Foreword << Acknowledgements  >> Introduction

Acknowledgments

One of the most difficult tasks in writing the History of Bee County is recording acknowledgments of assistance given this writer. There have been so many people offering information and pictures that to start calling names is comparable to stepping into a bed of quicksand, because it is impossible to recognize everyone who has helped.

I am the fifth person to undertake the tremendous project of recording the annals of Bee County, and to my four predecessors—T. R. Atkins, Mrs. I. C. Madray, Mrs. Grace Bauer, and J. G. Rountree Il—I am deeply grateful for facts and backgrounds of pioneer days and for leads to sources of information.

I am indebted to Gaines Kincaid of Austin for calling my attention to the fact that the supposed-to-be portrait of Colonel Barnard E. Bee (after whom Bee County was named) hanging in the Courthouse is in fact a likeness of Colonel Bee’s son, General Barnard E. Bee Jr. Mr. Kincaid gave me the address of a person from whom I could obtain a copy of the correct picture of Colonel Bee. Mr. Kincaid is currently editing, for publication, the Diary of Hamilton P. Bee, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives in 1857 when Bee County was created.

My deep gratitude is extended to the Rt. Rev. Msgr. William Oberste, retired Catholic priest of Bayside, for giving me permission to quote from his masterful book, “Texas Irish Empresarios and Their Colonies,’ and for information he gave me verbally when Helen and I visited him at his home.

To the Hon. Hobart Huson, distinguished attorney and historian of Refugio, goes sincere appreciation for permitting me to use some facts and background about old Bee County that were contained in his tremendous two-volume “History of Refugio.’

Thanks are extended to the following who wrote the histories of their respective communities: Mary Cornett Winebrenner, Papalote; Lillian Range, Skidmore; Margaret Moore, Pettus; Frvin Sparkman, Mineral City; Esther Selgelid, Tuleta; and Katherine Bohanan, Pawnee.

When we were in Yucatan in I969 I did a favor for Bob Davis of Waco, publisher of the Texian Press, and upon our return we found in the mail a copy of a classical edition entitled “Six Missions of Texas,” published by Mr. Davis’s company, with a note of thanks. This book was a great help in depicting the background of the pre-colonization period of Texas.

Other published sources of information that have been helpful were:

World Book Encyclopedia, Ralph Steen’s “The Texas Story,” Z. T. Fulmore s “History and Geography of Texas,” Roy Grimes’ “History of Goliad,” Magnus Beck’s book, “The Becks of Normanna,’ the files of the  Beeville Bee, Picayune, the Bee-Picayune, the San Antonio Express, Corpus Christi Caller, Refugio Review, and other publications.

Many individuals have assisted me in this work, too numerous to mention, and I thank all of them, but special appreciation is extended to:

Mrs. Charles Millikin, Mrs. Anne Wolfe Maley, Sidney Smith, Mrs. Cora Burke, Mrs. Mary McCurdy Welder, Miss Ida Campbell, Bill Dugat, Mrs. R. V. Stubenthal, Mrs. Mattie Jackson, Mrs. Walter Boenig, Rev. Paul Bremerman, Fred Latcham, Mrs. Bernard McWhorter, Mrs. John M. O’Brien, Mrs. H. B. Hause, Dr. L. W. Littlejohn, Miss Jean •Dugat, Dr. Ernest Miller, Hon. Jon Newton, Mrs. Dudley Braly, Mrs. William Moser, and many others.

The Bee County Historical Society not only has furnished newspaper clippings and many documents from the archives at McClanahan House, hut the organization offered me a bonus to write the book.

Everyone whom I have contacted is enthusiastic over this work, and I sincerely hope that the book will serve posterity as a preserver of legends, early background, and historical facts about our beloved colorful and romantic Bee County.

Thanks for everything!
THE AUTHOR.

Foreword << Acknowledgements  >> Introduction

Copyright ^©1999-2014 by Beeville.Net and/or the individuals/company/organization providing information on the pages. Beeville.Net began offering a Free Web Presence December 17, 1999  If you use a picture and/or article from any place on Beeville.Net, please, give credit.   www.AllardGroup.com provides assistance in web development and database implementation.
| Disclaimer | Privacy Statement | Purpose DO NOT SUBMIT INFORMATION OR SEND EMAIL TO ANY COMPANY/ORGANIZATION USING BEEVILLE.NET,  IF YOU ARE UNDER 13 YEARS OF AGE. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act