Texas History Notebook

Tom Ryan, Western Artist

Thomas Richard “Tom” Ryan was a well known cowboy artist. He was born on January 12, 1922 in Springfield, Illinois to William Martin Ryan and Sarah Ellen Bernds Ryan and was one of eight children. In the 1930 federal census, his father and one of several older brothers worked in Springfield’s coal mine industry. His father’s family had originally come from Ireland and the census listed his grandfather’s place of birth as the “Irish free state.” His mother’s family had been in the United States a bit longer. Their records indicate that Sarah’s father, John Robert Bernds, was born in Germany in 1858 while her mother’s family had been in the United States since at least around the time of the Revolutionary War. The Ryans were a closely knit, working class family. They had possibly not always lived in the eastern United States. There are some indications that they may have briefly lived in Colorado before Tom was born, although the 1900 and 1910 federal census both show William or William and family residing in Illinois. William and Sarah were married in 1902 and of all their children were born in Illinois.

Bob Causey

Robert Lincoln “Bob” Causey was born in Illinois on February 12, 1868 to George Washington Causey and Mary Adeline Crowder Causey. February 12, 1809 was the birth date of the late United States President, Abraham Lincoln. This was likely the source of Robert’s middle name. Concerning his place of birth, articles usually say that he was born in Missouri, but both the 1870 and 1880 census pages list his place of birth as Illinois. He was one of ten children born to the couple, many of whom were also born in Illinois. George W. (the father) had been born in Tennessee and in the 1870 census, his occupation was listed as farmer. He was still shown as being a farmer in the 1900 census before his death in 1907 at around 80 years of age. He died in Guthrie, Logan County, Oklahoma Territory. Mary Adeline had predeceased him, also in Oklahoma, in 1895.

Ranger Dan L. McDuffie

Dan Lafayette McDuffie was born February 16, 1883 to James C. McDuffee (1844 – 1915) and Emily Mahalah Hays McDuffee (1855 – 1911). James was born in Tennessee and Emily was born in Alabama. It is not recorded how they met but they were married in 1877 in Arkansas where many of their children, including Dan, were born. By 1888, they had relocated to North Texas where all three of Dan’s younger siblings were born. Dan married Willie Lemuel “Lemmie” McCright in 1907 in New Boston, Bowie County, Texas in 1907 and a daughter was born to the couple the following year. Both of his parents had passed away by 1920 and in the federal census, Dan was living on the family farm.

6666 Barn

For more than seventy years, this barn was in everyday use on the Guthrie, Texas ranch of the 6666. It is believed to have been completed by Samuel Burk Burnett around 1908. It became a landmark, symbolic of the ranching activities carried on there. The structure was a common sight as it sat just off Highway 82 as the highway looped around Guthrie. In later years, the quarter horses owned by the operation were housed there. Within ten years of its completion, Burnett built his ranch house that stood nearby for so many years until the barn was moved.

Margaret “Peggy” McCormick

Peggy McCormick was the owner of the land where the Battle of San Jacinto took place. Her husband was Arthur McCormick. Peggy’s maiden name is unknown. Arthur was born in Ireland in the late 1780s and Peggy is believed to have been about the same age, also born in Ireland. Arthur and his young family had first settled in Louisiana in 1818 before coming to Texas around 1822 as part of the Austin Colony’s “Old 300” group of settlers. Arthur had been trained as a lawyer, but tried to establish himself as a stock raiser after he received his land grant in 1824. He was the head of his family unit and his was one of three Old 300 family groups with the same last name, though the three families do not appear to be closely related. All three families were farmers. Arthur and Peggy had two sons, Michael (1818 -1874) and John (1820 – 1839).