BLACK, JOSEPH HOWARD
Joseph Howard (Joe) Black was born September 1, 1890 at Caddo Mills, Stephens County. He came with his parents Dr. and Mrs. Black to Randall County in May 1891. Originally from Wolfe City, Hunt County, Dr. Black had to come to Canyon in 1890 and secured land. Moving was unusual in that the doctor would stop along the way to rest and practice medicine. They did not arrive until May 1891. Dr. Black acquired fifteen sections about fourteen miles southwest of Canyon, paying a dollar per acre for railroad land and filing on school land. He traded two car loads of mules for tow cars of bois d' arc posts with which to fence the ranch.
Joe remembers a severe winter, he thinks about 1897, which killed about half of Dr. Black's sheep. The next spring Joe made his first trip to Amarillo, accompanying his father with a wagon load of sheep hides to sell. They camped on Wild Horse Lake as old Amarillo was near that location. There was only one fence between Amarillo and Canyon.
Joe remembers a severe winter, he thinks about 1897, sheep hides, in shirt sleeve weather, and it came up a sudden blue norther. Joe's father put him under the hides with the wool turned in so that he would be warm. The warmth was hardly worth the smell.
The first school Joe attended was across from the Craig place near Ralph Switch. Classes were held only during the summer months but were equivalent to the longer term in town. Many times as Joe and his brother Jim walked the three miles to school they would see the antelope; one large herd stayed on the tall grass around the lake northwest of the school house. Mustangs were still a nuisance and ran off several of the Black's horses. It took several men a number of days to walk down the herd and recover the stock. Lobo wolves were the menace of livestock. Two wolves would work as a team and drag down and hamstring cattle as large as four-year-old steers. Coyotes were numerous and one of the boy's pastimes was to find a den and scoop a little dirt into it. If the old ones were gone the pups would whine and move around. Joe said he had used wire to twist as many as nine pups out of one den.
Joe completed Canyon High School in 1909 and attended Trinity University, then at Waxahachie, the 1909-1910 session. He returned to Canyon to attend West Texas as a senior in its first year, 1910-1911. The buildings were not completed, and classes were held in the Courthouse. Dr. J. A. Hill taught economics and political science.
Joe remembers large herds of cattle training north to Montana's grass in the middle and late nineties. One herd in particular was so long the end couldn't be seen from the front.
About 1910 a most unusual race was held near the college. "Bunk" Long used two horses alternately against Travis Shaw on a big wheel bicycle. The race was long and closely contested, Long with the horses, one of which belonged to the Blacks, won.
Joe and Mary Mendenhall were married July 31, 1914. They have two sons, Robert, of Borger, and K. A. (Kenneth), of Roswell and seven grandchildren. Mary attended W. T. and has taught first grade in Canyon Public School. Source: The Randall County Story From 1541 to 1910 (1969);
Joseph Howard (Joe) Black was born September 1, 1890 at Caddo Mills, Stephens County. He came with his parents Dr. and Mrs. Black to Randall County in May 1891. Originally from Wolfe City, Hunt County, Dr. Black had to come to Canyon in 1890 and secured land. Moving was unusual in that the doctor would stop along the way to rest and practice medicine. They did not arrive until May 1891. Dr. Black acquired fifteen sections about fourteen miles southwest of Canyon, paying a dollar per acre for railroad land and filing on school land. He traded two car loads of mules for tow cars of bois d' arc posts with which to fence the ranch.
Joe remembers a severe winter, he thinks about 1897, which killed about half of Dr. Black's sheep. The next spring Joe made his first trip to Amarillo, accompanying his father with a wagon load of sheep hides to sell. They camped on Wild Horse Lake as old Amarillo was near that location. There was only one fence between Amarillo and Canyon.
Joe remembers a severe winter, he thinks about 1897, sheep hides, in shirt sleeve weather, and it came up a sudden blue norther. Joe's father put him under the hides with the wool turned in so that he would be warm. The warmth was hardly worth the smell.
The first school Joe attended was across from the Craig place near Ralph Switch. Classes were held only during the summer months but were equivalent to the longer term in town. Many times as Joe and his brother Jim walked the three miles to school they would see the antelope; one large herd stayed on the tall grass around the lake northwest of the school house. Mustangs were still a nuisance and ran off several of the Black's horses. It took several men a number of days to walk down the herd and recover the stock. Lobo wolves were the menace of livestock. Two wolves would work as a team and drag down and hamstring cattle as large as four-year-old steers. Coyotes were numerous and one of the boy's pastimes was to find a den and scoop a little dirt into it. If the old ones were gone the pups would whine and move around. Joe said he had used wire to twist as many as nine pups out of one den.
Joe completed Canyon High School in 1909 and attended Trinity University, then at Waxahachie, the 1909-1910 session. He returned to Canyon to attend West Texas as a senior in its first year, 1910-1911. The buildings were not completed, and classes were held in the Courthouse. Dr. J. A. Hill taught economics and political science.
Joe remembers large herds of cattle training north to Montana's grass in the middle and late nineties. One herd in particular was so long the end couldn't be seen from the front.
About 1910 a most unusual race was held near the college. "Bunk" Long used two horses alternately against Travis Shaw on a big wheel bicycle. The race was long and closely contested, Long with the horses, one of which belonged to the Blacks, won.
Joe and Mary Mendenhall were married July 31, 1914. They have two sons, Robert, of Borger, and K. A. (Kenneth), of Roswell and seven grandchildren. Mary attended W. T. and has taught first grade in Canyon Public School. Source: The Randall County Story From 1541 to 1910 (1969);
BLACK, JOSEPH HOWARD
Joseph Howard (Joe) Black was born September 1, 1890 at Caddo Mills, Stephens County. He came with his parents Dr. and Mrs. Black to Randall County in May 1891. Originally from Wolfe City, Hunt County, Dr. Black had to come to Canyon in 1890 and secured land. Moving was unusual in that the doctor would stop along the way to rest and practice medicine. They did not arrive until May 1891. Dr. Black acquired fifteen sections about fourteen miles southwest of Canyon, paying a dollar per acre for railroad land and filing on school land. He traded two car loads of mules for tow cars of bois d' arc posts with which to fence the ranch.
Joe remembers a severe winter, he thinks about 1897, which killed about half of Dr. Black's sheep. The next spring Joe made his first trip to Amarillo, accompanying his father with a wagon load of sheep hides to sell. They camped on Wild Horse Lake as old Amarillo was near that location. There was only one fence between Amarillo and Canyon.
Joe remembers a severe winter, he thinks about 1897, sheep hides, in shirt sleeve weather, and it came up a sudden blue norther. Joe's father put him under the hides with the wool turned in so that he would be warm. The warmth was hardly worth the smell.
The first school Joe attended was across from the Craig place near Ralph Switch. Classes were held only during the summer months but were equivalent to the longer term in town. Many times as Joe and his brother Jim walked the three miles to school they would see the antelope; one large herd stayed on the tall grass around the lake northwest of the school house. Mustangs were still a nuisance and ran off several of the Black's horses. It took several men a number of days to walk down the herd and recover the stock. Lobo wolves were the menace of livestock. Two wolves would work as a team and drag down and hamstring cattle as large as four-year-old steers. Coyotes were numerous and one of the boy's pastimes was to find a den and scoop a little dirt into it. If the old ones were gone the pups would whine and move around. Joe said he had used wire to twist as many as nine pups out of one den.
Joe completed Canyon High School in 1909 and attended Trinity University, then at Waxahachie, the 1909-1910 session. He returned to Canyon to attend West Texas as a senior in its first year, 1910-1911. The buildings were not completed, and classes were held in the Courthouse. Dr. J. A. Hill taught economics and political science.
Joe remembers large herds of cattle training north to Montana's grass in the middle and late nineties. One herd in particular was so long the end couldn't be seen from the front.
About 1910 a most unusual race was held near the college. "Bunk" Long used two horses alternately against Travis Shaw on a big wheel bicycle. The race was long and closely contested, Long with the horses, one of which belonged to the Blacks, won.
Joe and Mary Mendenhall were married July 31, 1914. They have two sons, Robert, of Borger, and K. A. (Kenneth), of Roswell and seven grandchildren. Mary attended W. T. and has taught first grade in Canyon Public School. Source: The Randall County Story From 1541 to 1910 (1969);
Joseph Howard (Joe) Black was born September 1, 1890 at Caddo Mills, Stephens County. He came with his parents Dr. and Mrs. Black to Randall County in May 1891. Originally from Wolfe City, Hunt County, Dr. Black had to come to Canyon in 1890 and secured land. Moving was unusual in that the doctor would stop along the way to rest and practice medicine. They did not arrive until May 1891. Dr. Black acquired fifteen sections about fourteen miles southwest of Canyon, paying a dollar per acre for railroad land and filing on school land. He traded two car loads of mules for tow cars of bois d' arc posts with which to fence the ranch.
Joe remembers a severe winter, he thinks about 1897, which killed about half of Dr. Black's sheep. The next spring Joe made his first trip to Amarillo, accompanying his father with a wagon load of sheep hides to sell. They camped on Wild Horse Lake as old Amarillo was near that location. There was only one fence between Amarillo and Canyon.
Joe remembers a severe winter, he thinks about 1897, sheep hides, in shirt sleeve weather, and it came up a sudden blue norther. Joe's father put him under the hides with the wool turned in so that he would be warm. The warmth was hardly worth the smell.
The first school Joe attended was across from the Craig place near Ralph Switch. Classes were held only during the summer months but were equivalent to the longer term in town. Many times as Joe and his brother Jim walked the three miles to school they would see the antelope; one large herd stayed on the tall grass around the lake northwest of the school house. Mustangs were still a nuisance and ran off several of the Black's horses. It took several men a number of days to walk down the herd and recover the stock. Lobo wolves were the menace of livestock. Two wolves would work as a team and drag down and hamstring cattle as large as four-year-old steers. Coyotes were numerous and one of the boy's pastimes was to find a den and scoop a little dirt into it. If the old ones were gone the pups would whine and move around. Joe said he had used wire to twist as many as nine pups out of one den.
Joe completed Canyon High School in 1909 and attended Trinity University, then at Waxahachie, the 1909-1910 session. He returned to Canyon to attend West Texas as a senior in its first year, 1910-1911. The buildings were not completed, and classes were held in the Courthouse. Dr. J. A. Hill taught economics and political science.
Joe remembers large herds of cattle training north to Montana's grass in the middle and late nineties. One herd in particular was so long the end couldn't be seen from the front.
About 1910 a most unusual race was held near the college. "Bunk" Long used two horses alternately against Travis Shaw on a big wheel bicycle. The race was long and closely contested, Long with the horses, one of which belonged to the Blacks, won.
Joe and Mary Mendenhall were married July 31, 1914. They have two sons, Robert, of Borger, and K. A. (Kenneth), of Roswell and seven grandchildren. Mary attended W. T. and has taught first grade in Canyon Public School. Source: The Randall County Story From 1541 to 1910 (1969);
Gravesite Details
husband of Mary Mendenhall Black; m. Dec. 30, 1914
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