Son of John George Miller & Katherine Fink or Frick
The University of Texas Press
Trail Drivers of Texas
last published 1923
MY EARLY DAYS IN GOOD OLD SAN ANTONIO
John A. Miller, Bandera, Texas
My parents, John G. and Katherine Miller came to San Antonio in 1848, and I was born September 10, 1851, where they first lived on Main Street and a ten-foot alley, now West Commerce and Navarro Streets. They lived there but a few years, then moved east on Main Street near the graveyard and powder house, then used as an arsenal. One of my childhood pleasures was to go to the powder house and watch Mr. Lollard, the caretaker, make paper cartridges.
In those days all of the ditches were full of running water. The ditch west of San Antonio River ran down North Flores Street part of the way, turned east and then south and ran on the west side of Main Plaza in front of the Southern Hotel. There were two ditches east of the San Antonio River. The first one ran back of the Alamo and under the Menger Hotel. The other ditch was farther east on what is now called Water Street. Most of the houses were built on the river and the ditch convenient to water.
At the river crossing on Commerce Street there was a very low bridge, and somewhat of. a hill to pull on the east bank. There was a large spring on the north side of the bridge on the east bank, where all the neighbors procured their water. Houston Street had very few houses on it then. The Mavericks had an orchard fenced with cedar pickets, where the Moore building now stands and it ran up to the present location of the -Gibbs building where Mr. Maverick lived. He had one of the finest pecan trees in his yard that could be found anywhere, and there were some large cottonwood trees back of the Alamo, which gave that historic building its name, as Alamo means cottonwood in Spanish.
The plazas were like duck ponds as the water would stand there for days after a rain. The old pioneers who I recollect were Messrs. Lewis, Maverick, Menger, Grenet, Muncey, and many others who were men when I was a young boy.
In 1857 we moved to the Salado on the Austin road, and lived there until 1859, then moved to Selma on the Cibolo, where my father kept the store, post office and stage stand. The old time stage coach was the only way of carrying mail and passengers from San Antonio to Austin.
From 1866 to 1869 Riley Davenport and I sold beeves to San Antonio butchers. They were William Heffling and his slaughter house and pens were where Muth's Garden is now on Grayson Street. Loesberg and Speicer had their pens on the Alazan west of town. There were two markets in San Antonio then, one was the old market house on Market Street, and the other was in the middle of Alamo Plaza, south of Crockett Street. We delivered about forty head every two weeks. The prices we received were six or seven dollars for the first beeves weighing from 900 to 1,000 pounds, and if they kept it on hand until it got thin they would turn it loose and go out on the Salado, in the range, and get a big fat steer in its place. Sometimes we would sell them the same steer two or three times, but they were never short any steers.
In 1870 I went to Brownsville with Capt. W. L. Smith after horses which we brought to the Pettus ranch in the San Antonio River and sold most of them to the United States government on Col. Ed H. Cunningham's contract. Then we went back after 300 mules which we took to the Brazos River, sold some and worked the balance on the railroad for two years.
In 1873 I gathered what cattle I could, about 900 head, and drove to Wichita, Kansas, found the market dull and sold on a credit, for which I realized mostly experience. Some of the boys who went with me were John Davenport, Bob Murchison and Mike Connor. John Davenport now lives in Bandera county, Bob Murchison lives in El Paso, and Mike Connor died at Uvalde several years ago.
When I was 22 years old I bought a small place on the Cibolo, in Comal county, and improved it. I afterwards sold this place, and in 1881 bought 3,500 acres of fine land near Bandera, the old James ranch, and moved onto it in 1882, and still live on this ranch.. I quit the cattle business in 1876 (at the wrong time) when I sold all I could gather, about 700 head, to Jesse Evans of Lavernia, and have not raised many cattle since, but have devoted my time to stock farming on a small scale.
I was married February 26, 1878, to Miss Jennie C. Davenport, who has been a faithful helpmate to me during the long span of wedded years. We have one daughter, Miss Minnie Miller. My wife's father was Captain William Davenport, a well known pioneer who lived on the Cibolo. He was captain of a ranger company which operated against the Indians in the early days. Captain Davenport died several years ago, but his widow, now eighty-five years old, still lives at the old home place on the Cibolo.
I have two brothers, W. F. Miller of San Antonio, and George Miller of Marathon, and one sister, Mrs. C. Y. Myer, who lives at Belton.
The University of Texas Press
Trail Drivers of Texas
last published 1923
MY EARLY DAYS IN GOOD OLD SAN ANTONIO
John A. Miller, Bandera, Texas
My parents, John G. and Katherine Miller came to San Antonio in 1848, and I was born September 10, 1851, where they first lived on Main Street and a ten-foot alley, now West Commerce and Navarro Streets. They lived there but a few years, then moved east on Main Street near the graveyard and powder house, then used as an arsenal. One of my childhood pleasures was to go to the powder house and watch Mr. Lollard, the caretaker, make paper cartridges.
In those days all of the ditches were full of running water. The ditch west of San Antonio River ran down North Flores Street part of the way, turned east and then south and ran on the west side of Main Plaza in front of the Southern Hotel. There were two ditches east of the San Antonio River. The first one ran back of the Alamo and under the Menger Hotel. The other ditch was farther east on what is now called Water Street. Most of the houses were built on the river and the ditch convenient to water.
At the river crossing on Commerce Street there was a very low bridge, and somewhat of. a hill to pull on the east bank. There was a large spring on the north side of the bridge on the east bank, where all the neighbors procured their water. Houston Street had very few houses on it then. The Mavericks had an orchard fenced with cedar pickets, where the Moore building now stands and it ran up to the present location of the -Gibbs building where Mr. Maverick lived. He had one of the finest pecan trees in his yard that could be found anywhere, and there were some large cottonwood trees back of the Alamo, which gave that historic building its name, as Alamo means cottonwood in Spanish.
The plazas were like duck ponds as the water would stand there for days after a rain. The old pioneers who I recollect were Messrs. Lewis, Maverick, Menger, Grenet, Muncey, and many others who were men when I was a young boy.
In 1857 we moved to the Salado on the Austin road, and lived there until 1859, then moved to Selma on the Cibolo, where my father kept the store, post office and stage stand. The old time stage coach was the only way of carrying mail and passengers from San Antonio to Austin.
From 1866 to 1869 Riley Davenport and I sold beeves to San Antonio butchers. They were William Heffling and his slaughter house and pens were where Muth's Garden is now on Grayson Street. Loesberg and Speicer had their pens on the Alazan west of town. There were two markets in San Antonio then, one was the old market house on Market Street, and the other was in the middle of Alamo Plaza, south of Crockett Street. We delivered about forty head every two weeks. The prices we received were six or seven dollars for the first beeves weighing from 900 to 1,000 pounds, and if they kept it on hand until it got thin they would turn it loose and go out on the Salado, in the range, and get a big fat steer in its place. Sometimes we would sell them the same steer two or three times, but they were never short any steers.
In 1870 I went to Brownsville with Capt. W. L. Smith after horses which we brought to the Pettus ranch in the San Antonio River and sold most of them to the United States government on Col. Ed H. Cunningham's contract. Then we went back after 300 mules which we took to the Brazos River, sold some and worked the balance on the railroad for two years.
In 1873 I gathered what cattle I could, about 900 head, and drove to Wichita, Kansas, found the market dull and sold on a credit, for which I realized mostly experience. Some of the boys who went with me were John Davenport, Bob Murchison and Mike Connor. John Davenport now lives in Bandera county, Bob Murchison lives in El Paso, and Mike Connor died at Uvalde several years ago.
When I was 22 years old I bought a small place on the Cibolo, in Comal county, and improved it. I afterwards sold this place, and in 1881 bought 3,500 acres of fine land near Bandera, the old James ranch, and moved onto it in 1882, and still live on this ranch.. I quit the cattle business in 1876 (at the wrong time) when I sold all I could gather, about 700 head, to Jesse Evans of Lavernia, and have not raised many cattle since, but have devoted my time to stock farming on a small scale.
I was married February 26, 1878, to Miss Jennie C. Davenport, who has been a faithful helpmate to me during the long span of wedded years. We have one daughter, Miss Minnie Miller. My wife's father was Captain William Davenport, a well known pioneer who lived on the Cibolo. He was captain of a ranger company which operated against the Indians in the early days. Captain Davenport died several years ago, but his widow, now eighty-five years old, still lives at the old home place on the Cibolo.
I have two brothers, W. F. Miller of San Antonio, and George Miller of Marathon, and one sister, Mrs. C. Y. Myer, who lives at Belton.
Son of John George Miller & Katherine Fink or Frick
The University of Texas Press
Trail Drivers of Texas
last published 1923
MY EARLY DAYS IN GOOD OLD SAN ANTONIO
John A. Miller, Bandera, Texas
My parents, John G. and Katherine Miller came to San Antonio in 1848, and I was born September 10, 1851, where they first lived on Main Street and a ten-foot alley, now West Commerce and Navarro Streets. They lived there but a few years, then moved east on Main Street near the graveyard and powder house, then used as an arsenal. One of my childhood pleasures was to go to the powder house and watch Mr. Lollard, the caretaker, make paper cartridges.
In those days all of the ditches were full of running water. The ditch west of San Antonio River ran down North Flores Street part of the way, turned east and then south and ran on the west side of Main Plaza in front of the Southern Hotel. There were two ditches east of the San Antonio River. The first one ran back of the Alamo and under the Menger Hotel. The other ditch was farther east on what is now called Water Street. Most of the houses were built on the river and the ditch convenient to water.
At the river crossing on Commerce Street there was a very low bridge, and somewhat of. a hill to pull on the east bank. There was a large spring on the north side of the bridge on the east bank, where all the neighbors procured their water. Houston Street had very few houses on it then. The Mavericks had an orchard fenced with cedar pickets, where the Moore building now stands and it ran up to the present location of the -Gibbs building where Mr. Maverick lived. He had one of the finest pecan trees in his yard that could be found anywhere, and there were some large cottonwood trees back of the Alamo, which gave that historic building its name, as Alamo means cottonwood in Spanish.
The plazas were like duck ponds as the water would stand there for days after a rain. The old pioneers who I recollect were Messrs. Lewis, Maverick, Menger, Grenet, Muncey, and many others who were men when I was a young boy.
In 1857 we moved to the Salado on the Austin road, and lived there until 1859, then moved to Selma on the Cibolo, where my father kept the store, post office and stage stand. The old time stage coach was the only way of carrying mail and passengers from San Antonio to Austin.
From 1866 to 1869 Riley Davenport and I sold beeves to San Antonio butchers. They were William Heffling and his slaughter house and pens were where Muth's Garden is now on Grayson Street. Loesberg and Speicer had their pens on the Alazan west of town. There were two markets in San Antonio then, one was the old market house on Market Street, and the other was in the middle of Alamo Plaza, south of Crockett Street. We delivered about forty head every two weeks. The prices we received were six or seven dollars for the first beeves weighing from 900 to 1,000 pounds, and if they kept it on hand until it got thin they would turn it loose and go out on the Salado, in the range, and get a big fat steer in its place. Sometimes we would sell them the same steer two or three times, but they were never short any steers.
In 1870 I went to Brownsville with Capt. W. L. Smith after horses which we brought to the Pettus ranch in the San Antonio River and sold most of them to the United States government on Col. Ed H. Cunningham's contract. Then we went back after 300 mules which we took to the Brazos River, sold some and worked the balance on the railroad for two years.
In 1873 I gathered what cattle I could, about 900 head, and drove to Wichita, Kansas, found the market dull and sold on a credit, for which I realized mostly experience. Some of the boys who went with me were John Davenport, Bob Murchison and Mike Connor. John Davenport now lives in Bandera county, Bob Murchison lives in El Paso, and Mike Connor died at Uvalde several years ago.
When I was 22 years old I bought a small place on the Cibolo, in Comal county, and improved it. I afterwards sold this place, and in 1881 bought 3,500 acres of fine land near Bandera, the old James ranch, and moved onto it in 1882, and still live on this ranch.. I quit the cattle business in 1876 (at the wrong time) when I sold all I could gather, about 700 head, to Jesse Evans of Lavernia, and have not raised many cattle since, but have devoted my time to stock farming on a small scale.
I was married February 26, 1878, to Miss Jennie C. Davenport, who has been a faithful helpmate to me during the long span of wedded years. We have one daughter, Miss Minnie Miller. My wife's father was Captain William Davenport, a well known pioneer who lived on the Cibolo. He was captain of a ranger company which operated against the Indians in the early days. Captain Davenport died several years ago, but his widow, now eighty-five years old, still lives at the old home place on the Cibolo.
I have two brothers, W. F. Miller of San Antonio, and George Miller of Marathon, and one sister, Mrs. C. Y. Myer, who lives at Belton.
The University of Texas Press
Trail Drivers of Texas
last published 1923
MY EARLY DAYS IN GOOD OLD SAN ANTONIO
John A. Miller, Bandera, Texas
My parents, John G. and Katherine Miller came to San Antonio in 1848, and I was born September 10, 1851, where they first lived on Main Street and a ten-foot alley, now West Commerce and Navarro Streets. They lived there but a few years, then moved east on Main Street near the graveyard and powder house, then used as an arsenal. One of my childhood pleasures was to go to the powder house and watch Mr. Lollard, the caretaker, make paper cartridges.
In those days all of the ditches were full of running water. The ditch west of San Antonio River ran down North Flores Street part of the way, turned east and then south and ran on the west side of Main Plaza in front of the Southern Hotel. There were two ditches east of the San Antonio River. The first one ran back of the Alamo and under the Menger Hotel. The other ditch was farther east on what is now called Water Street. Most of the houses were built on the river and the ditch convenient to water.
At the river crossing on Commerce Street there was a very low bridge, and somewhat of. a hill to pull on the east bank. There was a large spring on the north side of the bridge on the east bank, where all the neighbors procured their water. Houston Street had very few houses on it then. The Mavericks had an orchard fenced with cedar pickets, where the Moore building now stands and it ran up to the present location of the -Gibbs building where Mr. Maverick lived. He had one of the finest pecan trees in his yard that could be found anywhere, and there were some large cottonwood trees back of the Alamo, which gave that historic building its name, as Alamo means cottonwood in Spanish.
The plazas were like duck ponds as the water would stand there for days after a rain. The old pioneers who I recollect were Messrs. Lewis, Maverick, Menger, Grenet, Muncey, and many others who were men when I was a young boy.
In 1857 we moved to the Salado on the Austin road, and lived there until 1859, then moved to Selma on the Cibolo, where my father kept the store, post office and stage stand. The old time stage coach was the only way of carrying mail and passengers from San Antonio to Austin.
From 1866 to 1869 Riley Davenport and I sold beeves to San Antonio butchers. They were William Heffling and his slaughter house and pens were where Muth's Garden is now on Grayson Street. Loesberg and Speicer had their pens on the Alazan west of town. There were two markets in San Antonio then, one was the old market house on Market Street, and the other was in the middle of Alamo Plaza, south of Crockett Street. We delivered about forty head every two weeks. The prices we received were six or seven dollars for the first beeves weighing from 900 to 1,000 pounds, and if they kept it on hand until it got thin they would turn it loose and go out on the Salado, in the range, and get a big fat steer in its place. Sometimes we would sell them the same steer two or three times, but they were never short any steers.
In 1870 I went to Brownsville with Capt. W. L. Smith after horses which we brought to the Pettus ranch in the San Antonio River and sold most of them to the United States government on Col. Ed H. Cunningham's contract. Then we went back after 300 mules which we took to the Brazos River, sold some and worked the balance on the railroad for two years.
In 1873 I gathered what cattle I could, about 900 head, and drove to Wichita, Kansas, found the market dull and sold on a credit, for which I realized mostly experience. Some of the boys who went with me were John Davenport, Bob Murchison and Mike Connor. John Davenport now lives in Bandera county, Bob Murchison lives in El Paso, and Mike Connor died at Uvalde several years ago.
When I was 22 years old I bought a small place on the Cibolo, in Comal county, and improved it. I afterwards sold this place, and in 1881 bought 3,500 acres of fine land near Bandera, the old James ranch, and moved onto it in 1882, and still live on this ranch.. I quit the cattle business in 1876 (at the wrong time) when I sold all I could gather, about 700 head, to Jesse Evans of Lavernia, and have not raised many cattle since, but have devoted my time to stock farming on a small scale.
I was married February 26, 1878, to Miss Jennie C. Davenport, who has been a faithful helpmate to me during the long span of wedded years. We have one daughter, Miss Minnie Miller. My wife's father was Captain William Davenport, a well known pioneer who lived on the Cibolo. He was captain of a ranger company which operated against the Indians in the early days. Captain Davenport died several years ago, but his widow, now eighty-five years old, still lives at the old home place on the Cibolo.
I have two brothers, W. F. Miller of San Antonio, and George Miller of Marathon, and one sister, Mrs. C. Y. Myer, who lives at Belton.
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