Heritage, Volume 10, Number 1, Winter 1992 Page: 31
38 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Her father thought little
of her decision to teach
in rough-and-tumble
Presidio. "Daughter,
you're not brave. You
just don't have any
sense.
and moved to her new home, Stillwell
Ranch. Since that time, "Miss Hallie" as
she is affectionately called, has been running
cattle on that ranch, which is located
just north of what has now become Big
Bend National Park. Raised as a proper
Southern woman, Hallie was unprepared
for her new ranching lifestyle, and there
were some tough lessons to be learned in
the beginning. Hallie adjusted quickly
though, and was soon able to take her place
beside Roy on horseback as she helped him
run their cattle business. At first, she says,
Roy took her along for safety's sake, because
of Pancho Villa's raids into the area,
but she became so adept at handling the
cattle, that she became an invaluable part
of the workings of the ranch, riding regularly
along with Roy and the other cowboys.Roy died in 1948 when his truck overturned
on a trip from Marathon back to the
ranch. Hallie, along with her two sons and
a daughter, vowed to continue to run the
ranch, despite droughts and fluctuating
cattle prices. Typical of the "can-do" attitude
that helped tame the Wild West,
Hallie did whatever needed to be done to
keep her family together and ensure the
future of the ranch, taking jobs that ranged
from justice of the peace to newspaper
reporter. Today, their ranch still survives,
along with the family-operated Stillwell
Store and RV Park. In her spare time,
Hallie has also found time to write two
books, one with Virginia Madison, named
"How Come It's Called That?", a book
about place names in the Big Bend, and last
fall, a new book, "I'll Gather My Geese," an
account of her life with Roy.
On October 20, 1991, Hallie's 94th
birthday, Hallie's Hall of Fame Museum
was opened. The event drew more than
800 people, from all over the state, including
many politicians, friends, and acquaintances
who had fallen under the spell of Hallie's
charm over the years. The five-room muMore than 800 people from all across Texas attended
the October 20, 1991, opening of Hallie's
Hall of Fame Museum in the Big Bend. The opening
of the museum coincided with Hallie Crawford
Stillwell's 94th birthday.
seum contains mementos of her life on the
ranch and of her endeavors following Roy's
death. Antique farm and ranch equipment,
furniture, and artifacts taken from the
Stillwell Ranch are all housed in Hallie's
museum. Hallie's Hall of Fame is open
every day, with no set hours. There is no
charge, but donations are gratefully accepted.
The museum is located on FM
2627, off Highway 385, near the Big Bend
National Park, about 45 miles from Marathon.Don't be surprised to run in to the lady
herself if you make the visit to Hallie's Hall
of Fame Museum. Hallie Stillwell still shows
up daily to lend a helping hand, if she is not
on the road giving a speech or accepting an
award. And if you're really lucky, you may
have the chance to sit on the front porch
with Miss Hallie and listen to her tell tales
of life in the West "way back when." What
a life!HERITAGE * WINTER 1992 31
- . E. E EC.. A A A A AA
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Texas Historical Foundation. Heritage, Volume 10, Number 1, Winter 1992, periodical, Winter 1992; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth45418/m1/31/?rotate=90: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.