“Chief Joe”

Chief Joe’s life started in a rather odd place, a wood shop in Philadelphia, PA in 1861. Although he was born an Indian he never spent a minute of his life among the Indians! He had always lived amongst the white man. Throughout his life Chief Joe traveled to many different and varied places and was privileged to witness quite a few historical moments.

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"Windfield McGraw"

In his younger days, Windfield McGraw served in the Texas Rangers rising to the rank of Captain. After years of fighting Indians and outlaws, and watching the city of Houston grow from a frontier settlement into a “civilized” town, McGraw and a small group of fellow rangers headed to a small Texas town called Prairie Hawk near the Calamity River. Prairie Hawk was not much of a town, consisting of only a few buildings. Captain McGraw and his small crew lived on the edge of town on a small ranch. They made there living by crossing into Mexico and making off with a few head of cattle and horses the found “wandering” around and taking them to sell in Houston. Life in Prairie Hawk lacked the excitement of the Texas Rangers, but it was better than being confined in the growing, crowded city.

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Carlton Smith Wynautt

Carlton's mother had fallen on hard times and in a desperate attempt to keep herself alive turned to the only occupation available to her, thus Carlton was born and raised in a brothel. His mother, wanting to give her son a better life than she had been forced to endure, raised him to be a gentleman. She made sure he was dressed like any fine gentleman should be dressed, he always sported a stovepipe hat, and the finest silk shirts and ties. Clothes though, do not make the man. Carlton having seen and been exposed to the seedier side of life was not above taking advantage of those he came in contact with or even called friends. He was quite accomplished in cheating at cards and felt it his God given right to have what he wanted no matter how he he went about accomplishing that task. Being treated like a prince by his mother yet being fully aware of what the town folk called him given the sordid details of his birth, Carlton carried a much exaggerated air of self importance about himself. One night in a crowded saloon, sitting in on a game of poker, Carlton came face to face with his destiny. He finally met the man who would put him in his place because of his arrogant attitude and cheating ways, and sadly for Carlton that place was Boot Hill.

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Isaiah Benjamin

In his 20's Isaiah was a gunfighter and could hold his own with the best of them. He spent those early years of his life living hard and loose. But during those wild years of his youth he “saw the light” and his life they say, was transformed.

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Milton Spriggs

Milton had been a loner his entire life. The only surviving child born to his parents, he had been overprotected and sheltered. He hadn't been allowed to play with other kids, or even attend the community school. Climbing trees, riding horses, just normal kid stuff was forbidden for fear he might injure himself. This isolation had turned Milton into a bitter and angry young man. When he was in his late teens he couldn't take it anymore so packed up his belongings and snuck away without so much as a farewell. He had escaped to what he assumed would be a grand life of freedom and happiness. Milton had no knowledge of what the real world was like so learned his life lessons the hard way. The hard knocks this bitter young man endured only fueled the fires of his own tortured soul. The ironic thing for Milton is that he ended up living a lonely and miserable life separated from what he had left home to find and ended his life fighting anyone who crossed his path or disturbed his solitude.

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Hollis Tagg

Hollis had always kept to himself, even as a young boy. He was quiet and introverted and never seemed to mind being alone. His mother was a shy well educated women who had the misfortune to loose her heart to a rugged, boisterous, cowpoke with a beautiful smile. Hollis took after his Mother in many ways, yet had his Fathers charm and smile. He found himself time and time again coming to the defense of young women in need, or any citizen for that matter. He hated the attention it awarded him, but hated even more seeing anyone being bullied or in harms way, especially a lady. Hollis became known as the “avenging angel” of the county, a title he wasn't thrilled with but one he lived up to time and time again.

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“Phineas Felps”

Phineas was an average man by all accounts, average in stature, average in intelligence, average in looks. But his appetite for gold was not average. Phineas had an insatiable hunger for the shiny yellow metal in any form from gold nuggets and gold dust to gold watches and jewelry. This hunger lead Phineas down the path of no return. He began small by rolling drunken miners for the few nuggets they had in their pockets, but as the fever for gold took hold he began his life of crime in earnest. He would rob stores, stagecoaches, ransack houses, all in the pursuit of the shiny metal that alone could squelch his lust. This path of crime led to his undoing, he ended up sweating out his days in prison, but that thirst for gold never died, just ask his fellow prisoners who found themselves relieved of their gold teeth while they slept.

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