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To get the true picture of these cowboys, patriarchs of this line of
heritage need to be included, beginning with Cyrus Brown Sr.
According to documents from Cyrus’ son, Ervin R. Brown, Cyrus was
born in Alabama or possibly South Carolina, around 1840. His father
was brought from Africa and his mother was a Seminole Indian.
Cyrus was brought to Texas at a young age. He did farm work on the
Rugeley Plantation and later was brought to the John Duncan
Ranch/Plantation.
Since Duncan was one of the big cattle ranchers in Matagorda County,
Cyrus learned the various techniques of caring for cattle and
farming. He learned to ride wild horses, herd cattle and do things
that involved cowboy living.
After the Emancipation Proclamation, Cyrus continued to live on the
Duncan-Pierce Ranch. He worked in all kinds of weather, labored
under difficult conditions, and rode the trails to various parts of
the country.
He and his wife, Virginia, had five children—four boys, Ervin R.,
Cyrus Jr., William and Eligah, and a daughter, Ida Carrie.
All of Cyrus’ sons worked as cowboys during their lives, having
learned the traditions from their father. They were known for their
expertise in the corral and staying in the saddle on a wild bronc,
or being able to lasso a steer at “break neck” speed and bulldogging
him for branding.
Eventually, Cyrus’ sons began leaving home and starting their own
families.
Ervin R. met and married Winnie Amey in Matagorda County on August
17, 1899. They had one son, Samuel. Winnie died some time later and
Samuel was partly reared by his grandparents, Cyrus and Virginia.
Later, Ervin R. met and married Mary Jane Miller, the daughter of
Johnson and Sylvia Foster Miller.
Johnson, another patriarch of the family, was born on the Pierce
Ranch in Wharton County. Growing up, he became a cowboy, and was the
chuck wagon cook for the Pierce cattle drives.
Ervin R. and Mary Jane, with their children, ventured to the
northwestern part of the county—“Over the River.” They had seven
sons and five daughters. They also took in Samuel, Ervin’s son by
Winnie.
Ervin lived the life of a farmer and a cowboy. He worked on the
Louis LeTulle Ranch at Furber, the Fritz Cornelius Ranch at
Midfield, and the Will Cornelius Ranch in Markham. On these ranches,
he did the many jobs that are part of ranch life, plus he farmed and
was a drover on trail rides to Collegeport and other “Salt Grass”
pastures.
At an older age, he and his wife retired to their acreage in
Markham.
Ervin’s sons were Johnson Sr., Fred Sr., Tom, Elliott, Henry, Mack,
William and of course, Samuel.
All of the boys, except Mack and William, also worked as cowboys,
ranch foremen or rodeo performers.
John Sr. worked on the Louis LeTulle Ranch at Furber, became the
ranch foreman for the V. L. LeTulle Ranch in the Cedar Lane area,
and also the foreman for the LeTulle Savage Farm/Ranch near the
Celanese chemical plant.
On these ranches, he tended the cattle, rode pastures, branded and
dipped stock, vaccinated for diseases, went on trail drives to
Sargent, fixed fences, and did the chores of cowboy life.
Fred Sr. did cowboy work on the Louis LeTulle Ranch at Furber, the
Pierce Ranch at Pierce, and the Northern Headquarters Ranch near
Clemville. He specialized in breaking wild broncs and roping steers.
Tom worked on the Melvin Harper Ranch at Buckeye and the Northern
Headquarters Ranch near Clemville. He was the No. 1 cowboy of the
Brown Boys. He specialized in roping, tie down for precision timing,
bull dogging and bronc riding. Tom traveled the rodeo circuit with
Melvin Harper from Matagorda County, to Dallas, New York and
wherever Harper could find a wild west show that would admit him.
Elliott and Henry also led cowboy lives.
They both worked on the LeTulle ranches. Louis was in the Furber
area and V. L. was in the Cedar Lane and Celanese areas. Their work
included cowboy and ranch tactics. They both rode wild broncs, roped
steers, drove herds and performed all other ranching demands.
Samuel also displayed cowboy characteristics he learned from his
grandfather and father. He did many of the cowboy feats as his
father and brothers. Fred Jr., the son of Fred Sr. was a “chip off the old block or blocks.” He led an exciting and courageous life in the rodeo arenas. He was born July 15, 1930. At the age of 14, he began working with broncs on the Harper Ranch in Buckeye.
He and two cousins, Willie James Boone and Clinton Wyche, continued
the Brown family cowboy saga. They worked as cowboys on a ranch,
performed in rodeos, and took part on the trail rides of those days.
Working as cowboys on a ranch gave Fred Jr. and others practice that
they could use to perfection in rodeo performance.
Fred Jr. left Matagorda County and, for 22 years, performed as a
bronc rider in different cities and states in rodeo shows. For one
month, day and night, he performed in: Fort Madison, Iowa; Madison
Square Garden, New York City; Boston Gardens, Boston, Mass.; and
Portland, Maine. Later, he traveled to Harrisburg, Pa., Fort
Colorado, Colo., The Cow Palace in San Francisco, Calif. and back to
San Antonio and Houston. He also performed in Drum Wright and Punk
City, Okla. After making the rounds, he would return to Bay City and
start again.
Today, as a widower, Fred Jr. lives in the Chateaux Oaks Subdivision
in Bay City. He owns two 18-wheelers and moves grass from Matagorda
County to other parts of the country.
Clinton Wyche lives in Houston and still frequents the novelty trail
rides from Boling to the Houston Fat Stock Show and Rodeo.
Willie James Boone is now deceased, but loved the ways of a cowboy
and the days of riding and roping.
Therefore, the saga of Black Cowboys of Matagorda County from “Over
the River” defines the artistic heritage from Cyrus Brown, to
Johnson Miller, to Ervin R. Brown, his sons and legacies.
Bay City Tribune, February 25, 2001 |
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Copyright 2015 -
Present by the Brown Family |
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| Created Nov. 24, 2015 |
Updated Nov. 24, 2015 |