Wiley Edmund "W.E." married Rebecca on November 7, 1880 in Glen Rose, Texas.
From stories told by Annie Gaines Bailey come early stories about the Gaines family:
In 1891, W.E. heard of land in Motley County, Texas that was being opened for settlement. He and Rebecca loaded their covered wagon with their belongings and four children, driving 125 head of cattle. They arrived in Motley County in time to help organize a Baptist Church. W.E. was the first Deacon ordained in the Church.
After living in Matador, Motley County for twelve years, land in Dawson County went on the market. W.E., with several others, went to Big Spring, Texas and filed on land in the northern part of Dawson County. Several wagons were loaded with household goods and furnishings. One wagon had two sets of side boards and the piano was placed just behind the driver. As a child, Annie Gaines Bailey was delighted to ride up front on the spring seat with her father. Two of the boys, Ed and Albert helped drive the cattle to West Texas. During the twelve day journey, there were two stampedes. The herd had been driven all day without water and when they got near water, they stampeded. It was very exciting to Annie, as it looked like the cattle were stacked up one on top of the other. The other stampede was during an electrical storm at Drew, near where Post City is now located. It took three days to get all the cattle rounded up. The next fall the Gaines brothers went to the round-ups in the area, looking for cattle that had the Gaines brand on them.
In 1902 the land was fenced, a well was drilled, carpenters hauled lumber from Big Spring and houses were built and homes were established. W.E. was one of the five men who served on a committee to hold and election when the county was organized and Lamesa became the county seat in 1905, defeating Chicago, a small nearby community, by five votes.
From this illustrious pioneer family has come young men and women who are engineers, lawyers, doctors, R.N.'s teachers, PHD's preachers, ranchers, missionaries, artists and bankers. Mr. W.E. Gaines was a quiet man and in his quiet way most generous.

Contributor: Merideth Hmura (47399453)