Christopher Columbus Doty

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. The name is Christopher Columbus Doty, and Schleicher County, Texas, would not be what it is without him. Born April 16, 1857, Doty came out of Missouri and made his way to Texas in 1879.

Now, a lot of folks passed through this stretch of West Texas and kept right on going. Doty did not. He stopped, he looked around at all that dry, wide-open country, and he stayed.

The marker calls him the first permanent citizen of Schleicher County, and that title was not handed to him. He earned it one hard year at a time. He soon bought his headquarters out at Ten-Mile Water Hole, half a mile east of where that marker stands today.

And then he got to work on something that would change everything for the people who came after him. In 1882, Doty drilled the first water well in the county. That alone would be enough for most men.

But Doty followed it up by erecting the first windmill south of the Concho River, and together those two things established the agricultural industry of the entire area. Think about that. One man, one well, one windmill.

When Schleicher County organized in 1901, Doty's property was folded right into it, and the people of that county turned around and elected him their first tax assessor-collector. He later served as justice of the peace, kept working as a rancher, stayed active in the Methodist church, and carried his Masonic membership with pride. On June 3, 1887, he married Alice Pancoast, and the two of them had one daughter, Annie Marie.

Christopher Columbus Doty lived until October 26, 1944. First citizen, first well, first windmill. Some men leave a county behind.

Doty built one.

What the marker says

(April 16, 1857 - October 26, 1944) First permanent citizen of Schleicher County. Came to Texas from Missouri, 1879. Soon bought headquarters at Ten-Mile Water Hole (1/2 mi. east). Drilled first water well in county 1882 and erected first windmill south of Concho River, thus established area's agricultural industry. The organization of the county in 1901 included his property and he was elected first tax assessor-collector. Later was justice of the peace, a rancher, active Methodist and a Mason. He married Alice Pancoast on June 3, 1887 and they had one daughter, Annie Marie. (1968)