“They cut the canal off,” said Carleton Kothmann, a member of the Menard Historical Commission. Until now.ĭrought conditions in the San Saba Watershed led the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to suspend water rights along the upper San Saba River.Ī large number of these water rights holders are in Menard County, including the Menard Irrigation Co. It is operated by the Menard Irrigation Co, which has 20 shareholders who pay annual dues to participate in the irrigation canal. The canal begins 5 miles west of Menard and runs east through this Hill Country community for another 5 miles. Today the diversion from the nearby San Saba River and its lateral ditches runs approximately 10 miles. They had three children: Mabel Jane Mears Hall, Melinda Mears Bradford and Edward Lamar "Eddie" Mears III.The water that runs through the historic canal in Menard, referred to locally as The Ditch, has been flowing since Spanish settlers came to the area in 1757 and built the Presidio de San Saba. 29, 1914, to George and Anna Darnell, of Haskell. received a certificate of merit from the Menard soil conservation district for extensive conservation work on the Mears Ranch.Įdward Mears Jr. He specialized in raising sheep and goats, and the crossbreeding of Hereford cattle with Angus and Charolais bulls. 25, 1913, became the third generation of his family to ranch in Menard County, operating the ranch of his father and grandfather. 17, 2004, Rob Roy has continued to operate the Spiller Ranch.Įdward Mears Jr., born Aug. Many times they rode their horses down the River Road to Roosevelt just for a soda pop.Įthel and Roy Spiller had four children: Rilla Spiller Wright, Nancy Spiller Smith, Sandra Spiller Wolf and Rob Roy Spiller.Īfter Ethel Spiller died Feb. They ranched together for 54 years on their ranch in Kimble County until his death in 1979.Įthel and Mabel were in charge of the remuda on the Fort Terrett Ranch in Sutton County when their father had it leased for several years during their early teens. Nancy Ethel Mears married Roy Spiller in 1925. They had two daughters: Jan VanderStucken and Jo Bess VanderStucken Jackson. They lived in Sonora, where he was in banking and ranching. Mabel Mears married Joseph Max VanderStucken on July 27, 1925. In 1907, Edward Mears formed a ranching partnership with his father-in-law, William Wilkinson, that continued until Mears' death. but sold the business in 1910 and returned to ranching full time. In 1902, Edward Mears bought the Menard Telephone Co. He purchased 350 head of cattle and became one of the largest ranchmen on the San Saba River in Menard County, according to The New Encyclopedia of Texas. Her father came from Mississippi in 1860, first settling in Coleman County then Brown County. Mears Jr.Įmma Permelia Wilkinson was born June 22, 1877, in Menard County to William Jackson Wilkinson and Nancy Rose Mires Wilkinson. They had four children: Camilla Mears (1909-10), Mabel Mears VanderStucken, Nancy Ethel Mears Spiller and Edward L. John and Emma Mears had four children: Edward Lamar, Annie Lou Mears (1880-1968), Joseph Wellington (1882-1914) and Herbert Henderson (1888-1965).Įdward Lamar Mears and Emma Permelia Wilkinson were married April 30, 1902. As she began, the men removed their hats as they stood and listened to the music. After it was in place, the men asked Mrs. Their new neighbors gathered to assist the Mears in unloading the grand piano under the old bur oak tree in the yard of their log house. Among their possessions was the first piano brought to the area. They arrived in Austin by train and purchased a wagon and team for their journey to Menard County. John and Emma Mears came to Texas in 1876. Her brothers ? Tom, Ed and Lamar Sieker ? were Texas Rangers and encouraged Emma and John Mears to come to Texas. He received his education in Europe and spoke five languages. Sieker, was a surgeon with the Confederate Army. He was in farming as a young man and turned to ranching when he came to Texas.Įmma Sieker was born Sept. His individual and partnership ranches produced a quarter-million pounds of wool when he died at age 55 on June 19, 1933. He received his education in the school at Menard but was mostly self-educated because of the limited schools.Īt one time Mears owned 18 sections (1 section equals 640 acres) of land in Kimble County and was in partnerships involving 71 sections in Menard, Kerr, Sutton, Schleicher and Crockett counties. He grew up cowboying in the open range area of Menard County. Mears was born April 27, 1878, in Mason County to John Wellington and Emma Sieker Mears. With frugal ways and determination, he acquired vast land holdings in Menard, Sutton, Kimble and Kerr counties. As a boy, Edward Lamar Mears started working in the ranching industry for $10 a month.
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