RAGS TO RICHES DOWN OL'E TEXAS WAY!

This is a true story of rags to riches. Christopher Columbus “Lum” Slaughter claimed to be the first male child born of a marriage contracted under the new Republic of Texas. He was born on 9 February 1837 to Sarah (Mason) and George Webb Slaughter in Sabine County.  Lum was a ranching pioneer, banker, millionaire, and philanthropist. Yet at one time, he was so poor he had to ride bareback because he didn’t own a saddle.

Christopher Slaughter

He was educated at home and at Larissa College in Cherokee County. As a boy he worked cattle with his father and at age twelve helped drive the family's ninety-two-head herd to a ranch on the Trinity River in Freestone County, where the family moved in 1852. Because of his expertise in herding cattle across the often swollen river, he was regularly employed by drovers bound for Shreveport with Brazos-country livestock. At age seventeen he made a trading expedition hauling timber from Anderson County to Dallas County for sale and processing Collin County wheat into flour for sale in Magnolia, Anderson County, a trip that yielded him a $520 profit.

With what must have seemed vast wealth to him at that time, he bought his uncle's interest in the Slaughter herd. Having observed the better quality of the Brazos stock, he persuaded his father to move farther west. They selected a site in Palo Pinto County, well positioned to provide beef to Fort Belknap and the nearby Indian reservations. In 1856, Lum drove 1,500 cattle to his new ranch.

On 5 December 1861 (possibly 1860), Slaughter married Cynthia Jowell of Palo Pinto, Texas; they had five children. After being widowed in 1876, he married Carrie A. Averill (Aberill) in Emporia, Kansas, on January 17, 1877; they had four children.

Cattle drive before barbed wire

When open war with the Indians broke out in 1859, he volunteered his service and was in the expedition that unexpectedly liberated Cynthia Ann Parker from a Comanche camp. With the withdrawal of federal protection during the Civil War, Slaughter continued to fight Indians as a lieutenant in the Texas Rangers. He also served under Capt. William Peveler in Young County in the Frontier Regiment, part of the effort to maintain frontier protection during the war.

When the Confederacy fell and Indian harassment continued, Slaughter and other ranchers started for Mexico in search of new ranchland. During the expedition Slaughter suffered an accidental gunshot wound that incapacitated him for a year, causing a nearly ruinous decline in his cattle business. After his recovery he started a cattle drive to New Orleans in late 1867, but en route contracted with a buyer for a Jefferson packing business to sell his 300 steers there for thirty-five dollars a head in gold, a large sum. At some time during this period, people began referring to him as Colonel Slaughter.

With his new stake he began regular drives to Kansas City in 1868, selling his herds for as much as forty-two dollars a head. He sold his Texas ranching interests in 1871 and in 1873 organized C. C. Slaughter and Company, a cattle-breeding venture, which later pioneered the replacement of the poor-bred longhorn with Kentucky-bred blooded shorthorn stock. By 1882 a herd shipped to St. Louis received seven dollars per hundred pounds, several times what he could have made selling in Kansas. His income increased until it reached $100,000 per year, at which time he began giving away money to charitable purposes, donating from 10 to 25 per cent of his income to philanthropy each year.

In 1873, Colonel Slaughter moved his family to Dallas and a few years later dissolved his partnership with his father. About 1877 he established one of the largest ranches in West Texas, the Long S, on the headwaters of the Colorado River and there grazed his cattle on the public domain. Desirous of becoming a gentleman breeder, Lum purchased the Goodnight Hereford herd in 1897 and the 1893 Chicago World's Fair grand champion bull, Ancient Briton. In 1899 he acquired the famous Hereford bull Sir Bredwell for a record $5,000.

Hereford Cattle

Through these purchases Slaughter's purebred Hereford herd became one of the finest in the business. Around 1898 Slaughter undertook a major land purchase in Cochran and Hockley counties. He bought 246,699 acres, leased more, and established the Lazy S Ranch, which he stocked with his Hereford herd and mixed breed cattle from the Long S and consigned to the management of his eldest son.

In 1877, Slaughter helped organize the Northwest Texas Cattle Raisers' Association (later the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association), for which he also served a term as president in 1885. He was the first president of the National Beef Producers and Butchers Association in 1888, an organization formed to combat market domination by the meat-packing industry.

Frequently titled the "Cattle King of Texas," Slaughter became one of the country's largest individual owners of cattle and land. By 1906, he owned over a million acres and 40,000 cattle and was the largest individual taxpayer in Texas for years. For a time "Slaughter Country" extended from a few miles north of Big Spring for 200 miles to the New Mexico border west of Lubbock. By 1908–09, however, he opened his Running Water and Long S Ranches to colonization and sale.

Failure of the land company promoting colonization caused much of the land to revert to his ownership by 1911. Under the management of Jack Alley, it was restored to profitability by 1915. Slaughter maintained strict control over his operations until 1910, when he suffered a broken hip that crippled him for the remainder of his life, compounding problems caused by his failing eyesight. He consequently turned the business over to his eldest son, George.

In addition to ranching, Slaughter participated in banking in Dallas where he helped organize City Bank in 1873 and invested in the bank's reorganization as City National Bank in 1881. At that time he became its vice president. In 1884 he helped establish the American National Bank, which evolved by 1905 into the American Exchange National Bank (later First National Bank). He was vice president from its organization until his death.

Slaughter was a Democrat and Baptist who contributed two-thirds of the cost for the construction of the First Baptist Church in Dallas and served as vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, as president of the state Mission Board from 1897–1903, and as an executive board member of the Baptist General Convention of Texas from 1898–1911. His support of a plan to retire the consolidated debt of seven Texas Baptist schools and coordinate their activities into a system capped by Baylor University assured its acceptance by the general convention in 1897.

Slaughter also contributed generously to the establishment of the Texas Baptist Memorial Sanitarium, which later became Baylor Hospital in Dallas. This is especially interesting to me, as both our daughters were born at Baylor Hospital in Dallas. He also contributed to the medical school and to the Nurses Home and Training School.

Slaughter breaking
ground on the hospital

Colonel Slaughter often summed up his philanthropic philosophy saying, "I have prayed the Master to endow me with a hand to get and a heart to give."

Slaughter established the
Free Clinic for Minorities

He died at his home in Dallas on 25 January 1919. However, his death precipitated a tangled family financial scandal. Less than a week after his death, his younger brother Bill, with whom he had had a long and strained financial relationship but who managed the Long S, was accused of fraud. Bill had attempted to sell his nephew Bob Slaughter’s new Western S Ranch on the Rio Grande in Hudspeth County to an unknown company from Mexico. 

Slaughter Dallas Home

Learning of the fraudulent negotiations and backed by his brothers, Bob confronted and fired his uncle. Although Bill Slaughter later filed a $3 million slander suit against his nephews, he apparently never collected anything from it. Colonel Slaughter’s family continued to give to causes close to the heart of C.C. Slaughter, and Baylor Hospital became one of many testaments to his generosity.

Caroline Clemmons is the award winning and Amazon bestselling author of numerous western romances. Her latest series is Bride Brigade. Coming soon is RACHEL, Bride Brigade book 5. Currently, check her latest release, THE RANCHER AND THE SHEPHERDESS, a Montana Sky Kindle World. https://amzn.com/B01J4R6364

Hallie Crawford Stillwell – The “Grande Dame of Texas”

If you’ve ever lived in west Texas, especially in the Big Bend area, you know the name Hallie Stillwell. She’s a legend and a person respected and admired by people across the nation as well as Texas.

Hallie Crawford was born in Waco, Texas, in 1897. In 1900 her parents moved the family to Ozona, and in 1905 to the San Angelo area.  Searching for a better life and education for their children, the Crawfords moved their family five times in twelve years. Their last move was in 1910 to Alpine. Hallie and her sister shared driving duties of the family's Conestoga wagon.

In 1916 Hallie graduated from Alpine High School, spent six weeks at the Normal School for Teachers and earned her teaching certificate by passing the state exams. The same year she took an elementary teaching job in Presidio. Her father, concerned about her safety said, “You’re going on a wild goose chase.” She flippantly answered, “Then, I’ll gather my geese.” He insisted she carry his pistol with her as she walked the half-mile to and from school. This was a time of turmoil in Texas. Pancho Villa had captured Ojinaga, the town directly across the border from Presidio and often raided over on the Texas side.

A year later, much to her parent’s relief, she took a job teaching elementary school in Marathon, a small town thirty-one miles east of Alpine. The couple she boarded with introduced her to Roy Stillwell, a friend of theirs, “a tall, handsome cowboy who drove a Hudson Super-6.” The couple invited Roy to attend a dance with them and Roy and Hallie danced until sunrise. Roy took her for drives in his car, a real luxury in those days, to picnics and all the social function in the community. He was old-fashioned and believed proper courting included gifts of candy and night serenades. However, Roy couldn’t sing or play the guitar, but he found a fiddler and a blind man who could play the guitar. The two serenaded her below her window, often waking her to the music of “Listen to the Mockingbird” and “The Reagan Waltz.” Though he was twenty years Hallie's senior, the blue-eyed cowboy made her heart flutter. She was in love with Roy Stillwell.

Her father felt Roy was too old for her and didn’t approve of their engagement, but after four months, they drove to Alpine and eloped. When they returned to tell her family the news, both Roy and Hallie were nervous. Hallie’s family sat at the dinner table eating when they arrived. She announced they were married. Her father took the news better than they’d expected. He suggested they might as well sit down and eat.

Though Roy owned a house in Marathon, he and Hallie would live on the ranch and come to town on occasion. Roy hadn’t told Hallie much about the ranch, so she didn’t know what to expect. The house was one room, about twelve by sixteen feet. The only furniture was a table, one chair and two benches, a cabinet like a pie safe, a wood stove, a large kettle and a blackened coffee pot. In the corner was a bedroll consisting of several rolled up quilts wrapped in a tarp.

Hallie was determined Roy would not see her disappointment, especially after the three men who worked for him with muttered “That woman school teacher won’t last six months down here.” After a rough night in the bedroll on a dirt floor, her new life began. She was determined she would learn and become an integral part of the ranch.

And she did. Hallie worked along side her husband and the cowboys but it wasn’t always easy. She’d been raised to wear a split skirt while riding and her bonnet. Her attire didn’t suit Roy and he insisted she wear one of his hats and pants while out riding with him and the cowboys. He couldn’t leave her at home alone because of the danger of Pancho Villa’s raids. The Mexican Border was just twenty-five miles away. She didn't own any pants, so they drove to Alpine to get Hallie's mother to make her some. Her mother was horrified her daughter would be dressed like one of the men, but gave in and got to sewing. She made Hallie's pants full through the hips and gathered at the waist. Just below the knee they tapered to fit and were buttoned up each side of the leg. You'll have to read the book to discover the mishap she had wearing those. Not only were they dangerous, but they weren't durable for riding on the rugged land.

The first morning she rode out with them, Roy grew impatient as she put on her lipstick. She’d been taught to protect her skin and not go out without her her makeup. Frustrated, Roy said, “You think those cows are going to notice if you have on lipstick or not?”

Roy taught Hallie everything she needed to know to be a successful rancher. She worked as hard as Roy and the cowboys.  Though their life had rough spots--droughts, illness--they were happy and survived WWI and the influence epidemic with their family intact. They raised three children—Son, Dadie, and Guy—at the ranch. Over time they added a couple of rooms to the house and Roy and the cowboys built Hallie an arbor so she had a cool place to sit. A revolver hung above the door and used to shoot the rattlesnakes while visiting the outhouse. The children were never allowed to go without an adult.

In 1930, Hallie began work as a correspondent at the Alpine Avalanche.

In 1948 while hauling hay, Roy had a wreck and he didn’t survive. Hallie and Son took over the running of the ranch. In the 1950s drought ruined many farmers and ranchers. It was a struggle to survive. To avoid bankruptcy, Hallie began giving lectures across the state. In 1956, for additional funds to run the ranch, she began her Ranch News Column. In 1957 and 1960 she became a stringer for the four well-known newspapers—The Fort Worth Star Telegram, the El Paso Times and the San Angelo Standard Times and San Antonio Express. She also became a reporter for United Press International and the Associated Press. She co-authored, with Virginia Madison, a book titled How Come It’s Called That? In 1964 she is elected Justice of the Peace for Brewster County. One of the largest counties in Texas, it covered 6,193 square miles. In addition to the above, Hallie had several other jobs. She was a hard worker and determined the Stillwell Ranch would survive.

If you’ve ever been to Terlingua you know about the Terlingua Chili Cook-Off. It’s a big to-do in the Big Bend area and folks come from all over the country to vie for the championship. Hallie judged the contest in 1967 and in 1968 was made the permanent queen of the Terlingua Chili Cook-Off.

Having lived in Brewster County for around six years, I have a deep respect for the people who live on the ranches and have built a life amid the dry, barren landscape. Many people thing it’s ugly country, but nothing is more beautiful than a west Texas sunset, or a field of blooming ocotillo, sage and other indigenous plants. I taught school in Presidio for a year and a half and know how Hallie must have suffered when walking home from school in the hot months. The temperature could easily reach 108 and on occasion reached 115. 

Texas Monthly dubbed Hallie the “Grande Dame” of Texas in 1991 as she traveled the state to promote her book, I’ll Gather My Geese, which she began in 1988 as a memoir.  Hallie was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1988, a year after her death. She passed away in April of 1997 just two months and two days before her 100^th birthday.

 In 1994, Hallie was inducted into the Texas Woman’s Hall of Fame and after her death was inducted into the Texas Heritage Hall of Honor.

For being a woman school teacher, Hallie spent seventy-nine years on her beloved ranch. When she was away, it was never far from her heart, mind and spirit. The Stillwell Ranch is still in operation and is run by Roy and Hallie's descendants. I wish I had pictures to share with you but all I found on the internet were copyrighted. If you're interested, google her name and a multitude of photos pop up. Walk through Hallie's life with her as she became the "Grande Dame of Texas."

Before her death, Hallie was able to write ten chapters of the second volume of her memoirs, My Goose is Cooked, which chronicles her life after Roy’s death. Hallie’s daughter Dadie Stillwell Potter asked Betty Heath, whose grandfather was Hallie’s first cousin, to complete the work.

 I’ll leave you these powerful words written by Betty Heath. 

“In the final analysis, Roy Stillwell chose well when he picked the unlikely school teacher to be his life’s companion in that remote and difficult land.”

References:

Stillwell, Hallie Crawford. I’ll Gather My Geese, Memorial Printing. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1991.

Stillwell, Hallie Crawford. My Goose is Cooked, Assembled by Betty Heath. College Station: Texas A&M Press, 2004.

Today I'll be giving away a PDF copy of Forever Faithful. Leave a comment to be entered into the drawing.

Forever Faithful

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Thank you for stopping by and reading Hallie and Roy's love story. 

Linda