Oral History Commons^™

Interview No. 1637, Louis B. Mckee

Combined Interviews

Louis B. McKee is the son of Robert E. McKee, founder of the R. E. McKee General Contractors in El Paso, TX; he was born in El Paso in 1933; and graduated from Austin High School; he explains why he went to University of New Mexico, and studied civil engineering; he mentions completing Navy ROTC, being a Marine Corps Officer a few years; he recounts his family, working for the family’s construction company; he reveals why he later quit the company, disagreed with the direction of new non-family leadership that didn’t have the experience; he mentions the company was moved …

Interview No. 855, James Ely

Combined Interviews

Part of Big Bend National Park Oral History Project; biographical data; recalls experiences as river rider preventing Mexican cattle from entering Texas during hoof and mouth disease epidemic in Mexico in the 1940s; recounts fishing activities on the Rio Grande; dangers of high water on the river; living conditions at Hot Springs; cotton farming in San Vicente, discusses killing rattlesnakes and burning river cane despite National Park Service policies prohibiting such activities.

Interview No. 864, Julia Nail Moss

Combined Interviews

Part of Big Bend National Park Oral History Project discusses social life among residents of Big Bend before and during acquisition of property for national park; recalls feasibility study by park system; effects of drought and overgrazing of livestock; destruction of family home by park service; offers her opinions on park service preservation policy, predator control; effect of Depression on ranchers' decisions to sell their land; family's governess; contact with Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) 1930s.

Interview No. 860, Tom Leary

Combined Interviews

Part of Big Bend National Park Oral History Project; biographical data; discusses border conflict during Mexican Revolution; family's move from Rosillos to Marathon after Glen Spring raid in 1916; recalls arrival of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1930s; conditions for travel, social life; early tourist to park area; arrival of electricity and telephones; relations between ranchers and park; offers service; discusses livestock and wildlife issues, water use/availability in the park; offers insight into life at Study Butte and Terlinqua; cross-border relations with Mexican citizens.

Interview No. 658, Thomas Conolly

Combined Interviews

Biographical synopsis; how

he learned to train horses with Rill Daley; work as a horse trainer in the U.S.; work at the Babicora Ranch in

Mexico. ownedby the Terrazas family and later by the Hearst family; work as a horse trainer and jockey.

Interview No. 21, Eve Ball

Combined Interviews

Information on the early settlement of New Mexico, including the Cree Ranch, Brandon Kerby, Pat Garrett; also information on Asa, nephew of Geronimo and on Apaches.

Interview No. 24, Mrs. George Benson

Combined Interviews

Life in the Big Bend area of Texas during the early part of the 20th Century; ranching and homesteading.

Interview No. 26, Emmett Issacs

Combined Interviews

Early recollections of his youth in the Organ-Las Cruces, New Mexico, area, including cattle ranching, Indians, homesteaders, Pat Garrett, frontier justice, stagecoach lines, mining, and the Lincoln County War.