DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it — this one's about the Aransas Creek settlers, out in Bee County. Now settle in, because this creek has seen some history. The earliest known residents were the Karankawa Indians, who named the creek itself.
That right there puts us back before Texas was Texas, before it was anything with fences or railroads or corn going to forts. Just the land, the water, and the people who knew them both. Then, in 1805, a man named Don Martin de Leon occupied one of the most famous ranches in early Texas, right here on this stream.
You might recognize that name — de Leon went on to found Victoria in 1824. But before any of that, he was out here on this creek. In the 1830s, Irish colonists came by way of Copano Bay and settled downcreek.
Anglo-Americans arrived by road and trail from older settlements and stopped mainly upcreek. Two directions, two peoples, one creek binding them together. Stockraising, trucking, and freighting — that's what put food on the table in this rich new prairie land.
Speaking of food, in 1850 a man named Patrick Fadden was selling corn and vegetables to Fort Merrill, growing them on an 1835 land grant that had belonged to his uncle, Father John Thomas Malloy. Then in the 1860s, Fadden and a man named W.R. Hayes were freighting supplies out to settlers.
Hayes wasn't just hauling goods, though — he had an early post office running right out of his home in 1870, and he served as county judge from 1876 all the way through 1892. Meanwhile, upcreek, a settler named John Wilson — an 1850s arrival — brought the first Durham cattle to the whole country. And if that wasn't enough, he built one of the first wooden fences in the area, enclosing six hundred acres of his homesite with rough heart pine plank.
Six hundred acres, hand-fenced, in rough-cut pine. Now on the creek's north bank stood the ranch of a man named Frank O. Skidmore — founder of Skidmore, the town itself.
Skidmore gained fame for building the first barbed wire fence AND the first windmill in the county. He promoted the breeding of registered Herefords, and in 1886 he gave much of the right-of-way to the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad. One creek.
Karankawa names. A de Leon ranch. Irish and Anglo settlers splitting the stream between them.
Pine plank fences, barbed wire, windmills, a railroad cutting through. Aransas Creek didn't just witness the settling of Texas — it was the whole story, written in water and wire.
What the marker says
Earliest known residents were Karankawa Indians who named creek. On this stream was one of the most famous ranches in early Texas, occupied in 1805 by Don Martin de Leon, who in 1824 founded Victoria. In 1830's Irish colonists came by way of Copano Bay, settling downcreek. Anglo-Americans from older settlements, came by road and trail, stopping mainly upcreek. Stockraising, trucking and freighting provided livelihoods in the rich, new prairie land. In 1850 Patrick Fadden sold to Ft. Merrill corn and vegetables from 1835 land grant of his uncle, Father John Thomas Malloy. Fadden and W.R. Hayes freighted supplies to settlers in 1860's. Hays had early post office in his home, 1870; was county judge 1876-92. John Wilson, an 1850's upcreek settler, brought first Durham cattle to country; built one of first wooden fences, enclosing 600 acres of homesite with rough heart pine plank. On creek's north bank stood ranch of Frank O. Skidmore, founder of Skidmore, who gained fame for building first barbed wire fence and windmill in county. He promoted breeding of registered Herefords and in 1886 gave much of right-of-way to the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad. (1967)