I'll Gather My Geese

By Hallie Crawford Stillwell

Book Overview

In 1916, Hallie Crawford went to teach school in Presidio, just across the Rio Grande from Ojinaga, Mexico, which had been recently captured by Pancho Villa. Hallie's father, considering this a dangerous place for a young woman of nineteen to live alone, told her he thought she was going on a wild goose chase. "Then I'll gather my geese," she told him, with determination and independence. These traits stayed with Hallie all her life, and were indispensable in her role as a ranch wife. Raised as a "proper" Southern woman, Hallie was not prepared for the difficulties she faced when she moved to her new home, the Stillwell Ranch, in 1918. But she quickly became an invaluable part of the workings on the ranch. She watched and learned from her husband, Roy Stillwell, and she adjusted to the new life-style that she grew to love. The ranch hands, who thought she would only last six months, came to respect her and her abilities to do as much work as any man on the ranch. They became a family. Then Roy and Hallie started a family of their own. Three children were a handful, and the Stillwell family split its time between the ranch and a home in town. On the ranch outside Marathon, near the Mexican border, work was hard and joy came in the simple things. After working cattle all day, relaxing under the arbor in front of the house was a pleasure. Hallie had a favorite rock out behind the house, and she often sat on it to watch the sun set, take a break from her energetic youngsters, or otherwise gain some tranquility and perspective.The ranch and its inhabitants survived two world wars, the depression, droughts, an influenza epidemic, as well as the everyday troubles of ranching in the Big Bend country. Hallie's story, told in a personal and engaging way, is fascinating reading for anyone interested in the history of pioneering ranching in Texas.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0890964785
• ISBN13: 9780890964781
• Release Date: June 1991
• Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 0.93 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.8" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

Legendary West Texas Ranchwoman

Hallie Stillwell's book is a must read for those interested in the history of the Big Bend region of Texas. She is a Texas legend. The book covers the first half of her extraordinary life in the Big Bend. Hallie Stillwell did not have it easy. It was hard to make a living by ranching in the Texas Big Bend and still is. She created a family business and legacy by determination, perseverance, and an eagerness to learn and contribute. Go see the Stillwell Hall of Fame and Museum, south of Marathon and north of the Big Bend National Park.

Enjoyable

I'll Gather my Geese is an interesting look at the life of a woman living in the rugged Big Bend area of Texas. Adventure, hardship and danger could not dim Mrs. Stillwells spirit.

Excellent account of Hallie's life from about 1897-1950s

I met Hallie Stillwell in 1991 in Ft. Davis. I have camped in Big Bend and area, and her book told of her life around there - her early life, the dangers of the area, her marriage to Roy, her children, her ranchlife plus living back and forth from ranch to Marathon. It is an excellent account of Western life at that time - hot, dusty, busy, trying to survive, herding cattle, raising children, enjoying the land. She wrote well. It's easy to read though it jumps around some. She has a second book which I have not been able to locate. She died about the fall of '97, just short of her 100th birthday. Her ranch is still near Big Bend (about 45 miles south of Marathon and 20+ miles above the Rio Grande) and has a trailer park, general store, and an excellent museum.