Prairieview Community and Patent Holders
Lea County Families and Histories, "Then and Now", Vol II, 1984
Lea County Families and Stories; is a collection of copyrighted stories printed in the "Then and Now, Lea County Families and History", volumes I & II, and Individual submissions, submitted by the families that made Lea County what it is today. Printed with permission of Copyright holders and Submitters. Transcribed by Erny Long.
Submitted by: Lafara Harbison Phillips
At the beginning of the twentieth century settlers rapidly filled up the desirable land in Southeastern New Mexico. One area, generally ion the boundaries of Range 37E, Township 14S, in Lea County, became known as the Prairieview Community, probably because of the seemingly endless view of the prairie across a flat, treeless landscape.
Squatters were on practically every quarter when the land opened for filing. Some had filed away thier rights elsewhere. Other had too little money or stamina to live out a claim, so they traded and moved away, leaving with most who stayed the 320 acres allowed for filing. Even among the courageous were those who became discouraged after years of eking out a living in the dry, windy county. When receiving their patents, or sometimes before the final date, they sold, taking the money to return to Texas or Oklahoma. They were not aware of the existence of potentially valuable mineral rights they might have retained. Many of those who remained mortgaged their land after time, finally losing everything through foreclosure.
This compilation shows in geographical order the homesteaders, patent recording dates, and subsequent sale dates. In most cases, the recording date came up to ten years after the claimant first moved on the site.
Hiram Hand 1914-1928
Richard Heidel 1915
Dee Bevins 1913-1913
J. B. Denton 1913-1913
Harmon Denton 1913-1913
James Milam 1913-1916
Austin Sullivan 1914-1914
A. L. Spence 1914-1914
James Vaughan 1914-1915
C. A. McDaniel 1914-1926
E. J. Stefmire 1913-1946
Charles P. Bayles 1916-1917
E. L. Harbison 1917
J. M. McGregor 1914-1915
James Anderson 1913-1914
Tom Taylor 1917-1944
Robert Gentles 1915-1917
Jessie Edwards 1914-1914
Wm. S. Miller 1915-1920, 23
Charlie Bass 1914-1923
Fred Powell 1916-1918
Henry Lee 1916-1916
O. B. Powell 1915-1919, 32
Charlie A. Smith 1914-1922
R. W. Smith 1914-1948
Mary Cravy 1913-1914
Pink Cravy 1914-1915
James R. Frakes 1914-1917
George Lutz 1913-1917
Levi B. Coggin 1917
Benjamin Johnson 1913
Wm. Roberts 1914-1916
John Trimble 1914-1915
Thomas Tindell 1913-1917
Wm. T. Ivans 1913-1917
Dan Allen 1917-1923
C. L. Holden 1915-1925
Clovis Pior 1919-1922
John Ratliff 1917-1945
John B. Latimer 1915-1934
John B. Bordeaux 1915-1916
William Cravy 1916-1921
Alexander Cook 1916-1924
Claude Singleton 1916-1920
Wm. Herman Fort 1916
Charles C. O'Neal 1918-1919
Wm. T. Mann 1913-1913
James Bordeaux 1915-1916
Wm. Littlefield 1913-1928
Dollie Gravlee 1914-1916
Thomas Gravlee 1914-1916
Eliza Fargier 1912-1916
Willie A. Fargier 1912-1916
T. N. Miller 1917
Luther Crutchfield 1914-1917
Clyde Fargier 1916-1917
O. C. Stanbro 1916-1946
James Fristoe 1913-1916
Myrtle Yadon 1915-1917
Wm. Boliver 1916-1917
Dell Chappell 1921-1925
Ben Sutton 1913-1916
John Lindsay 1913-1916
John Nunn 1918-1918
Parents' first thoughts were of food and shelter and then of the education for their children.. Prairieview was one of the small school built within walking or buggy-riding distance of homes.
Ownership of he land was fairly stable after the first wave of homesteaders left. Five sections in the township became state land. Bob Knight acquired land previously belonging to ten individuals in the northern part, later selling portions to Lois Hobbs and Claude Fort. The Dickensons, Dentons, T. D. Pope, anf Johnnie Fort acquired numerous tracts in the southeast portion.
The homesteaders remaining and living on the land with their families in the tweenties were: Richard Heidel, Tom Taylor, R. W. Smith, E. L. (Lem) Harbison, John Ratliff, Herman Fort, T. N. Miller, Luther Crutchfield, Oscar Powell, L. B. Coggin, and O.C. Stanbro. Their new neighbors buying land were: Vertus Pope, W. E. Meredith, J. L. Grissom, Arthur Hennington, Olie Houser, O. L Turner, Doyle Hudgens, Grady Caswel, Bob Spears, Rufus Hudgens, and Arthur Nutt. Other families moved in, living in the adobe or small frame houses that had been left behind, renting or farming on the halves, or working at any jobs available in the country.
Sixty-five individuals filed on the land within the township first spoken of as Prairieview. Today (1984), only tracts homesteaded by Benjamin Johnson, E. L. Harbison, L. B. Coggin, T. N. Miller, Richard Heidell, and Herman Fort are still owned by family members.
* Story edited, complete story with photographs can be found in the Lea County Families and Histories, "Then and Now" Volume II, in local libraries and Genealogy Societies.