Eugene Price
Gene Price (full name Eugene Hubbert Price) was born on November 19, 1868, in Grayson County, Texas to Theodore Martin Price (1836 – 1927) and Martha Ann Virginia Drisella Hubbert Price (1842 – 1905). Theodore Martin Price was a farmer/rancher/merchant and also a circuit riding Methodist preacher. From his early years, Gene was keenly interested…
David L. Minton’s Buckeye Pictures
Many thanks to David L. Minton for sharing these photos with us. If you can help identify more of the people shown, please let us know. Names mentioned: Full names: Rosa Lee Ries, Betty Jo Cox, Betty Jo Williams, J. L. Ward, Mrs. Townsend First names: Sidney, Melvin, Don, Emma, Ernest, Wayne, Felton, Billy, Emma…
A Reporter’s 1929 Carlsbad Cavern Visit
Chances are, many readers have been to Carlsbad Caverns numerous times. Below is is an excerpt from reporter Alvin Rucker’s column “Across the Trail of Billy the Kid” in the July 6, 1929 issue of the McCurtain Gazette published in Idabel, Oklahoma: Tourists from Oklahoma who plan to drive over the Oklahoma City – Carlsbad…
Texas & New Mexico Railway
The Texas and New Mexico Railway has been in business for close to 100 years. The line runs from Monahans, Texas to Lovington, New Mexico covering a distance of over 110 miles. The railway has been beneficial to Lea County in transporting oilfield products and other materials for the oil and gas, ranching and wind…
Bob Causey – Blacksmith and Spur Maker
(Used with permission) 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…
The Rock Hill Neighborhood of Lovington
Source: “Then and Now – Lea County Families,” Lea County Genealogical Society, Walsworth Publishing Company, 1979. Tom Conway interviewed Robert L. “Preacher” Jones for an article in the above mentioned book. In the interview, Rev. Jones was said to be the first person of African American descent to move to Lovington, arriving in 1931 and…
FBC Lovington, After 50 Years
[This is a transcription of an article that appeared in the Lovington Daily Leader on July 6, 1962.] Though there were other churches in the eastern portion of Eddy and Chavez Counties, there were seven determined Baptists in the Caprock vicinity of Lovington in 1910 who wanted their own place of worship. These seven people…
Sister Mary Fides
[This article about Sister Mary Fides was transcribed from the Hobbs Flare issue of March 1, 1984. It was written by Patricia Breyman.] This week’s old timer is 80 years old, is devoted, compassionate, courageous, loving, caring — all of these plus dedication personified. However, what this reporter also quickly recognized in her beautiful face…
Dr. Allen Price Terrell
Dr. Terrell served as a medical doctor for many years in Lea County. In 1941, he purchased the Shuler Hospital from Dr. A.C. Shuler after Dr. Shuler announced that he was relocating to Carlsbad to join the Womack Clinic. The building where the medical practice and hospital was located was going to be renamed the…
Howard Hendrix Hamilton and Bernice Garrett Hamilton
Howard Hamilton (1885 – 1963) was the son of William B. Hamilton and Josephine Missouri Melton Hamilton. He was born in Paint Rock, Concho County, Texas on May 22, 1885. Berenice (or Bernice) Garrett (1891 – 1988) was also born in Texas. She was the daughter of John Thomas Garrett (1868 – 1928) and Carrie…
Jal Becomes a City, 1950
Governor’s Proclamation [Transcribed from the Jal Record, Jal, New Mexico, 27 Apr 1950.] This proclamation, made, issued and published this 24th day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and fifty, by the undersigned, Thomas J. Mabry, governor of the State of New Mexico, that: Whereas, on 6th day or…
Archie Dow Wood
The headline in the Hobbs Daily Flare issue of January 27, 1961 read “Death Takes Pair of Old-Timers From Lea Scene.” It related the recent passing of John W. Green and Archie Dow Wood. A. D. Wood was 79 years of age and lived south of Lovington on the Arkansas Junction Road. It added that…
“Uncle Bill” Oden Talks About the Old Days
Transcribed from the Pecos Enterprise (Pecos, Texas) – August 19, 1938 B. A. “Uncle Bill” Oden, Authentic Old-Timer, Gives Historical Sketch of Monument Landmark B. A. “Uncle Bill” Oden, Who’s been in the trans-Pecos country since time began, was asked recently by the Hobbs Chamber of Commerce, to give a historical sketch of the famed…
Clay McGonagill
Henry Clay McGonagill was born on September 24, 1879 to George M. McGonagill (1841 – 1921) and Narcissa Josephine “Grandma” Haynes McGonagill (1839 – 1935) in Sweet Home, Texas. His family were ranchers and he grew up in West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico as they finally settled in Lea County. It was there that…
Wacker’s Five and Dime
Wacker’s stores could be found in most of the larger towns in Lea County, usually in the central business district. The stores were named for G. F. Wacker of Oklahoma. He had been working at a dry goods store in Ballinger, Texas and had the vision to start his own store selling low priced goods.…
Seligman County?
There has long been a rivalry between Hobbs and Lovington, and in 1931 there was a move to subdivide Lea county into two counties, one retaining the name Lea and another called Seligman. The Albuquerque Journal issue of February 27, 1931 carried an article with these headings “Would Divide County To Honor Arthur – Hobbs…
Pooch Saves Baby
On January 26 at 3 o’clock, Marilyn Janet Justis, 2, was playing in her yard with Mr. K. B. Walker’s dog, Pooch. A few minutes later she wandered away and fell into an empty cess pool. Pooch howled and danced around the mouth of the hole until he attracted the attention of Marilyn’s mother, Mrs.…
Allen Clinton Heard
A. C. “Daddy” Heard was born in February 23, 1858 in DeWitt County, Texas. His parents were Humphrey Whorley Heard and Louisa Ellenor Foster Heard, and he was one of eight children. When he was an older teenager, he began working cattle for one of his brothers in Texas. He next rode on the cattle…
John Scharbauer
John Scharbauer (1854 – 1941) was a long time ranch owner in the area. The family name is a familiar one to people from Lea County. In commemoration of his birthday, a number of his friends got together and honored him, as noted below. Loving Cup Inscribed in Gold Given Scharbauer by Friends “Going Strong…
High Lonesome Ranch
The High Lonesome Ranch was one of five early ranches in Lea County. Below is a brief recap of how it got its start. Two men named Dwight P. Atwood and Roswell A. Neal, along with other investors, had formed the Mallett Cattle Company in the state of Connecticut during 1883 with headquarters near Colorado…
William Middleton Nelson “Bob” Beverly
Bob was born May 5, 1872 in Ringgold, Georgia to John Purnell Beverly (1831 – 1884) and Missouri Alice Israel Beverly (1845 – 1879). Bob’s father J. P. had worked as a farmer in Georgia and was doing so when Bob was born. Soon thereafter, J. P.’s family and the Israel family moved to a…
Max Evans
Max Allen Evans was born August 29, 1924 to Walter Burnace (W. B) Evans (1900-1979) and Hazel Glenn Swafford Evans (1904-1994) in Ropesville, Hockley County in Texas. Max was one of two children and had a younger sister named Glenda Rhue. Max grew up in the Panhandle of Texas and southeastern New Mexico and drew…
The Monument in Monument
About 1928, as well as we can determine, land developers commissioned a structure of a Native American. It once stood in the middle of a dirt road and faced the location of the old Monument Spring. The artist who constructed it is unknown. The monument itself had no name originally, as far as we can…
Byers and Hobbs Families
Minnie Hobbs Byers was the daughter of James Isaac Hobbs (1852-1923) and Frances Perlee Mooring Hobbs (1857-1942). She was a twin with her sister Winnie Hobbs Dalmont and both were born March 6, 1896 when the Hobbs family was still living in Texas. Their parents were James Isaac Hobbs (1852-1923) and Frances Paralee Mooring Hobbs…
Hat Ranch
The Hat Ranch dates back to around the mid 1890s when associates Andrew Briggs “Sug” Robertson (1855-1921) and Winfield Scott (1849-1911) began to operate in partnership. Scott is thought to have been the majority owner. Its brand has been described as a half circle over a bar. We have also seen it sketched out looking…
Tom and Evelyn Linebery
Thomas David Linebery was born May 21, 1910 in Brown County, Texas to James William Linebery (1865-1941) and Mary Annie Watkins Linebery (1879-1954). He moved to Midland, Texas in 1929 where one of his early jobs was being an elevator operator of the Petroleum Building. While in Midland, he met and later married Evelyn Catherine…
Dale “Tuffy” Cooper
Tuffy Cooper was born November 7, 1925 in Lovington, New Mexico to Alaska J. Cooper (1894-1959) and Tommie Lou Bingham Cooper (1904-1990). His grandparents were James Wesley Cooper (1858-1941) and Iolia M. Weir Cooper (1868-1940) and Thomas Swindell Bingham (1872-1944) and Louella Mae Simcoe Bingham (1874-1950). Tuffy’s fraternal grandparents came to New Mexico in 1906,…
The Madera Family and the Pitchfork Ranch
In the October 13, 1966 issue of the Jal Record, it was reported that the Lea Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors named Rubert “Bert” Madera as the Outstanding Lea County Conservation Rancher of the year, stating that he was the operator of the Pitchfork Ranch located about twenty miles west of Jal.…
A Cattleman’s Will
When Henry S. Record died, he left most of his estate to the New Mexico Baptist Orphanage in Portales. The bequest was in honor and memory of his late wife, Nettie Harris Record who predeceased him. Mr. Record had been a founder of the orphanage and was actively involved in it as he got older.…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
Old Lea County, N.M. 