Judge Roy Bean

[Shotgun Steve]

Judge Roy Bean Legendary frontier Judge Roy Bean (1825-1903), the self appointed " law west of the pecos River", was born in Mason County, Kentucky. After a series of sometimes lawless adventures around the county, he settled in Texas, named himself justice of the peace and opened a court in his saloon, the Jersey Lily. "Justice" was doled out with a law book and a six-shooter.

[Pancho Peacemaker]

This is at Tin Star Ranch:  A cowboy shooting facility near Fredericksberg, Texas

[Shotgun Franklin]

Bean actually was a Justice of the Peace. Rangers working the area west of the Pecos River needed a way of disposing of minor cases without having to drag a prisoner all the way to Del Rio. Bean's justice was rough but it was a rough time and place.
Many stories reortedly about Bean wre really based on Judge Robert 'Three Legged Willie' Williamson. It's worth reading up on both of these 'Men of Their Time'.

[DarbyFett]

My Dad and I stopped out there on our way to Big Bend. Great museum, small, but they have quite a few of his personal effects. And of course they Jersey Lilly and his House/Opera House

Yours truly sidling up to the bar


My dad taking a sit on the stairs

[Dr. Bob]

Kewel!!

[Pancho Peacemaker]

Rangers working the area west of the Pecos River needed a way of disposing of minor cases without having to drag a prisoner all the way to Del Rio. Bean's justice was rough but it was a rough time and place.

Not much has changed for the area around Del Rio . . . still a rough area.  Really sad too.  That SW part of Texas is a very pretty area.  Ciudad Acuna (across the river from Del Rio) used to be one of the nicest and cleanest border towns to visit.  Drug cartels have turned the town into a shooting gallery.

Pancho

[WaddWatsonEllis]

One of my favorite cowboy movies ever is  The Wonderful Country, about both sides of the border in this region.

Some consider it one of Robert Mitchum's best performances, with Julie London playing against him.

A small role in the movie is carried off very well by Satchel Page, the great black baseball pitcher. In the movie, he plays a senior NCO in a Buffalo Soldier batallion.

The person doing all the photography had an obvious love affair going with the Sonoran Desert ....

Even 'tho' I have traveled through there 'way too many times, and never want to see a ghila monster, rattlesnake, scorpion or tarantula ever again, every time I watch this movie I find myself thinking 'Well, maybe once more...then I come to my senses after the movie is over  .... LOL

BTW, The Wonderful Country is out of print, but the Western Channel (#529 on the left coast) on Direct TV is playing it .... so here his a chance to record it or have a friend record it ....