Brackettville: A Glimpse into the Past, News from the Las Moras 1920 - 1929 (15)

An interesting tale: George Washington West II (b: September 7, 1879, Lavala County TX- d: March 15, 1956, Zavala County TX) and Robbie Bedell West (b: 1880, Texas - d: 1980, San Antonio, Texas) were prominent cattle ranchers in Lavala County, Texas. There was even a town in Texas named after George West. It is now the county seat of Live Oak County, about sixty miles northwest of Corpus Christi. George West established a ranch in Live Oak County in the early 1900s. In 1912 he (age 33) donated a townsite, $100,000 and thirteen miles of railroad right-of way-through his ranch in order to establish a town on the railroad. The San Antonio, Uvalde ad Gulf Railroad laid the tracks in 1913. Many of the south Texas towns are named for ranchers or landowners who gave sites so settlements could be built. Many sprang up around the turn of the century as railroad stops and have since grown to see the passing of most of the rails and locomotives that necessitated their beginnings.

George and Robbie had two daughters, Margaret (1903 - 1963) and Mary (1908 - 1980). Mary West was born November 1, 1908 in Texas. In 1924 at the age of 16 she and 25 year old ranchman Thomas Newell from Sonora were married. In 1925 the young couple had a daughter Mary Nan born on June 6, 1925 in San Antonio, Texas. They were living in San Antonio at the time. Something went wrong with the marriage. Mary and her daughter returned to live with her parents in Zavala County and eventually Thomas Newell move to Arizona.

In 1929 Mary, who was living with her parents, married for a second time under unusual circumstances. 

The San Angelo Morning Times of March 26, 1929 described Mary’s second wedding. “ Uvalde, March 25: A wedding of interest to a large number of friends throughout southwest and West Texas was that of Frank Taylor Kincaid, wealthy hotel owner and cattleman of this city, and Miss Mary West which was solemnized at Brackettville Sunday. The bride is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George W. West who resides on the West ranch south of this city in Zavala County. Mr. and Mrs. Kincaid are popular members of Uvalde society and have a host of friends throughout this section of the state. They left shortly after the ceremony for Houston and other points and upon their return will make their home here (Uvalde).”

Sounds quite exciting and lovely, doesn’t it. But here is the back story. The Waco

Tribune-Herald of April 7, 1929 reported, “A temporary injunction restraining Mrs. Mary West Kincaid from instituting wife-desertion proceedings against her husband, Frank Kincaid, and from purchasing goods in San Antonio and having them charged to her husband, was received Saturday from Brackettville by Sheriff Alfonso Newton Jr.”

The Abilene Daily Reporter of April 16, 1929 reported, “The marriage of Miss Mary West of San Antonio and Frank T. Kincaid, a wealthy ranchman, in Del Rio a month ago, which resulted in an injunction suit and allegations that Kincaid was inveigled into the wedding, has been annulled in district court here (Brackettville). Miss West had been sought in vain by officers who had an injunction writ to serve enjoining her from bringing desertion charges against Kincaid and from charging goods to his account. Kincaid also filed a suit for annulment in Brackettville alleging that he was intoxicated when the ceremony was performed and that he did not know what he was doing. Miss West had driven him to Villa Acuna, plied him with whiskey and later drove to Del Rio where they spent the night and were married by a minister the next day, he alleged. The injunction was issued in an annulment suit filed in the district court of Kinney county by Kincaid, wealthy rancher, who alleged that he was induced to marry the defendant while in a state of intoxication and that he left her as soon as he recovered his mental faculties.”

Mary once again returned to her parents’ home and lived there with her daughter Mary Nan until Mary Nan reached the age of 17 and began to attend college. There is more to the story of Mary West but it will be continued next week.