The Barrow Ranch

Solomon and his wife, Betsy, became estranged after he killed her pre-teen brother, Phillip Winfree over a dispute regarding ownership of a hog. Young Phillip questioned Solomon regarding the ownership of the hog he was processing in the pot.  Sharp words were exchanged with Solomon shooting the boy when he proceeded to the lid of the pot after being told not to.  Although she never spoke to him, after the killing, she went on to bear him five more children. He died an untimely early death at the hands of his mulatto slave girl, whom he favored and had promised freedom upon his death. She prepared a meal for him laced with poison. Solomon quickly realized this when he watched the pet raccoon, he had fed a portion to, die. Solomon quickly called his physician, but the doctor could do nothing to save him, Solomon died two days later.

Benjamin married Permelia Jane White, daughter of James Taylor White and Sarah Cade, and settled at Turtle Bayou. He, like his brothers, was a prosperous farmer and rancher. Family tradition records that Ben was riding the prairie between Turtle Bayou and Anahuac in 1830, when he was 22 years of age. The weather was stormy and the hour late, so he stopped at James Taylor White's home for a respite from the elements. While there he met their 10-year-old daughter, Permelia and fell in love at the first sight of her.

He determined in his heart to wait until she reached an appropriate age and then marry her, which he did when she turned 15. Ben was ranked among the wealthy cattle ranchers of the day. Permelia and Ben had nine children together. She died of pneumonia when the youngest of their children was only 9 months old. Ben then married Mary Middleton, who died during the smallpox epidemic of 1877. 

Bud's younger brother, James Taylor Moss, Sr. moved to the area of Orange and had an extensive cattle business there. He also owned the Coney Island Bar on Front Street in Orange. His son, Jim recalls an episode that happened during the lean years.“Prohibition closed his saloon in 1918,” wrote Jim in his book Gems About Jim. “The night before clubs were used to destroy the interior of the saloon and the bottles of liquor. There was much drinking and confusion. One woman, a prohibitionist, was in the sal oon, causing chaos. Sheriff Dick Johnson, being under the influence of alcohol, proceeded to curse the woman. Dad knocked the sheriff down. Dick laying on the floor, shot Dad through the leg. The bullet went in above the knee on the inside of his leg and came out just below the hip on the outside. Dick and Dad were cousins, and Dad was a deputy sheriff. They were very close friends. Dad was rushed by ambulance to Hotel Dieu in Beaumont,” continued Jim. “There was no bridge over the Neches River then, so he had to be ferried across. The next day Dick came to see him and cried like a baby. Dr. Greer informed Dad that he was going to remove his leg. Dad said, ‘You are not cutting my leg off!’ Dr. Greer said, ‘We have to or else you will have gangrene.’ In the argument that ensued Dr. Greer stated he was going to chloroform him and asked Dad how he was going to stop him from doing it. Dad pulled his six-shooter from under the sheet and said, ‘WITH THIS!’ He said, ‘If you take my leg off, I will put a hole right between your eyes!’ (A nurse had put Dad’s gun in a table out of his reach, but during the night someway he got the gun back in his possession.” They did not remove his leg. He recovered but for the rest of his life, he walked in a swinging manner,” concluded Jim.

When Erastus Moss died in 1918, he left several thousand acres to his son, James Taylor Moss, Sr., but J.T.’s wife did not want to move to Chambers County, so he sold it to J. E. Broussard. James Taylor "Jim" Moss, Jr. said of his father, "He had a superb understanding of cattle. He would walk among wild cattle without any disturbance. He could tell when cattle were restless and could even predict stampedes. His ability to judge the weather was amazing. He could predict hurricanes by the orange color of the sky and the strange atmospheric odor. His ability to estimate the weight of a cow on foot was uncanny. It was fun to watch cattle buyers try and get the best of the deal when buying cows from him. He was almost a rope artist. Oftentimes on Sundays he would entertain the grandchildren with rope tricks," concluded Jim. His abilities are a testament to his ranching father, Erastus. 

Archie D. Middleton, raised under the tutelage of his grandfather, Erastus Moss, began riding the range at the age of five and was engaged in ranching and stock raising his entire life. Orphaned at the age of 15 months when his parents died during the smallpox epidemic, his grandfather took him to raise. When he reached maturity, he took over the management of the ranch he had inherited from his father. The Encyclopedia of Texas states, "Archie D. Middleton...is widely known throughout this section as a man whose practical knowledge of stockraising has played an important part in the development of the ranching industry in his locality."

Aside from his cattle, Mr. Middleton's only hobbies, according to his friends, are good horses and blacksmithing in his blacksmith shop on his property. A 1936 Houston Post article reported “Although never to be one to pay an extravagant price for anything, he is reported always to be willing to pay a premium for a horse he took a liking to." His saddle, of course, was always a Harmon, the stamped star on the fender skirt of his saddle being the most obvious identifying Harmon mark. Archie and Charley Harmon, of the Harmon Saddle Shop in Hankamer, were close friends. Mike Turner told me the two buddies made a pact with each other that whoever died first the survivor would bring a bouquet of bitterweed to the other's funeral. Archie died in 1949 and Charley, true to his word, carried a bouquet of bitterweed to his friend's funeral service. 

Archie placed an unusual order with Charley before his death. He had Charley build two saddle trees for his grandsons, Dave and John Middleton. The order specified that the saddles would be finished and delivered when the boys were old enough to use them, and they were. 

After his death, Archie's son Randall Mayes Middleton continued managing the Middleton Ranch, eventually handing it down to his two sons, David Mayes "Dave" Middleton I and John Greg Middleton. The ranch has continued through the years as a profitable enterprise, which today is owned by John's son, David Mayes Middleton II, who goes by Mayes. Caleb Cooper is the foreman of the ranch.  

Archie Middleton remains a testimony to the power of survival. By all rights he should have perished during the smallpox epidemic along with his parents, grandmother, three Middleton aunts, and one Moss uncle, only 1 month older than himself. Unlike his grandfather who had probably been vaccinated during the War Between the States, there was no known protection for him. One can only claim a divine intervention, he was . . .  Destined for Survival!