Texas History Notebook

Unsolved mystery: Jesse James’ grave site

The outlaw Jesse Woodson James (1847-1882) is generally thought to have been shot and killed by Robert Ford on April 3, 1882. Ford, a James gang member, reportedly shot James, then 34 years old, in the back of the head at the Kearney, Missouri home of Ford’s sister as they prepared to head out for another robbery. Ford’s motive was to obtain a reward. Ford and his brother pled guilty to murder but were pardoned by the Missouri governor Thomas Crittendon. Although James body was identified and buried in Kearney, Missouri, alternative accounts persist that he somehow faked his death and moved to Texas. Continue reading Unsolved mystery: Jesse James’ grave site

Presidents, Republic of Texas, Part 3 (1842-1845)

The first three Presidents of the Republic of Texas reflected the various swings of political sentiment among Texas voters. Sam Houston was followed by Mirabeau B. Lamar. Following the Lamar term, Sam Houston was again elected President of the Republic and took office on December 13, 1841.

Presidents, Republic of Texas, Part 2 (1836-1841)

Sam Houston and Mirabeau B. Lamar:

Sam Houston always had people who opposed him, whether it concerned his political philosophy, his lifestyle or his military strategy. One such individual was Mirabeau B. Lamar. These two men would serve as the first two Presidents of the young Republic of Texas.

Post, Texas

The town of Post, Texas is the county seat of Garza County and was founded by Charles William Post, known for his Post cereals and other grain products. Post had been attracted by the relatively undeveloped area nearby and in 1906, he acquired 213,324 acres that now straddle Garza, Hockley and Lynn Counties in Texas. Out of this, he carved out a large tract for his own Double U Ranch and laid out a model town situated in Garza County. Continue reading Post, Texas

John Coffee Hays, Texas Ranger

Ranger John Coffee “Jack” Hays was born in Little Cedar Lick, Wilson County, Tennessee, January 28, 1817. In “Texas Rising,” he seems to be a somewhat less important character, likely because most of his service as a Texas Ranger occurred after the Texas Revolution. Hays was related to Andrew Jackson’s family in that Mrs. Jackson was his great aunt. His father fought with Andrew Jackson and gave Jack his middle name Coffee in honor of Gen. John Coffee who had also served under Jackson.

When Hays was still a young man, he left Tennessee and moved to Mississippi where he learned surveying. Some accounts have him coming to Texas in 1836, early enough to serve under Erastus “Deaf” Smith and Henry W. Karnes while others maintain that he arrived in late 1837 or early 1838. Regardless, he had settled in San Antonio by February, 1840 and apparently “rangered” while he also served as a surveyor. He fought in the Battle of Plumb Creek and in 1840 he became Captain of a company of Rangers under Mirabeau B. Lamar, during the interim years after the Texas Revolution but before the Mexican-American War. In addition to Plum Creek, he was also involved in action at Cañon de Ugalde, Bandera Pass and Painted Rock.