STORIES OF EARLY COKE COUNTY mentioning Baker, Bilbo, Bird, Breedlove, Campbell, Cole, Coronado, Costello, Guadalajara, Cramer, Douglas, Glass, Hall, Harris, Lee, Lopez, McCutchen, Mendoza, Odom, Rawlings, Saul, Sayner, Skinner, Snyder, Stephens, Ulmer, Weathers, Whiteside, Wylie and Yardley - Coke Co, TX Contributed by Jo Collier 29 November 2004 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tx/txfiles.htm *********************************************************************** Centennial Edition - 1889 Coke County Rustler 1904 1904 Robert Lee Observer 1984 1907 Bronte Enterprise 1984 1984 Observer/Enterprise July 21, 1989 GOOD EVIDENCE SPANIARDS PASSED THROUGH 300 YEARS AGO The Observer/Enterprise, July 21, 1989 When the capitol of West Texas was Santa Fe, when Mendoza traveled across the Big Bend as far as the San Angelo country, and when Father Lopez with a portable organ chanted Gregorian melodies to the Indians around Ballinger--that was back in the early days of our history. Stranger than fiction run the chronicles of fact as collected by members and contributor to the West Texas Historical Society and others. If the mountains and valleys of old Coke County could speak, what stories they could tell? It is fairly certain that when Coronado's army returned from their trip through the Panhandle country they passed through a corner of what is now Coke County. That was in 1541. Reliable authorities show that Costello, another Spaniard, came through here in 1650, Guadalajara in 1654. ------------------------------------------------------------------- PIONEERS RECALL CATTLE RANGES IN 1889 Robert Lee Observer Sept. 22, 1939, Centennial edit. The Odom cattle ranged on the site of the present city of Bronte, and from there through the Ft. Chadbourne country when "Uncle Joe" McCutchen came to the county in 1889. South of the Colorado was the range of the Wylie Brothers, R. K., Henry, and Tom. South of Wylie's was the Cramer outfit, Mule Creek to Tennyson. South of Cramer, Sam Sayner and Skinner had fenced ranges. E. C. Rawlings was first a cowboy, then later owner of the HXW Ranch north of Sanco. Bill Glass owned the present Whiteside land. It was he who sold out to Will and Rufe Whiteside. The Weathers ranch was north of Hayrick. The old O. B. line fence went close to Sanco on to Silver Peak. South of that the O. B. or Snyder outfit extended to the river, and the headquarters were near the mouth of Yellow Wolf Creek, not very far from the present Harris Saul headquarters. The Harris 7F outfit covered its present range south of the River and extended in an L into the Mountains north of Robert Lee. Some of the wire on their line fence is still in a fence on the L. S. Bird pasture, east of Sanco - has been in that fence since 1887, and still scarcely any rust on it - a kind of galvanized wire with large twisted barbs. The above named ranges just about covered the county when it was organized, with the exception of land occupied by settlers and fenced by them. --------------------------- HISTORIC OLD FT. CHADBOURNE The Bronte Enterprise, March 16, 1906 A short history of her Past. A bright future predicted for the town. The beautiful little town of Ft. Chadbourne is now only disturbed by the school bell, the whistling of the plow boy, and the blasting of the Orient R.R. At one time, however, the country was disturbed by the sound of trumpets, the toll of drums, and the yell of captains. Old Ft. Chadbourne was one of a chain of military posts stretching from Oak Creek to the Rio Grande, established in the early fifties, for the purpose of protecting Texas frontier against the ravages of the Red man who once made his home in this beautiful country which is now the home of happy and industrious people. The old Fort was once a town of four or five thousand and inhabitants Col. Robert E. Lee, later the South's greatest General, was stationed there. They had large stone buildings for protection. The Indians came in such numbers they almost devastated the whole country. On one occasion the mail carrier being met by the savages without harm. They cut his harnesses, cut the mail pouch, scattered the letters in every direction, laughed at him telling him to take the road. He returned to the fort. The only means of travel at that time was by stage lines. The Butterfield road ran through the present town. They had a central telegraph office at Camp Concho with lines connecting all the forts. They made the Indians believe that it was death to pass under the wires, thus making the lines a great protection. The country was covered with tall grass. There were very few trees. To keeep the white man from following him the Indians would burn the grass behind him. At such times the Fort could be seen for many miles for the houses were mostly white. A few of the old stone buildings still stand but most of them have been torn away. The cells and some of the fortresses remain and attact many people. The soldier's cemetery in which rests the bodies of Col. Odom, Capt. Yardley, and many others, is located about one-half mile from the fort. No monuments mark their last resting place. The graves are covered with rock. The new Ft. Chadbourne is beautiful village surrounded by rich farms and neat cottages. What wonderful progress in the short spaces of twenty-five years! Past progress causes us to look for great things in the future. The K.C.M.& Orient RR, will be in operation by October. The talk is that within the next two years the central will cross the Orient at Ft. Chadbourne and be the best in all the west. Some day we hope to have a good college and other things essential to the welfare and happiness of the people. The Post Office which was once at the fort was moved in 1886 four miles west to the residence of P. E. Douglas. A RABBIT WITH HORNS 1906 Observer Dick Stephens, who lives on the old Hall irrigated farm now owned by his father, R. M. Stephens, was out hunting one day last week and his dog ran a rabbit into the crevices of the rocks at the foot of the mountains on the banks of Cedar Lake. He proceeded to dig Mr. Rabbit out at once and to his surprise found that the rabbit had a full set of horns. The horns were from one-half to two inches in length, there being three horns with three points each, making nine in all. In digging the rabbit out he injured it so that it died, but he brought the head to the Evans Drug Store and had it preserved in alcohol. Coke county is humorously termed the rabbit county of west Texas. ------------------------------------ TRAVELING THROUGH SANCO IN 1906 1906 Observer - Jan 9 A Trip to Sanco A few days since I visited Sanco to see if I could find out anything about the Orient, but found everybody so busy getting ready for another crop that they had forgotten all about the Orient. In fact, they have all the improvements on hand at present that can be handled without taking further contracts. After leaving Sanco I made a stop at Judge Campbell's hoping to have my store of knowledge increased, which was done, but on a different line from what I was looking for. About the time I entered his front gate I heard his good wife say: "Look out, he is coming." About that time something hit me all over and I landed about twenty feet nearer the front door. I jumped up and ran inside more dead than alive. I asked the good old lady of the house what on earth it was that hit me. She said, "God bless you, it is nothing but the old man's pet mule." I wanted to know what the old man wanted with such a beast, and she told me that he was worth a full pack of blood hounds to keep guard around the place. I looked out of the window and the son-of-a-gun was backed up against the front gate gritting his teeth and shaking all four of his feet at me in such a way that I almost went into a state of collapse. I asked one of the young ladies if there was any chance for me to get out alive. She said if I was a quick stepper I might make it while her sister rang the dinner bell on the other side of the house. When the bell started the mule started and so did I. I got out much faster than I got in and I promised the young ladies that if I ever went that way again I would carry a gatling gun and blow that infernal mule clear out of the county of Coke. I noticed a smile cover over her face and I am sure she would be glad to see me coming. I was told that the old judge has the old mule so well trained that there is not a boy around Sanco that will venture inside of his premises, so I don't blame the girls for wanting the rascal exterminated. About sundown I pulled up at Bud Ulmer's, one of the most thrifty farmers and ranchmen of Coke County, and by the way, an all around good fellow. I asked him if I could stay all night with him. He said he had never turned a man off, but he did not like my appearance and I would have to see his wife about the matter. About that time old Father Baker came up and gave me such a hearty greeting that Mr. Ulmer told me to drive in, which I did. After supper I told him my experience with the mule, and he said he was sorry he spoke to me as he did and for me to always consider myself welcome at his home from that time on. The next morning when I left him he gave me a five dollar note and bid me God-speed. At noon I found myself at the home of my old friend, Ben Bilbo, the jolliest man in all west Texas. I was never treated better in all my life. I found him, like all others, hard at work getting ready for a big crop. After dinner I moved on to J. F. Cole's. I found him in a terrible state of mind. I made inquiry as to the cause of his trouble, and he told me that Bilbo's pet coon had run off and he was afraid he would come down his way. I told him I was just from there and had heard him say nothing about a coon. He said it made no difference, that he had had one and that it was gone. Everybody was looking for it so I moved on wondering if that coon was as mean as Campbell's mule. All at once I heard someone say, "Hold up, there!" I stopped and a fellow wanted to know where I was going . I told him I was going down to Mr. Tucker's to stay all night. "Well." he says, "do you know anything about Bilbo's negro?" I told him that I did not know Bilbo had a negro but I heard his pet coon was gone. I concluded to go on and see Perry Breedlove and get the matter straight. I told him what I had heard and that I wanted the thing straight, as might be a witness sometime, and here is just what he told me: He said that a gentleman from down east had made Mr. Bilbo a Christmas present of a little negro boy. As he was the first colored settler in that locality his advent caused considerable excitement. Mr. Bilbo had either sent him back or the little fellow had strayed off and been caught by the coyotes. Now, if that negro boy has been devoured, Cole did it, for he sure looked guilty when he said he was looking for a coon. It is very true that after my experience with the mule I might have been a little mixed up but not so much as some of those fellows who I saw hunting for that coon. I hope the little fellow will make landing safe and that Sanco will continue in peace and prosperity. ------------------------------------------------- COKE COUNTY JAIL, Nov. 1, 1907 Robert Lee Observer The Jail has been finished and turned over to the county commissioners. The building is substantial and the cells and fixtures are the very best. The building contains 7 cells above. It has 4 rooms below for the sheriff and family, including an office room. The building is well furnished throughout and a credit to the contractors. Coke County can now boast of having one of the most substantial as well as pretty jail buildings in the west. Permission granted by The Observer/Enterprise for publication in the Coke County TXGenWeb Archives.