HELENA, TEXAS The Toughest Town on Earth

by Barry Harrin

  As you can observe in these original newspaper advertisements from 1854 and 1856 Helena’s commercial activities were expanding at a rapid pace … way before the American Civil War.

  Unlike Lewis Owings, Thomas Ruckman had fallen in love with Helena and was laying down his permanent roots in his town. Shortly after marrying Miss Jeanie Long, Ruckman met an itinerant brick maker from Kentucky in the spring of 1856. The brick maker determined that the soil on the banks of the San Antonio River would make high quality bricks based on the correct proportion of sand to clay.

  The two men came to the following arrangement:

  Ruckman would build a kiln and a hand mill along the river, while the brick maker would provide the building materials for Ruckman’s new home.

  Ruckman’s new galleried, two-story, brick and cottonwood home built along the San Antonio River in 1857 required about 90,000 of these new bricks. Ruckman’s double-walled house was a copy of Ashley Hall at Princeton University.

  Ruckman was a natural entrepreneur. Within six months, he created a work force of twenty Polanders (Poles), hired from nearby Panna Maria and they turned out some 300,000 bricks from the Ruckman kiln.

  Ruckman also built a large gristmill for mealing corn. He quickly determined that the cost of pine lumber imported from Florida was impeding the growth of Helena. To solve this problem Ruckman built a sawmill along the San Antonio River, using sawed lumber cut from native trees along the river. This dramatically lowered building costs as his local lumber was much cheaper than the imported Florida pine.88

  Ruckman’s new businesses provided most of the brick and lumber used to build most of the stores, homes, ranches, and fences in early Helena.

  Thomas Ruckman enlarged his general store as ranchers and farmers in the area became regular customers. Ruckman was involved in every aspect of Helena’s rapid growth. In addition to being its founder, he was a prominent merchant, banker, Postmaster and later became both the principal and a teacher at the Helena Academy.89

  Ruckman invited his younger brother John, and his three sisters, Rachel, Rebecca, and Lizzie, to move from Pennsylvania to live with him. His younger brother, John, moved to Karnes County in 1857, and rapidly became a prominent citizen, merchant, rancher, farmer, banker and eventually Postmaster.90

  Well, we have talked quite a bit about the men of South Texas. However, what was life like for the average young woman … before the Civil War and the women’s liberation movement? Here is a fascinating view of the kind of advice provided to “Well-bred” women in those early times in South Texas? This is an actual advice column for woman from the Indianola Texas Courier newspaper in 1859.

  INDIANOLA [TX] COURIER, July 30, 1859, p. 4, c. 1

  Plain Hints on Personal Behavior.—A well-bred lady is always known by her perfect ease and tranquility of her manners. These points are to be carefully cultivated. Acquire, if possible, an easy confidence in speaking, so as never to appear abashed or confused, taking care, however, not to fall into the opposite error of forwardness or presumption. Persons moving in the highest circles of society, seldom, or never allow themselves to appear disturbed or vexed, whatever occurs to annoy them. Perhaps there may be an affectation of indifference in this; still, their conduct is worth admiring, for everything like fidgetiness or boisterousness of manner is disagreeable to all who witness it.

  Everything like the following will, of course, be carefully avoided by a real lady, in her personal behavior. Loose and harsh speaking; making noises in eating or drinking; leaning awkwardly when sitting; rattling with knives and forks at the table; starting up suddenly, and going unceremoniously out of the room; tossing anything from you with affected contempt or indifference; taking anything without thanking the giver; standing in the way when there is merely room to pass; going before any one who is looking at a picture or any other object; pushing against any one without asking pardon for the unintentional rudeness; taking possession of a seat in a coach, or place of public meeting, which you are informed belongs to another; intruding your opinions where they are not wanted, or where they would offence [sic]; leaving acquaintances in the street, or a private company, without bidding them good-bye, or at least making a bow to express a kindly farewell; slapping any one familiarly on the arm; interrupting any one in conversation with you; telling long and tiresome stories; whispering in company; making remarks on the dress of those about you, or upon things in the room; flatly contradicting any one instead of saying, ‘I rather think it is otherwise,’ ‘I am afraid you are mistaken,’ &c.; acquiring a habit of saying, ‘says she,’ ‘says he,’ ‘you know,’ ‘you understand,’ &c.

  Here is another opportunity for you to actually picture what lifestyles were really like and what people actually thought and felt in early Helena. This is an actual interview with one of the very early inhabitants of old Helena, Lyman Russell son of Charles A. Russell the first Karnes County surveyor, provided the following testament:

  “The town of Helena was laid off in 1852 by ‘Doc’ Owings as to the southwest part, and Elyah Spencer for the northwest part.” The new town was in Goliad County and Charles A. Russell, my father, county surveyor of that county did the surveying and plotting. The town was called Helena after Mrs. Owings whose name was Helen. We moved to the new town in January, 1853 and first lived in a log house. Later we built a homestead of sawed oak with a cotton wood floor, all from the Ruckman sawmill.

  Owings and Ruckman were associated together in the mercantile business in an original building of adobe facing on the public square where later the courthouse was built. This was on Goliad Street.

  Helena was on the main traveled road between old Goliad and San Antonio, the famous old Mexican “Cart Trail. Doc Owings left Karnes County in 1858 to take the governorship of Arizona under appointment of President Buchanan.

  Other pioneers I recall were Odell who kept an adobe tavern, and had a big sign, : The Traveller’s Home.” It was swinging out over the Goliad road just where you cross the little bridge now out from Helena going to Runge.

  There was Thomas Ruckman a Princeton Graduate, and my earliest ideal of all that a man should be; a gray old Frenchman whom we children called “Uncle Mishy’’; Gordon Case the first man to make sorghum molasses in Karnes County; Helena’s mayor, C.C. Cotton, who was father of Mrs. Al Mayfield and of Mrs. Lockhart; N. Hess Jones, a lawyer from Gonzales who was the first head of the Helena Massonic Lodge, Oliva Reed Smith, the blacksmith, also the town fiddler for dances.

  Jim Garner who when only fifteen years of age killed W.H. Bateman on Christmas Eve 1856; Charles Talor who killed Yach Polk and among many others William Dial, a Texas Ranger who when we moved to Helena, had two big turkeys hung up outside the door, and had a big new coffee boiler, and a tin bucket both full of honey inside for us.91

  Chapter 12: The Cortina Wars

  Juan Cortina was one of the most dangerous men in South Texas and the Mexican border region. He had a significant impact on Texas history affecting its citizens including those in Helena and Karnes County. To Mexicans on both sides of the border he was a combination Tejano Robin Hood and a symbol of military resistance to Anglo racism. To the Anglos in Texas he was a dangerous killer and a savage animal.

  Cortina was born in Mexico just south of the Rio Grande River to a wealthy cattle ranching family. Sometime in the 1840’s he moved north of the Rio Grande into territory claimed by both Mexico and Texas92

  During the Mexican war he served as part of an irregular cavalry unit during the battles of Resaca de la Palma and Palo Alto under General Mariano Arista of the Tamaulipas Brigade. After the war he returned to the north bank of river where he was indicted twice by a Cameron County grand jury for stealing cattle. Cortina had little fear of going in public as his political influence among Mexicans insured he would not be arrested.93

  By the late 1850’s after the United States had annexed all lands north of the Rio Grande, Cortina had become an important political boss for the South Texas Democratic Party
. Although the United States had invalidated many of his land claims, he still remained a large rancher. Cortina hated an elite group of Anglo judges and attorneys in Brownsville. He accused them of stealing land from Mexican Texans using the American judicial system … to make it legal. He became a hero and leader to many of the poorer Mexicans who lived along the banks of the river.

  The event that radicalized Juan Cortina took place on July 13, 1859 in Brownsville, Texas. It began when he witnessed an Anglo city marshal pistol-whipping one of his former family employees. Outraged, Cortina demanded that the marshal stop beating the Mexican and when the marshal refused, Cortina shot him in the shoulder, took his former servant up onto his horse and fled with him to safety94 With this classic blow struck for Mexicans, the Cortina legend and his career as an outlaw had begun.

  Just two months later, on September 28 Cortina led an armed force back into Brownsville. After taking control of the city he released Mexicans whom he felt had been unfairly imprisoned and executed four Anglos who had killed Mexicans, but hadn’t been punished.

  Cortina proclaimed the Republic of the Rio Grande as his followers raised the Mexican flag and shouted, “Death to the gringos!” But Cortina did not pillage or terrorize the city. Instead, he soon withdrew to a nearby ranch where he issued a proclamation invoking the “sacred right of self-preservation” and condemning the fact that so many were “prosecut[ed] and rob[bed] for no other cause than that of being of Mexican origin.”95

  The six months following the Brownsville raid were called “Cortina’s War.” The Texas Rangers struck back furiously, often indiscriminately punishing any Hispanic in the south Rio Grande Valley. Cortina, who soon had five or six hundred armed men under his command, resumed his raids when the Rangers executed one of his lieutenants in Brownsville. The Mexican government, fearing that Cortina’s actions would embroil them in another war with the United States, sent a joint Mexican-Anglo force against Cortina, which he quickly defeated.

  Here is a sensationalized newspaper article showing the depth of anguish and concern in the Anglo community of Texas. Pay particular attention to one of the participants, Karnes County Sheriff John Littleton from Helena, as you will be seeing him again soon.

  THE RANCHERO [Corpus Christi, TX], December 3, 1859, p. 2, c. 2 from our Extra of the 30th.

  Cortina Still Triumphant!

  Four Americans Murdered, and

  their Bodies Mutilated.

  Latest from Brownsville!!

  Corpus Christi, Texas, Nov. 30, ‘59.

  Mr. Mat Nolan, Sheriff of Nueces county, has just arrived from Brownsville, this Wednesday evening, 30th of November, having left that city on Sunday last at noon.

  He reports, that on Sunday, the 20th of November, a detachment of 30 men of Tobin’s command had a fight with a part of Cortina’s men on the Palo Alto Prairie, where McCay, Dr. Mallett, Greer of San Antonio, and Fox of Live Oak, were killed, Lieut. Littleton, Sheriff of Karnes county, severely, though not mortally wounded, and several other men more or less slightly wounded.

  On Monday, the 21st November, he (Mr. Nolan) assisted at the burial of the slain Americans, and found their bodies dismembered in a most disgusting and horrible manner.

  On Tuesday, the 22d November, under command of Capt. Tobin, 200 volunteers sallied out from Brownsville in search of Cortina. Their advance guard of some 20 men, under command of Lieut. Pugh, came on the enemy, about nine miles from Brownsville, at about noon, and found them in position, strongly entrenched and fortified. From their fortifications a most galling fire of round shot, grape and canister was opened upon the advance party, and an overwhelming force of the enemy at the same time approaching them on the flanks, they were driven in, and falling back upon the main body of Americans, hotly pressed by Cortina and his followers, retreat became general.

  On Wednesday, the 23d of Nov., Capt. Tobin with 250 men, dismounted, and having with them a 24 Pound Howitzer, again sallied out to attack Cortina at his fortified camp, but after a careful reconnoissance of the approaches and position, it was deemed necessary to withdraw without making the contemplated attack.

  Fifty Regular U. S. Troops were in the Barracks at Brownsville, but did not join the volunteers or participate in any of the skirmishes.

  Six American prisoners, in the hands of Cortina, at the time of the hanging of Cabrara, had been killed in “retaliation.”

  The Mexican flag is flying above Cortina’s fortress. His scouts were seen at various places as far out as 45 miles from the city of Brownsville.

  The forces or strength of Cortina have not been overestimated, nor the condition of affairs in Brownsville, or the hardships undergone by hits inhabitants since Sept. last, been exaggerated or overrated.

  Some wealthy and connected Mexican residents of Texas opposed Cortina and quietly aided his opponents. However the bulk of the Tejano population supported him, often sending his troops supplies and refusing to help U.S. officials. But this support proved to be no match for the U.S. Army which dealt Cortina a sharp defeat in Rio Grande City on December 27, 1859.96

  Sporadic raiding and fighting continued for several months. Observers reported settlements deserted, property destroyed and normal business activities cancelled along the 100-mile stretch of the border from Brownsville to Rio Grande City.

  Forced to dissolve his army and retreat to Mexico, Cortina continued his military activities there, fighting with Benito Juarez and other Mexican nationalists against French intervention in the 1860s and aiding Union partisans in Texas during the American Civil War. In 1863 he was made a general in the Mexican Army and later became the acting governor of Tamaupilas. In 1876 Mexican dictator Porfirio Diaz imprisoned Cortina in Mexico City where he was held until 1890. He died in Tamaupilas in 1892.97

  Chapter 13: The First Outlaws

  Living on the edge of civilization your personal security and the protection of your livestock and property was primarily in your hands. At that time frontier justice in Karnes County was quick and summary. For example, it is reported that late one evening five men charged with horse- stealing were placed in jail. The next morning when the sheriff arrived … they were found hanging from the limbs of the two live oak trees outside the jail. A man might get away with murder in Helena or Karnes County but he better not try horse stealing.98

  Violence was a way of life in old Helena and the toxic combination of alcohol and a dispute could have a fatal result for one or both of its participants. Below you will find an old newspaper article of one such example in old Helena.

  THE RANCHERO [Corpus Christi, TX], August 11, 1860, p. 2, c. 4

  Melancholy Affair.—We regret to learn that a serious affray occurred on Wednesday, at Helena, Karnes county, between Capt. John Littleton and John Rabb. According to our information Rabb fired the first shot from behind Littleton, striking him on the side, the ball striking the temple, and glancing, scalped the forehead which stunned him so that he did not repeat his fire. Littleton fired two more shots—the first passed through the cheeks, and the last through the body of his antagonist. Littleton’s shots having been expended, it is said some unknown person fired at Rabb, the ball striking him in the body. Strange to say, Rabb did not fall, and was still alive when our informant left Helena, though in a very precarious condition. Capt. Littleton, though very seriously wounded, was not considered in any great danger.

  The difficulty, it is supposed, grew out of an old feud.—Goliad Messenger.

  Things were always tough and dangerous in Helena, especially for its lawmen. Even in the time of the earliest Karnes County Sheriff’s, such as S. Boutwel, there were revealing comments made about the sheriff’s job “which from all reports was a position that required either a man of Viking boldness or one of suicidal tendencies, for it is said that few, if any, in these wild days, ever survived his term of office.”99

  Clearly, as the troubles increased Helena needed a way to restrain the bad guys. The first jail in town was a wooden structure in the northwest co
rner of courthouse square.100 It apparently lacked bars and cells. Locals recalled that the sheriff would take his prisoner to a blacksmith shop, fit him with shackles, than chain the jailbird to some immovable object within the building.

  In addition to random violence, there was always the possibility of running into one of the many outlaws and desperados in Helena and South Texas that could reduce your lifespan in the blink of an eye.

  One of the most colorful outlaws and desperados to ever ride through Helena, South Texas and the old west between the 1840’s through the 1860’s was feared by men, women and even children.

  This legendary figure in Texas history spoke Spanish like a native, was an expert roper, horse trader, freighter, Indian fighter, a first class cusser and a lover. Surprisingly, the name of this feared, desperado was Sally Skull.

  Sally Skull was a dead shot with a pair of cap-and-ball pistols that were strapped to her waist. She rode with and bossed a tough gang of Mexican vaqueros (cowboys), roped and rode as well as any man. She could pick flowers with her black snake whip or leave a scar on any man who crossed her. She could out shoot most men with her rifle and kept her bowie knife sharp and ready.