December 1, 1901
On this day the Lone Star State’s legendary cattleman, William R. Curtis, was wounded in a freak accident that eventually took his life.
It happened on a train bound for Amarillo, when Curtis bumped in to another passenger on the way to the dining car. The man’s gun fell to the floor and discharged, striking Curtis. He was rushed to Fort Worth for treatment but Curtis died days later at the age of 56.
Curtis, owner of the Blue Diamond, one of the West’s premier ranches, was the quintessential Texas success story. Believed to be born in 1845 in Jacksboro, he grew up an orphan and learned the cattle business from 
the ground up. He was fortunate enough to have some of the best teachers. He worked for another Texas legend “Boze” Ikard, (right) trusted trail boss for Oliver Loving of Goodnight-Loving Trail fame and one of the country’s first black ranchers. Curtis drove herds south to Louisiana and north to Kansas along the Chisholm Trail.
Partnering with his younger brother, Jim, in 1870 he purchased the small Diamond Tail herd from Mose Dameron. One the state’s early settlers, Dameron was sheriff in Jack County and one of the first area’s first cattlemen.
Fort Reno, circa 1880s
The two brothers acquired a lucrative contract to sell beef to Okalahoma’s Fort Reno and Fort Sill but faced financial hardship when the contracts expired. The pair then moved their operation to Cambridge, Texas, a burgeoning frontier town at the time. But five years later, believing Henrietta was a better bet, both the Fort Worth and Denver Railway and Missouri, Kansas and Texas (KATY) Railroad bypassed Cambridge.
Yet another setback and perhaps an eerie preview, William’s brother was accidentally shot and killed, reportedly in 1878 or 1881. The same fate would end William’s life two decades later.
Enlisting the help of Thomas J. Atkinson, from another family of early Texans, the new partners eventually expanded their operations and moved their headquarters to Hollingsworth County.
But by the 1880s buyers from the British Isles were gobbling up western ranch land. George Loving, youngest son of Oliver Loving, (left) offered to broker a $1.2 million sale of the Diamond Tail to a Scottish investor. Valued at perhaps as much as $200 million today, the deal would enrich Loving’s own coffers by $100,000. Before the transaction was completed,however, Curtis was indicted for shooting a Henrietta, Texas, attorney. Claiming self-defense, he was acquitted but skittish Scotsman rescinded his offer.
A second buyer came along some time after the Scot but was rejected by Curtis. It left the Diamond Tail in the hands of the two partners and their heirs until the early 20th century.
It was en route to a business meeting in Memphis, Texas with fellow cattleman W. H. Harrell, that Curtis was tragically killed. He was rushed to Fort Worth for treatment but died days later at the age of 56.
A close friend of the rancher, president of the Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad, provided a special train to bring his remains back to his home in Henrietta for burial. Known for his generosity as well as his ranching savvy, Curtis was interred at Hope Cemetery there his date of death listed as just two days before Christmas, December 23.
The Alice Victoria Ghormley Curtis House
Curtis was survived by his wife, Alice. The Alice Victoria Ghormley Curtis House in Amarillo is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1906 and 1907, she remained in the house at 1626 South Washington Street, until her death in 1923.
The Diamond Tail was eventually sold to John M. Browder, another long time Texas cattleman and was split among his children following his death in 1948. The heirs continued to use the famous brand until the 1970s.
The Cattle Raisers Museum is located at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, 1600 Gendy Street in Fort Worth is in the hear of the city’s Cultural District. Exhibits on the museum’s second floor are dedicated to the history of the cattle business from its roots in Spanish settlement to the colorful drover period to modern technologies in ranching.
As part of the Will Rogers Memorial Complex, the museum is near the Kimbell Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and the Botanical Research Institute. Admission is $16 for adults and $13 for children and youth, 2 to 18. Hours are 10 to 5, Tuesday through Saturday noon to 5 Sunday. Closed on Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. For more information go to cattleraisersmuseum. Call (817) 332-855 or write Fort Work Museum of Science and History, 1600 Gendy Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76107.
© Text Only – 2019 – Headin’ West LLC – All photos – public domain or fair use.
Head On West strives for historic accuracy and uses a number of sources considered reliable. When research differs on significant facts, the various points of view will be cited.