FRIO FUN

A man in soiled clothes quickly throws another shovelful of dirt over his shoulder. His face glistening with the sheen of sweat, he works faster and faster, listening all the while for distant hoof beats. He can't let anyone see him--he has something to hide.

October 19 – Frio Fun Times - On June 3rd, 1884, Abigail Ruth was scheduled to marry her long time beau, Robert H. Allen in the local Concan Church only to learn before the ceremony that her beloved had been brutally murdered by renegade bandits recklessly traveling through town. So distraught by the news and the loss of her dear groom to be, Abigail Ruth went crazy with grief and ran to the nearest cliff overlooking the Frio River rushing wildly from the recent flood and threw herself over the edge never to be seen again. In the summer months when the winds are warm and the water runs strong, if you listen, you can still her Abigail Ruth’s tormented wails as she continues to morn her loss.

Feb 8 – Frio Fun Times - In the late 1800s the peace in the small, quiet village of Concan was utterly disturbed. The disruption was made by the infamous Cora Chiquita also known as Cora the Cowgirl who caused quite a ruckus one Friday night by riding up and down the main street with a revolver in her hand yelling and shooting at everyone whose appearance that did not suit her fancy.

Innocent bystanders stated that the Cowgirl terrorized the streets for more than an hour. Mr. Grainger from the seed-feed store stated, "She didn't look a day over 20, pretty as a picture with what had to be some Cherokee blood running thru her veins, wearing man's attire carrying two revolvers and whooping up a storm." The local town sheriff could not give a statement as he admitted to never getting a good look at her.

His Passing Away Closed One of the Most Remarkable Careers of Modern Times - Biographical Sketch

One of the most noted men of Texas, one who figured in history along with a Houston, a Travis, a Bowie or a Crockett, is dead. His name was a household word. This man of renown who passed away yesterday was no less a personage than Alexander Anderson Wallace. Everybody knew him, however as "Bigfoot" Wallace. He was one of the most familiar figures hereabouts for more than three quarters of a century and visited this city very frequently. H was here by a short time ago and no one here was apprised of his illness until the tidings of his death came.

ODEM - back in the days when cotton was on of the main crops in Frio County, on of the busiest gins during the harvest season was the Cibolo gin about ten miles west of Dilley, on the Carrizo Springs Hwy.

Before the highway was paved the gin was the gathering place for farmer from all over that territory during the ginning period. Many yarns were swapped around the loaded wagons as the old wood burning furnace roared and the gin saws whirred. Many a trade was consummated while the old presses groaned, and the panting hands finally caged the rebellious cotton in burlap and iron.

The Lindholm's moved into Frio County in 1882. They bought a small farm about four miles east of Big Foot in the Luka community. Luka was near the Siestadera Creek and the community was more often referred to as Siestadera than Luka. There was no post office there then, but several years later there was one near where the Kyote Post Office is now. There was only a small grocery store and a small saw mill there in 1882. The only lumber sawed on it, that I can remember was sawed from hickory to make us a "smoke house."

More than two centuries have passed since the Spaniards and French explored our country and blazed the trail from the Rio Grande at San Juan Bautista below Eagle Pass to San Antonio, thence northwest to Nacogdoches, San Augustine and Louisiana. According to tradition and history this road was first traveled by St. Denis in the year 1714, and became very important. It was the original and most used route in the building of the missions at San Antonio. This trail -- the historic Presidio Road -- traverses the northwest corner of Frio County, created in 1858 with the town of Frio as the county seat.

Twenty years ago the road agents were busy men in Texas, and many stage hold ups and similar crimes were committed by them. But the star stage robbery of Texas is one that took place between San Antonio and Laredo in the spring of 1880. It took the prize because it furnished a double tragedy.

At that time the International railroad did not connect San Antonio and Laredo. The now thriving town of Pearsall did not then exist. Frio town was then the county seat of Frio county and was the only town of any size between the two cities. Frio town now is like Goldsmith's deserted village. The courthouse building has been converted into a country store. There are but very few people living in the houses in that old town. In fact, many of the houses which formerly stood there were bodily removed to the more modern one of Pearsall. Before the International railway caused the location of the present town, Pearsall, and superseded the old one, Frio town the latter was quite a prominent place, although its means of connection with the outside world was either through the medium of the daily stage or via the old "Texas schooner," as the capacious wagon of these days was called.