Jones County, Texas - Biography - Edgar Boaz *********************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Dorman Holub Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************** The Western Enterprise Anson, Jones County, Texas Thursday, August 26, 1933 50th Anniversary Edition Boaz Been on Ranches Near-by Since Boyhood When Col. J.S. Godwin went to pay the balance on his ranch in the Noodle and Stith country, consisting of three leagues or about 15,000 acres, to the commissioners of DeWitt County, from whom he bought the land a few years previous, he discovered that the commissioners would not take his check or draft, but wanted cash. Not to be outdone, Col. Godwin, upon inquiry learning that the nearest U.S. Mint was located in New Orleans, wired for the entire amount wanted, about $47,000 in silver dollars. When the consignment arrived, the express agent sent the commissioners word that he had a package for them. Asked to send i up, he replied that they had better send a wagon. Bufore and Bill Carpenter operated a ranch 12 miles west of Anson in the territory where the Edgar Boaz ranch is now located, and near Carpetner's Gap. Buford Carpenter dying about 1879, his widow wanted to dispose of her interest and it was sold to Col. J.S. Godwin, who had moved from Kentucky to Fort Worth. He later bought Bill's interest. Three sections of this ranch were fenced in 1882 for a horse pasture, the first fencing in the county Edgar Boaz recalls. W.T. "Bill" Carpenter died at that place on 29 March or 30 March of this year at the age of 73. At the age of 21, he came to Texas settling in Jones County. After selling his ranch to Col. Godwin he worked as boss for the T-Diamond ranch some years. Moving to Colorado, Texas, he went west again in 1890 to Crockett County. Still seeking to keep in the wide open spaces, he again went west and bought a large ranch near Sandersson, in Terrell County in 1899, where he has since made his home. Col. Godwin bought the DeWitt County School land in March 1884, and set about getting it fenced. He employed a man who went to wrok in one direction. An old wartime friend by the name of Mr. Thompson, when down and out came along and asked Col. Godwin about a job. He was sent to work on the fencing project in the opposite direction. By and by the two parties met, and they called for a settlement. Thompson wanted pay for miles computed in the Spanish or Mexian measure or the common vara. Finally, the colonel was sent for. When he arrived, he asked his son, D.W. Godwin, who was on the ground, the cause of the trouble, and when told that Thompson asked for his pay in Mexican miles, Godwin told his son to wire a certain bank in El Paso for Mexican money to pay his old war friend, saying that if Thompson's miles were Mexican miles he would get his pay in Mexican money. Thompson quickly decided that the American mile was good. Edgar Boaz, who now lives in Anson, was a nephew of the Colonel, for whom Edgar worked for years. The Carpenter Ranch was off to one side and more or less in the way. Mr. Godwin proposed to Mr. Boaz that he buy the ranch, and offered him a half interest at a total consideration of $3.00 an acre with no interest for five years and without a cent being paid down, which was accepted. The original ranch consisted of 2,000 acres and is kept intact by Mr. Boaz to this day. His son Jim owns a ranch of larger proportions to the south. In due time Mr. Boaz bought his uncles half interest. Mr. Boaz managed the Godwin ranch or the Noodle property for years. He came to Shackelford County in 1878 as a boy where he was in the employ of Col. Godwin who ranched first in Shackelford County. On 27 March 1882, he moved to Jones county coming when the Godwins began ranching here and has lived in Jones county since. Mr. Boaz was an active, sure enough open range cowboy of the old type. It is conceded that he, N.S. Dougherty, of Anson, Emmett Roberts of Nugent, and Rader Thompson of Noodle, are the only old-time cowboys now living in Jones county. In the year 1878, Mr. Boaz came into possession of a certain six silver dollars, which he has carried in his pockets continually since. The dollars are thinner than dimes and few years back, weighted out less than $2.50 in value in silver.