Texas History Notebook

Bose Ikard

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Bose Ikard was born a slave around 1843 – 1847 in Noxubee County, Mississippi. Bose gave his age to be 37 in 1880, making his year of birth around 1843, but some accounts say 1847. All of the available genealogical records list his father to be Dr. Milton Ikard with the mother’s name simply listed as “unknown.” In the vernacular of the time, his “master” was Dr. Ikard who was the source of his last name. His mother would eventually be revealed as having the last name King and to have also been born in Mississippi, but beyond that, no more is known of her. The Ikards moved first to Union Parish, Louisiana before coming to Texas about 1852 when Bose was around 8. Bose lived with the Ikards and moved with them first to Lamar County and then to Parker County. There he lived the life of a farmer and ranch hand, joining Milton Ikard and others defending their homes and property from Indian attacks. While living here, Bose acquired his skills as a cowboy, to ride, rope steers, fight Indians and to shoot.

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Birth of the Wichita Oil Field

The story begins with a well drilled into a salt dome in the Beaumont area in far southeast Texas. On January 10, 1901 a Captain Lucas was in a local store when the shopkeeper received a frantic call from Lucas’ wife telling him that the well the Captain was drilling a few miles away had “spouted” and blown out. The well site known as the Lucas No. 1 was located in a place called Spindletop. Lucas quickly drove his horse and buggy to the wellsite where he could see a steady stream of black liquid spewing out of the hole, settling on the derrick and other equipment.

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C. C. Slaughter

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(Image credit: Baylor Health Care System)

Christopher Columbus Slaughter was born February 9, 1837 to George Webb and Sarah Mason Slaughter. His father George Webb Slaughter had served with Sam Houston during the Texas Revolution and his grandfather William Slaughter had served under Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812. They followed his great grandfather, who had served in the American Revolution back in North Carolina. It was only natural that C. C. was drawn to serve in response to the call for volunteers to defend the frontier of Texas when he came of age.

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David Adickes, Artist

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Heading south on US 75 from the Red River, at Exit 67 on the west one can see a 17 foot tall bust of General Dwight David Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States. It was done by artist David Adickes, now of Huntsville, Texas. Though he worked out of several studios in Houston for most of his career, when he was in his 70s, he learned that his old high school in Huntsville was for sale, bought it and turned it into his own studio.

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Floyd Hamilton, Public Enemy No. 1

(Book cover: pictured are Chaplain Ray Hoekstra and Floyd Hamilton)

Floyd Garland Hamilton was born June 13, 1908 in Henrietta, Oklahoma to John Henry and Sarah Alice Bullock Hamilton and died July 24, 1984 in Grand Prairie, Texas at the age of 76. According to his wishes, there was no funeral service, his body was cremated and his ashes were spread near the grave of his wife in Irving, Texas.