July NTS

July 2015

VALLEY VIEWWillkommen to

Gone to Texas Chasing Our TalesOutdoors Along the Brazos&

North Texas Star

July 2015 NORTH TEXAS STAR Page 2

At First Financial, our credit card processing services are easy to understand and easy to

use. That makes it easier to grow your business. We also offer competitive rates, no hidden

fees, 24/7 help desk support, and on-site visits from local bankers so you get answers when

you need them. Schedule an in-person review of your current credit card processing

services today, and discover how we put business first in Texas.

Call Shelby Bartels at 817-598-2502 today.

MEMBER FDIC

FFIN.COM

LOCAL CREDIT CARD PROCESSING FOR YOUR

BUSINESS. LOCAL SUPPORT FOR YOUR SANITY.


GENERAL MANAGER/EDITORDavid May

[email protected]

LAYOUT & DESIGNLindsay Burge

[email protected]

ADVERTISINGMary Gray

[email protected] Trigg

[email protected]

CIRCULATIONSusie Howell

[email protected]

CALL940-325-4465

ONLINEwww.mineralwellsindex.com

North Texas Star 4OUTDOORS ALONG THE BRAZOSTrailing Beeves, Part IIBy Don Price

10GONE TO TEXASElizabeth Patton Crockett

6CHASING OUR TALESto James Edward McEvoy &

Mary Jane WallaceBy Sue Seibert

By Jim Dillard

14WILLKOMMEN TO VALLEY VIEW GUEST RANCH

By Wynelle CaItlin


OUTDOORSBRAZOSalong theBy DON PRICE

Two of the better known trail drivers started right here in Palo Pinto County. Their names were Oliver Loving and Charles Goodnight, pioneers of future stockmen, the cattle industry as we know it today.At one time Oliver Loving and his family lived 10

miles north of present-day Mineral Wells. Charles Goodnight lived with his family about 12 miles north/northwest of Mineral Wells, as the crow flies, in an early set-tlement named Black Springs, which is called Oran today.There is a granite State of Texas

Centennial 1836-1936 rock marker at the foundation of Loving's homestead, attesting to this fact; there are three State of Texas Historical Markers in Oran, attesting to the facts that Charles Goodnight, a bachelor at the time, lived there. His mother rests in the Oran Cemetery today.The peak years of trailing beeves

after the Civil War were from 1866-1885, about 20 years, a lot of stamped-ing, perhaps the most colorful time, the most exciting time in the history of all nations, trailing countless longhorns to northern markets.Dodge City and Ogallala, Abilene

and Cheyenne, Fort Sumner and Denver... and Miles City, just to name a few shipping points during the heyday ... a time when a $4 beef in Black Springs brought $40 in Boston.These trail-driving days saw some 10 million beeves

delivered to Indian reservations and railheads. It was a big world, involving 32,000 to 35,000 drovers and cooks, wranglers and trail bosses during this 20-year crest of excitement splashed with both color and calamity.In a span covering some three years, we've read

approximately 100 titles of authentic longhorn trails of the Old West, non-fiction, some of which are partly documented.What is so amazing is that in the alphabetical indices

of most of these books (I'll say 85 percent), Palo Pinto County is mentioned more than any other county in the United States.The Palo Pinto region is listed more than any other

region (area) in the United States. The names of Oliver Loving and Charles Goodnight are more frequently mentioned than any other names of stockmen during the trailblazing epoch of non-fiction publications per-taining to the trailing of longhorn cattle to market after the Civil War (after Appomattox).These books pertaining to The Era of Trailing

Longhorns After the Civil War have been published by the largest houses in the pub-lishing world, based largely in New York and Chicago. Time-Life Books, in its beautifully illustrated The Cowboys has an entire chapter on Charles Goodnight. He is referred to as The Father of Cowboys. His partner Oliver Loving earned the sobriquet The Dean of Trail Drivers.Unfortunately Loving was

just 54 years old when a Comanche war party attacked him on the Pecos River. His wound turned to gangrene and he died in about two weeks at Fort Sumner. His partner, C. Goodnight, had the body rein-terred in Weatherford a few months later.Tough-as-a-boot, Charles

Goodnight survived, his year of passing 1929 (he was 93 years old), and he was buried at Goodnight, Texas.But both men had gathered beeves in the Palo Pinto

region; both had lived a few miles north/northwest of present day Mineral Wells at one time. There are sev-eral historical markers attesting to these facts ten miles north of our city, as the crow flies.At a certain time the Palo Pinto region was consid-

ered the finest ranchinxg area around. The open range was lush with grass along the Brazos River and its tributaries, such as Keechi and Ioni and Palo Pinto creeks. Furthermore, it was thought the limestone country north of present day Brad and Pickwich (inun-dated) held the strongest grass.Unquestionably, Palo Pinto produced more noted

cowmen than other frontier regions: the Cowdens ... C. Goodnight ... Lovings ... George Webb and Lum

Slaughter ... Daltons and Cuertons ... Hittsons ... the Stuarts and Strawns ... Carters and Beldings ... the Harts, Reynolds and Matthews ... Costellos ... Harrises ... Metcalfes ... and there were many other ranchers who moved on west, but they STARTED in the Palo Pinto region.Just letting a modern reader know of a miniscule

segment of the cattle industry in the Palo Pinto region starting in the late 1860s, the George Webb Slaughter descendants, after having been in Palo Pinto for only 10 years, had increased their holdings to 10,000 long-horns which they sold to Jim Loving, Oliver's son, for $6 a head.Then from 1868 to 1875, the trail-driving Slaughters

took 12,800 beeves up the trail, for which they received $484,000. The largest single drive of the Slaughter family was in 1870 when 3,000 head were driven up the trail and sold for $105,000 a fortune even for a cattle baron.Christopher Columbus Slaughter, one of the trail-

driving sons, paid more in state taxes on his land in one year than any other man in Texas. He owned banks in Dallas, gave generously to Dallas hospitals and was a large donor to Baylor University. Everyone called him Lum Slaughter.Kindly please don't forget most of it started in Palo

Pinto County.The names of Loving and Goodnight became house-

hold words in cattlemen's circles throughout the United States after they'd blazed the Goodnight-Loving Trail.History buffs worldwide recognize the now famous

trail, and most include it in their criteria of the Old West.But there's now a big push that will be starting in the

cities San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth to promote Jesse Chisholm, an active Indian during trail driving days. So these big cities are naturally promoting the Chisholm Trail, a Chamber of Commerce push. I'd read that rancher H.H. Halsell and some of the really old-time cowmen commented that Charles Goodnight had worn out more dufflebags than Jesse Chisholm had socks. And that's not even counting Lum Slaughter, George Webb Slaughter's son.Oliver was 23 years older than his partner, so he was

the first to blaze ahead with a vision of a Texas cattle industry. With this in mind perhaps the trail should have been named the Loving-Goodnight Trail.

Trailing Beeves, PART II

Charles Goodnight


However, in every history book we've perused on this subject, more than 100 non-fiction volumes of this Old West epoch, in the index the entry is always alphabeti-cally listed as the Goodnight-Loving Trail. And it seems to be listed this way with all book publishers of this time frame, small and large New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia.This great partnership of the two cowmen, Goodnight

and Loving, perhaps started in or near the settlement of Black Springs.On one dusty drive, trailing thousands of longhorn

cattle to market, Charles Goodnight thought he heard it thunder; he reined his horse to listen. The thunder grew louder, the earth began to vibrate, to tremble, to shake.Charles Goodnight could hardly believe this rarest of

sights. He was witnessing a mighty herd of bulls, cows and calves [buffalo]. Goodnight estimated the herd to be 125 miles long and 25 miles wide. It took hours for the herd of bison to pass before the drovers could proceed.Perhaps an entire book could be written, covering

nothing but stampedes during an electrical storm. Drovers never seemed to want for excitement during the long drive.The Comanche and Kiowa braves you just knew

they were coming to see you every full moon more than likely, perhaps not every time but you could almost count on it.This Palo Pinto region (Jacksboro, Weatherford, etc.)

was frequented at times by raiding parties who were skilled with bow and arrow, braves riding at top speed, releasing arrows from wild mustangs without sacrificing accuracy. Unbelievable.Of course, you had trouble sleeping at night. One

wonders why? If they didn't kill you, they'd take your horse.

Comanche and Kiowa braves were proud warriors, dressed in battle gear, war paint and feathers. Some car-ried a lance. They were later called Lords of the Plains, because

they'd mastered the wild mustang making or turning them into perhaps the most skillful light cavalry the world had ever seen. And they were proud, oh, they were proud.Several historians have

recently agreed that Comanches were the fiercest war-riors among all tribes. It got so risky during the Civil War that four families out of five (women and children) fled to Weatherford for their safety, according to a Waco newspaper.(What makes writing an historical essay so difficult is

conflicting information. Factual? Even Google makes mistakes. You'll have no choice at certain times but to winnow the chaff, hoping you've made the best judgment call. You'll want to please everyone, hoping you haven't opened a can of worms instead.)


Chasing Our Talesto James Edward McEvoy and Mary Jane Wallace By SUE SEIBERT

Back in April, I received a telephone call from a nice young man who had a genealogical question about his Palo Pinto County ancestors. His name is Todd McEvoy, and his email is [email protected]. If you have information for him please email us both. Heres the story from our first email conversation:I am hoping you can

help me find out more about my great-great-grandfather, James Edward McEvoy, b. abt 1856, d. 12 Feb 1911. Married Mary Jane Wallace (daughter of William Riley "Bill" Wallace) in Palo Pinto County on 11 Oct 1883.I have read that Irish sur-

names were often misspelled

when arriving to the U.S. That said, he could be listed as McVoy, McAvoy, MacEvoy, MacVoy, MacAvoy, Mc Evoy, Mc Voy, Mc Avoy or Mc Voy.I am also attaching the info I scanned from the

Palo Pinto County history book I found as well as the Wallace family cemetery location.My father is Denny McEvoy, his father is James

Ancel McEvoy, his father is James Barney McEvoy and his father is James Edward McEvoy, who is the one I have hit a dead-end on.From an edition of "Palo Pinto County History" I

am quoting the following:The James Edward McEvoy family story starts in

1861. When William Riley Wallace came to Palo Pinto County from Mississippi, he settled there, became a rancher, met and married a half-Indian girl

named Martha Ellen Freeman, whose mother was a full blood Cherokee.

There were six children born of this union, the eldest being Mary Jane Wallace born June 23, 1863. Mary Jane met and married James Edward McEvoy on October 11, 1883, at Palo Pinto. James Edward came over from Ireland when he was sixteen, along with his sister, Johanna and her hus-band, Martin J. Fogerty.The McEvoys

made their home in Palo Pinto County for

a few years. After losing their firstborn, Martha Ellen, (named after her grandmother) and having two other children ill, they came to Henderson County to take over a homestead adjoining what is now the Clements Boy Scout Reservation. His sis-ter, Johanna and her husband lived on a farm nearby. James

Edward and Mary Jane lost three boys, Michael, William, and John; also two girls, Josephine and Evelina, after they moved to Henderson County with whooping cough and other childhood diseases. Six other survived; the eldest was Mary Ella (born December 29, 1889); James Barney (born February 25, 1898); Annie May, (August 2, 1900); Margaret (Maggie) Pauline, (March 25, 1903); Thomas Jefferson (July 15, 1906); Katie Arlena (December 23, 1910).James Edward died February 12, 1911, leaving

Mary Jane a widow with five children to rear. They had no Social Security those days, but with good neighbors to help and God to lean on, she made it. She, in turn, helped her neighbors by acting as mid-wife in times of need, and treating other illnesses with home remedies she learned from her Indian grand-mother.Mary Ella married John W. Simmons of Henderson

County, and they had five children: Lilla, Leona, Herman, Nanny May, and Mary Alice. Lill was born September 26, 1907, and she married Larence Linder. Leona was born December 14, 1909, and married Reagan Arthus. Herman was born Mary 29, 1911, and married Dulas Crist. Nan was born August 1915, and married Ferris Batchelor. Mary was born May 20, 1921, and mar-ried Bert Hallett.James Barney

married Allie Mae

William Riley Wallace and Martha Ellen Greeman

Family of William Riley Wallace and Loise Jane Phillips, children John, Annie, George and Will.


ALLISON


Bomer, and they had one son, James Ancel. Annie Mae married George W. Jones, and they had three children, Thurman Grady, Donald Ray, and Joyce. Maggie married Clyde Thomas Gray, and they had three girls, Hazel Violet, Elva Pauline, and Vera Frances. Thomas Jefferson married Mabel Arthus, and they had three children: Mary Eugenia, Martin Doyle, and Thomas Wayne. He later married Edith Bridges, and they had two children, Joe Michael and Pamela Jane. Katy Arlena married Charles Franklin Rogers, and they had three children, Gerald (Jack) Hodge, Benny Don (lost in the Korean conflict in 1950), and Velma June. Written by Mrs. Katy McEvoy Rogers LooneyTodd has also discovered that there is a Wallace family cemetery in Palo

Pinto. The directions are sort of sketchy, but there is a map. It is off Interstate 20 on the north side of the highway and looks to be just south, off of the New Salem Road just before it turns south toward the interstate.I find James and Mary Jane on both the 1900 Census and the 1910 Census.

In both, they were living in Henderson County. James was listed as a farmer doing general farming. It states both his parents were Irish, and that he immigrated to the United States in 1873, and both he and Mary Jane could read and write.The frustration is that I cannot seem to take the McEvoy family back to

Ireland and, in fact, I cannot bring Johanna McEvoy Fogerty into Texas. I am really wondering if Johanna was married to a McEvoy when she came to this country. However, I cannot find her married to a Fogerty.On the other hand, the Wallace family seems to be somewhat of an open

book. As I stated earlier Mary Jane Wallace was born in Palo Pinto County in 1865 to William Riley Wallace and Martha Ellen Freeman. She married James Edward McEvoy in 1883, and to them many children were born. She

died in Henderson, Texas, in 1961, the year after her daughter Ella died.William Riley Wallace was born in Williamson, Travis County, Texas, in

1844, and died in Dublin, Erath County, Texas, in 1918. He married Martha Ellen about 1864, and their children included Mary Jane, David Moore, William Jackson, Rachel Ellen, Melissa Orlenia, Winnary and an infant. He then married Louisa Jane Ellis, and to them were born John William, Riley Ann, William Martin, George Washington, Nettie, Floyd, William Wyley, Bud and Amanda Jane. William Rileys parents were William Wallace and Rachel Evaston.William Wallace, the son of William Wallace and Esther, was born in

Arkansas in 1815 and died in 1860 in Karnes, Texas. He and Rachel had six children, Melvina Jane, John Wesley, Winerva, William Riley, Halberta, and Walter.As you can see from all this, William was a name that shows up over and

over, which, of course, makes genealogy confusing at times. Also from this, I believe they were Methodists, as they named one child John Wesley.Williams father, William, was born in 1784 in Bedford, Va., and died in

White Township, Carroll County, Ark., before 1850. He and Esther appear to have had two children, William and Jackson. It appears that Esther was born in 1783 in South Carolina and may have died in Texas.So, there you have about what Todd has on his family. He would really

like to hear from anyone who has information on either family, but he is espe-cially interested in tracing the McEvoy family back to Ireland. Again, his email is [email protected], and my email is [email protected]. Hope you enjoyed this trip into early Palo Pinto County. If you would like

to submit information about your early family history in this area, please let me hear from you.

Mary Jane (Wallace) McEvoy and family.

July 2015 NORTH TEXAS STAR Page 8 July 2015 NORTH TEXAS STAR Page 9

Where theres smoke...The Mineral Wells Index is theregetting the story for YOU.

Subscribe940-325-4465


GONE TO TEXASWhen Walt Disney's five-part mini-series on the life of Davy Crockett burst across the screen of our little black and white television during 1954 and 1955, I, like every

other kid in town, became infatuated with 6-foot-6 Fess Parker and his role as the larger-than-life folk hero. Davy and his sidekick George Russell, played by Buddy Ebson,

brought the legendary Crockett back to life as they portrayed his early exploits in the hills of Tennessee and rise to fame as a member of the United States House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. Events of his personal and family life that led to his fame as revealed in the television series, whether true or not, elevated his character to icon status.Just about every kid in the country, and some adults, wanted a

coonskin cap. In 1955, Walt Disney followed up with the live-action movie, Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier, which was a compilation of the first three episodes of the earlier mini-series. The national craze for anything related to Davy Crockett went wild, and just about everyone went around singing the series' theme song, "Da-veee, Daa-vy Crockett, king of the wild frontier." Millions of dollars were spent on coonskin caps and records of The Ballad of Davy Crockett. Raccoons became scarce and I never got a coon-skin cap!David Crockett's personal and family life would lead him down

many paths throughout his adventurous life. He became well-known, not only for his skills as a frontiersman, soldier, politician and storyteller, but also for his core belief to, "Always be sure you are right, and then go ahead." But like other men of his time, it would be the strong character of the women in his life that helped sustain him through the many hard times he would face.David met his first wife, Polly Finley, in Tennessee at a harvest

festival and declared his intentions to marry her, despite the reluc-tance of her mother, Jean, to allow it. In his bibliography, Crockett wrote that Polly "looked sweeter than sugar." Crockett arrived at the Finley house with a marriage license, justice of the peace and friends and family, determined to ride off with Polly and marry her elsewhere.After her parents begged Crockett to hold the ceremony at their

house, Polly and David were married there at Finley's Gap near Jefferson, Tenn., on Aug. 16, 1806. They settled on land near Polly's parents but moved to Franklin County, Tenn., in 1811. During 1811, David and Polly relocated to Lincoln County and in 1813 to Franklin County. They had three children: John (1807-1852,) William (1808-1846) and Margaret (1812-1860.) Polly died in 1815, having cared for the three children alone much of the time while David was away in the service with Andrew Jackson fighting in Indian campaigns or scouting the frontier. Later that year, David married Elizabeth Patton and began a new family.Elizabeth Patton was born in Swannanoa, N.C., on May 22, 1788,

to Robert and Rebecca Patton. She married her first cousin James

Elizabeth Patton Crockett by: JIM DILLARD

Elizabeth Crocket Monument


Shop Historic Granbury


Patton, son of her father's brother, and they moved to Gibson County in western Tennessee and had two children, Margaret Ann and George. Like David Crockett, James served under Gen. Andrew Jackson and was critically wounded during the Creek Indian War at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in Alabama in 1814. As James Patton lay dying, he

asked his friend, David Crockett, to take his belongings and personal effects back to Tennessee to his wife Elizabeth. Crockett fulfilled his dying friends wish and in doing so met his wife to be. After Crockett's wife Polly died in 1815, David remembered his chance meeting with the widowed Elizabeth Patton and traveled to Swannanoa, N.C., where she had moved with her two children to live with her father. Crockett left his three children in

the care of his brother, John, and his wife. After much wooing, Elizabeth married David and they moved back to Crockett's home in west Tennessee. David and Elizabeth would have three additional children: Robert Patton Crockett (1816-1889), Rebecca Elvira (Crockett) Halford (1818-1879) and Matilda (Crockett) Fields (1821-1890.) Elizabeth spent most of her time taking care of the children and managing the land and garden while David was away hunting, guiding, trailblazing, pursuing his political career and helping settlers locate lands to live on. In 1817, Crockett moved his family to Lawrence

County to new land and also began his political career by becoming a commissioner to help survey the new county's boundary. The state legislature appointed him justice of the peace of the county, and in 1821 he was elected to a seat in the Tennessee General Assembly, representing Lawrence and Hickman counties. After a flood of the Tennessee River destroyed much of Crockett's businesses including a mill and distillery, he moved the family to an 800-acre parcel of land on the Obion River in Carroll County, Tenn., deeded to them by Elizabeth's father. He was again elected to the Tennessee General Assembly in 1823 representing Carroll, Humphreys, Perry, Henderson, and Madison counties. He later was elected to the United State House of Representatives and served for three terms from 1827 to 1835. While in Washington, D.C., he lived in a boarding house with other legislators.Being disgruntled following defeat for re-election

to Congress in 1835 to represent his district in Tennessee, he wrote a bibliography in collaboration with Kentucky Congressman Thomas Chilton titled A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett, Written by Himself. His famous quote from the book, "I told the people of my district that I would serve them as faithfully as I had done; but if not, they could go to hell and I would go to Texas," became the mantra for

his legendary martyrdom in becoming one of Texas' most famous folk heroes. At the age of 50, Crockett raised a company of

Tennessee volunteers and began the long journey to Texas, arriving in Nacogdoches dur-ing early January 1836 with fewer men than he started with. Crockett not only sought to help Texas obtain independence from Mexico, he had ambitions of acquiring a large tract of land and moving his family there following the close of the revolu-tion. He and 65 other men took the

oath of allegiance on Jan. 14, 1836, before Judge John Forbes of the Provisional Government of Texas for six-months service and, within a few days, departed for San Antonio de Bexar. Each man was promised 4,600 acres of land as payment for their service. He arrived at the

Alamo on Feb. 8th and died there on March 6th, leav-ing behind his wife and children in Tennessee. After learning of his father's death in Texas, his son, Robert Patton Crockett, came to Texas and joined the revolu-tion, serving until independence had been secured. He then returned to Tennessee and was married. The news of David Crockett's death must have been

devastating to Elizabeth, who once again became a widow with limited prospects for her future. She learned that the fledgling Republic of Texas Legislature of 1837 had granted bounty warrants of 640 acres to the survivors of men killed in the Alamo. In 1853, eight years after Texas become a state, Elizabeth, her grown married son, Robert, and his wife, Matilda, (Porter) George Crockett and her daughter, Rebecca (Halford), and their respective families, journeyed to Texas to claim her land. They made their way to Waxahachie and stayed

there almost a year until a surveyor could be employed to locate their land in exchange for half the acreage. The land was eventually located along Rucker Creek in Johnson County (now Hood County), some four miles north of the small growing trading post of Acton, located on the east side of the Brazos River. In 1854 she received a payment of $24 from State Comptroller James B. Shaw for services rendered to the Republic of Texas by her late hus-band. Robert built a log cabin there where the family

lived until a separate cabin could be built for her. On the morning of Jan. 31, 1860, while taking a early morning walk, Elizabeth died at the age of 72 and was buried in Acton Cemetery. In 1911, Senators O. S. Lattimore and Pierce Ward introduced legislation to appropriate $2,000 for the erection of a monument at her gravesite. Ward had become acquainted with Robert while he was a student at Granbury Methodist College in the fall of 1880. Robert, who operated a

toll bridge over the nearby Brazos River, was fond of telling stories about interesting incidences of his dad's career. The bill was approved and the monument unveiled by Elizabeth Crockett's granddaughter in May 1913.The 18-foot monument features the statue of a

woman wearing a bonnet and shading her eyes, look-ing to the west for the return of her husband. In 1949, the 12-by-21-foot gravesite was designated a state park and later administered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as the smallest state park in Texas. Today, it is maintained by the Historic Sites Division of the Texas Historical Commission.Although David Crockett never realized his dream

of becoming a prosperous landowner or advancing his political career in Texas, he left a legacy of grit and determination for future Texans to embrace. As Elizabeth's monument stands tall in the Acton Cemetery, depicting her longing gaze to the west looking for the return of her beloved husband, she left a legacy of loyalty and faithful love for a man for the ages Da-vee, Daa-ve Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier. Sources: Various Internet sources: texasscapes.com;

obcgs.com; findagrave.com; visitacton.com; bshc-granbury.org; tshaonline.org/handbook/online; fifties-web.com; wikipedia.org.Jim Dillard is a retired wildlife biologist and free-

lance writer from Mineral Wells. Question/comments to [email protected].

Elizabeth Crocket Monument

David Crockett


Incontinence Dropped bladder Urinating problems

Genitourinary cancers Kidney stones

Laser surgery Lithotripsy

Womens clinical services provided by Dr. Deshmukh and his staff are:

Clinical services provided for men include: Prostate problems Kidney stones Incontinence

Genitourinary cancers Impotence Urinating problems

Lithotripsy Laser surgery Vasectomy

Clinic Locations are: 831 E. Eureka St., Weatherford 760861021 Holden St., Glen Rose 76043

202 SW 25th Ave., Suite 500 Mineral Wells 760672003 Rockview Dr., Granbury 76049

561 N. Graham St., Stephenville 76401Appointments Call: 817-599-3690

www.ncturology.com

AVI T. DESHMUKH, M.D., F.A.C.S., MBA, MHABoard Certified Urologist

Dr. Deshmukh is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and received an MBA from Texas Womens University in 2009. He recently received his second MBA in Health Administration at Texas Womens and an MHA in 2012.

He is a member of the American Medical Association, Texas Medical Association, and American Association of Clinical Urologists.


VALLEY VIEWWillkommen to By WYNELLE CAITLIN

Willkommen au unserer ranch was the greeting I received when I recently visited Petra and Mike Kagi at their Valley View Guest Ranch in southern Palo Pinto County. The multilingual couple from Switzerland could

also have greeted me in French, Italian, English or Texan, which they have decided is a language all its own. The transplanted Texans grew up in Switzerland,

where multiple languages are the norm, but they met in Santo 12 years ago. Mike was managing a guest ranch there. Petra was vacationing from her job in insurance in Switzerland.She liked the warmth of Texans and

the climate she was tired of snow and cold, and

people in insurance are always mad. She and Mike fell in love, married and lived in different parts of this country and in Switzerland, but Texas kept tug-ging at them. Two years ago, they came back and opened their 40-acre guest ranch, which is atop Chesnut Mountain with a spectacular view of the valley below. In the evenings, their guests can relax in the hot

tub, which is a few steps from the ranch house patio, and watch a beautiful sunset or, as it gets dark, look up at an open sky full of stars. A few steps down from the hot tub is a fire pit,

surrounded by rocks that double as seats. With a blazing fire on chilly evenings, it's ideal for story-telling or sing-songs. A few more steps lead to the inviting blue waters of a swimming pool. The ranch house patio is also a favorite place for

sunset watching, as are the patios behind each of the rustic cabins, which are reached via graveled path-ways through the woods. The cabins are not rustic inside they have very nice baths, living and sleep-ing areas, all decorated in country western theme. A multitude of activities are available to guests

such as western-style horseback riding, learning to lasso with a rope, testing marksmanship at the rifle

range, fishing in a nearby pond and hiking the nature trails.

Panorama view

Luftansicht Valley View Ranch


Panorama view


There are also tours by motor bike or ATV, sightseeing excur-sions to Dallas, Fort Worth, Possum Kingdom Lake or visiting the nearby communities, which are smaller. Partaking of the delicious home-cooked meals cowboy food

if guests are from Europe or other parts of the world (Petra uses recipes from the Palo Pinto cookbook for authenticity) Swiss if they're from this country. Mike and Petra offer a Swiss-brand of hospitality on a Texas

ranch with cowboy atmosphere. Rocco, the black lab, comes to greet each visitor. Princess, Madison, Shawnee and Allie, the horses, don't want to be left out. They come to the fence to say hello or caper across the pasture. Mojo and Athena, the cows, and their calves graze placidly on

the lush grass, or lie contentedly chewing their cuds. The pot-bellied pigs. Miss Piggie and Rosie like attention, but Scamp and Diva just go about their rat-killing. Petra is a Reiki practitioner. Tentative plans for the future include a health spa weekend. I went from Mineral Wells to Valley View Ranch, which is a

pleasant drive. South on U.S. Highway 281 nearly to Interstate 20, turn right on Brazos Road. Go through the quaint village of Brazos, with its old-fashioned homes. Stay on the highway to Chesnut Mountain Road. Turn right, and follow the winding, twisting road up the mountainside, reminiscent of Colorado highways. Atop the mountain, which was named for early set-tlers of same name, go past ranch gates some fancy, some plain jane until you come to a large, wooden gate with the Valley View Ranch logo. The ranch road goes past a large barn and past the rustic cab-

ins to the ranch house, where I was greeted by the Swiss hosts, pretty petite Petra and handsome athletic Mike, both sporting that tan that only people from the mountains have. As I was leaving Mike admired my car, a classic '92 Olds 88.

He's a classic car enthusiast, obtaining and sending classic cars overseas for customers. The goodbye words, Autwiedosehen followed me as I

drove away (translations from German, welcome to our ranch and goodbye, come back.)

Shawnee

Princess and Petra

H. Wedding


Star Classifieds

14,500 copies distributed monthly in Parker, Palo Pinto, Hood, Johnson, Jack & Young counties. Get your ad seen call (940) 327-0838, (817) 645-8093, (817) 598-0857

435 Livestock

NewImproved

Beautywayfertilizer.comHumate Enhanced!!!

Field-Home Fertilizer Program.Applied Liquid $21.00 per acre

Dry Mix $12.50 per acredavid@

beautywayfertilizer.com817-597-5171

455 Misc. Merchandise

CONSTRUCTION PIPE Pipe & Sucker Rods

~~DELIVERY AVAILABLE~~ Varner Pipe, LLC.3290 Ranger Hwy,

Weatherford, TX 76088817-599-9590

REAL ESTATE SPECIAL

3 Months In TheMineral Wells Index

With A Picture Of Your HouseFor Only *$200

(Based On 20 word Minimum)

Call Teresa or April940-327-0838

A Value Of $498Non-Refundable

868 General Services

LewallensRemodel & Repair

Mobile Home Repair~Porches~ Decks~

Metal Roofs ~Painting

All Types ofRemodeling

Small & LargeJobs OK

Veteran Ownedand Operated.

Established in 1977(940) 745-5077

876 Home Improvement

Mendoza HouseLeveling & Foundation

Repair Pier & Beam Repair

Re-level also Brick Homeswith concrete slabs.30 years experience.

Reasonable Rates. 817-565-5336 940-704-2892Manuel Mendoza Weatherford Mineral Wells

SELL YOUR VEHICLEYour Ad Will Run 3 weeks

In Print & Online For Only

$55.00940-327-0838

watch your budgetShop the

Classifieds!

Call

940-327-0838to place your ad now.


Graham Trailer Company203 State Hwy 67 Graham, TX 76450

940-550-5977 940-549-0078Jackie Bishop

Neckover TrailerRubber Floor 10 year warranty

RAMPS !

CAR HAULER

Documents

July NTS