Boys Ranch of Copperas Cove
Kempner, Bell County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Between 1934 and 1949, more than a hundred boys escaped the harsh realities of the Great Depression at the Boys Ranch at this site. They came from everywhere; many were orphans, while others were from broken homes or the juvenile courts. They were considered society’s “lost boys.” Despite discouragement, Roy and Viola Dawson pursued their dream to establish a sanctuary where the Great Depression’s child victims could salvage their childhoods and learn to be productive citizens. In 1934, the state of Texas chartered the Society for Friendless Children. The name was soon changed to the Boys Ranch of Copperas Cove. The Dawsons and their supporters built the first structures on the ranch themselves, stone by stone. Roy was surrogate father and ranch manager, while Viola traveled the state fundraising. Each boy completed chores that were essential to a working ranch: they tended livestock, operated a dairy, and cultivated gardens and orchards. The ranch also had its own grist mill, making it largely self-sufficient. The boys received new clothes and shoes, could attend school and church, and receive medical care. In a bittersweet turn of events, the Dawsons gave up control of the ranch to the well-funded, well-connected and sympathetic Variety Club. Supported by Hollywood celebrities, the club increased the ranch’s treasury and properties. The Variety Club brought celebrities such as Myrna Loy, Gene Autry and Audie Murphy to lift the spirits of the boys. Thanks to the Dawsons and the Variety Club, many boys, once predicted to become burdens to society, instead became contributing members. (2017)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Between 1934 and 1949, more than a hundred boys — orphans and children of broken homes and juvenile courts — found refuge at this ranch, founded by Roy and Viola Dawson as a sanctuary for the Great Depression's 'lost boys.' The boys worked a self-sufficient ranch with its own dairy, gardens, and grist mill while attending school and church, and the operation later drew Hollywood support through the Variety Club.
Why it matters
The ranch stands as a testament to Depression-era compassion, showing how ordinary people built institutions to rescue the children the economic collapse left behind.
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Related people
- · Roy Dawson
- · Viola Dawson
Related events
- · Great Depression
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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