Big Bend Genealogical Society

Dr. J. D. Gaddis served the vast region of Brewster, Jeff Davis, Presidio as a physician in the late 1880's and remained in the area until his death some time prior to 1900.

J. M. Gaddis was one of the early pioneers of Brewster County. He was one of the citizens appointed to organize Brewster County in 1887. He is also recorded as assisting with the organization of the Methodist church in 1884. The Methodist Church was the first church established in Brewster County.

The name of Gage, especially related to ranching activities, is well known in the Big Bend area of Texas. Like so many adventurers, these brothers heard the wonderful stories of West Texas.

Edward L. Gage, half brother of Alfred S., arrived in Texas first. He purchased land and established ranching activities and sent glowing reports back to his family and friends in Vermont. Alfred graduated from high school and then migrated to West Texas where he was made manager of Edward's holdings. Later this became Alpine Cattle Company.

After the death of his brother, Alfred in 1912 purchased the entire holdings of the Cattle Company and continued to enlarge his land and cattle operations. During this time, he also relocated his office and headquarter to San Antonio. Alfred married Miss Ida Swan and two daughters were born to this union, Dorothy and Roxanna. He died in 1928, leaving his properties in the Big Bend to his daughters.

Murphyville(Alpine) was a small town located by a running creek in 1888 when Wenseralado Gallego and his new wife Jessie Holzman arrived. Wenseralado(Ben) was born in Mexico in 1866 and decided to travel to Texas when he was 17 years of age to seek a new life. He located first in East Texas where he worked as a farm hand. During the years he worked in East Texas, he met and married Jessie Holzman. Jessie had three children from a previous marriage to Joe Russell, Joe, Jim, and John Russell.

After Ben married Jessie, he adopted the three children and legally changed their name to Gallego. When Ben first settled in Murphyville, he worked for the railroad, but soon acquired 850 acres of land west of town and began ranching with his family. This ranch was successful and the family also raised vegetables which were sold to the residents of Alpine. Later, the ranch was sold to the Catto-Gage Ranches and the Gallegos moved into Murphyville. Ben and wife Jessie were parents of five other children, Pete, Juanita, Francisca, Celso and Ben.

This family has contributed much to the social and economic success of Alpine. Ben and his wife and children bought land and built houses--began successful businesses.

The early, and continuing contributions of this family to Brewster County and the Big Bend country are immeasurable and greatly important.

Brothers Walter and Ed Garnett were born in Victoria, Texas. In 1885 they moved to Murphyville, Brewster County. It is told by old timers that the Garnetts had a hand in changing the name of Murphyville to Alpine. Walter was a merchant by trade and owned a mercantile business for many years. Upon selling that business, he opened the Palace Pharmacy and operated it until 1924. Walter married Mamie Hord. She was born in 1870 in Golaid, Texas and died on her 80th birthday on December 6, 1950. This couple had three children, William Walter, Norma and Raymond and also adopted a son, Walter Garnett, Jr. Ed Garnet t was the first Brewster County Treasurer and served in that position on several occasions.

J. T. Gillespie was a former Texas Ranger sent to West Texas to help protect the residents of the Frontier. He was one of the many Rangers who eventually settled in the Brewster County and surrounding area. He was the first Sheriff and Tax Collector of Brewster County. He died while in office in January of 1890.

A native of DeWitt County, Texas, was born in 1863 and came to Marfa in the 1880's. He married Miss May Humphries in 1888, and they became parents of seven children.

Mr. Gillett moved to Alpine in 1907 and became a partner in the C. H. Larkin Lumber Company. He also acquired the the Werth interest in the Mitchell-Werth Company, a general merchandising firm which became known as the Mitchell-Gillett Company and later as the Alpine Lumber Company.

Mr. Gillett was active in civic, political, and religious affairs in Alpine. He served as president of the school board, president of the Chamber of Commerce, president of the school board, president of the Rotary Club and also as Mayor as Alpine. He was also involved in the establishment of the Episcopal Church in Alpine. Mr. Gillett died in 1937 and his wife in 1956.

J. A. Gillett was County Attorney for Brewster County from 1890-1896.

James B. Gillett was a former Texas Ranger who served as Brewster County Sheriff from 1890-92. In 1880, he was one of the group of Texas Rangers ordered to El Paso to protect citizens there from bandits and Indians. He was Constable in Valentine in 1909.

In 1921 he wrote a book about his Ranger service entitled "Six Years With the Texas Rangers". This book was adopted by the Texas Schools and used for many years to help educate children.

James Buchanan Gillett was born in Austin in 1856 and joined the Texas Rangers in 1875 at Menardville. In 1881 he married Helen Baylor. This marriage resulted in one child, Harper; but the marriage ended in divorce.

James B. married a second time to Lou Chastain of San Marcos. They married in 1889 and were parents of seven children. The Gillett family ranched south of Alpine and their children were all born in Alpine. In 1904 they moved to Roswell, New Mexico, but returned several times for a short time to Brewster County.

In 1907 James and family moved to Jeff Davis County to the ranched they had purchased there. This was a very successful business and allowed the family to send the children away to good schools and the parents to do much traveling. James died in 1937 after enjoying a long and successful life.

Son of Frank E. Gillett, born in Marfa in 1893, came to Alpine with his family in 1907 and graduated from the Alpine Public Schools in 1909. He married Miss Grace Anthony in 1927.

In 1913, Mr. Gillett began working with his father in the Alpine Lumber Company. He bacame president and manager of the company upon the death of his father and remained in that capacity until the company was sold to the Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber Company. He served as a captain in the U S Army in World Wqr I and in the Pacific as a Major in World War II. He died in 1969 and his wife in 1974.

W. N. (Newt) Gourley was the son of T. M. Gourley. He came to Brewster County in 1888 and worked on various area ranches for some years. He was associated with famous ranches such as the G-4 (Gano Ranches).

After a few years, Newt acquired his own land and ranching interests. He was considered a progressive rancher-seeking to improve his herd. As a citizen, he was highly respected and was elected Sheriff of Brewster County on three different occasions.

He married Miss Ida Fuller in 1902 in Alpine. They were parents of one child, Nellie Mae. Newt died in 1959 and Ida in 1953.

Joe Granger and his family moved to the vast area of Presidio County in 1884, settling first at Fort Davis. He was a freighter by trade. His wife, Sarah Jane Forrester, died in 1883 at Bandera, Texas.

Joe and his children and daughter-in-law longed to live in the Davis Mountains. His children who relocated with him were: W. L. (Bub); Louis; Henry; Tom; Laura E. and Eliza.

In the late 1880's W. L. and Lois moved to Marathon. W. L. married Caroline Roberts and Lois married Lily Bourland. This family established a successful ranch which in later years sold to the Combs Cattle Company.

Beverly Greenwood moved to Brewster County in 1895, but had many years before made a trip through the area.

He, with other partners, brought cattle to the area during the time when the cattle industry was beginning in a major way in the vast areas. He had spent his younger years in Del Rio, Texas. He served at Deputy Collector of Customs and Inspector for a number of years.

Lewis Milton Griffith moved to Alpine in 1906 from Lavaca County, Texas after the death of his wife. He lived with his daughter Mrs. Kate Nevill until his death in 1923. He is buried in Elm Grove Cemetery in Alpine.

Lewis was born in 1837 in Jackson, Mississippi and served with the CSA in the War Between the States.

Two of this pioneer's daughters lived in Brewster County at the time of this death: Mrs.Kate Nevill and Mrs Virginia McIntyre. Other children listed in the obituary were Mrs. J. D. Mays, J. W. Griffith

Silas Riddle Guthrie arrived in what is today the Big Bend area in 1881 when Brewster County as still a part of Presidio County. He married Salina Culpableness of Mississippi in 1879 in Lavaca County, Texas.

Silas was born in 1845 in Lavaca County and died in 1915 in Alpine and was buried in Elm Grove Cemetery. He was a veteran of the War Between the States, serving in Co K, Carter's Regiment and later the Rio Grande Service.

According to the early death records of Brewster County, Silas was the son of William E. Guthrie and Estelle Beasley. He and wife Selina had one daughter, Mrs. W. W. Turney.

In the passing away of Mrs. Guthrie, Alpine lost of it's oldest and most esteemed citizens. For while she resided in El Paso, the past four years, she could really be called a citizen of Alpine, this having been her home for many years.

She was born in 1848 in the state of Mississippi. At the age of three years, she came to Texas and settled in Sweethome, Lavaca County. She was married in 1870 to S. R. Guthrie. Of this union one child was born, now Mrs. W. W. Turney of El Paso.

In 1887, Mr. and Mrs. Guthrie and daughter came to alpine, where they lived until after the death of Mr. Guthrie in 1915, when Mrs. Guthrie went to live with her daughter in El Paso.

Mrs. Guthrie never formally united with any church, but was a strong believer in the tenets of Baptist faith and attended that church in El Paso; while in Alpine she was a regular attendant of the Presbyterian church.

She died in El Paso, july 16, 1920 at the age of 72 years. She is survived by one daughter, Mrs. W. W. Turney, and a sister, Mrs. Amanda Guthrie, who has been with her since the death of Mr. Guthrie. She leaves a host of friends in Alpine and El Paso, who mourn her departure.

The funeral services were held from the home of Judge A. M. Turney in Alpine, and were conducted by Rev. H. J. Reemtsma, assisted by Rev. Walker.