Frio County "Tid Bits"
DISADVANTAGES OF IGNORANCE. Contribution by Jim Webb.
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NOLAN'S NERVE A story about a Frio County Stage Robbery published in the San Antonio Light Newspaper, Aug. 27, 1903
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JEREMIAH ROBERTS A brief story of his life and some of his descendants.
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INTERESTING STORY ABOUT LIFE IN EARLY SOUTH TEXAS This story is being placed on this site because it contains information about Joseph Walter Durbin, a Pearsall resident and Sheriff of Frio County.
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FRIO COUNTY HAS A COLORFUL HISTORY authored by Mrs. W. A. Roberts, and published in the Frontier Times, June 1936.
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VICTOR R. SCOVILLE. A letter written by Victor Scoville in 1937, telling about his experience as a working & rodeo cowboy. It starts on his father's Cloverleaf Ranch, located in Frio, LaSalle, & Zavalla Counties, but Headquartered in Frio County.
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MEMOIRS OF MATTIE LINDHOLM COX about her family, friends and Frio County history (written in 1969). Contribution by Mary Criswell.
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CHERISHED MEMORIES by Frances Cox Rylander (written in 1998). Contribution by Mary Criswell.
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HAMILTON BENNETT INFO. & GRAVE LOCATION
Hello John, my great great grandfather Hamilton Bennett's grave site is (located) from Pearsall on 1581 to Divot before crossing the Leona River, to your right, by a deer blind. He is buried there with his wife and daughter. His wife Margaret was his second wife. She was a McKinney, sister to Ellen Jane McKinney Bates who was my great great grandmother. If you pull up the Tarrant County 1850 Census Hamilton Bennett was on it.
Have you read the Trail Drivers of Texas? The book "Road Agents and Rattlesnakes" that stated that "Max Franks" outran the Indians; that was my great grandfather, Maxwell Franks. That letter you sent to my wife, I just read today, Charlotte Bennett is buried by her mother. She was supposed to have hung herself after they came to Frio County in 1858. I need information as to where William Bennett is buried.
Anyone connecting to the above families, or having information as to where William Bennett is buried please e-mail Henry Prather
A DESPERATE SHOOTING AFFRAY
I have a photo copy of a partial account of a news paper article found in James T. Claiborne's bible by his grandaughter after the death of her father. The bottom of the article is torn off and deteriated. The following is what can be read:
A Desperate Shooting Affray. Two Men Killed And Two Men Wounded. On last Monday Evening - July 19 about an hour by sun a desperate shooting affray occored in the north west part of the county between Jim, Tun, Ben, Doc Winters and John, Buck, and Pat Claiborne in which John Claiborne was killed dead on the spot, his brother Buck shot so bad that he died on the following Thursday; Pat shot through the left sholder; and Doc Winters shot in the side, the ball passing around and lodging in his back. As near as we could learn the facts were briefly as follows:
Some time before the shooting Mr. L.E.Johnson had lt the contract to build a certain portion of the Abbey Pasture fence to the Claibornes and after hearing or believing that they had thrown up the contract, he let it to the Winters boys. The Claibornes had already cut out about a mile of the right-of-way for the fence and were still cutting on the Monday spoken of. The Winters boys began on this Monday in the cut out right-of-way to dig holes and set posts. The Claibornes heard they were down there at work and in the evening on their way home went by where they were. Dick Ellis (Pat and John Claibornes brother in law, they married sisters) and his boy Bill Ellis, and another boy, Charley Linney (sic- Lindsey) were with the Claibornes. When the Claiborne party reached the Winters (Missing) __________________ two boys , Bill Ellis and Charley Linney did not stop but_________________ John and Buck Claiborne ______________________ le in advance of Dick ___________-Claibornes comming_____________________ down smoking_____________ Two _________________ up and went down to where ________-were laying on the side________________-
No more can be read. I was able to locate John and Buck's grave in a cemetery at Big Foot in Frio County. I believe this happened in Frio County. I have located an Abbey Hill and an Abbey Mill in Frio County but not an Abbey Pasture. Would there be a newspaper morgue going back to July 1886 in Frio County. There was a L.E.Johnson listed as a land owner, 2000+ acres as well as lots in Pearsall in 1888.
If a news paper is available it would have the rest of the story. (Contribution by Harold Claiborne E-Mail address: hcla1@web-access.net )
HAGEMAN & HENNINGS
KANSAS TRAGEDY - A Former Citizen of Texas Carried Home to a Pretty Wife to Die.
Southern Afternoon Press.
PEARSALL, Texas, June 6.-This community was lately startled with the news of the killing of Ed Hageman at Logan, Kan., last week. A man named Alrich had mortgaged his horses for a certain amount to a man named Ackers. The mortgage fell due and was renewed and, in course of time, fell due again. Then, Alrich refused to do anything, would neither renew the note, nor pay the money, nor give up the horses. Constable Hageman was then sent to get the horses, but when he started to take them, Alrich
shot him in cold blood. Hageman was then carried to his wife and five children, and only lived a few hours. Hageman was
married and lived in Frio county for years. His wife was Miss Kate Hennings, of old Frio Town.
June 6, 1891, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 7.
The above information was provided by Jim Wheat at: [jwheat@fastlane.net].
SAM & MARTHA ORR - BIOGRAPHY
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BIGFOOT, TX ARTICLE
We were given permission by the San Antonio Express & News and Joe Holley to use the following article which was published 6/26/2000.
"Childhood Eden attracts old and young"
PEARSALL WELCOMES MR. & MRS. DOUG PEARSALL
(Article from The Pearsall Leader, Thursday, August 3, 1967, Vol. LXII J No. 23)
SAM HOUSTON BLALOCK (BLALACK).
The following information was submitted to us by Tom Graham via e-mail.
Hi John, attached is an interesting story about Sam Houston Blalock (Blalack). Much of the story is about Frio County. Mr. Blalock is listed on your 1887 Frio County Tax Rolls (Blalook, S.H., 204 acres). In his story he talks about the Blackally's. That family name is spelled Blackaller and J.H. Blackaller is listed just above S.H. Blalock on the Tax Roll. Mr. James Harrison Blackaller and wife are buried in the Frio Town Cemetery.
I find these stories very interesting and then when I find a connection to my life, they are even more of interest. In this case, my cousin Roxie Graham married the grandson of S.H. Blalock, Alvin Blalack Jr. in Big Wells, and my Dentist while I was growing up was a Blackaller descendent of the family in the story.
This story is from the American Life Histories web page of the Library of Congress at [http://rs6.loc.gov/wpaintro/wpahome.html].
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HAPPY GINNING AT NIGHT LEADS TO DAYLIGHT FUSS.
This article was submitted by Joe A. Jacobs.
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O. HENRY SHORT STORY ABOUT FRIO COUNTY and SURROUNDING AREA.
"The Last of the Troubadours" brought to you by Southwestern Classics On-Line.
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TAYLOR, FELIX
My greatgrandfather was Felix Taylor (1865-1951) who is thought to have come from Frio County, TX. His mother, Sarah Taylor (1844 - ?) is thought to have been born in Kentucky. Sarah is listed as Taylor in the 1870 Census. There are land sale records from her second marriage to G. W. Sadler listing the sons; these records were from Frio County. There are family stories of Felix's father having fought in the Texas Revolution and being buried in Big Foot, TX. I was struck by the fact that there was a Felix Taylor in the DeWitt Colony. Jenniffier Shields Hawes
SALLIE MOORE KETCHUM PATTERSON MEMOIRS (Contributed by Joanne Clinton Truman)
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Letter written by JOHN EDMUND GARDNER (Contribution by Tom Graham)
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Click here to read San Antonio Express Jan 8, 1899 article about Big Foot Wallace's Death. This article was contributed by Joanne Truman. Joanne's g. g.f. John Randolph Clinton, and her gr. uncle Albert Stewart were pall bearers for Bigfoot's funeral.
Click here to read Express Newspaper Article about Bigfoot Wallace's Re-Interment Contribution made by Joanne Truman.
Click here to read Express Newspaper Article about ALBERT STEWART. Contribution made by Joanne Truman.
Click here to read A letter written in July 1874 by JOHN RANDOLPH CLINTON. Contribution made by Joanne Truman.
Link to: Susan B. Winters Crane & The Trek of the Winters Family. Contribution made by: Renee Smelley.
Pulished in the Sep. 20, 1893 Ft. Worth Gazette -- ....."Twelve hundred bales of cotton have been ginned in Frio county to date".
Charles Miller, Texas Ranger Hall of Fame
James Speed of Frio County Contribution made by Kathy Ayers.
Captain Dean Wadsworth, USAF - Remembered
1915 SUPREME COURT DECISION INVOLVING FRIO COUNTY
published by the "Banks Upshaw & Co." - Dallas
