Monday, March 16, 2009

Keeping it in the family

The extended Magby family has called Dog Canyon, located between the Guadalupe and Broke-Off mountains, home since the early 1900s. Wesley Magby came to the area from Texas in 1904. His son, Lee and wife, Pearl Magby homesteaded in West Dog Canyon in 1912, later trading that land for acreage in Dog Canyon. Today, Lee's son, Edgar and wife, Joy Magby and their five adult children, Justin, Laverne, Roland, Brad and Larea, own the Magby Ranch. Edgar, 80, was one of nine children born to Lee and Pearl Magby. Magby's grandfather Wesley and five children traveled by wagon to the Guadalupe Mountains area following his wife's death. They first settled in Dark Canyon. He later moved west to the Silver City area. Lee Magby traded his 320-acre homestead in West Dog Canyon to George Chandler for 320 acres in Dog Canyon. He bought 320 additional acres, which brought his holdings to 640 acres, or one section. Edgar Magby's brother Leroy acquired the ranch from their father Lee. Pearl Magby, Edgar's mother, became postmaster in 1929. A storeroom added to the original home housed the El Paso Gap post office. She remained postmaster until May 1935. On the ranch there was around 400 head of Angora goats. Twice a year, a man and his crew from Carlsbad traveled to Dog Canyon to do the shearing for area goat ranchers. Children in Dog Canyon attended the El Paso Gap School, which was a one-room schoolhouse, some 2 miles from the Magby ranch. On the way to school, Edgar and brother Leroy Magby would check on their traps each morning. After school, they would walk up the mountain and bring the goats home out of the way of predators...Carlsbad Current Argus

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I believe the Magbys an Hughes did the right Thing Because Vistors trash out places if the run across your ranches rwalker1@hotmail.com

Amy Jo said...

This is my family. The Magbys. My grandmother whose name was Pearlie Maye was the daughter of Lee and Pearl. Leroy and Edgar were her brothers. Interesting article. At least the parts of it I can read.