Brazos River Indian Reservation, Cabin #6

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At the western end of Wildcatter Ranch exists a hill that overlooks the Herron Bend of the Brazos River. We highly suggest you visit this hill, as it is one of the most spectacular views on the Ranch.

If you had been on top of this hill in the years from 1854 into 1859, looking west you would have been viewing the Brazos River Indian Reservation. In fact, right below you would have been the Caddo village on the other side of what is now Indian Springs Road.

If you would have looked up river you would have seen the Anadarko village. Herron Bend was originally called Anadarko Bend.

By 1854 there were many Indian tribes that decided a reservation might not be a bad place to be. Increasing encroachment from the whites plus the ever-present danger of attacks from Comanche, Kiowa and Kiowa Apache tribes influenced them to accept the offer to settle on a reservation along the Brazos River near what is present-day Graham and, of course, Wildcatter Ranch.

In the summer of 1854, General Randolph B. Marcy, under orders from the United States Department of War and Interior and in accordance with an act of the Texas Legislature of Feb. 6, located two Indian reservations in West Texas. The first, the Brazos Indian Reservation (Lower), was comprised of 68,120 acres and consisted of the Caddo, Anadarko, Waco and Tonkawa tribes, plus splinter groups of Cherokee, Choctaw, Delaware and Shawnee.

The Western Reservation (Upper), located about 40 miles from the Lower Indian Reservation, was to be occupied by Penetaka Comanches. It would be located around present-day Throckmorton and would comprise approximately 23,000 acres.

Major Robert S. Neighbors, the general supervisor of all Indians in Texas, would provide the direction for both the Upper and Lower Reservations. Underneath him would be Shapely Ross and John R. Baylor, agents for the Lower and Upper reservations, respectively.

Ross was the father of well-known Indian fighter and future governor of Texas, Lawrence Sullivan Ross. Unfortunately Baylor would be dismissed and later affect these reservations in a very detrimental manner.

Originally around 800 Indians were settled on the Lower Reserve with around 500 Comanche Indians settling the Upper Reserve. A contract was made to supply beef to the Indians and J.J. Strum supervised the agricultural pursuits of the various tribes. A school was started near present-day Graham under Zachariah Ellis Coombes.

Under the kind and patient guidance of Neighbors and Ross, the Lower Reserve Indians especially made great strides in their farming techniques, planting mainly corn, wheat, vegetables and melons. Still, an uneasy peace existed between the local settlers and the reservation Indians. Any act of thievery in the area was blamed on these Indians, even though non-reserve Indians to the north were likely the culprits. Even the acts of white outlaws would again be blamed on the friendly tribes.

To further fuel the growing tension, John R. Baylor was dismissed as Upper Reserve agent early in 1857 due to the alleged misuse of agency funds. Fueled by bitterness toward both Neighbors and Indians in general, he started a newspaper in Mesquiteville (now Jacksboro) called The White Man. This further agitated relations between reservation Indians and local settlers who tended to assume all Indians were bad.

Two major confrontations created the final decision by government authorities to abandon the reservations.

In December 1858, a group of Indians led by a very well liked chief called Choctaw Tom were allowed off the Lower Reservation to hunt in Palo Pinto County. At daylight on the morning of Dec. 27, 1858, a group of men from Erath County led by Peter Garland attacked the sleeping Indians and killed seven, including three women. None of the men ever went to trial for their deed.

In May 1859, Baylor and 250 men approached the Lower Reservation intending to destroy the Indians. They were repelled after a confrontation with Captain J.B. Plummer. Upon leaving, they killed two elderly Indians and were pursued to the Marlin Ranch in Young County by 50 warriors, led by Chief Jose Maria. Several of Baylor’s men and Indians were killed and the group left for Palo Pinto County.

With continued threats and possible confrontations looming, the decision was made to move the Indians to the Wichita Agency in Oklahoma.

On Aug. 1, 1859, Baylor led the Indians on what might be called the Texas version of “The Trail of Tears.” In two weeks the saddened Indians were placed on the Wichita Agency. They bid a tearful goodbye to their beloved Neighbors, who returned to Belknap.

The hatred toward Neighbors back in Young County only compounded a sad ending to this story. Having arrived in Belknap, Neighbors was shot in the back by an Indian hater named Edward Cornett. Later Cornett was killed in the Belknap Hills by a posse headed by Sheriff Wolfforth.

For the next 15 years, the area in and around Young County would be a very dangerous place to live due to Indian depredations. Ironically members of the same tribes that would be displaced from the Texas reservations would become scouts for Texans and federal troops in their continued war against the Southern Plains Indians that would end in 1875.

Truly the Brazos River Indian Reservation failure was a case of the wrong place at the wrong time.