Animals and the Lone Star State

Normally when we think of the contributions animals have made in the development and settlement of Texas, ideas of their roles as beasts of burden come to mind. Of course, they were important in hauling, pulling, and plowing. In addition, animals were also important means of transportation in moving people and goods, and they were primary sources of food as well. However, some four-footed creatures played unique roles in political arenas in some parts of the state. West Texas was especially late in developing. Because of the absence of trees and minimal rainfall, that part of the state had difficulty in attracting residents. Consequently, the organization of county governments in that region was difficult to say the least. One of the prerequisites for organizing county governments was to present a petition to the state legislature with 150 signatures to support the request. Because many of those areas had nowhere near that many residents, they resorted to some rather creative methods to meet the requirements. In 1895 promoters for the establishment of Haskell County signed the names of their horses and dogs, and they invited travelers passing through the area to sign the petition as well. When the judge raised questions about the validity of some of the names on the petition, one supporter argued that the stipulation required 150 signatures, not necessarily names of residents. Technically he was correct, and the judge approved the petition. A local rancher involved in organizing Lubbock County signed up all the ranch hands he could find, as well as the names of several of their horses. Among the names appearing on a petition from Castro County were Billy, Jug, and Blue — all horses on the 7-Up Ranch. The name “Bill Burp” appeared on the Fisher County petition. Bill Burp was rancher Bob Simpson’s dog...more

No doubt they were still more accurate than our census.