Double B Ranch - Texas Historical Marker Dedication Ceremony

After a couple years of research and working with both the Kimble County and Texas Historical Commissions, on May 4, 2024 we finally had the dedication ceremony for the Texas Historical Marker honoring the Cobb Ranch House. I've come to love the old house after buying it back in 2019, but it means even more to some of the Cobb family as is holds with it the memories of their childhood and a more simple time. So I was honored to have the three surviving grandchildren of the pioneer family who built the home attend, along with about 40 other relatives and friends. It was a special day I will cherish for my lifetime.

It all started a couple weeks earlier when the guys from the county showed up to install the marker

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #1 - Putting the marker in the ground

There it is!
It's in the ground - It's real!

Connie Sue and her helper from the Kimble County Museum give their final approval

Whoop - there it is!!

I was a bit nervous on the day of the ceremony. Unless I really know the material, I'm not comfortable speaking to large crowds. So I spent the night before trying to think of what to say. I was also asked to read the marker inscription, and I wish I'd printed it out because I struggled to read it off my phone. Anyway, you can watch all that in the videos below. But first, here is the article that was published in the Junction Eagle newspaper.

Pretty cool - I'm famous!

I owe a great deal of thanks to these fine folks.
The beautiful lady on the left is Johnnie Reynolds Tatum. She lived in the house for the first six years of her life, from 1935 to 1941.
She was a huge help with the research, and provided personal anecdotes from "back in the day"
Next to her is her cousin "Poosky" also known as Clarence Cobb. He wrote a book about the Cobb family, and was kind enough to share a copy.
Scroll down below to see more history from the ranch

Speaking of beautiful ladies, this is Kim Cobb Mancure with her father Joe.
Joe Cobb is the oldest of three surviving grandchildren from the pioneer family who built the house.

We finish setting up while folks are rolling in

Connie Sue from the Kimble County Museum kicked off the ceremony

As you can see, we were worried about the weather, but it all worked out in the end

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #2 - Connie Sue kicks off the ceremony

After Connie got the crowd warmed up, it was my turn to speak.

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #3 - My dedication ceremony speech

After I'd finished my butchered reading of the marker, Clarence Cobb had a few words prepared

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #4 - Clarence Cobb gives some more history and thanks

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #5 - Clarence Cobb (part 2)

MORE HISTORY

While putting this page together I came across some really cool old pictures and scans of Johnnie's book, and I thought this would be as good a place as any to go ahead and post them

Let's start here. This is a (colorized) image of Ollie and Irene Cobb who moved to Kimble County in 1898.
They purchased their ranch in 1907, and in 1915 they built the Cobb Ranch House where they lived and worked with their TEN kids!
After Ollie and Irene passed, most of the 10 kids moved away, while twins Ben and Bernice and other family remained in the house.
During World War II, Ben was enlisted, and Bernice, not wanting to be alone, worked for another family.
After the war Ben moved back home to live with his sister.
Ben passed away in 1987, and Bernice continued to live in the house until 2001 when she went into as nursing home and passed in 2003.

Here's another colorized photo taken sometime around 1940 of Johnnie playing dolls with her Uncle Ben and friend Tommy Haas

The story behind this picture is amazing
When I bought the house, there was a box of old photo's and postcards. For the most part, I had no idea who they were - including the picture above.
I had scanned them, and while researching the history for the marker had found Johnnie on facebook.
When I showed her and asked if she knew any of these folks - this was her reply:

Oh my goodness! I see the picture you posted, I had never seen it before and am fighting tears!
That is my mother and daddy, my husband, Gus, me holding baby Cappy, son, Corby in front of his grand parents. Would it be possible to get a copy of it for us? This is priceless!
The year the picture was taken would have been Easter 1961.
Cappy was born May6th, 1960. Cappy and I are wearing our new Easter dresses so that is how I knew exactly when it was taken!

When twins Ben and Bernice lived in the house

Ben and Bernice sometime in the late 50's or early 60's

Article about Ben and Bernice from the Junction Eagle published in 1980

And finally, I'd like to post a few pages that I scanned from Johnnie's book where she talks about her early years on the ranch. She's such an eloquent writer, and the pictures she included are priceless. As I've said, she helped me a TON with the research for the historical marker, and providing stories like the ones below help make the old ranch house feel like it's filled with love.

That's all folks! Y'all come back and see us sometime!