Advertisement

George Milas Lasater

Advertisement

George Milas Lasater

Birth
Grayson County, Texas, USA
Death
15 Nov 1898 (aged 46)
Palo Pinto County, Texas, USA
Burial
Oran, Palo Pinto County, Texas, USA GPS-Latitude: 32.9599283, Longitude: -98.1566862
Memorial ID
View Source
George Milas Lasater is the son of William L Lasater + Susan Anne (Byers) Lasater and the husband of Zou A (Donaldson) Lasater.

Obituary:
The Houston Daily Post (Houston, Texas),
Nov. 18, 1898

Mr. Lasater dies of Injuries-

Palo Pinto Texas, November 16,
Mr George M Lasater, sheriff elect, was thrown from his horse while driving cattle last Sunday, his head hitting a rock, cracking his skull and breaking his jaw bone and shoulder blade. He was unconscious until death. Which occurred at 3 o'clock yesterday.

~

The Lasater family was among the earliest to settle in Palo Pinto County, a region which has bred many of the most noted cattlemen of the State; and from that day to this its members have been actively connected with that important industry of the Southwest to which the State of Texas may be said to have given birth. William Lasater, who came with his family from Tennessee, in 1849, was a cattle raiser when the defense of his herds against Indian raids was one of his most important and incessant duties, and his sons have followed closely in his footsteps. His life is touched upon at some length in the biography of A, M. Lasater on another page of this work.
George M. Lasater was born in Grayson County, September 21, 1852, three years before his father selected a final and permanent location among the Palo Pinto hills. A younger son, his share in the hardships and labor incidental to the first years of Western life was proportionally lighter than that borne by his brothers; but long before he had grown to manhood he was brought face to face with tasks and problems that would have proven difficult for those of more mature years. His elder brothers saw active service during the war; and at his father's death, in 1865, Mr. Lasater assumed the management of the ranch and stock. At that day and time cattle growing was carried on in the primitive way, the herds being allowed to wander at will under the watchful eye of the owner and his assistants, but without any pretense of keeping them within any prescribed limits. Wire fences were unknown, and the more modern practice of "line riding" had not been so much as thought of, and the management of a stock of cattle consequently necessitated constant riding and incessant care. Particularly was this the case in a country like Palo Pinto County, whose rugged, forest-grown hills afforded innumerable hiding places for cattle thieves - white and red - and all manner of wild beasts that preyed upon the young stock.
Cattlemen then rode the range with rifles at their saddle horns, and the trophies that were earned through their skill as marksmen were sometimes more important and suggestive than the glossy pelts of wolves or mountain lions. Indian bows and the accoutrements of their owners were sometimes found ornamenting the log walls of the cowmen's ranches; and at all times the glimpse of a gaudy blanket, however distant, was quite sufficient to bring frowning rifle barrels to the front in readiness to repel an attack.
Amid such surroundings George Lasater first assumed the responsibilities of active business life, and, with the assistance of a younger brother, busied himself in gathering together his mother's scattered cattle, and placing the business of the ranch on a substantial basis. In this he was successful, and the five years prior to his marriage were eminently fruitful in results. In 1870 Mr. Lasater purchased a tract of 160 acres of choice land near Black Springs, upon which he opened a farm. That same year, December 1, he was married, his wife being a Miss Mary S. Johnston, formerly from Arkansas. She was born February 9, 1852, and died in Jack County, Texas, April 14, 1880. Five children were the fruits of this marriage, four are still living. Their names, according to date of birth, are as follows: Milas G., age 23; Milton A., age 21; W. Heslip, age 19, and William A., age 18.
For several years after his marriage Mr. Lasater was engaged in farming, cultivating his own little place, and working for wages elsewhere, but investing every available dollar in cattle. His ambition was to secure a start in the ranching business, and though he found it "up-hill" work, building from the foundation without other means than his own unassisted efforts, he persevered and eventually accomplished his end.
In 1874 Mr. Lasater bought a second tract of 320 acres, in Jack County, and the following year he bought 200 head of cattle from Curtis Brothers, and held them in Jack County for a time. He had also some cattle in Palo Pinto County, and feeling the importance of finding a more open range, where he might enjoy every possible advantage of plentiful grass and water, Mr. Lasater collected his stock, numbering in all 900 head, and moved them to King County, where he held them for two years, then selling to his brother, A. M. Lasater, for $12,000. With the money from this sale he returned to Whitt, in Parker County, where he engaged in the grocery business, and during the year that he was located at that point, made considerable money. In 1881 he purchased 320 acres of land near Oran, in Palo Pinto County, where he now lives; and has since added to his holdings from time to time, owning in all 3,200 acres, the greater portion of it located in the Keechi Valley, an exceedingly fertile belt of land, renowned through the West for its productiveness, and the abundance of timber and water. He has upon his pastures about 1,500 head of cattle, among which are some fine Durhams. He is also the owner of some excellent high bred horses, part of which are of the Steel-dust, and a part of the Rondease strains.
He has had many encounters with the Indians, on one of which occasions he lost his horse, and was compelled to walk home from a great distance. In another engagement he was hard pressed, when his brother, Green, came to the rescue, and both made their escape on the same horse.
In the year 1868, in company with about twenty cattlemen, he encountered a party of Indians, near Salt Hill, in Jack County. The cattlemen at once began to retreat, leaving S. C. Ham, who composed one of the party, on foot, to make his escape the best he could. He begged piteously not to be left behind, and Mr. Lasater, who at first commenced to run with the others, was appealed to by Mr. Ham, who said, "George, for God sake don't leave me." He mustered up all the courage at his command and remained with him, while the others fled. They kept the Indians at bay, and working themselves into cover of the timber, finally made their way to Mr. John Wood's ranch, at Salt Hill. a youth, he was with his brother Aaron, Charles Goodnight, S. C. Ham and a number of others.
He has held different county offices to which the people have called him, and he served several terms as Deputy Sheriff of Palo Pinto County. He has represented Whitt Lodge, No. 3193, K. of H., in the Grand Lodge on different occasions. He is a Master Mason, and a prominent prohibitionist in his locality, and joined the Methodist Church in August, 1889. He is very liberal in his contributions to the churches, and pays large sums, not only in supporting his own pastors, but in the support of those of other denominations. His home is the hospitable stopping place of the ministers and workers of all denominations.
Being reared upon the frontier and knowing what it was to be without the advantages of an education, Mr. Lasater determined to give his own children better opportunities than he had himself, should circumstances permit. He kept his purpose, and as a result, Milas G., Milton A., and W. Heslip are all graduates of the De Pauw University, Greencastle, Indiana. The eldest son, Milas G., is now teaching school at Archer City, Texas, in connection with a former teacher, Professor A. Bennett. Mr. Lasater is now serving as district trustee of the Parker Institute, Whitt, Texas. During the troublous time of the early seventies he served his State as frontier guard, during the years 1872 and 1873.
Mr. Lasater's second marriage was to Miss Missouri A. Donaldson, a daughter of W. D. Donaldson, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She was born at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, December 13, 1858, is a graduate of the Female Institute at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and won recognition as a thoroughly capable teacher during several years of labor as such in the common schools prior to her marriage. She is a lady whose personal and social qualities are as remarkable as her educational attainments, and her tact and care have made Mr. Lasater's home one of the pleasantest in the western counties. She is the mother of four children, three of whom are now living, as follows: May, age 13; Luke L., age 11, and George L., age 8.
George M. Lasater stands deservedly high in the estimation of his fellow-cattlemen and the citizens of his section generally, to whom his social and moral worth has been proven by many years of intimate acquaintance. Well-read and thoroughly informed on the more important subjects of the day, he is an original thinker, and draws his conclusions regardless of outside influences. Mr. Lasater is in every way a first-class man, a steadfast friend, and a reliable and conscientious citizen. (Source: Historical and Biographical Record of the Cattle Industry and the Cattlemen of Texas by James Cox, Published by Woodward & Tiernan Printing Co, St Louis, 1895
George Milas Lasater is the son of William L Lasater + Susan Anne (Byers) Lasater and the husband of Zou A (Donaldson) Lasater.

Obituary:
The Houston Daily Post (Houston, Texas),
Nov. 18, 1898

Mr. Lasater dies of Injuries-

Palo Pinto Texas, November 16,
Mr George M Lasater, sheriff elect, was thrown from his horse while driving cattle last Sunday, his head hitting a rock, cracking his skull and breaking his jaw bone and shoulder blade. He was unconscious until death. Which occurred at 3 o'clock yesterday.

~

The Lasater family was among the earliest to settle in Palo Pinto County, a region which has bred many of the most noted cattlemen of the State; and from that day to this its members have been actively connected with that important industry of the Southwest to which the State of Texas may be said to have given birth. William Lasater, who came with his family from Tennessee, in 1849, was a cattle raiser when the defense of his herds against Indian raids was one of his most important and incessant duties, and his sons have followed closely in his footsteps. His life is touched upon at some length in the biography of A, M. Lasater on another page of this work.
George M. Lasater was born in Grayson County, September 21, 1852, three years before his father selected a final and permanent location among the Palo Pinto hills. A younger son, his share in the hardships and labor incidental to the first years of Western life was proportionally lighter than that borne by his brothers; but long before he had grown to manhood he was brought face to face with tasks and problems that would have proven difficult for those of more mature years. His elder brothers saw active service during the war; and at his father's death, in 1865, Mr. Lasater assumed the management of the ranch and stock. At that day and time cattle growing was carried on in the primitive way, the herds being allowed to wander at will under the watchful eye of the owner and his assistants, but without any pretense of keeping them within any prescribed limits. Wire fences were unknown, and the more modern practice of "line riding" had not been so much as thought of, and the management of a stock of cattle consequently necessitated constant riding and incessant care. Particularly was this the case in a country like Palo Pinto County, whose rugged, forest-grown hills afforded innumerable hiding places for cattle thieves - white and red - and all manner of wild beasts that preyed upon the young stock.
Cattlemen then rode the range with rifles at their saddle horns, and the trophies that were earned through their skill as marksmen were sometimes more important and suggestive than the glossy pelts of wolves or mountain lions. Indian bows and the accoutrements of their owners were sometimes found ornamenting the log walls of the cowmen's ranches; and at all times the glimpse of a gaudy blanket, however distant, was quite sufficient to bring frowning rifle barrels to the front in readiness to repel an attack.
Amid such surroundings George Lasater first assumed the responsibilities of active business life, and, with the assistance of a younger brother, busied himself in gathering together his mother's scattered cattle, and placing the business of the ranch on a substantial basis. In this he was successful, and the five years prior to his marriage were eminently fruitful in results. In 1870 Mr. Lasater purchased a tract of 160 acres of choice land near Black Springs, upon which he opened a farm. That same year, December 1, he was married, his wife being a Miss Mary S. Johnston, formerly from Arkansas. She was born February 9, 1852, and died in Jack County, Texas, April 14, 1880. Five children were the fruits of this marriage, four are still living. Their names, according to date of birth, are as follows: Milas G., age 23; Milton A., age 21; W. Heslip, age 19, and William A., age 18.
For several years after his marriage Mr. Lasater was engaged in farming, cultivating his own little place, and working for wages elsewhere, but investing every available dollar in cattle. His ambition was to secure a start in the ranching business, and though he found it "up-hill" work, building from the foundation without other means than his own unassisted efforts, he persevered and eventually accomplished his end.
In 1874 Mr. Lasater bought a second tract of 320 acres, in Jack County, and the following year he bought 200 head of cattle from Curtis Brothers, and held them in Jack County for a time. He had also some cattle in Palo Pinto County, and feeling the importance of finding a more open range, where he might enjoy every possible advantage of plentiful grass and water, Mr. Lasater collected his stock, numbering in all 900 head, and moved them to King County, where he held them for two years, then selling to his brother, A. M. Lasater, for $12,000. With the money from this sale he returned to Whitt, in Parker County, where he engaged in the grocery business, and during the year that he was located at that point, made considerable money. In 1881 he purchased 320 acres of land near Oran, in Palo Pinto County, where he now lives; and has since added to his holdings from time to time, owning in all 3,200 acres, the greater portion of it located in the Keechi Valley, an exceedingly fertile belt of land, renowned through the West for its productiveness, and the abundance of timber and water. He has upon his pastures about 1,500 head of cattle, among which are some fine Durhams. He is also the owner of some excellent high bred horses, part of which are of the Steel-dust, and a part of the Rondease strains.
He has had many encounters with the Indians, on one of which occasions he lost his horse, and was compelled to walk home from a great distance. In another engagement he was hard pressed, when his brother, Green, came to the rescue, and both made their escape on the same horse.
In the year 1868, in company with about twenty cattlemen, he encountered a party of Indians, near Salt Hill, in Jack County. The cattlemen at once began to retreat, leaving S. C. Ham, who composed one of the party, on foot, to make his escape the best he could. He begged piteously not to be left behind, and Mr. Lasater, who at first commenced to run with the others, was appealed to by Mr. Ham, who said, "George, for God sake don't leave me." He mustered up all the courage at his command and remained with him, while the others fled. They kept the Indians at bay, and working themselves into cover of the timber, finally made their way to Mr. John Wood's ranch, at Salt Hill. a youth, he was with his brother Aaron, Charles Goodnight, S. C. Ham and a number of others.
He has held different county offices to which the people have called him, and he served several terms as Deputy Sheriff of Palo Pinto County. He has represented Whitt Lodge, No. 3193, K. of H., in the Grand Lodge on different occasions. He is a Master Mason, and a prominent prohibitionist in his locality, and joined the Methodist Church in August, 1889. He is very liberal in his contributions to the churches, and pays large sums, not only in supporting his own pastors, but in the support of those of other denominations. His home is the hospitable stopping place of the ministers and workers of all denominations.
Being reared upon the frontier and knowing what it was to be without the advantages of an education, Mr. Lasater determined to give his own children better opportunities than he had himself, should circumstances permit. He kept his purpose, and as a result, Milas G., Milton A., and W. Heslip are all graduates of the De Pauw University, Greencastle, Indiana. The eldest son, Milas G., is now teaching school at Archer City, Texas, in connection with a former teacher, Professor A. Bennett. Mr. Lasater is now serving as district trustee of the Parker Institute, Whitt, Texas. During the troublous time of the early seventies he served his State as frontier guard, during the years 1872 and 1873.
Mr. Lasater's second marriage was to Miss Missouri A. Donaldson, a daughter of W. D. Donaldson, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She was born at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, December 13, 1858, is a graduate of the Female Institute at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and won recognition as a thoroughly capable teacher during several years of labor as such in the common schools prior to her marriage. She is a lady whose personal and social qualities are as remarkable as her educational attainments, and her tact and care have made Mr. Lasater's home one of the pleasantest in the western counties. She is the mother of four children, three of whom are now living, as follows: May, age 13; Luke L., age 11, and George L., age 8.
George M. Lasater stands deservedly high in the estimation of his fellow-cattlemen and the citizens of his section generally, to whom his social and moral worth has been proven by many years of intimate acquaintance. Well-read and thoroughly informed on the more important subjects of the day, he is an original thinker, and draws his conclusions regardless of outside influences. Mr. Lasater is in every way a first-class man, a steadfast friend, and a reliable and conscientious citizen. (Source: Historical and Biographical Record of the Cattle Industry and the Cattlemen of Texas by James Cox, Published by Woodward & Tiernan Printing Co, St Louis, 1895

Inscription

Inscription:
Geo. M. Lasater
. . . Born
Sept. 21, 1852
. . . Died
Nov. 15, 1898



Advertisement