The Pioneer Coalsons

Duane's take

The official marker tells it this way, and I'm just the one passin' it along. Out in Edwards County, about nine miles west-northwest of where you're rolling right now, there's a stretch of land called Cedar Creek Ranch. And somewhere out on Half-Moon Prairie, near an old homesite, there are graves.

They belong to the Coalsons. And the story of how they came to be there is one that does not let go. June 1, 1877.

Nick Coalson is working his goat camp when Indians attack. His son Arthur, ten years old, is killed. His son Johnny, fourteen, is wounded.

Nick himself fights for three hours. Three hours. And then he escapes.

The marker doesn't dress that up, and neither will I. Now, you'd think one raid would be a man's full share of grief. But one year later, the Coalsons are struck again.

This time, Nick loses his wife Alice. He loses a daughter, Etta Elizabeth, who was Arthur's twin. And he loses an infant stepson.

All of them, in another Indian raid. What followed was pursuit. Captains Pat Dolan and Dan Roberts rode out with Texas Ranger units.

S.D. Coalson, Nick's own son, rode with them. U.S.

Army scout Jim Hill was there. Jim and John Welch. Henry and Sam Wells.

That is a formidable column of men with every reason to ride hard. They failed to find the Indians. The victims rest near the old homesite, on Half-Moon Prairie.

The Coalson descendants, the marker tells us, are prominent in Texas history. Which means that family, the one that absorbed all of that, kept going. That may be the most quietly remarkable thing on this whole marker.

Half-Moon Prairie holds the graves. The land holds the story. And now you know it too.

What the marker says

(Cedar Creek Ranch and graves about 9 miles WNW) Indians attacked goat camp of Nick Coalson on June 1, 1877; son Arthur, 10, was killed; Johnny, 14, wounded. Coalson escaped after 3 hours of hard fighting. One year later he lost his wife Alice, a daughter Etta Elizabeth (twin of Arthur), and infant stepson in another Indian raid. Captains Pat Dolan and Dan Roberts with Texas Ranger units, S.D. Coalson (Nick's son), U.S. Army scout Jim Hill, Jim and John Welch, and Henry and Sam Wells pursued but failed to find the Indians. The victims' graves are near old homesite, on Half-Moon Prairie. Coalson descendants are prominent in Texas history. (1972)