An internet friend sent this post about the Prince's in Vernon, I need help with some items mentioned... The Wilbarger County history book, printed in 1986 shows a family history as listed below: Remember, all reference to present day in the story refers to 1986. In 1887 the Jonathan Erwin and Mary Eddie Prince family moved from Waxahachie Texas, to Vernon with their five children: 1. Albert, 2. Robert Pierce (Doc), 3. (L. J., or Jack) Little John (real name, I have his actual driver's license,) 4. Alamae and 5. Nendee. 6. Burton, an older son, remained in Waxahachie. Marguerite, Ruth and Hope Miller Prince were born at the home place in Vernon. This was a five acre tract in the 2500 blk of West Wilbarger. Mr. Prince also bought a section of farm land one mile east of Harrold, Texas. Both of these parcels are still owned by the Prince family. (Both have been sold by G. E. McKenzie and Prince heirs.) In 1903, Mr. J. E. Prince hauled the lumber from the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad at Harrold, TX., to build the first hotel in Frederick, Oklahoma., for the "running of the Cherokee Strip." (Wondering what this was all about, and what or where was the hotel actually located?) Teddy Roosevelt and company stayed at the Prince Hotel on his famous wolf hunt. While in Frederick, OK, Alamae met and married Dr. Walter W. Cox, and Nendee married Thomas Frederick McKenzie. During this period, Doc, the eldest son, operated the farm at Harrold. In a few years the family returned to Vernon. When oil was discovered at Electra in 1910, R.P. (Doc) went to work on the cable tool drilling rigs in the area. He heard about rotary drilling rigs being developed at Beaumont, Texas, and being used on the Gulf Coast, Texas. In the fall of 1911 Mr. Prince, his son Doc and (son-in-law) Frederick McKenzie went to Beaumont, TX., and bought a rotary rig and brought it to the Electra oil fields. >From this early beginning the Prince Bros. Drilling and Production Company evolved at Electra, TX. The company is still actively engaged in the oil business. L. J. (Jack) Prince was the president and general manager, until his death in 1976. (Now closed, what happened to the land holdings of bank and theatre buildings?) Note: (Jack Chaffee, of Vernon, was the attorney for the Prince Bros. Drilling Co., and he apparently managed to manuever some assets for himself...including a gold plated rifle that was willed to Hope Miller Prince by his brother, but was found to have supposedly been "given" to Mr. Chaffee, when Jack Prince died. Would like to have this back in the Prince family, if it can be located.) Mr. Jonathan Erwin Prince. Jr., was born in 1850 in Waxahachie, Texas, and recorded as the first white child born in Ellis county. (supposed to be a plaque in the old courthouse, need information of what happened to the plaque when the new courthouse was built?) He was engaged in the farm implement and hardware business with his father. Mr. Prince was married at Palestine,Texas, in 1873 to Miss Mary Eddie Burton, the daughter of Rev. E. R. Burton and Margaret Duval Burton, who were pioneer Texans from Bowling Green, Ky. (but they were Married in Carrollton Co., MS in 1844...?) Mr. Prince died in 1923 and Mrs. Prince in 1948. (Both are buried in the family plot in Vernon, Wilbarger Co., TX.). The last remaining child, Mrs. Marguerite Underwood died in January 1985. (in a Wichita Falls nursing home, were she was put by George E. McKenzie, and naturally, she was allowed to change her final Will while there, favoring guess who...copy needed for the book I am writing, can't wait to see the signature). Mr and Mrs. Prince were actively engaged in the early-day Methodist church in Vernon. As my mother (Nendee Prince McKenzie) passed away in 1913, I was reared in Vernon by my grandmother, Mary "Eddie" Prince, (her 1st given name at birth was Lucretia, but was reported to have been legally changed to Edward, after her father died around 1850. I need help proving this...) and Mrs. Marguerite Prince Underwood, and graduated from Vernon High School in 1929. Their other surviving grandchildren are Ralph Prince of Longview, TX, (where he was District Attorney, now deceased), Vera Prince of Honolulu (no children born, and no info on her at all...need help), Helen McKenzie Casey of Los Angeles, Howard Miller Prince (died 07 Jan 1990, buried in Ponchatoula, LA City Cemetery), Elizabeth Prince Jones, of Sherman, TX, and Jack Erwin Prince of Meintz, Germany, (died 1989, cremated). (This article was written by George Erwin McKenzie). Any assistance with proof or corrections to this information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Marguerite Prince Songy (granddaughter of Hope Miller Prince)