James Britton Bailey

Brit Bailey, a descendant of Robert Bruce, King of Scotland. He was born in North Carolina, then moved to Kentucky then to Tennessee and finally to Tejas in 1818.

Brit had six children with his first wife who died in childbirth. By 1818, his wife’s sister was Brit’s choice as a second wife.

In 1818, with 5 children and wife, enough belongings to survive were packed into 4 covered wagons and they started west to New Orleans .

Upon arrival in New Orleans, they caught a ship to Galveston, after a brief stay, preceded to Anuack. Brit deposited his family and with his oldest son rode into what would become Brazoria County .

Finding the high ridge on the east side of the Brazos , Brit bought but did not receive a receipt for 4,587 acres of land extending from Brazoria to East Columbia. He then returned and moved his family to what is now know as Bailey’s Prairie.

But, then built a log cabin and began to establish his cattle and cotton empire. He was a good neighbor to the Indians of the area and was known as Big Chief. When other settlers were being raided by Indians, Brit was never bothered. In later years, Stephen F. Austin used Brit’s influence with the Indians to prevent trouble.

In 1821 when, Austin arrived and was granted land by the Mexican Government, Brit ‘s land was included in his grant. When Austin confronted Bailey to tell him to leave, he was met by Brit with a shotgun and Austin decided that discretion was the better part of glory and beat a nasty retreat.

The Bailey-Austin relationship was never overly - friendly but they did tolerate each other.

Brit was a large man 6 foot or more and was the personification of the frontiersman. He worked hard, expanded his holdings from purchases over time and was very successful.

His favorite daughter, Mary, married Joseph Henry Polley, who Brit was very found of and who became the second richest man in the State of Texas. He worked his way from an emigrant without a tub to bath in or a window to toss it out of.

Brit was a man’s man, who loved to work, drink and fight. Many times when his path crossed a stranger in the prairie he would stop him, challenge him to a fight, and fight until he was tired, then declare the fight finished and go on his way.

On one occasion, when his wife was away and he had drinking too much, a Methodist preacher came to his door and ask for overnight lodging. Brit said “Sure, come in, make yourself feel at home, but you will have to abide by the rules of the house.” After filling his guest with good food he informed the preacher that he must, at gunpoint, remove all his clothes and stand at the table, at which he had to dance a jig to the tune of a violin as the shots from a six gun were being fired near his feet. After about 30 minutes of dancing, both individuals tired of the game and the preacher was allowed to stop and dress. Some minutes later, Brit fell asleep and the preacher stole his gun, woke him up and reversed the process. When Brit’s dance was done, Brit was elated that the preacher had the fortitude to strike back, and the two men became life long friends. Brit personified the type of person who was fully capable to settle the new frontier. A strong man who was in control of every situation.

In December of 1832, Brit became ill with a fever and requested “Bury me standing, facing west, with my gun by my side. All my life I have been traveling westward, and I have never looked up to any man, so I do not want it said ‘Here lies ole Brit Bailey’, but Here Stand Brit Bailey. When I awake I wish to be facing west and forward I will march into the great beyond”. Brit ask his personal man to put a whiskey jug in the coffin, but Dot, his wife would have none of it and threw the jug out the window.

After his death an eerie light has been seen in Bailey’s Prairie and some say that it was Brit searching for his jug, but the men who knew him best, say that Brit is looking for the man who failed to follow his instructions.

A real man – Brit Bailey. 

1 Aug 1779 - 6 Dec 1832

 

James A. Baker, III

James A. Baker, III, became the 67th Secretary of Treasury in 1985. Prior to this, Secretary Baker had been appointed by President Reagan as White House Chief of Staff, a position which he occupied from January 1981 through January 1985. While at the White House, he was a member of the National Security Council. He was also Chairman of the President's Economic Policy Council.

In 1980, Baker served as Senior Advisor to the Reagan/Bush general election campaign. From January 1979 to May 1980, he was the Chairman of Vice President Bush's campaign for the 1980 Republican Presidential nomination.

In August 1975, Mr. Baker was appointed by President Ford to be Under Secretary of Commerce. He joined President Ford's presidential campaign in May 1976, as Deputy Chairman for Delegate Operations and in August became National Chairman of the President Ford Committee.

Mr. Baker graduated from Princeton University in 1952. After two years of active duty as a Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, he entered the University of Texas School of Law at Austin. He received his J.D. with honors in 1957.

A member of the American, Texas, and Houston Bar Associations, the American Judicature Society, and the Phi Delta Phi honorary legal fraternity, Secretary Baker also served on the Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars at the Smithsonian Institution. He has served on the governing bodies of the Texas Children's Hospital and the M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute.

Baker was the recipient of the Jefferson Award for distinguished public service from the American Institute for Public Service, an award for Distinguished Public Service from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and the Woodrow Wilson Award for distinguished achievement in the nation's service from Princeton University. Secretary Baker was selected in 1986 as a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Texas. He also received numerous honorary degrees.

Secretary Baker was born April 28, 1930. He and his wife, the former Susan Garrett, have eight children.

 

 CLARENCE EUGENE SASSER- United States Army

Rank and organization: Specialist Fifth Class (then Pfc.), U.S. Army, Headquarters Company, 3d Bat

Infantry, 9th Infantry Division. Place and date: Ding Tuong Province, Republic of Vietnam, 10 Janua

Entered service at: Houston, Tex. Born: 12 September 1947, Chenango, Tex. Citation: For conspicu

and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp5c. Sasser disting

himself while assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Battalion. He was serving a

aidman with Company A, 3d Battalion, on a reconnaissance in force operation. His company was ma

assault when suddenly it was taken under heavy small arms, recoilless rifle, machinegun and rocket

fortified enemy positions on 3 sides of the landing zone. During the first few minutes, over 30 casua

sustained. Without hesitation, Sp5c. Sasser ran across an open rice paddy through a hail of fire to a

wounded. After helping 1 man to safety, was painfully wounded in the left shoulder by fragments o

rocket. Refusing medical attention, he ran through a barrage of rocket and automatic weapons fire

casualties of the initial attack and, after giving them urgently needed treatment, continued to searc

wounded. Despite 2 additional wounds immobilizing his legs, he dragged himself through the mud t

another soldier 100 meters away. Although in agonizing pain and faint from loss of blood, Sp5c. Sas

the man, treated him, and proceeded on to encourage another group of soldiers to crawl 200 meter

safety. There he attended their wounds for 5 hours until they were evacuated. Sp5c. Sasser's extrao

heroism is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upo

unit, and the U.S. Army.

 

Doc Stanger

 

Cowboy Hall of Fame honoree, NRA Hall of Fame Rodeo Roper (local Vet)