Babb Cemetery
Chico, Wise County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Established September 5, 1866, when Mrs. John S. Babb was killed by Comanche Indians. The party also captured a widow, Mrs. Luster (who soon escaped); as well as two of Babb's children, Dot and Bianca, who were held captive for two years before being rescued by their father. (1968)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This cemetery dates to September 1866 and the killing of Mrs. John S. Babb by Comanches, an attack that also carried off two of her children, Dot and Bianca, into a captivity that lasted two years before their father recovered them. It marks the violent frontier that North Texas remained in the years just after the Civil War, when raids and captivities were a constant fear for settling families.
Why it matters
The Babb captivity became one of the region's most retold frontier stories, a window into the wrenching collisions between settlers and the Southern Plains tribes.
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Related people
- · Dot Babb
- · Bianca Babb
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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