J. J. Pierce
Crosbyton, Crosby County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Born at Blum, Texas. Became Sheriff of Crosby County in January 1947. Was killed in line of duty while arresting a bootlegger at Ralls, Texas. Dedicated to enforcement of law--a man of quiet courage and fearless character. Father of eight children. Recorded - 1967
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born at Blum, Texas, J.J. Pierce became sheriff of Crosby County in January 1947 and was killed later that year in the line of duty while arresting a bootlegger at Ralls. A father of eight, he was remembered as a man of quiet courage and fearless character, and his marker was recorded in 1967.
Why it matters
Pierce's story reflects the enduring, sometimes deadly work of rural law enforcement on the Texas plains, where a lone sheriff's authority carried the weight of frontier tradition well into the modern era.
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Related people
- · J. J. Pierce
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Lamar Family
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In 1892 young William Percy Lamar came with his parents from Tarrant County to a 160-acre homestead in Crosby County, and after marrying Sarah Elzina Henson in 1912 the couple prospered through farming, dairying, stock raising, and business. In 1957 Elzina established the Percy and Zina Lamar Foundation, whose gifts built and sustained the county's pioneer museum and community center along with a Masonic hall and Methodist charities. The marker stands as a tribute to the family and to all West Texas pioneers.
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Crosbyton Cemetery
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Established in 1909, this cemetery was carved from a 90,000-acre spread run by the C. B. Livestock Company on the Texas South Plains. Part-owner Julian Bassett, who also donated the Crosbyton townsite, gave the land when a ranch cowboy named James Boggs was thought to be dying—though the first actual burial was that of 18-month-old Willie Oliver. Bassett and many other early settlers now rest among the graves.
Crosby County
Crosbyton, TX
Crosby County was created in 1876 from the Young and Bexar territories and organized a decade later in 1886, taking its name from Stephen Crosby, a Commissioner of the General Land Office who came to Texas in 1845. Its county seat migrated across the plains from Estacado in 1886 to Emma in 1890 before settling in Crosbyton in 1911. The shifting seat traces the slow settlement of the West Texas high plains.