Frank Hamer: Navasota’s answer to Wild Bill Hickok
by Robin Montgomery
The scene was the hinterland of Louisiana. It was 1934. The Depression raged. People were seeking “something” outside of themselves on which to focus their attention. They found that “something” in the real-life saga of “Bonnie and Clyde”. That morning in 1934 on a lonely road Bonnie and Clyde met their maker, young, in their mid-twenties. They went down under a barrage of fifty rounds of ammunition riddling their bodies.
Why is this story significant to Grimes County? It is because the leader of the group of lawmen who brought the most celebrated outlaw couple in United States history to justice had gained much of his reputation and experience in Navasota, Texas. This man was the famous Frank Hamer. Raised working on Texas ranches, gaining a reputation for heroism in various personal battles, at a very young age Frank Hamer became a Texas Ranger. Though that career lent much spark to his thirst for adventure, by the year 1908 nothing could compare to the wild-west environment luring him to Navasota.
Navasota’s descent into social trauma began at the end of the Civil War when disgruntled soldiers caused a major explosion of ammunition, igniting a terrible fire. Social unrest during the post war reconstruction period led, by the end of the 19thcentury, to a momentous shoot-out on the streets of Anderson. In that drama, Navasota and some its citizens played a key role.
So chaotic were conditions in Navasota in the first decade of the twentieth century that a Marshall called it quits and fled the scene after only a week in the service of the city. Not so Frank Hamer, who followed that
Marshall to reign as king over the streets and saloons from 1908 until 1911. Hamer established his credentials as the ruler of the town when, with his fists, he left the town bully agonizing in pain in a pile of mud.
Hamer’s heroic actions taming one of the most notorious towns in Texas impressed even the young Mance Lipscomb, who would later gain an international reputation as a “songster” setting the stage for Navasota to become the Blues Capital of Texas. It is believed that Lipscomb idolized the lawman, calling him “Hayman”.
After 1911, Navasota evidenced a marked change, becoming a bastion of civilization rather than a base for ruffians on the prowl. A primary reason: Frank Hamer, US Marshall.
Robin Montgomery may be reached at zippoboo@aol.com
The scene was the hinterland of Louisiana. It was 1934. The Depression raged. People were seeking “something” outside of themselves on which to focus their attention. They found that “something” in the real-life saga of “Bonnie and Clyde”. That morning in 1934 on a lonely road Bonnie and Clyde met their maker, young, in their mid-twenties. They went down under a barrage of fifty rounds of ammunition riddling their bodies.
Why is this story significant to Grimes County? It is because the leader of the group of lawmen who brought the most celebrated outlaw couple in United States history to justice had gained much of his reputation and experience in Navasota, Texas. This man was the famous Frank Hamer. Raised working on Texas ranches, gaining a reputation for heroism in various personal battles, at a very young age Frank Hamer became a Texas Ranger. Though that career lent much spark to his thirst for adventure, by the year 1908 nothing could compare to the wild-west environment luring him to Navasota.
Navasota’s descent into social trauma began at the end of the Civil War when disgruntled soldiers caused a major explosion of ammunition, igniting a terrible fire. Social unrest during the post war reconstruction period led, by the end of the 19thcentury, to a momentous shoot-out on the streets of Anderson. In that drama, Navasota and some its citizens played a key role.
So chaotic were conditions in Navasota in the first decade of the twentieth century that a Marshall called it quits and fled the scene after only a week in the service of the city. Not so Frank Hamer, who followed that
Marshall to reign as king over the streets and saloons from 1908 until 1911. Hamer established his credentials as the ruler of the town when, with his fists, he left the town bully agonizing in pain in a pile of mud.
Hamer’s heroic actions taming one of the most notorious towns in Texas impressed even the young Mance Lipscomb, who would later gain an international reputation as a “songster” setting the stage for Navasota to become the Blues Capital of Texas. It is believed that Lipscomb idolized the lawman, calling him “Hayman”.
After 1911, Navasota evidenced a marked change, becoming a bastion of civilization rather than a base for ruffians on the prowl. A primary reason: Frank Hamer, US Marshall.
Robin Montgomery may be reached at zippoboo@aol.com