De Long, W E 1973-07-11

In the first two tapes, San Angelo rancher W. E. De Long relates stories from family oral tradition, primarily concerning his grandfather’s experiences in the San Angelo-Christoval area. He discusses his family history, recalls his own varied occupations and relates stories of outlaws and the Depression. In the third tape, interviewer Paul Patterson reads the genealogy and short biographies of the De Long family.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: W. E. De Long

Additional Parties Recorded:

Date: July 11, 1973

Location: San Angelo, Texas

Interviewer: Paul Patterson

Length: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Abstract

Tape 1, Side 1: Family history reviewed, Early Christoval irrigation cited, Discussion of Johnson grass, Description of early house, Grandfather's experience with Indians related, Prairie fires recalled, Sheep raising reviewed, Behavior of buffalo examined, Wild Spanish cattle and other livestock remembered, Techniques of capturing mustangs examined, Recollections of early San Angelo

Tape 1, Side 2: Early lakes recalled, Killing of antelope, deer related, Discussion of growth and use of mesquite trees, Cattle drives to Oklahoma cited, Grandfather's financial failure discussed, Yellow House Canyon as an Indian shelter examined, Dove Creek battle reviewed, Evidence of battle on trees recalled, Concho River systems described, Origin of name Christoval cited, Changing land ownership reviewed, Lease terms examined

Tape 2, Side 1: Stories of land rush cited, Ranch groups as clans explained, Ketcham Brothers, outlaws recalled, Theft of candy cited, Discussion of outlaws (continued), Grandmother's attitude toward Indians expressed, Family history traced to Kentucky, Phenomenon of cobwebs in the sky described, Sheep raising problems remembered

Tape 2, Side 2: Bounty on wolves recalled, Discussion of baseball career, Events of personal history recounted, Depression experiences on road work examined, Depression cattle, sheep killing program described, Poor ranching techniques recognized, Home demonstration agent recalled, Flood in San Angelo in 1936 cited, Anecdote on sheep behavior during a flood, Trucking business in East Texas and Civil Service jobs reviewed, Other occupations traced, Changes in family land holdings explained

Tape 3, Side 1: Formal genealogy of Da Long family read, Short biographies of various family members read, Kentucky background explored, Moved to Texas in 1865, Trouble with Black soldiers at San Angelo cited, Early irrigation examined, Description of frontier housing, Anecdotes on Indians, travel, execution of a soldier, Recollections of Paul Patterson's family

Tape 3, Side 2: Blank

Range Dates: 1865-1973

Bulk Dates: 1865-1973

Access Information

Original Recording Format:

Recording Format Notes:

Transcript:

---

Thank you for your interest in this oral history interview. Our oral history collection is available to patrons in the Southwest Collection's Reading Room, located on the campus of Texas Tech University. For reading room hours, visit our website. Please contact Reference Staff at least one week prior to your visit to ensure the oral history you are interested in will be available. Due to copyright issues, duplications of our oral histories can only be made for family members. If an oral history transcript has been made available online, the link will be provided on this page. More information on accessing our oral histories is located here. Preferred citation style can be found here.