Texas History Notebook

Sallie Chisum

Sallie Lucy Chisum Robert was born May 28, 1858 in Bolivar, Denton County, Texas to James Thomas “Jim” Chisum (1827 – 1908) and Ara Josephine Wright Chisum (1830 – 1875). Jim Chisum was the brother of John Simpson Chisum (1824 – 1884).

July 4, 1865 and July 4, 1876

We can often learn a great deal from online newspapers. One early Texas publication was the Galveston Daily News. It had begun in 1842 and could for many years be relied on to cover state wide news despite its Gulf Coast publishing location. In its issue of July 4, 1865, it discussed several items of interest to Texas residents. Placing it in context, the Confederate surrender at Appomattox, Virginia had occurred April 8, 1865, not quite three months earlier. Major-General Gordon Granger of the United States Army had issued General Order #3, commonly referred to as the “Juneteenth” order, two weeks earlier.

Edward H. Tarrant

Edward H. Tarrant (1796 or 1799 – 1858) was the namesake of Tarrant County. He was born in South Carolina and was the son of Samuel A. Tarrant and Nancy Anna Hampton Tarrant. He was the youngest of at least four children. His father died in 1799 and his mother remarried after many years. Tarrant was living in Muhlenburg, Kentucky at the outset of the War of 1812 and is said to have participated throughout the war, including the Battle of New Orleans. After the war ended, he lived for some time in Tennessee before moving to Texas after 1830, settling first in Red River County.

Stampede Mesa and “Ghost Riders in the Sky”

Stanley Davis “Stan” Jones (1914 – 1963) wrote “Ghost Riders in the Sky” about 1948 or 1949. This tune is probably his best remembered composition. He was born in Arizona and moved with his family to California after his father died. Jones had a varied background that included earning a degree in zoology from the Berkeley campus of University of California, service in the United States Navy, writing songs for Disney Studios and for his own account, and serving as a Death Valley park ranger. He also did a bit of film acting and other jobs. Of “Ghost Riders,” Jones would tell of hearing stories from old cowboys back in Arizona when he was a boy. Before one old cowboy died he told Stan an old yarn about a ghost herd of cattle in the sky being pursued by ghost riders.

Jim Perry

Jim Perry was the name of an African American cowboy who lived from about 1858 to 1918. He resided mostly in West Texas and the Panhandle. Perry was considered a top hand and was skilled in all aspects of ranching including roping, riding, breaking horses and the like. He was also considered to be a good cook and a good musician on the fiddle. Perry is generally noted along with the most well known African American cowboys including Bones Hooks, Bose Ikard, Bill Pickett and Addison Jones.