Big Bend Genealogical Society

In the fall of 1914, a young, popular minister from El Paso traveled to Brewster County to speak at the First Baptist Church in Alpine. His reason for traveling to the area was to seek the Pastorate of the Church. While in the area, he stayed with the Tippit family on their ranch near the town.

The First Baptist Church members did call him to be their pastor and so the Rev. Tartt took up his new post with enthausiasm and energy. Under his leadership, the Church soon decided to build a new church structure. They had been meeting in the older adobe type church which was built in 1894 and a new, larger facility was urgently needed. So, in 1915 land was secured and a new structure began. When completed, it was one of the most modern facilities built in West Texas.

Rev. Tartt left before the compeltion of the new church. However, he died not many months after his departure from Alpine to Boston, Massachusetts and his was the first funeral held in the structure.

James Tartt was born in Timpson, Texas and was the son of James T. and S. Margaret (Brittain) Tartt.. The family came to Texas from Tennessee to settle in Nacogdoches County. He died in Boston after a surgery and was brought back to Alpine for burial at Elm Grove Cemetery on the Nevill lot.

Before leaving Alpine in August of 1916, he married widow Kate Nevill, who was a member of the First Baptist Church. Shortly after the wedding, James, Kate, and Kate's two children left for Boston where he was to continue his religious studies before entering actively into a pastorate again.

While his tenure was brief in Alpine and at the First Baptist Church, Rev. left his mark on the community and led the Church to accomplish the building of a beautiful and well built structure which is still in use today.

Born in 1871 in Colorado County, Texas, was the son of Captain William Wallace Towsend, a Civil War Veteran. In 1891 he became a private in Company E of the Frontier Battalion of the Texas Rangers. In 1893 he was appointed Depty U. S. Marshal and served in this capacity until 1894 when he entered the U. S. Customs Service as a mounted inspector in the Big Bend. Mr. Towsend married Miss Alice Jones in 1895. He continued as a Customs Inspector until 1898 to once again become a Texas Ranger. Towsent left the TexasRangers in 1900 to manage the large Elsinore Cattle Company Ranch between Alpine and Ft Stockton.

In 1916 Mr. Townsend moved to Alpine and was elected Sheriff of Brewster County in 1918. He served in this office until 1924 and for the following eight years devoted himself to business and civic matters in Alpine the the county.

In 1932 he was elected as a Representative to the Texas Legislature. In the following year, he introduced a bill which created the "Texas Canyons State Park". During the next ten years Mr. Townsent sought to have this state Park incorporated into the National Park Service, and this became a reality in 1943. Mr. Townsend is rightfully known as the "Father of Big Bend National Park" and his interest in the development of the park continued until his death in 1948.

William Wallace Towsend was born January 16, 1833 in Madison County, Florida and died May 29, 1915 in Alpine, Texas. He is buried in Elm Grove Cemetery in Alpine.

He was married twice...first to Addie Woolsey in 1864 and she died; second to Margaret Jimmerson Phillips in 1870. Only one child was born to William and and Addie-Web. Children were born to Margaret and William: Everett Ewing; William H.,Annie Leah, Joe B., Olive E., Margaret.

Excerpts from an article published in the Confederate Veteran Magazine, Volume XXIII, January 1915 provide much detail into the life of Captain W. W. Towsend as follows:

Capt. W. W. Towsend died at his home in Alpine, Texas on May 29, 1915. The burial was by the Masonic fraternity, of which order he had been a loved and honored member since attaining his majority in 1854. he was a noble man, true and generous to his friends and fair to his foes. Broadminded and big-hearted, he did not strive for personal gain, and all honors that came his way were unsolicited.

Left an orphan at an early age, he was reared by his Grandmother Ewing, a member of the old Conway Manor, and Stafford families of South Carolina. He spent his boyhood days on the Indian frontier of Florida and experienced all the hard ships of those trying times. In 1857, he was elected first lieutenant of a company of United Sates volunteers and fought the Seminole Indians of that State. In 1859, he went to texas, settling in Colorado County, and was one of the leaders of civilization in its westward march across that State. He was a true type of the American empire builders, caring for nothing more than a competency for himself and family. A man of peace, but quick to uphold law and order and right against wrong, he frequently came into active and strenuous opposition to the lawless hordes that for so long dominated the frontiers of Texas. Opposed to secession, but true to the South, he was among the first to go to the front. He enlised and was made sergeant in a troop of cavalry raised by Capt. J. W.Whitfield. They left Hallettsville, Tex., in August 1861, went to Missouri, and participated in most of the campaigning and fighting in that State and in Arkansas, including one expedition into the Indian Territory where they whipped a large band of Indians at Testenala on Christmas Day, 1861. After service faithfully and gallantly in numerous campaigns, Townsend was promoted several times until he was i in 1862 promoted to the captaincy of his company. On October 7, he was badly wounded at the Fis Trap on Hatchie River. He never fully recovered from this wound although he continued to serve in Missouri, ARkansas and Mississippi. When the War ended, he was at Millican, Texas.

He married in 1864 to Maddie Woolsey of Colarado County and they moved to Mexico. She died there in 1867, leaving an infant son, whose father brought him back to Texas, riding hoseback almost the entire distance of one thousand miles with the baby in the saddle in front of him.

With a long flowing white beard and erect carriage Captain Leroy Trimble can be seen mixing with old friends, telling of days gone by, and of "old unhappy" far things and battles long ago.

He is 80 years and nine months old and is a brother of the late Sam Trimble of this city and fir cousin of the lamented L. F. Garner. He formerly resided here and is domiciled at the home of his old and valued friend Mrs. Wallen. He will be here several days on a vacation from the Confedereate Home at Austin where he has been for four years, previous to which he had for 27 years superintended one of Luke Brite's ranches in Presidio County.

He is a brother-in-law of Mrs. Bill Cleveland of Marfa and knows all the pioneer stockmen of the Southwest. He is also an old chum of Captain Henry Ware of this city and of other residents here.--West Texas News

Born in 1861, arrived in Alpine from Arizona in 1908 to establish a real estate and insurance business which he operated until his death in 1943.

Born in Harrison County, Texas in 1865 began his study of law in the offices of a Marshall, Texas firm in 1886. He took the State Bar Examination in 1890 and was admitted to the Bar. After two years as a lawyer in Marshall he moved to Alpine to practice law at the urging of his brother, W. W. Turney who was a lawyer in that cmmunity. Mr. Turney married Miss Annie Kate Etheridge in 1908.

In 1908 Turney was elected Brewster County Attorney and during the ensuing 35 years he intermittently practiced law and served the public in a number of capacities including the offices of County Commissioner, County Judge, and member of the Texas Legislature. He was active in the Methodist Church, the Texas Bar Association, the Alpine Masonic Lidge, Woodmen of the World, and various civic organizations. Judge Turney died in Alpine in 1952 and his wife in 1980.

Was born in 1883 in Harrison County, Texas. When she came to visit a relative in Alpine she met and married Albert M. Turney, a lawyer and Brewster County Judge.

In 1908 she married Turney who had been elected to the Texas Legislature. At the end of Turney's term in the ligislature they returned to Alpine to make their home. Mrs. Turney was active in the affairs of the Presbyterian Church in Alpine and became its first female elder. She was a charter member of the Alpine Study Club and the Pilot Club. For many yeaqrs she was amember of the Board of Directors of the Alpine Community Center which was established to advance the well being of the Hispanic members of the community.