Emanuel Dubbs
Mobeetie, Wheeler County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(1843 - 1929) First county judge in Texas Panhandle and in Wheeler County, Dubbs was born in Ohio. Came to know Texas as a buffalo hunter, and was in famous Indian Battle of Adobe Walls, 1874. Gained wide respect when, as judge, he had a lawless U.S. marshal arrested. He served 1879-1880; 1885-1890. (1968)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Ohio-born Emanuel Dubbs (1843–1929) first came to know Texas as a buffalo hunter and fought in the famous 1874 Battle of Adobe Walls between hunters and Plains Indian warriors. He went on to become the first county judge in the Texas Panhandle and in Wheeler County, earning wide respect when he had a lawless U.S. marshal arrested. Serving on the bench in 1879–80 and 1885–90, he helped establish the rule of law in a region barely emerged from the frontier.
Why it matters
Dubbs's path from buffalo hunter to judge mirrors the Panhandle's own swift passage from open-range frontier to organized, law-governed counties.
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Related people
- · Emanuel Dubbs
Related events
- · Battle of Adobe Walls
Themes & tags
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