I'll Gather My Geese / Edition 1

by Hallie Crawford Stillwell

Overview

In 1916, Hallie Crawford went to teach school in Presidio, just across the Rio Grande from Ojinaga, Mexico, which had been recently captured by Pancho Villa. Hallie's father, considering this a dangerous place for a young woman of nineteen to live alone, told her he thought she was going on a wild goose chase. "Then I'll gather my geese," she told him, with determination and independence. These traits stayed with Hallie all her life, and were indispensable in her role as a ranch wife. Raised as a "proper" Southern woman, Hallie was not prepared for the difficulties she faced when she moved to her new home, the Stillwell Ranch, in 1918. But she quickly became an invaluable part of the workings on the ranch. She watched and learned from her husband, Roy Stillwell, and she adjusted to the new life-style that she grew to love. The ranch hands, who thought she would only last six months, came to respect her and her abilities to do as much work as any man on the ranch. They became a family. Then Roy and Hallie started a family of their own. Three children were a handful, and the Stillwell family split its time between the ranch and a home in town. On the ranch outside Marathon, near the Mexican border, work was hard and joy came in the simple things. After working cattle all day, relaxing under the arbor in front of the house was a pleasure. Hallie had a favorite rock out behind the house, and she often sat on it to watch the sun set, take a break from her energetic youngsters, or otherwise gain some tranquility and perspective.The ranch and its inhabitants survived two world wars, the depression, droughts, an influenza epidemic, as well as the everyday troubles of ranching in the Big Bend country. Hallie's story, told in a personal and engaging way, is fascinating reading for anyone interested in the history of pioneering ranching in Texas.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780890964781
Publisher:	Texas A&M University Press
Publication date:	06/01/1991
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	168
Sales rank:	668,379
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Hallie Stillwell was born in Waco and lived in Alpine until her death in 1997. She has taught school, managed a restaurant, raised children, and been a justice of the peace. She was a rancher since 1918 and a news reporter since 1930.

Editorial Reviews

She was brought up to be a proper Southern lady, but fate put her in a place where she needed other qualities. At 19, Hallie Crawford left home in Waco, Tex., to teach in a rural school on the Mexican border. Two years later, in 1918, she married Roy Stillwell and moved to his remote cattle ranch in the West Texas Big Bend country. Roy had three cowhands, and the author soon became the fourth. The town-bred young woman became an expert at working cattle on horseback; she learned to manage horses and to protect herself from wild animals (she once shot a mountain lion between the eyes). Now a doughty 94-year-old, Stillwell details the challenges of ranch life, explaining how she and her family, including three children, survived illnesses, drought and the Depression. Her story will strongly appeal to readers interested in the early West. Photos. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

YA-- Born in 1879, Stillwell was destined to help tame the last frontier of Texas known as the Big Bend Country. She records this story in some 20 vignettes, beginning with her marriage in 1918. She recounts how she learns to cope with a strong, respectful but often silent husband, the physical demands of a developing ranch, and the strong love that grew to encompass the ranch family. In a simple manner she paints her word pictures, illustrating the indispensable roles of the frontier woman as bride, companion, helpmate, and mother. The photographs of the family interspersed throughout provide a visual picture. This is a readable book that will help YAs develop an appreciation for the demands of such a lifestyle. Here also is a woman worthy of admiration for her determination, sacrifices, and contributions. A wonderful book for American history classes, women's studies, and family history seminars. --Dolores M. Steinhauer, Thomas Jefferson Sci-Tech, Fairfax County, VA

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