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Grandmother Wheeler, Esther Murray, arrived on the Caprock in 1886 at the age of four. Her father, John Watts Murray had learned printing in Dallas and had established a newspaper in Hardeman County near Quanah. The people in Hardeman County were debating the location of the county seat. J.W. figured his town would lose and decided to move his newspaper business elsewhere.
He read an ad in a newspaper about a Quaker Colony at Estacado up on the plains who needed a newspaper.
He and his ten year old son Hal peddled 130 miles to Estacado on velocipedes to check out the possibilities of moving his paper to Estacado. He decided to make the move.
So he came back to Hardeman County and moved his family in two covered wagons. They spent their final night before arriving at Estacado at the Hank Smith home where grandmother, Esther met the young who was to become her sister-in-law.
The Murrays, J.W. and his wife Rebecca, set up their printing press in their two room home and started printing he Crosby County News, the first newspaper on the plains.
J.W. collected the news and wrote the articles and Rebecca set type.
The Quakers, because of the climate, did not like Estacado and began moving away.
In 1890 J.W. moved the paper to Emma and published the Crosby County News until he sold it in 1907 after 17 years.
The newspaper became the Crosbyton Review in 1911.
Rufus Marshall Wheeler, Marsh as grandmother called him, came to Crosby County in 1891 with his parents John Henry and Amanda Wheeler.
They Settled on four sections of land near Caprock. Marsh went into a partnership with Canadian, A.J. McKay to buy four and a half sections of land just west of his parents land. He used the money he had by selling a $1 per acre claim ranch he had bought earlier.
In 1902, McKay decided to end his partnership and return to Canada. Mr. McKay took one section of improved land and left Marsh with three and a half sections of pasture land.
In 1899, Esther was in school at Emma. It was the only school in the county. Esther's teacher gave an "Apron Hemming Party" and invited young people for miles around. The girls would make an apron, but not hem it. All the girls names were placed in a hat and the boys would draw from the hat. The girl would then help the boy who drew her name hem her apron. Marsh Wheeler drew Esther Murray's name from the hat. Esther was 17 years old and Marsh was 24. Two years later they were married.
They set up home in a half-dugout just south of the homeplace which is located south of Robertson. the dugout was 18' x 20' and lined with rocks from a nearby stream bed. Marsh traveled to Colorado City to buy the lumber needed for the windows, door, and roof. The floor was covered with a layer of straw and then topped with a heavy tarpaulin. They had a view of the stream, a waterfall, and the caprock from the windows. Esther grew a garden nearby.
While Esther and Marsh lived in the dugout, Grace and Rex were born.
After Rex was born, they decided to move their home up on the caprock where Marsh had drilled a windmill. They hauled the roof of the dugout up on the caprock by using two wagons tied together. They placed the roof on the wooden walls constructed for the new house. Additions were added to the small house as the family grew. A large eleven room, two story house was built in 1914. The railroad arrived in Crosbyton in 1911 making lumber readily available. During the years to come Horace, Lola, Ruth, Ralph, Jessie, Certis, and Marcia were born.
In 1913 Marsh purchased his first automobile. Roads were made around the holdings by pulling heavy weighted fence posts on a fixed frame with a team of horses.
The nearest school to Marsh and Esther's house was 20 miles away in Emma. Tom Morrison, W.M. Robertson, and Marsh built a one room school at a point established between the three families in 1907. The school was built two miles south of present day Robertson. The first teacher was Kate Reagan. By 1914 the school had become too small and a new one was constructed at present day Robertson. It was built by the Westerman Brothers.
All nine Wheeler children went to Robertson School. Marsh served as Trustee for many years. Eight of the nine Wheeler children went on to college, four earned degrees.
In 1909 a circuit rider from the Methodist Church learned of the little school and began to hold services there. Marsh and Esther attended church there every time they opened the door.
In 1914 when the new school building was built at Robertson it also served as a church for both Methodist and Baptist denominations. The People in the community attended which ever service was held that day. In 1924 a new brick school building was built at Robertson. The Methodist bought the old school and used the lumber to construct the Robertson Methodist Church. Marsh was a member of the Board of Stewards almost continually until death.
The Wheeler children all worked on the farm or ranch. In the fields they hoed, bundled and shocked cattle and horse feed, fathered corn, headed maize and worked and fed the stock, the older boys had to handle the teams during plow season.
Around the house there was always cleaning, clothes to be washed and ironed, young children to be cared for, food to be prepared, gardening, canning meats, fruits, and vegetables, chickens and turkeys to be cared for, eggs to be gathered, and cows to be milked. Often people hired on the place had to bed and boarded.
The Wheeler Family, like most pioneer families, did what it took to make this world a better place.
Of all the Wheeler children and their spouses only Ottie Wheeler and Marcia Lockwood are still living.
After the death of her mother and sister, Ruth Adams, Marcia Lockwood decided to donate the six large boxes that her family had saved over the years filled with her family history to the Pioneer Memorial Museum.
After working in historical preservation with others in the county since 1979, Marcia and her family thought the museum would make this material available and use its skills to preserve it.
Robert Lockwood's story.The Crosbyton Review, Friday, Dec. 12, 2003.
Funeral services for R. Marsh Wheeler, 72, of Roberson community, Crosby County resident since 1891 were held at 2:30 yesterday in the Robertson Methodist church. Rev. Jesse Young, pastor, officiated with the assistance of Rev. J.W. Watson of Crosbyton.
Mr. Wheeler died of a heart ailment at 7:30 o'clock Tuesday night in Lubbock Memorial hospital where he had been a patient for the past two weeks.
Mr. Wheeler was born Jan. 22, 1875, at Handley, Tarrant County, Tex. He moved to Crosby County with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Wheeler. His parents, two brothers, John and Ernest, and sister, Cordie, preceded him in death.
He was married at Old Emma, Nov. 21, 1901 to Esther Murray, daughter of Judge and Mrs. J.W. Murray.
Murray founded the first newspaper in Crosby County nearly 60 years ago.
Mr. Wheeler served 24 years as county commissioner of Crosby County. He had been a steward in the Robertson Methodist church since it was organized. He was vice president of the Lorenzo State bank and president of the Robertson school board.
Survivors include his widow, four sons, Horace of Southland, Rex of Crosbyton, Ralph of Ralls, Curtis of Lorenzo; four daughters, Mrs. Wilmer Smith of New Home, Mrs. R.L. Marks, Mrs. M.C. Aycock and Mrs. W.O. Lockwood, all of Lorenzo; 15 grandchildren and six nieces and nephews, three of whom live in Ralls-Roy, J.A., and Joseph Wheeler. A daughter Grace, preceded him in death.
Mrs. Wheeler's brother, Don Murray of Houston, was among relatives here at the time of Mr. Wheeler's death.
Burial was in Ralls cemetery, under direction of Marr funeral home.
Active pallbearers were: Fred Weise, Tom Lockwood, O.R. Howard, R.F. Cook, Roy Terrell and C.E. Westerman.
Honorary pallbearers were: Murphy Chapman, M.F. Hancock, Jack Kirksey, G.W. Parchman sr., A.J. Hendon, W.O. Martin, Fred Delmar Parish, Irl Robertson, C.R. Westerman, Bryant Robertson, Arthur Davies, Fred Robertson and B.F. Hicks.
Crosby County News, Friday, February 21, 1947
submitted and transcribed by Connie MounseyCounty Mourns Passing of Marsh Wheeler Tues.
Pioneer Civic, Church Leader Had Lived In Area Past 56 Years
Lorenzo joins Robertson and Crosby County today in mourning the passing of one of its greatest citizens of all time, R. M. (Marsh) Wheeler.Mr. Wheeler died at 7:30 Tuesday night at the Lubbock Memorial Hospital following an illness of several weeks durations. He was 72.
Known far and wide all over the South Plains and West Texas, Marsh Wheeler first came to Crosby County in 1891 with his parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wheeler. They came here from Knox County. Establishing a home about four miles south of where Robertson is now located, he lived there the past 56 years. At the time of his death he owned several sections of land in that vicinity and was known as the "Father of Robertson," its Methodist church and its fine school system. He also was one of the organizers of the Lorenzo State Bank of which he was inactive vice-president at death. The bank was to close at noon Thursday for the funeral on Thursday afternoon, at 2:30, at the Robertson Methodist church where Rev. Jesse Young, pastor, was to be assisted in the service by J.W. Watson of Crosbyton. Burial was to be in the Ralls cemetery.
Mr. Wheeler also served a total of 24 years as county commissioner of his precinct. He has been hailed by everyone as the very best the county ever had.
Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Wheeler, four sons, Horace of Southland, Rex of Crosbyton, Ralph of Ralls, Curtis of Robertson; four daughters, Mrs. W. Smith of New Home, Mrs. R. L. Marks, Mrs. M. C. Aycock and Mrs. W. O. Lockwood, all of Robertson. A sister, Mrs. J. E. Wayne of Cuero, also survives as well as six nephews and nieces, among them being Ray, J. A. and Miss Josephine Wheeler, who live at Caprock.
Funeral arrangements were in charge of the Marr Funeral Home of Ralls, with the following as active pall-bearers: Fred Wiese, R. F. Cook, Tom Lockwood, C. E. Westerman, O. R. Howard and Roy J. Terrell. Honorary pall-bearers include: M. F. Hancock, Murphy Chapman, G. W. Parchman, Sr., Jack Kirksey, A. J. Hendon, W. O. Martin, Fred Schlueter, Delmer Parrish, Irl Robertson, C. R. Westerman, Bryant Robertson of Abilene, Arthur Davies of Lubbock, Fred Robertson of Crosbyton and Ben F. Hicks of Lubbock.
One of the greatest compliments that could be paid Mr. Marsh Wheeler as a citizen was this statement, heard here this week: "He devoted 90 percent of his time to his business and the other 10 percent letting the other fellow run his own affairs."
He was a man devoted to his family, his church and his community.
Published in Lorenzo Tribune, Friday, February 21, 1947
submitted and transcribed by Connie Bryant Mounsey
Esther Rebecca Wheeler, a Crosby County pioneer who was a daughter of early-day newspaper publisher, was claimed by death at 3:15 a.m. last Thursday in Methodist Hospital following a lengthy illness.
Mrs. Wheeler was 99. She had been a Crosby County resident for 64 years before moving to Lubbock in 1950.
Memorial services were conducted at 4 p.m. Friday in First United Methodist Church of Lorenzo. The Rev. Jerry Klaverweiden, pastor, and Dr. William R. Fleming, district superintendent of Lubbock, officiated.
Burial was made in Ralls Cemetery, under direction of Carter-Adams Funeral Home of Ralls.
Born Dec. 20, 1882 in Buffalo Gap, the former Esther Rebecca Murray was four years old when her brown eyes peeked out from a covered wagon as it topped the caprock of West Texas. She saw a flat expanse covered with tall grass, but not a tree.
Upon viewing her new home, Esther Murray, felt that she was "up high" on top of a strange, round world.
The family settled in the Quaker Colony of Estacado in Crosby County.
Her lawyer father, John Watts Murray, formerly served as county judge in Taylor County. He established the South Plains' first newspaper, "The Crosby County News," at Estacado. His wife had been a teacher.
After the Quakers left the colony Murray moved to Emma.
Esther Rebecca Murray was married to R.M. (Marsh) Wheeler on Nov. 20, 1901 in Emma. The family remembers that "since she had grown up in the busy atmosphere of a newspaper office, she was eager to move to a quiet home in the canyon near a waterfall."
According to the Crosby County history book, "Esther learned to appreciate Marsh's ingenuity and frugality when he began building their half dugout home. With little help, he cut a room 18 by 20 feet into the canyon wall and lined it with rocks from the river bed a short distance away. Then he went to Colorado City of buy lumber for two windows, a door and a 45 degree angle roof for the large room.
Wheeler later moved their residence "up the caprock to the windmill site." The converted half dugout still stands today.
As their family grew, the couple had an 11 room, two story house built in 1914. The Wheelers and neighbors were responsible for the Robertson school being founded.
Marsh Wheeler was a director in the Lorenzo State Bank and was vice president at the time of his death, Feb. 18, 1947.
Mrs. Wheeler continued to make her home at the ranch until 1950 when she moved to Lubbock.
She is survived by four sons, Rex Wheeler of Crosbyton, Horace Wheeler of Slaton, Ralph Wheeler of Edmundson and Curtis Wheeler of Lorenzo; four daughters, Mrs. Wilmer (Lola) Smith of New Home, Mrs. J.W. (Ruth) Adams of Ralls, Mrs. Marvin (Jessie) Aycock and Mrs. W.O. (Marcia) Lockwood, both of Lorenzo; 18 grandchildren; and 13 grandchildren.
Another daughter, Esther Grace preceded her mother in death in 1945.
Published in Crosbyton Review, April 29, 1982
Record provided by Crosby County Pioneer Memorial Museum
transcribed by Linda Fox Hughes
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