Another Brushy Bill on the Buffalo River

[MissyS]

There’s a Brushy Bill mentioned in a book called Cimarron Chronicles: Saga of the Open Range by Carrie W. Schmoker Anshutz. A book that is about a pioneer family’s experience  from 1879 to 1935 and of Southwest Kansas and Northwest Oklahoma prior and during settlement. In a paragraph page 118, interestingly there’s  a short mention of the name Brushy Bill. The page topic was about road ranches used like outposts along the trail lines, and how men who had a duty to inspect herds coming through at these stops and the thriving business some of them did by selling tobacco and liquor to cattlemen and travelers along the trail. Further south on the Buffalo River a man with uncombed hair and whiskers nick named Brushy Bill had such a place. I don’t know the exact date or where exactly this would have been? Reading the chapter I believe it could have been more likely closer to 1879 since the page was discussing events during that time before mentioning Brushy Bill, but I’m wondering if this could have been later? The Buffalo River originates in the Boston Mountains of the Ozark Plateau, winding from west to east, the river traverses Newton, Searcy, and the Marion Counties before flowing into the White River just inside the border of Baxter County Arkansas, so somewhere south on this river this Brushy Bill’s stop was located. It doesn’t sound like Brushy Bill Roberts description with the unkempt hair though so it was more likely another Brushy Bill. Even though I haven’t ever came across another Brushy Bill before, that nickname probably wasn’t that unique by men back in the day. 

[MissyS]

I was reading in the Lost Interviews book, Brushy stated in 1888 that he joined Pinkerton Detective Agency and in the fall he also joined the Anti Horse Thief Association, and he stated that him and others in the association rode up the Ozark Trail in Missouri investigating many cases of counter-branding before quitting. Also Brushy said he worked in the Ozark Mountains to pick up gangs of thieves operating around the spring for Judge Parker, and it took four years to break them up. On page 128. Brushy talks about meeting and marrying Mollie Brown in 1912 and that he had a little ranch in Arkansas near Oklahoma. The trail line road ranches described in the Cimarron Chronicles book sounds like some of the duties involved was much like what the responsibility Brushy had doing by inspecting and looking out for counter-branding. It would make sense if Brushy was working for an Anti Horse Thief Association to be stationed at one of these road ranches along the trail lines watching and inspecting for horse and cattle thieves when they came through to the stop. The book Cimarron Chronicles: Saga of the Open Range mentions a man named Brushy Bill that had such a place, although the description of the unkempt hair doesn’t describe Brushy Bill Roberts that much, I’m wondering if these were in fact two different Brushy Bill’s or if it could have been one in the same Brushy Bill? 

[WhisperingBillyBarlow]

The word "Cimarron" reminded me of the Doolin Gang and the Dunn Brothers. I've always wondered aloud whether Caroline Dunn's family were related to these Dunn Brothers whose sister was the "Rose of Cimarron."