PIONEER DAY OBSERVANCE, Coke County, TX ***************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ Submitted by Jo Collier - jomar@wcc.net 27 March 2001 ***************************************************************** The Robert Lee Observer, May 1, 1969, Robert Lee, TX The fifth annual Pioneer Day sponsored by the Coke County Historical Survey committee was celebrated with a covered dish luncheon at the Recreation Center in the Coke County Park in Robert Lee, Wednesday, April 23, which was the 80th anniversary of the organization of Coke County, which took place on April 23, 1890. Persons attending the affair came from every community in Coke County - Robert Lee, Bronte, Sanco, Silver, Hayrick, Edith, Tennyson and Divide. Out-of-county towns represented included Abilene, El Paso, Happy, Houston, Lubbock, Roscoe and San Angelo. J. W. Byrd came from Happy. He is the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Wylie Byrd and the grandson of the late James Franklin Byrd, a Confederate veteran who settled at the Pecan Mott west of Hayrick in 1879. Coming from Abilene was Mrs. Loujena Sheppard King whose father, the late M. B. Sheppard, came to what later became known as Edith, in 1883, while the area was still part of Tom Green County. From San Angelo were Bill and Miss Laura Martin, Mrs. Lela Cummings, L. B. Menielle, the Rev. William Gaston and Arnold Garcia, Jr., a reporter for the Standard Times. Others returning from a distance included Mr. and Mrs. R. B. King, El Paso; Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Ross, Lubbock; Mrs. Evelyn McKinley, Abilene; Joe Long Snead, Roscoe; Mrs. H. H. King, Abilene. Honoring the memory of their pioneer parents were Mrs. A. B. (Pearl) Sheppard and Mrs. Mark (Sadye) Chumley, daughters of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Q. McCabe. Mr. McCabe came to the area in 1879 and brought Mrs. McCabe as his 18-year-old bride in 1882. Born in 1877, Will Millican, 92, was the oldest person present. Hawley Allen, who also was born in 1877, was second in age. He said that he will not be 92 until November 29. Although some months younger than Mr. Millican, Mr. Allen came to Coke in 1889, a year before Millican's arrived in 1890. Mrs. Hawley Allen, the former Amelia Caraway, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Wylie T. Caraway, is a few years younger than either her husband or Mr. Millican, but she came here in 1883, while the area was still a part of Tom Green. I. A. Bird of Sanco was another who came before Coke County was organized. He recalled that he arrived in 1887 by wagon train with his parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Miller Bird. He also recalled the story of "The Battle of Dove Creek," which his father had related to him many times. Bill Martin was the oldest native-born Coke Countian attending, but several other native "Rabbit Twisters" present are not far behind Martin in age. Miss Laura Martin, several years younger than her brother and presently serving with the Coke County Historical Survey Committee, was present to help with the festivities. Mrs. Leola (Reed) Cummings, daughter of the late Rev. and Mrs. John Reed, was reared in the Edith community. She is an aunt of Mrs. Frank Coulson, a local teaher who accompanied Mrs. Cummings to the luncheon. The Rev. William Gaston, son of Mrs. Sam Gaston and the late Mr. Gaston, related fond memoies of his early life in the Tennyson and Mule Creek aea. Also recalling his early life in Coke County was H. E. Ross, who said he is not ashamed to acknowledge the nickname of "Rabbit Twister". He jokingly declared that he could remember twisting out many a rabbit. Representing the area of the first county seat, Hayrick, were Mrs. Winnie Waldrop, Miss Gladys Waldrop and Mrs. and Mrs. J. W. Labenske. Mrs. Labenske is the daughter of the late Mrs. and Mrs. Will Robbins, who settled at Hayrick in 1882, some five years before Coke County was organized. L. B. Menielle, who is proud of his heritage, is the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. E. Menielle. His father operated the old Snyder gin, which was located on Yellow Wolf Creek. That gin was probably the first gin in the area. From Tennyson and Bronte were Mrs. James P. Arrott, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Williams, Mrs. Ray Coalson, Mrs. Charles Ragsdale, and Mrs. C. E. Arrott. Mrs. D. O. King of Edith was accompanied by Mrs. Sloan Boone of Edith Route. Mrs. Vela Plumlee and her brother represented the family of the late Mr. and Mrs. Sam King of Edith. Newcomers welcomed at the luncheon were the Rev. and Mrs. Fred Brown of Bronte and the Rev. and Mrs. Bobby Palmos of Robert Lee. Entertainment was provided by Mrs. Wilson Bryan's music students from Robert Lee schools. Nineteen boys and girls dressed in red, white and blue vests and bow ties, sang songs from "up with people." Two solos were sung by Harold Carver, 14, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Carver of Robert Lee. Mrs. Bryan Yarbrough, chairman of the survey committee, read a House resolution commending the citizens of Coke County and congratu- lating them on the 80th anniversary of the county's organization. Mrs. Yarbrough read to the group a letter from Mrs. Lula Newton Beeman, recently hospitalized in Sweetwater. "I've always been proud to call myself a Coke County oldtimer," Mrs. Beeman wrote, "I wish I could be with you today and I hope I can be there next year." Activities of the day were concluded by the dedication of an historical marker at the Robert Lee Cemetery, where the group assembled to pay honor to Confederate soldier, C. A. Gates, buried there. His daughter, the late Mrs. J. E. Roane, shortly before her death, contributed funds to the Coke C.H.S.C. for purchase of the marker. The soldier Cary Allen Gates came to Coke County in 1906 and spent the remainder of his life here. Unveiling the marker were Mr. Gates' descendants, Mr. and Mrs. O. B. Jacobs, Mrs. and Mrs. Lowell Roane and daughter, Myna Kay. Permission granted by Observer/Enterprise for publication in the Coke County TXGenWeb Archives