D. Garrison * Cleophas * the HIX brand * Captain Jack Hays' Rangers * Sunday School and Church at Laxon Creek * the Thallman pasture * Fabian Hicks, one of the sons, two daughters, Animate Hicks and Eratha Hicks* the Baptist Church in Medina * Hercelia Hicks* Elvius Hicks* R. D. Garrison * Walter Meadows * Annie Kelly * George Fee * Minnie Moody * Pearl Harris * Lucy Barrow * Emma Garrison.

The Lone Star Flag of Texas

Adind de Zavala

The Fathers of Texas deemed a national flag for the Republic of Texas so important, that on March 3, 1836, the day after the adoption of the Declaration of Texas Independence, a committee was appointed to draft a national flag. On March 11th, the committee reported that the National Flag of the Republic of Texas was born. Here is the story.