Tom Green County, TX - Bios:  Miss Gula B. Foote

TX BIOS:  Miss Gula B. Foote
   Selected and converted.American Memory, Library of Congress.
   
   Washington, 1994.
   
   Preceding element provides place and date of transcription only.
   
   This transcription intended to be 99.95% accurate.
   
   For more information about this text and this American Memory
   collection, refer to accompanying matter.
   
   U.S. Work Projects Administration, Federal Writers' Project (Folklore
   Project, Life Histories, 1936-39); Manuscript Division, Library of
   Congress.Copyright status not determined.
   
   00011
   
   Range-Lore
   
   Nellie B. Cox
   
   San Angelo, Texas
   
   Page one Dup
   
   RANGE-LORE - From a diary
   
   A pioneer girl of the West carried a revolver, rode bad horses, roped
   cattle and herded sheep. These activities were not carried on in a
   spirit of bravado or daring but as part of the every day work. Miss
   Gula B. Foote, who came to Ben Ficklin in 1876, has done all of these
   things and has kept a diary of the things she thought of as ordinary
   happenings in a busy life.
   
   Miss Foote's father, C.D. Foote, a civil engineer, came to the western
   part of Texas in 1875. The next year he sent to Michigan for his
   family which consisted of his wife who was a teacher of piano in a
   large school; a daughter Gula, aged nine and a small son, Harry. Miss
   Foote tells in her diary: We had an uneventful train trip to Round
   Rock, Texas. There we were met by my father.
   
     NOTE: C.12 - 2/11/41 - Texas
     
   00022We then traveled in a fearful (to mother and me) manner, that is,
   a brown topped hack drawn by horses. We were afraid of every thing-
   principally the horses- but we imagined worse things; Indians,
   rattlesnakes and skunks. My father did all the cooking on the trip as
   my mother was never good in the culinary arts even in the best
   equipped kitchen. However, through it all I was thrilled to be going
   to our new home".
   
   The diary relates that at an early age she overcame her fear of
   horses. She delighted to meet the stage at Ben Ficklin; for the
   driver, W. J. Ellis, after discharging the passengers, would permit
   Gula to drive the four horses hitched to the big stagecoach down to
   the corrals.
   
   Miss Foote tells of riding bronchos at fairs in competition with men
   riders and of winning. She always rode sideways- never astride. "White
   Bess", an Arabian mare owned by Mr. Foote, would permit no one except
   Gula to ride her.
   
   After her father became disabled, Miss Foote took over the entire
   management of their ranch, which they named, "Kiowa Ranch". Here she
   bred, raised and broke to saddle and harness the fine horses which
   were the best in show ring or in actual use. She gave them such names
   as "Lady Bird", "Chaquita", "Chico". Miss Foote had nothing but
   ridicule for "scrub stock".
   
   On the ranch Miss Foote did all kinds of work even milking the cows
   which is always a distasteful job to any ranchman or ranchwoman. She
   tells that one Sunday a somewhat 00033shiftless widower in the
   neighborhood [stayed?] around the ranch all day. When milking time
   came and she started out with the milk buckets, the man sidled up to
   her and said soulfully, "Miss Gula, don't you ever feel the need of a
   man about the place?" "Yes", replied Miss Foote, "but when I do, I
   hire one".
   
   The many mementoes tell of her part in the social life of the "gay
   90's" and earlier. Dance cards filled with the names of popular
   gentlemen; engraved cards; pressed flowers; photographs and newspaper
   clippings attest to the fact that Miss Foote was a much sought- after
   young lady in the society circles of Ben [Ficklin?] and later of San
   Angelo.
   
   After leasing out the ranch, Miss Foote sold her horses and moved to
   her home in San Angelo. She owned and learned to drive a car but
   always insisted that she would much prefer driving her favorite team
   of ranch horses.

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