Hudspeth County Herald and Dell Valley Review (Dell City, Tex.), Vol. 34, No. 46, Ed. 1 Friday, July 12, 1991 Page: 4 of 12
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Hudspeth County Area Newspaper Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the UNT Libraries.
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PAGE 4,
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THE GREAT HELMS RANCH
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that gives all year!
Williams (1898 -
)
IN COUNTY - $12.00
OUT OF COUNTY - $13.00
4
Nellie Helms Williams, Mary Ann Gould, Nellie Britton visit with Alice Beard at the Double U Ranch,
reminiscing about the Helms home of many years ago.
James Oliver (Tobe )(1900-1981)
Alton Parker (Pike )(1903-1967)
Ross (1907-1958)
Billy (1915-1987)
GROW FLAT
c (WLDHDDRSE) WARREN
Descendants of John Elias Helms - Nellie Helms Williams, 93,
last living child of 10 children; Mary Ann Gould, great-grand-
daughter, and Nellie Jo Britton, granddaughter - all residing in El
Paso.
LET US DO THE SHOPPING FOR YOU
SUBSCRIBE TO THE HUDSPETH COUNTY HERALD
The requirements of a good boss
on a cow ranch and driving a
herd of cattle:
First of all, obey orders from
your boss. He is paying you for
your service.
Explain to your men in a quiet
voice what they are to do.
Don't holler at your men.
Be kind to your men and posi-
tively never say no to your
employer.
Be ready at all times to go.
When cutting cattle, cut them
quietly.
Don't say you boys do this but
come on boys, follow me.
Don't leave your outfit for
anything.
Don't leave a herd for anything.
With a herd, post your 2 best
men on the point and explain
to them that they must keep the
herd moving in the direction
you are going. Never let your
herd step a single step back.
Hold the leaders till the drags
come up.
Explain to your cook that he
GOOD ADVICE TO YOUNG
COWBOYS
Given by John Helms
p. 0. Box 659 Dell City, Texas 79837
Phone: 915-964-2426
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must have his meals ready at
all times.
Watch your horses. Don't let
your men abuse them.
Keep your harness and camp
equipment clean and up out of
the sand.
Do not abuse or quarrel with
your men. If one jumps on you
or anyone else, give him the
best you have.
Do not ever misrepresent any-
thing. Tell it just like it
happened.
Don't get rattled no matter
what happens. Keep your head
clear.
Don't lose confidence in your-
self.
Don't drink anything while on
duty. Always keep your head
clear.
Don't allow any cards or
gambling in camps.
Take care and look after the
comforts of your men and they
will follow you through hell.
Keep your mind i on your
business.
Make your head save you
troubles and never give up.
There will be better times By
and By.
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This article is based on information furnished by Mary Ann Britton
Gould, great granddaughter of John and Julia Helms. Mrs. Gould
lives in El Paso, Texas.
John Elias Helms was born in 1867 in Lee County, Virginia. When
he was three years old his parents brought him to Texas in a covered
wagon. His only schooling was in a log cabin where he reached the
fourth grade.. From the age of ten years he worked as a cowboy.
In 1886 John Helms and Julia Ann Westerman were married in
Cisco, Texas. He was 19 and she was 17. In the fall of 1892 the
Helms moved to Crow Flat about 18 miles northeast of present day
Dell City, Texas. They brought their cattle to the open range in
New Mexico. The Helms first lived in a tent made of wagon sheets.
They were doing well and John Helms offered $29. 00 a month and
board for a teacher to teach school at Orange, New Mexico, the
only town on Crow Flat..
When the Helms sold their holdings on Crow Flat to H. H. Altman
in 1907, they had already leased about 20, 000 acres of University
of Texas land (then in El Paso County, after 1917 Hudspeth County,
and he started the Sierra Alto Ranch with headquarters 38 miles east
of El Paso and 7 1/2 miles north of the road that later became
Highway 62/180 from Carlsbad. New Mexico to El Paso, Texas.
Mrs. Helms and the children lived at Hud, Texas ( a town no longer
in existence, but probably in Fisher County) since Mr. Helms
addressed a letter to his wife at Rotan, Texas (in Fisher County)
where the family was living until they could get a home established
at Sierra Alto or in El Paso.
In September, 1907, he wrote his daughter Nellie, that he had
lots of mule colts, a good crop of calves and "the grass is very good".
Mr. Helms was now on his way to becoming one of the largest
individual ranch owners in the west.
In 1908 he wrote his daughter, Clyde, that his freight outfit,
6 wagons with four mules each, had moved 2, 000 pounds of potatoes,
40, 000 pounds of com, 5, 000 posts, 72, 000 pounds of wire, enough
for fifty miles of fence. Mrs. Helms and the children were still
living in Rotan.
In what he called "The East Well", John Helms spent so much
money drilling 1231 feet: (he got a well that provided 15 gallons of
water a minute) and putting up a windmill, that he was delayed
in buying a home in El Paso for his family which would require and
outlay of from 5 to 10 thousand dollars.
The Helms Ranch relied on surface dirt tanks to a great extent
for stockwater.
Mr. Sam Hughes, who told me that he worked for Mr. Helms
(building dirt tanks with teams and a fresno) long enough to work
out a four horse team, said that Mr. Helms had lots of horses and
mules. Mr. Hughes also said that he had a high regard for Mr. Helms.
World War I, 1914-1918, (we were in it 1917 and 1918) boosted the
price of cattle quite a bit, but the droughts offset any possibility
of a profit.
The 1920's were also rough, with low prices and droughts. In 1925
there was another dry year, and there were 8, 000 hungry cattle on -
the Helms Ranch, The Sierra Alto.
Mr. Helms tried to move some of them to Mexico but some of
the cattle were dying, and the Mexicans put a quarantine on them.
Mr. Helms leased some pastures in East Texas for 3800 cattle, and
found a place at Davis, California for 2394 head. This left 1800
head of yearling heifers and steers on the Sierra Alto. The expenses
against the cattle shipped to Davis, California were $9. 00 a head
and they were sold for $13. 36 a head.
Mr. Helms said that in five years (1920-1925) he had lost
$450, 000. 00 and it looked like he might lose another $100, 000. 00.
He made this list of what he owned: 80, 000 acres of land, 20, 000
under mortgage; $20, 000. 00 in land notes; 70head of saddle horses;
60 work mules; 20 mares; and he owed the government $170, 000. 00.
The Helms ranch at its greatest, contained 1, 123, 000 acres, much
of which was leased land, and was approximately 65 miles, east
to west, and 27 miles north to south.
A
I
Sill
Pioneer citizen, Isobel Gilmore
who as I remember, went to
school with one of the Helms
granddaughters, said that the
ranch ran from about where
Dell City now is, clear to
Hueco Tanks.
1934 was one of the driest
years in the history of the west.
There was also an almost com-
plete collapse of the cattle
market. Water was low on the
Helms Ranch. Mr. Helms
hired "the best water witch in
Texas", and drilled seven holes
on his recommendation without
finding any water. About this
time he wrote that his health
was good, except that for 4
or 5 years he had been awfully
short of breath. "I might be
having too many cigarrettes
or too much coffee. " He died
Feb. 23, 1938.
At this time, July 2, 1991,
Mrs. Nellie Frances Williams,
a lively and sprightly 93 of El
Paso, T exas, is the only child
of John and Julia Helms that
survives.
The following was written
by Mary Ann Britton Gould,
great, granddaughter of John
Helms, June 1983.
Mr. Helms passed away on
February 23, 1938, at the age "
of 70 years. He is buried at
the foot of Sierra Alto mountain
on the ranch where his hopes
and dreams had been. Reverent
S.E. Allison officiated at the
funeral service. There were
38 pallbearers. His tombstone
was made from a stone slab
taken from the mountain behind
him.
He was survived by his wife -
Mrs. Julia Ann Westerman
Helms and their 10 children.
Mrs. Helms passed away on
March 1955 at the age of 86
years. She was buried beside
her husband at the Sierra Alto
Ranch. Sons Ross, Alton, and
Tom are buried with their
parents in the family cemetery
on the eastern slopes of Sierra
Alto.
The children of John and
Julia Helms are:
Dona Ethel (Mrs. A. R. Bogart)
(1888-1990)
Idalia Clyde (Mrs. Murphree
(1889-1965)
Annie Laurie (Mrs. Gene Rowe)
(1892-1947)
Jack Camel (1894-1975)
Tom William (1896-1973)
Nellie Francis (Mrs. E. L.
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HUDSPETH COUNTY HERALD-Dell Valley Review, JULY 12, 1991
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Lynch, Mary Louise. Hudspeth County Herald and Dell Valley Review (Dell City, Tex.), Vol. 34, No. 46, Ed. 1 Friday, July 12, 1991, newspaper, July 12, 1991; Dell City, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1536025/m1/4/?q=denton+history: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .