Father's Name John B Birdwell
Father's Birthplace Memphis, Tenn.
Mother's Name Isabell Wherry
Mother's Birthplace Memphis, Tenn.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The history of M. R. Birdwell's life is not essentially different from that of many of his fellow cattlemen. Like them he is a Texan by birth and by virtue of life-long residence, and he has fought his way to the front in the face of obstacles and despite reverses. He learned habits of industry and self-reliance in the hardest of schools, and at a time when the value of such habits could hardly have been over-estimated.
The family of which Mr. M. R. Birdwell comes has always been a prolific and hardy one. John Birdwell, his father, was one of thirteen children, all of whom lived to a ripe old age, and was himself the father of nine children, four of whom are living. The elder Mr. Birdwell was of Irish descent and a Tennessean by birth. He was born October 28, 1826; married Miss Isabella V. Werry, who was born in Memphis, December 15, 1829, and in 1817 removed to Rusk County, Texas, where the subject of this biography was born on the 29th day of April, 1854. John Birdwell was a farmer and a reasonably successful one, for that day and time, but the war interfered sadly with his prosperity, and upon his return from a long service in the Confederate army he found his once well-tilled fields very nearly returned to their original state of wildness. His wife had found it impossible to procure the labor necessary for cultivating the farm, and M. R. was then too young to offer much assistance. Yet, a living was to be made, and their only chance was the meager one of coaxing, with their feeble efforts, a return from the unwilling soil. The fences, as they rotted and fell, could not be replaced, for rails were lacking. Instead, the policy of "drawing in" fences was adopted; a method which utilized the more serviceable rails, but sadly reduced the size of the enclosure. A second "setting in" shortly followed the first, cutting down a fair sized farm to the dimensions of an ordinary potato patch; and this was about the state of affairs which greeted Mr. Birdwell upon reaching home after the last campaign of the war. It required years of hard labor to retrieve the ground he had lost, and he had not wholly succeeded when he was offered an opportunity to sell his farm, which he accepted, moving in 1872 to Johnson County, where he engaged successfully in stock raising and farming. He died in Johnson County in 1889, leaving property worth fully $10,000 and free of all incumbrances.
The flocks and herds owned by John Birdwell at the beginning of the war had dwindled to almost nothing at its close. One mule, two or three cows and a few hogs comprised the sum total, and they became M. R. Birdwell's special care. Other stock was purchased from time to time, and things began to assume a more prosperous appearance. Upon M. R.'s marriage, January, 1876, his father gave him two ponies, worth about $30 each, and $70 in money, the proceeds of his share of the last crop. With this provision against actual want he bravely began the battle of life. For the first two years he farmed and traded in a small way, evincing a natural aptitude for buying and selling stock. He arranged with Fort Worth butchers to furnish them with fat cattle, and in this way made considerable money. In 1878 he gave up farming altogether and removed to Palo Pinto County, carrying with him 160 yearlings, a few cows and four horses, the result of an equal division of his own and his father's joint herds. Reaching Palo Pinto County he traded one of the horses for a twenty-two acre pre-emption claim, selling it later on, and in 1882 purchased a section of railroad land, the location of his present home ranch. He has since added to it until his ranch at present consists of some 3,000 acres. He has also a ranch of 8,640 acres, much of which is leased lands, in Gray County, and about 3,000 acres at what is known as the "Arnold Ranch" in Archer County. He has been holding from last year about 500 head of stock in Palo Pinto County, and probably 100 steers on the Gray County ranch. His usual holding of cattle is much larger than this, but he has recently shipped all of his marketable cattle and is now engaged in restocking. His first step in this direction was to lease, just at the time of the writing of this biography, an additional pasture of R. L. Arnold, in Archer County, which he has stocked with 2,000 head of cattle which he will carry through the winter.
During the years Mr. Birdwell has spent in the West he has encountered the routine of incident and adventure that usually falls in the way of frontiersmen. In 1873, while driving cattle from Camp Colorado to Dallas he had a narrow escape from Indian raiders, barely missing a collision with the band that attempted the raid near Brownwood, in which two Indians were killed and 160 horses stolen.
Three of Mr. Birdwell's sisters are still living: Susan Janet, married to J. L. Covey, of Johnson County; Mary A., wife of H. D. Arnold, Palo Pinto County, and Bennie, wife of W. R. Griffin, of Johnson County. His only brother, J. R., is also living, but a sister, Bettie, died in 1890. Mr. Birdwell has two children: John W. and Bessie Ethel, each of whom have their individual holdings of stock given them by their father, in accordance with a custom favored by old-time stockmen. Children who are encouraged to feel due pride in their own little herds are safe to retain interest in such things as they grow in years.
Mr. Birdwell has earned the esteem and respect of his associates by his unvarying probity and enterprising character. He has built up his fortunes in their midst through legitimate and creditable methods, and has won place among the most substantial men of that section. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge at Palo Pinto, and also belongs to the Knights of Pythias. (Source: Historical and Biographical Record of the Cattle Industry and the Cattlemen of Texas by James Cox, Published by Woodward & Tiernan Printing Co, St Louis, 1895 -
Contributor: Sherry (47010546)
Father's Birthplace Memphis, Tenn.
Mother's Name Isabell Wherry
Mother's Birthplace Memphis, Tenn.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The history of M. R. Birdwell's life is not essentially different from that of many of his fellow cattlemen. Like them he is a Texan by birth and by virtue of life-long residence, and he has fought his way to the front in the face of obstacles and despite reverses. He learned habits of industry and self-reliance in the hardest of schools, and at a time when the value of such habits could hardly have been over-estimated.
The family of which Mr. M. R. Birdwell comes has always been a prolific and hardy one. John Birdwell, his father, was one of thirteen children, all of whom lived to a ripe old age, and was himself the father of nine children, four of whom are living. The elder Mr. Birdwell was of Irish descent and a Tennessean by birth. He was born October 28, 1826; married Miss Isabella V. Werry, who was born in Memphis, December 15, 1829, and in 1817 removed to Rusk County, Texas, where the subject of this biography was born on the 29th day of April, 1854. John Birdwell was a farmer and a reasonably successful one, for that day and time, but the war interfered sadly with his prosperity, and upon his return from a long service in the Confederate army he found his once well-tilled fields very nearly returned to their original state of wildness. His wife had found it impossible to procure the labor necessary for cultivating the farm, and M. R. was then too young to offer much assistance. Yet, a living was to be made, and their only chance was the meager one of coaxing, with their feeble efforts, a return from the unwilling soil. The fences, as they rotted and fell, could not be replaced, for rails were lacking. Instead, the policy of "drawing in" fences was adopted; a method which utilized the more serviceable rails, but sadly reduced the size of the enclosure. A second "setting in" shortly followed the first, cutting down a fair sized farm to the dimensions of an ordinary potato patch; and this was about the state of affairs which greeted Mr. Birdwell upon reaching home after the last campaign of the war. It required years of hard labor to retrieve the ground he had lost, and he had not wholly succeeded when he was offered an opportunity to sell his farm, which he accepted, moving in 1872 to Johnson County, where he engaged successfully in stock raising and farming. He died in Johnson County in 1889, leaving property worth fully $10,000 and free of all incumbrances.
The flocks and herds owned by John Birdwell at the beginning of the war had dwindled to almost nothing at its close. One mule, two or three cows and a few hogs comprised the sum total, and they became M. R. Birdwell's special care. Other stock was purchased from time to time, and things began to assume a more prosperous appearance. Upon M. R.'s marriage, January, 1876, his father gave him two ponies, worth about $30 each, and $70 in money, the proceeds of his share of the last crop. With this provision against actual want he bravely began the battle of life. For the first two years he farmed and traded in a small way, evincing a natural aptitude for buying and selling stock. He arranged with Fort Worth butchers to furnish them with fat cattle, and in this way made considerable money. In 1878 he gave up farming altogether and removed to Palo Pinto County, carrying with him 160 yearlings, a few cows and four horses, the result of an equal division of his own and his father's joint herds. Reaching Palo Pinto County he traded one of the horses for a twenty-two acre pre-emption claim, selling it later on, and in 1882 purchased a section of railroad land, the location of his present home ranch. He has since added to it until his ranch at present consists of some 3,000 acres. He has also a ranch of 8,640 acres, much of which is leased lands, in Gray County, and about 3,000 acres at what is known as the "Arnold Ranch" in Archer County. He has been holding from last year about 500 head of stock in Palo Pinto County, and probably 100 steers on the Gray County ranch. His usual holding of cattle is much larger than this, but he has recently shipped all of his marketable cattle and is now engaged in restocking. His first step in this direction was to lease, just at the time of the writing of this biography, an additional pasture of R. L. Arnold, in Archer County, which he has stocked with 2,000 head of cattle which he will carry through the winter.
During the years Mr. Birdwell has spent in the West he has encountered the routine of incident and adventure that usually falls in the way of frontiersmen. In 1873, while driving cattle from Camp Colorado to Dallas he had a narrow escape from Indian raiders, barely missing a collision with the band that attempted the raid near Brownwood, in which two Indians were killed and 160 horses stolen.
Three of Mr. Birdwell's sisters are still living: Susan Janet, married to J. L. Covey, of Johnson County; Mary A., wife of H. D. Arnold, Palo Pinto County, and Bennie, wife of W. R. Griffin, of Johnson County. His only brother, J. R., is also living, but a sister, Bettie, died in 1890. Mr. Birdwell has two children: John W. and Bessie Ethel, each of whom have their individual holdings of stock given them by their father, in accordance with a custom favored by old-time stockmen. Children who are encouraged to feel due pride in their own little herds are safe to retain interest in such things as they grow in years.
Mr. Birdwell has earned the esteem and respect of his associates by his unvarying probity and enterprising character. He has built up his fortunes in their midst through legitimate and creditable methods, and has won place among the most substantial men of that section. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge at Palo Pinto, and also belongs to the Knights of Pythias. (Source: Historical and Biographical Record of the Cattle Industry and the Cattlemen of Texas by James Cox, Published by Woodward & Tiernan Printing Co, St Louis, 1895 -
Contributor: Sherry (47010546)
Father's Name John B Birdwell
Father's Birthplace Memphis, Tenn.
Mother's Name Isabell Wherry
Mother's Birthplace Memphis, Tenn.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The history of M. R. Birdwell's life is not essentially different from that of many of his fellow cattlemen. Like them he is a Texan by birth and by virtue of life-long residence, and he has fought his way to the front in the face of obstacles and despite reverses. He learned habits of industry and self-reliance in the hardest of schools, and at a time when the value of such habits could hardly have been over-estimated.
The family of which Mr. M. R. Birdwell comes has always been a prolific and hardy one. John Birdwell, his father, was one of thirteen children, all of whom lived to a ripe old age, and was himself the father of nine children, four of whom are living. The elder Mr. Birdwell was of Irish descent and a Tennessean by birth. He was born October 28, 1826; married Miss Isabella V. Werry, who was born in Memphis, December 15, 1829, and in 1817 removed to Rusk County, Texas, where the subject of this biography was born on the 29th day of April, 1854. John Birdwell was a farmer and a reasonably successful one, for that day and time, but the war interfered sadly with his prosperity, and upon his return from a long service in the Confederate army he found his once well-tilled fields very nearly returned to their original state of wildness. His wife had found it impossible to procure the labor necessary for cultivating the farm, and M. R. was then too young to offer much assistance. Yet, a living was to be made, and their only chance was the meager one of coaxing, with their feeble efforts, a return from the unwilling soil. The fences, as they rotted and fell, could not be replaced, for rails were lacking. Instead, the policy of "drawing in" fences was adopted; a method which utilized the more serviceable rails, but sadly reduced the size of the enclosure. A second "setting in" shortly followed the first, cutting down a fair sized farm to the dimensions of an ordinary potato patch; and this was about the state of affairs which greeted Mr. Birdwell upon reaching home after the last campaign of the war. It required years of hard labor to retrieve the ground he had lost, and he had not wholly succeeded when he was offered an opportunity to sell his farm, which he accepted, moving in 1872 to Johnson County, where he engaged successfully in stock raising and farming. He died in Johnson County in 1889, leaving property worth fully $10,000 and free of all incumbrances.
The flocks and herds owned by John Birdwell at the beginning of the war had dwindled to almost nothing at its close. One mule, two or three cows and a few hogs comprised the sum total, and they became M. R. Birdwell's special care. Other stock was purchased from time to time, and things began to assume a more prosperous appearance. Upon M. R.'s marriage, January, 1876, his father gave him two ponies, worth about $30 each, and $70 in money, the proceeds of his share of the last crop. With this provision against actual want he bravely began the battle of life. For the first two years he farmed and traded in a small way, evincing a natural aptitude for buying and selling stock. He arranged with Fort Worth butchers to furnish them with fat cattle, and in this way made considerable money. In 1878 he gave up farming altogether and removed to Palo Pinto County, carrying with him 160 yearlings, a few cows and four horses, the result of an equal division of his own and his father's joint herds. Reaching Palo Pinto County he traded one of the horses for a twenty-two acre pre-emption claim, selling it later on, and in 1882 purchased a section of railroad land, the location of his present home ranch. He has since added to it until his ranch at present consists of some 3,000 acres. He has also a ranch of 8,640 acres, much of which is leased lands, in Gray County, and about 3,000 acres at what is known as the "Arnold Ranch" in Archer County. He has been holding from last year about 500 head of stock in Palo Pinto County, and probably 100 steers on the Gray County ranch. His usual holding of cattle is much larger than this, but he has recently shipped all of his marketable cattle and is now engaged in restocking. His first step in this direction was to lease, just at the time of the writing of this biography, an additional pasture of R. L. Arnold, in Archer County, which he has stocked with 2,000 head of cattle which he will carry through the winter.
During the years Mr. Birdwell has spent in the West he has encountered the routine of incident and adventure that usually falls in the way of frontiersmen. In 1873, while driving cattle from Camp Colorado to Dallas he had a narrow escape from Indian raiders, barely missing a collision with the band that attempted the raid near Brownwood, in which two Indians were killed and 160 horses stolen.
Three of Mr. Birdwell's sisters are still living: Susan Janet, married to J. L. Covey, of Johnson County; Mary A., wife of H. D. Arnold, Palo Pinto County, and Bennie, wife of W. R. Griffin, of Johnson County. His only brother, J. R., is also living, but a sister, Bettie, died in 1890. Mr. Birdwell has two children: John W. and Bessie Ethel, each of whom have their individual holdings of stock given them by their father, in accordance with a custom favored by old-time stockmen. Children who are encouraged to feel due pride in their own little herds are safe to retain interest in such things as they grow in years.
Mr. Birdwell has earned the esteem and respect of his associates by his unvarying probity and enterprising character. He has built up his fortunes in their midst through legitimate and creditable methods, and has won place among the most substantial men of that section. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge at Palo Pinto, and also belongs to the Knights of Pythias. (Source: Historical and Biographical Record of the Cattle Industry and the Cattlemen of Texas by James Cox, Published by Woodward & Tiernan Printing Co, St Louis, 1895 -
Contributor: Sherry (47010546)
Father's Birthplace Memphis, Tenn.
Mother's Name Isabell Wherry
Mother's Birthplace Memphis, Tenn.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The history of M. R. Birdwell's life is not essentially different from that of many of his fellow cattlemen. Like them he is a Texan by birth and by virtue of life-long residence, and he has fought his way to the front in the face of obstacles and despite reverses. He learned habits of industry and self-reliance in the hardest of schools, and at a time when the value of such habits could hardly have been over-estimated.
The family of which Mr. M. R. Birdwell comes has always been a prolific and hardy one. John Birdwell, his father, was one of thirteen children, all of whom lived to a ripe old age, and was himself the father of nine children, four of whom are living. The elder Mr. Birdwell was of Irish descent and a Tennessean by birth. He was born October 28, 1826; married Miss Isabella V. Werry, who was born in Memphis, December 15, 1829, and in 1817 removed to Rusk County, Texas, where the subject of this biography was born on the 29th day of April, 1854. John Birdwell was a farmer and a reasonably successful one, for that day and time, but the war interfered sadly with his prosperity, and upon his return from a long service in the Confederate army he found his once well-tilled fields very nearly returned to their original state of wildness. His wife had found it impossible to procure the labor necessary for cultivating the farm, and M. R. was then too young to offer much assistance. Yet, a living was to be made, and their only chance was the meager one of coaxing, with their feeble efforts, a return from the unwilling soil. The fences, as they rotted and fell, could not be replaced, for rails were lacking. Instead, the policy of "drawing in" fences was adopted; a method which utilized the more serviceable rails, but sadly reduced the size of the enclosure. A second "setting in" shortly followed the first, cutting down a fair sized farm to the dimensions of an ordinary potato patch; and this was about the state of affairs which greeted Mr. Birdwell upon reaching home after the last campaign of the war. It required years of hard labor to retrieve the ground he had lost, and he had not wholly succeeded when he was offered an opportunity to sell his farm, which he accepted, moving in 1872 to Johnson County, where he engaged successfully in stock raising and farming. He died in Johnson County in 1889, leaving property worth fully $10,000 and free of all incumbrances.
The flocks and herds owned by John Birdwell at the beginning of the war had dwindled to almost nothing at its close. One mule, two or three cows and a few hogs comprised the sum total, and they became M. R. Birdwell's special care. Other stock was purchased from time to time, and things began to assume a more prosperous appearance. Upon M. R.'s marriage, January, 1876, his father gave him two ponies, worth about $30 each, and $70 in money, the proceeds of his share of the last crop. With this provision against actual want he bravely began the battle of life. For the first two years he farmed and traded in a small way, evincing a natural aptitude for buying and selling stock. He arranged with Fort Worth butchers to furnish them with fat cattle, and in this way made considerable money. In 1878 he gave up farming altogether and removed to Palo Pinto County, carrying with him 160 yearlings, a few cows and four horses, the result of an equal division of his own and his father's joint herds. Reaching Palo Pinto County he traded one of the horses for a twenty-two acre pre-emption claim, selling it later on, and in 1882 purchased a section of railroad land, the location of his present home ranch. He has since added to it until his ranch at present consists of some 3,000 acres. He has also a ranch of 8,640 acres, much of which is leased lands, in Gray County, and about 3,000 acres at what is known as the "Arnold Ranch" in Archer County. He has been holding from last year about 500 head of stock in Palo Pinto County, and probably 100 steers on the Gray County ranch. His usual holding of cattle is much larger than this, but he has recently shipped all of his marketable cattle and is now engaged in restocking. His first step in this direction was to lease, just at the time of the writing of this biography, an additional pasture of R. L. Arnold, in Archer County, which he has stocked with 2,000 head of cattle which he will carry through the winter.
During the years Mr. Birdwell has spent in the West he has encountered the routine of incident and adventure that usually falls in the way of frontiersmen. In 1873, while driving cattle from Camp Colorado to Dallas he had a narrow escape from Indian raiders, barely missing a collision with the band that attempted the raid near Brownwood, in which two Indians were killed and 160 horses stolen.
Three of Mr. Birdwell's sisters are still living: Susan Janet, married to J. L. Covey, of Johnson County; Mary A., wife of H. D. Arnold, Palo Pinto County, and Bennie, wife of W. R. Griffin, of Johnson County. His only brother, J. R., is also living, but a sister, Bettie, died in 1890. Mr. Birdwell has two children: John W. and Bessie Ethel, each of whom have their individual holdings of stock given them by their father, in accordance with a custom favored by old-time stockmen. Children who are encouraged to feel due pride in their own little herds are safe to retain interest in such things as they grow in years.
Mr. Birdwell has earned the esteem and respect of his associates by his unvarying probity and enterprising character. He has built up his fortunes in their midst through legitimate and creditable methods, and has won place among the most substantial men of that section. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge at Palo Pinto, and also belongs to the Knights of Pythias. (Source: Historical and Biographical Record of the Cattle Industry and the Cattlemen of Texas by James Cox, Published by Woodward & Tiernan Printing Co, St Louis, 1895 -
Contributor: Sherry (47010546)
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