W. H. Brown
Ballinger, Runnels County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Born in Georgia. With his parents came to Texas 1857. He and a brother, John, were Texas Rangers -- W. H. ("Billy") serving June-December 1874. Billy Brown was the last man killed by Indians in Runnels County, in a fight to regain stolen horses.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born in Georgia, W. H. "Billy" Brown came to Texas with his parents in 1857 and, like his brother John, rode as a Texas Ranger, serving through the second half of 1874. The frontier era he policed was closing violently: Brown was killed while trying to recover horses stolen in a raid, becoming the last man slain by Indians in Runnels County. His death marked the end of open frontier conflict in that corner of West Texas.
Why it matters
Brown's story marks the closing of the Indian-fighting frontier in Central Texas, one man's death standing for the hard, contested transition from open range to settled farmland.
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Related people
- · W. H. "Billy" Brown
- · John Brown
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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