The Pioneer Coalsons
Barksdale, Edwards County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(Cedar Creek Ranch and graves about 9 miles WNW) Indians attacked goat camp of Nick Coalson on June 1, 1877; son Arthur, 10, was killed; Johnny, 14, wounded. Coalson escaped after 3 hours of hard fighting. One year later he lost his wife Alice, a daughter Etta Elizabeth (twin of Arthur), and infant stepson in another Indian raid. Captains Pat Dolan and Dan Roberts with Texas Ranger units, S.D. Coalson (Nick's son), U.S. Army scout Jim Hill, Jim and John Welch, and Henry and Sam Wells pursued but failed to find the Indians. The victims' graves are near old homesite, on Half-Moon Prairie. Coalson descendants are prominent in Texas history. (1972)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
This marker recalls the Coalson family's hard years on the Edwards Plateau frontier. Native raiders attacked Nick Coalson's goat camp in June 1877, killing ten-year-old Arthur and wounding his brother, and a year later a second raid claimed his wife Alice, a daughter, and an infant stepson — losses that Texas Rangers under Captains Dolan and Roberts pursued but could not avenge.
Why it matters
The Coalsons' ordeal captures the brutal cost of settling the West Texas frontier during the last years of the Indian wars, when ranching families lived under constant threat.
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Related people
- · Nick Coalson
- · Pat Dolan
- · Dan Roberts
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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