Big Bend Written by J.O. Langford

“Big Bend” written by J.O. Langford is a true story of a homesteader’s life in the early 1900’s. The story takes place in an isolated section of Texas called Big Bend. Big Bend is now a National Park in Texas on the Rio Grande river. Langford the author is also the homesteader along with his wife Bessie and daughter Lovie. (3) Henry B du Pont of the famous du Pont family was the one who convinced Mr. Langford to tell his story of life in the Big Bend. Mr. du Pont also arranged for Fred Gipson author of of “Old Yeller” to assist Mr. Langford with writing the book. It is strange that du Pont is only mentioned once in the book and we only know he is responsible for the book from the publishers notes, University of Texas Press. There are no bibliography citations, the story is written as if Mr. Langford is telling the story as he recalls it. Similar to a Grand Father telling old hunting stories or experiences in a war. The story line is logical and sequential; it can be sectioned into several time frames. Why go to Big Bend! The trip to Big Bend, the establishment of a homestead, building a business at the spring, the harshness of life on the frontier, leaving the homestead and returning years later.

Mr. Langford is a great story teller, as he leads us though his logic for homesteading in Big Bend. He was in search of a climate that will cure his malaria and chronic indigestion. Langford was born in Mississippi and contacted malaria as a young boy and continued to have relapses. (5) In search of a dryer climate he and his wife, Bessie begin to move west from Mississippi to Dallas Texas. He still had the illness so they moved father west stopping in Midland Texas. The dry climate helped but he was still sick. Still searching for a healthy environment to cure his malaria he made a solo trip to Alpine. While in Alpine he heard stories of hot mineral springs, in Big Bend area that had medicinal healing powers. (6) Desperate he was an easy sale; no matter how hostile Big Bend was. He immediately filed a claim with the county surveyor on a section that had a hot spring on the property. To secure his bid he had to pay the surveyor his fee and include the first payment of $73.67 with his claim; he accomplished this within hours of hearing the story of the healing hot springs sight unseen. (9) Within two weeks back in Midland he received his claim approval. (11)

Big Bend is a story of adventure, determination and life on a harsh frontier. Mr. Langford tells the story as life unfolds, there are no footnotes just the art of telling a good story. As the family leaves Alpine on horse back and buck board, with pack mules carrying supplies and two Mexicans, Juan and Enrique to guide them, no reference to maps just landmarks and there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of trip. (3) The reader wants to believe the family will survive and thrive. He describes the rugged arid mountainous country side in detail.