TEXAS RANGER, COMPANY L, FABENS, EL PASO COUNTY, TEXAS
SPECIAL RANGER
Joseph Thomas Place was told he was born October 25,1887 in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona to William Atherton and Adeline Riggins Orr Place. There is no proof or documentation that Adeline was his mother. Through information from an old family friend and hints from family members, my father was sure he was born in 1884 in Nogales, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, to William Atherton and his Mexican wife, possibly named Angelita. William A. carried a picture of a young Mexican woman holding a tiny baby in her arms. He showed my father the picture many times and told him what had happened to her. Grandma Addie took the picture from his coat and burned it. Angelita was killed in an Indian attack on a stage coach somewhere near Fairbank, Arizona. His father married Adeline Riggins Orr, who was a widow with four children from Illinois and they agreed raised Joseph to think she was his mother. For the sake of legal papers, etc., Joe T. Place went by the 1887 birthdate and Addie as his mother, but he knew she was not. William Atherton farmed in Arizona and also practiced law. When William went to Mexico to contract building railroads, Joseph spent a lot of time there with his father. He hated to stay with his mother and go to school. His father was killed in Mexico in a premature blast on the job. Joseph T. and my mother, Lenita Virginia Gamble eloped and were married August 10, 1907 Solomonville, Arizona. They immediately left for Mexico where he had been working, building railroads. They had two boys, William Atherton and George Boyd, born in Mexico. When the Mexican Revolution became too dangerous, they left Mexico. Joseph went back and worked a while, but my mother never did return. Joseph T. and Lena bought a farm at Sheldon, Arizona in 1912 where another boy, Eaton Lee, was born, He died at two years old. Joseph Davis was born in 1916 and the family moved to Fabens, El Paso County, Texas. Joe T. bought some raw land and put it into cultivation. It was here that Joe T went into law enforcement. He was a deputy sheriff in Fabens, then joined the Texas Rangers as a Special Ranger in Company L, under Captain Bill Davis. Joe T. stood 5 ft. 10 inches tall, had dark brown eyes, black hair and dark complexion. With WWI and the Mexican Revolution, there was plenty to be done on the Border. Drugs and alcohol ran rampant and the Rebels were coming across the river, stealing and pillaging. Many are the stories my father told of the battles that raged with the Rebels and drug runners. It was hard to run a farm with all that was going on. The family left Texas in 1926. Joe T. and family lived for a time in New Mexico, farming near Garfield. He moved back to Arizona where he farmed until he went into road construction some time in the late 1930's. He stayed with construction work until he retired. Joseph Thomas Place died July 17, 1970, in Cottonwood, Yavapai County, Arizona and is buried in Sheldon Cemetery, Greenlee County, Arizona. He is missed by his family and all who knew him. He was a great man.
SPECIAL RANGER
Joseph Thomas Place was told he was born October 25,1887 in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona to William Atherton and Adeline Riggins Orr Place. There is no proof or documentation that Adeline was his mother. Through information from an old family friend and hints from family members, my father was sure he was born in 1884 in Nogales, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, to William Atherton and his Mexican wife, possibly named Angelita. William A. carried a picture of a young Mexican woman holding a tiny baby in her arms. He showed my father the picture many times and told him what had happened to her. Grandma Addie took the picture from his coat and burned it. Angelita was killed in an Indian attack on a stage coach somewhere near Fairbank, Arizona. His father married Adeline Riggins Orr, who was a widow with four children from Illinois and they agreed raised Joseph to think she was his mother. For the sake of legal papers, etc., Joe T. Place went by the 1887 birthdate and Addie as his mother, but he knew she was not. William Atherton farmed in Arizona and also practiced law. When William went to Mexico to contract building railroads, Joseph spent a lot of time there with his father. He hated to stay with his mother and go to school. His father was killed in Mexico in a premature blast on the job. Joseph T. and my mother, Lenita Virginia Gamble eloped and were married August 10, 1907 Solomonville, Arizona. They immediately left for Mexico where he had been working, building railroads. They had two boys, William Atherton and George Boyd, born in Mexico. When the Mexican Revolution became too dangerous, they left Mexico. Joseph went back and worked a while, but my mother never did return. Joseph T. and Lena bought a farm at Sheldon, Arizona in 1912 where another boy, Eaton Lee, was born, He died at two years old. Joseph Davis was born in 1916 and the family moved to Fabens, El Paso County, Texas. Joe T. bought some raw land and put it into cultivation. It was here that Joe T went into law enforcement. He was a deputy sheriff in Fabens, then joined the Texas Rangers as a Special Ranger in Company L, under Captain Bill Davis. Joe T. stood 5 ft. 10 inches tall, had dark brown eyes, black hair and dark complexion. With WWI and the Mexican Revolution, there was plenty to be done on the Border. Drugs and alcohol ran rampant and the Rebels were coming across the river, stealing and pillaging. Many are the stories my father told of the battles that raged with the Rebels and drug runners. It was hard to run a farm with all that was going on. The family left Texas in 1926. Joe T. and family lived for a time in New Mexico, farming near Garfield. He moved back to Arizona where he farmed until he went into road construction some time in the late 1930's. He stayed with construction work until he retired. Joseph Thomas Place died July 17, 1970, in Cottonwood, Yavapai County, Arizona and is buried in Sheldon Cemetery, Greenlee County, Arizona. He is missed by his family and all who knew him. He was a great man.
TEXAS RANGER, COMPANY L, FABENS, EL PASO COUNTY, TEXAS
SPECIAL RANGER
Joseph Thomas Place was told he was born October 25,1887 in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona to William Atherton and Adeline Riggins Orr Place. There is no proof or documentation that Adeline was his mother. Through information from an old family friend and hints from family members, my father was sure he was born in 1884 in Nogales, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, to William Atherton and his Mexican wife, possibly named Angelita. William A. carried a picture of a young Mexican woman holding a tiny baby in her arms. He showed my father the picture many times and told him what had happened to her. Grandma Addie took the picture from his coat and burned it. Angelita was killed in an Indian attack on a stage coach somewhere near Fairbank, Arizona. His father married Adeline Riggins Orr, who was a widow with four children from Illinois and they agreed raised Joseph to think she was his mother. For the sake of legal papers, etc., Joe T. Place went by the 1887 birthdate and Addie as his mother, but he knew she was not. William Atherton farmed in Arizona and also practiced law. When William went to Mexico to contract building railroads, Joseph spent a lot of time there with his father. He hated to stay with his mother and go to school. His father was killed in Mexico in a premature blast on the job. Joseph T. and my mother, Lenita Virginia Gamble eloped and were married August 10, 1907 Solomonville, Arizona. They immediately left for Mexico where he had been working, building railroads. They had two boys, William Atherton and George Boyd, born in Mexico. When the Mexican Revolution became too dangerous, they left Mexico. Joseph went back and worked a while, but my mother never did return. Joseph T. and Lena bought a farm at Sheldon, Arizona in 1912 where another boy, Eaton Lee, was born, He died at two years old. Joseph Davis was born in 1916 and the family moved to Fabens, El Paso County, Texas. Joe T. bought some raw land and put it into cultivation. It was here that Joe T went into law enforcement. He was a deputy sheriff in Fabens, then joined the Texas Rangers as a Special Ranger in Company L, under Captain Bill Davis. Joe T. stood 5 ft. 10 inches tall, had dark brown eyes, black hair and dark complexion. With WWI and the Mexican Revolution, there was plenty to be done on the Border. Drugs and alcohol ran rampant and the Rebels were coming across the river, stealing and pillaging. Many are the stories my father told of the battles that raged with the Rebels and drug runners. It was hard to run a farm with all that was going on. The family left Texas in 1926. Joe T. and family lived for a time in New Mexico, farming near Garfield. He moved back to Arizona where he farmed until he went into road construction some time in the late 1930's. He stayed with construction work until he retired. Joseph Thomas Place died July 17, 1970, in Cottonwood, Yavapai County, Arizona and is buried in Sheldon Cemetery, Greenlee County, Arizona. He is missed by his family and all who knew him. He was a great man.
SPECIAL RANGER
Joseph Thomas Place was told he was born October 25,1887 in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona to William Atherton and Adeline Riggins Orr Place. There is no proof or documentation that Adeline was his mother. Through information from an old family friend and hints from family members, my father was sure he was born in 1884 in Nogales, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, to William Atherton and his Mexican wife, possibly named Angelita. William A. carried a picture of a young Mexican woman holding a tiny baby in her arms. He showed my father the picture many times and told him what had happened to her. Grandma Addie took the picture from his coat and burned it. Angelita was killed in an Indian attack on a stage coach somewhere near Fairbank, Arizona. His father married Adeline Riggins Orr, who was a widow with four children from Illinois and they agreed raised Joseph to think she was his mother. For the sake of legal papers, etc., Joe T. Place went by the 1887 birthdate and Addie as his mother, but he knew she was not. William Atherton farmed in Arizona and also practiced law. When William went to Mexico to contract building railroads, Joseph spent a lot of time there with his father. He hated to stay with his mother and go to school. His father was killed in Mexico in a premature blast on the job. Joseph T. and my mother, Lenita Virginia Gamble eloped and were married August 10, 1907 Solomonville, Arizona. They immediately left for Mexico where he had been working, building railroads. They had two boys, William Atherton and George Boyd, born in Mexico. When the Mexican Revolution became too dangerous, they left Mexico. Joseph went back and worked a while, but my mother never did return. Joseph T. and Lena bought a farm at Sheldon, Arizona in 1912 where another boy, Eaton Lee, was born, He died at two years old. Joseph Davis was born in 1916 and the family moved to Fabens, El Paso County, Texas. Joe T. bought some raw land and put it into cultivation. It was here that Joe T went into law enforcement. He was a deputy sheriff in Fabens, then joined the Texas Rangers as a Special Ranger in Company L, under Captain Bill Davis. Joe T. stood 5 ft. 10 inches tall, had dark brown eyes, black hair and dark complexion. With WWI and the Mexican Revolution, there was plenty to be done on the Border. Drugs and alcohol ran rampant and the Rebels were coming across the river, stealing and pillaging. Many are the stories my father told of the battles that raged with the Rebels and drug runners. It was hard to run a farm with all that was going on. The family left Texas in 1926. Joe T. and family lived for a time in New Mexico, farming near Garfield. He moved back to Arizona where he farmed until he went into road construction some time in the late 1930's. He stayed with construction work until he retired. Joseph Thomas Place died July 17, 1970, in Cottonwood, Yavapai County, Arizona and is buried in Sheldon Cemetery, Greenlee County, Arizona. He is missed by his family and all who knew him. He was a great man.
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