DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it — and I'll do my best to do it justice. James Henry Dishman. Born February 22, 1858.
And right out of the gate, life handed him a weight most grown men couldn't carry. His father died in the Civil War in 1864, and that left six-year-old James to take on a man's role. Six years old.
Let that settle a moment. A boy from Cherokee County, deep in East Texas, who didn't have the luxury of a slow start. He grew up, and eventually made his way west to Kaufman County, where he built a successful ranching operation from the ground up.
Then, in 1892, he sold that ranch. Packed it in. And turned his eyes toward the South Texas Gulf Coast, lookin' for something bigger.
He found it. In 1893, James purchased a remote, undeveloped section of school land in northern Cameron County. Raw country.
He built a homestead on it, and by 1895 he had a working ranch humming along. Then the land holdings grew. And so did his reputation — not just for hard work, which was considerable, but for uncommon generosity.
That word, uncommon, it's doing real work in this story. Now, 1897. A cattle rustler gravely wounded him.
Gravely. That's not a close call — that's a man staring down the end of things. But he had help.
Brothers Dr. Fred Combes and Dr. Joe Combes, both of Brownsville, got him through it.
Six months, and James Henry Dishman was back on his feet. You'd think that might slow a man down. It did not.
In 1904, he donated acreage for a railroad right-of-way — and that donation led to the creation of the town of Combes. In 1924, he gave over five acres to the Combes community for a Baptist church and cemetery. In 1928, he donated money and the very site for an elementary school.
That school was completed in 1930, and it was named for him. James Henry Dishman. The boy who had to grow up in an instant, the rancher who kept givin' when he had every reason to hold on tight — he died July 30, 1934, and was buried beside his mother at Harlingen City Cemetery.
The town stands. The school carried his name. Some legacies, turns out, are built one donated acre at a time.
What the marker says
(February 22, 1858-July 30, 1934) James Henry Dishman was forced at the age of six to assume a man's role after his father's death in the Civil War in 1864. A native of Cherokee County in East Texas, he eventually moved to Kaufman County and developed a successful ranching operation. He sold his ranch in 1892 and headed to the South Texas Gulf Coast in search of lucrative ranching opportunities. In 1893 James purchased a remote and undeveloped section of school land in this area of northern Cameron County. He built a homestead and by 1895 had establised a working ranch. He increased his land holdings and within a short time gained a reputation for industriousness and uncommon generosity. He was gravely wounded by a cattle rustler in 1897. Aided by brothers Dr. Fred and Dr. Joe Combes of Brownsville, he was able to recover in six months. In 1904 Dishman donated acreage for the railroad right-of-way that led to the creation of the town of Combes. In 1924 he donated over 5 acres to the Combes community as a site for a Baptist church and cemetery. In 1928 he donated money and this site for the construction of an elementary school which when completed in 1930 was named for him. Dishman was buried beside his mother at Harlingen City Cemetery.