Lindsay Ranch Guesthouses
460 Lindsay Ranch Road
Mason, TX 76856-3808
United States
alt: 325.347.4052 (cell)
DHL4668
John W. Gamel was Clay's maternal grandfather.
Hugh Joseph Allen, his great-great-great paternal grandfather.
JOHN W. GAMEL is one of the old time cattlemen of Central and Western Texas, and he is noted throughout the entire state as one of the best judges of cattle.
He was born in Georgia in 1845, but in 1847 was brought by his parents to Texas, the family locating in Limestone county, later moving from there to Llano county, and in 1860 they came to Mason county and they were among the first to establish their home here.
William Gamel, the father of John W., was a brave man, a typical frontiersman, and he took a prominent part with those intrepid spirits who withstood the untold hardships to subdue the wilderness and pave the way for the conveniences afforded the present residents of the Lone Star state.
William Gamel died in the year of 1900. The greatest source of danger and hardship in those early years were from the Indians and their disastrous raids, and the Gamel family suffered greatly....particularly so in the loss of their horses.
John W. Gamel was early inured to the hardships of pioneer life He began working cattle at an early age, and he continued on as a cattleman throughout all of his active life, only retiring from the vocation within the past few years.
With his brother, J. G. Gamel, he operated some large outfits in the days of the open range. His home has been principally in the town of Mason since 1865, and at that time it contained one store and four or five small picket houses.
His present home is an attractive residence located in the eastern part of the town, near the site of old Fort Mason.
Mr. Gamel was in the Confederate service from about the beginning of the war until January of 1856, joining first the famous First Texas Cavalry, a part of the command of General Ben McCulloch. Mr. Gamel was stationed at Fort Chadbourne under Captain Bill Tobin of San Antonio.
He was mustered out of that organization at Fredericksburg in 1862 and then joined the Thirty-third Texas Cavalry under Major Duffy. He was in service at Brownsville, Indianola and other points in Texas, and he took part in one of the expeditions into Indian Territory.
Mr. Gamel married first Kate Crosby, and she bacame the mother of three children, J. A. (John Arch), J. C. James Crosby), and Walter who died in infancy.
He married his second wife, Miss Alice Kettner, and she is the mother of four children, Effie, Nellie, Herbert and Jessie.
Source: History of Central and Western Texas. B. B. Paddock, ed. Lewis Publishing Co. Chicago, 1911. Vol. 1, pp. 449-450.
Update: Jesse Persnall Gamel, John and Alice Gamel's youngest daughter, married John Alva Lindsay. Jesse and John had five children. Jack, Effie, Alva Clay, Doris and Peggy.
Deloris Haley Lindsay is the current owner and lives on the Historic Lindsay Ranch which was founded in 1858.
INFORMATION ABOUT HUGH JOSEPH ALLEN, Sr.
Hugh Joseph Allen, Sr. was one of the original Texas Rangers. He served from Dec. 5, 1838 - Mar. 6, 1839 under Capt. W. B. Stout, 1st Regiment Red River. He is considered one of the earliest official Rangers which were founded in 1835. There aren't many official records of the early Rangers but he is on their roll.
Mr. Allen's daughter, Mahayla, married Thomas S. Milligan, the first sheriff of Mason County who was killed by Indians.
Their daughter, Matilda, married John Allen Lindsay, they were Clay's great grandparents.
The following letter from Hugh Allen to Governor Runnels will give you a glimpse of what life was like on the Texas frontier.
TAKEN FROM TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS 1846-1859, pgs. 308-309-310
No 203 LETTER FROM HUGH ALLEN TO Hdated NOV. 21, 1858
SAN SABA RIVER BELKNAP CROSSING 18 MILES NORTH OF FT. MASON, TEXAS
GOV RUNNELS MY DEAR SIR
I WISH TO INFORM YOU THE CONDITION THAT I AM PLAICED (PLACED) IN ON THE ACCOUNT OF NO PROTECTION NOR SECURITY OF LIFE OR PROPERTY. I HAVE LIVED 20 YEARSE ON THE FRONTEERS OF TEXAS AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I EVER MARKED PAPER ON THE ACCOUNT OF INDIANS DEPREDATION, BUT THO TROUBLED OFTEN BY THEM LAST MARCH THE 27 AT LATE DUSK MY SONE WAS SHOT WITH AN ARROW SLIGHTY IN ONE MILE OF MY HOUSE THAT KNIGHT AT 12oc
I REPORTED TO MAJOR THOMAS COMMANDER AT FT. MASON REQUESTED MEN TO BE AT MY HOUSE BY SUNRIZE NEXT MORNING HTE DISTANCE OF 18 MILES AT 12oc SARGENT NcNELTY CAME WITH 10 MEN WENT TO THE SAN SABA RIVER IN 400 YARDS IOF THE PLACE THE DEPRECATION WAS COMMITTED THEARE THEY FISHED AND WALLOWED ABOUT INTIL PAST 2oc
THEN THEY WENT TO THE PLAICE THARE WE FOUND THREE ARROWS SHOT INTO A LOG MOCKESON TRACKS AND HORSE TRACKS THEY THEN FOLLOWED THE TRAIL ABOUT 2 MILES AND RETURNED BACK AND THERE CAME A RAIN THEY THEN RETURNED TO FT. MASON AND I UNDERSTAND REPORTED THEY FOLLOWED THE TRAIL 15 MILES AND THE RAIN DESTROYED THE TRAIL THAT WAS PARTE OF G. COMPANY 2CAY
AND ON THE 27 OF
OCT LAST THE INDIANS CAME AND STOLE THE LAST HORSE WE HAD AND KILLED WHAT BEEF THEY WANTED AND DROVE OFF THE NEXT MORNING I SENT MY SONE TO FT. MASON LIEUTENANT SHAFFER OF B COMP WAS IN COMMAND HE SAID TO MY SONE THAT IT WAS NOT THE INDIANS IT WAS WHITE MEN SO RECEIVED NO HELP THREE DAYS AFTERWARDS A GOVERNMENT TRAIN COMING FROM FT. CHADBOURNE CAME WITH WHITE BLANKETS LIKE THE RESERVE INDIANS GETS OF GOVERNMENT
THE REASON THE CITISONS DO NOT CALL ON THE MILITARY FORCES WHEN THEY CALL THEY ARE HERD AND HERD NO GOOD IS DONE THE REPORT OF MANY TO THE WAR DEPARTMENT TTHAT IT IS WHITE MEN HAS COST MANEY A WOMAN AND CHILDS LIFE AND NOW THE WOODSARE FULL OF INDIANS SINE IN ONE MILE OF MY HOUSE I DARE NOT TO LEAVE MY HOUSE TO DO ONE MILE ON ANEY BUSINESS FOR FEAR MY FAMILELY IS MURDERED BEFORE I CAN GET BACK
I PAY MY TAXES AS OTHER CITISONS FOR PROTECTION AND HAS GAILED TO GET IT NOW MY DESR SIRL CALL ON YOU FOR SOME PROTECTION IN SOME WAY THE IDEY OF WAITING INTIL WE SEE WHAT EFECT THIS LARGECAMPEIGN WILL HAVE I THINK EVER SINCE VAN DORN ROUTED THEM AND DISMOUNTED SO MANEY THEY HAVE BIN DOWN TO GET MORE HORSES AND I THINK HE WILL DRIVE THEM DOWN ON US SO NO MORE AT PRESENT BUT TEMAINS
YOURS, ETC HUGH ALLEN SEN ENDORSED HUGH ALLEN NOVR 21
IN APRIL 1859 HUGH MOVED HIS FAMILY BACK TO CIBILO CREEK. HE HAD PREVIOUSLY SOLD THAT PROPERTY TO WM TURNER, HUSBAND OF HUGS DAUGHTER MARTHA ANN. HE AND WM TURNER TRADED THE CIBILO CREEK FOR THE KETEMCY CREEK PROPERTY. WM TURNER MOVED HIS FAMILY ONTO THE KETEMCY PROPERTY SOMETIME AFTER OCT. 12, 1860 WHEN HE PURCHASED IT FROM HUGH ALLEN. MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT THAT PROPERTY IN THE HANDBOOK OF McCULLOCH COUNTY HISTORY, VOLUME 1 AND PUBLISHED BY: PIONEER BOOK PUBLISHERS. THE ORIGINAL STONE FLOOR OF HUGH'S CABIN CAN STILL BE SEEN TODAY. THE PROPERTY IS NOW CALLED WAU-BAN-SEE. THE ORIGINAL BUILDING BUILT BY WM TURNER IS STILL THERE TODAY AND WAS A HISTORICAL SITE UNTIL CLOSED BY THE PRESENT OWNERS.
Added by JKallman 20 May 2010:
The spring located at this ranch house was a long ago meeting place for Indians.
The name, Wau-Ban-See, is an Indian name meaning "Earth Mirrored in the Water."
Copyright 2009 Lindsay Ranch Guesthouses. All rights reserved.
Lindsay Ranch Guesthouses
460 Lindsay Ranch Road
Mason, TX 76856-3808
United States
alt: 325.347.4052 (cell)
DHL4668