This Day in Texas History: Alexander Cockrell Buys Dallas Townsite August 7, 1852 On this day in 1852, Alexander Cockrell paid $7,000 for the portion of the John Neely Bryan homestead that included the Dallas townsite and the Trinity River ferry concession. Bryan, a Tennessee native born in 1810, had settled at a natural ford…
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This Day in Texas History: Failed Assassination Attempt in El Paso April 17, 1881 On this day in 1881, Dallas Stoudenmire survived an assassination attempt by former city marshall Bill Johnston by shooting him down in the city streets. Dallas Stoudenmire (1845–1882), gunfighter-cum-lawman, was born on December 11, 1845, in Aberfoil, Macon County, Alabama, to…
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This Day in Texas History: (from the Texas State Historical Association archives) Violence Presages End of Red-Light District February 08, 1887 On this day in 1887, “Longhair Jim” Courtright, former town marshall of Fort Worth, was killed in a gunfight with Luke Short. This was one of the most famous gunfights in western history–and, contrary to the…
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