Joseph C. COX

Born March 18, 1843
Died October 22, 1904

Aged 61 years 7 months 4 days

*Photo/information, courtesy of Mary (Coggin) Russell

*Obituary
The Joseph Calvin Cox family moved from Stephens County, with their cattle and horses to West Texas and arrived in Deaf Smith County in the spring of 1887. They camped at the T-Anchor Ranch, north of Canyon, for a short period. They had planned to go on to New Mexico in search of good grazing land. However, some of the cowboys led them to a beautiful spring on the Tierra Blanca Creek east of where Hereford was eventually to be located.

The "Big Spring Section" derived its name from a large, clear, cold spring - equal to flow of a present-day irrigation well. The grass along the creek was knee high - a welcome sight to both the family and the stock. Here, the Cox family settled and filed on the land for a home. As soon as their dugout home was completed they moved from the covered wagon into this temporary home atop a small hill above the spring. They later built a frame house father down the creek, this second move was necessary because of a second survey believed by the Cox family to have been politically motivated.

They believed that the Cox family was the first true settlers in this area of large ranches with a population composed mostly of cowboys. Though the Coxes brought cattle to the area, Mr. Cox (originally of Missouri) did have some knowledge of farming and made use of this knowledge in his new environment. Many of the early settlers who were ranchers primarily were forced to do some farming to supplement the needs of stock feeding - such as milo, corn and wheat. Joseph Cox brought hogs and milch cows as well as his other stock and eventually he planted an orchard on his property.

Besides Joseph Cox and his wife, the family included: Minnie (Mrs. Calvin Walker); Birdie (Mrs. G.R. "Rat" Jowell); Thomas A. (who married Delphia Nunly); James C. (who married Verdie Buckner); Edgar M. (who married Myrtle Wilson first and Alice Biggs later); and Henry T. (who married Ethel "Pat" Williamson). Henry Cox is believed to have been the first white child to be born in Deaf Smith County (July 10, 1889).

The only surviving members of the Joseph Cox family still living in Deaf Smith County are Wallace Cox, son of Thomas and Delphia Cox, and Alice Biggs Cox, widow of Edgar M. Cox. - Corinne J. Neely

Joseph Calvin Cox and his brother ran head on into the rancher-nester feud as they brought their families in two covered wagons and their herds to Deaf Smith County. As often retold in Cox get-togethers, the difficulty arose when the immigrants came upon one of the first wire fences being built at that time by the big ranches.

The Cox brothers were not nesters but small ranchers, and they had no intention of being stopped from cutting across the sprawling ranch, thus saving miles and being able to reach water. When the cowboy on guard at the gate refused to let them cross, the brothers got him down and sat on him while the families drove the wagons and cattle through the gate. They arrived safely at their destination, but the big ranchers had papers served on them, and they had to pay a fine.

Sons of the pioneer I.C. Cox family told how they drove teams and buggies when they went calling on their girls.

On more than one occasion they got lost on a dark night as they cut across the prairies toward home. Just as boys today get into trouble with Dad when they bang up the car, the Cox boys were in trouble with Papa Cox when, on those nights they got lost, they ran into fences, cutting the horses.

Joseph Calvin Cox was born on March 18, 1845 [sic], near Lexington, Missouri. He was a veteran of the Civil War and had been a Texas Ranger. - Patterson History.
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Texas, Select County Marriage Index, 1837-1965
Name: Joseph C. Cox
Gender: Male
Marriage Date: 1867
Marriage Place: , Texas, United States
Spouse: Abram L. Tyler
FHL Film Number: 1290411

Contributed on 5/22/22 by neldapat
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Record #: 514712

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