----- Original Message ----- From: "MaryK Croft" <marykcroft@msn.com> To: <txredriv@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 6:28 PM Subject: Re: [TXREDRIV] Becknell Marker > > ...A paper? This means there's a story, right? Yes, Mary K, there is a story. Captain Becknell was the father of the Sante Fe Trail and was an officer in the Texas Revolution. He received a land grant from Texas and lived the later part of his life in Red River County. Not much has been written about him, and some of it is wrong. He was buried in an unmarked grave on this land and forgotten for many years. The cemetery was neglected and abused for many years. There are only 3 other markers left, one is one of Becknell's grandchildren and two are McGuires. Then in the 1950s the State of Texas decided to put a marker at his gravesite and that is what we are talking about. I have done some research. I was interested in this mostly because I was born on Becknall land, as was my mother. I don't know if you remember a movie about Davy Crockett in the 1950s and the Davy Crockett fad that followed. That is when I first heard about him. My grandfather showed me the approximate location of the Becknall house, where Crockett is said to have spent the night. I don't know if anybody has proof of this, but it makes a good story. Cynthia