My Hero LbNA #69747
Map
Nearby Boxes
Add Note
Add Location| Owner: | Ghost of IRA Boxer  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Apr 1, 2016 |
| Location: | Wells Cemetery |
| City: | Cleveland |
| County: | Liberty |
| State: | Texas |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | Silver Eagle |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Apr 3, 2016 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Apr 9, 2016 |
This box started life in Stephen F. Austin State Park, for the TALE 13 Letterboxing event. After that event, it wa moved to be near the Judge. These clues reflect the new location.
Lewis Buckner Hightower, Sr., legislator and judge, often known as "The Bear-Hunting Judge," was born on October 20, 1838, in Florence, Lauderdale County, Alabama. His father, an attorney, moved the family to Texas in 1842. Lewis Hightower studied at Austin College in Huntsville and later at the Baylor Law School at Independence, graduating there in 1859. He then returned to Huntsville to open his law office, but his fledgling practice was quickly interrupted by the Civil War. Hightower first served with Company I, Bates's (Fourth) Regiment Texas Volunteers, and later Company I, Brown's (Thirty-fifth) Texas Cavalry Regiment. He was elected as its captain on March 27, 1863. After the war Hightower resumed his law practice and as a Democrat was elected in 1876 to the Texas Legislature. He was appointed by Governor Lawrence S. (Sul) Ross to the Ninth Judicial District bench in July 1888, and then in November 1888 won election to the office over two challengers. He was never challenged again and held the office until his death. His most celebrated case came in August 1889, when Governor Ross appointed him as a visiting judge in Fort Bend County during the Jaybird-Woodpecker War. However, his greatest achievement was not his judicial prowess, but his hobby. Hightower was a renowned bear hunter and was often known to dismiss court to make time for hunts. He is credited with having killed some 200 bears during his lifetime. He never gave any of those bears a fair trial. He figured that just being a bear was enough to make him guilty of something. That makes him a hero in my eyes. He once explained, "I practice law for recreation and hunt bear for a livin'." In spite of spending a great deal of time helping to rid Texas of bears, he found time to marry four times and was the father of twenty children. Ten bears for every child. Seems fair to me.
Directions: This box is located in Wells Cemetery near Cleveland, Texas. From Cleveland, take US 59/I-69 south to the TX 105 bypass exit eastbound. Take the next exit towards Plum Grove. Turn right and immediately turn right again on Wells Cemetery Road. Go to the end of the road and park in front of the gate.
To the Box: Enter through the gate and walk toward the back of the cemetery. On your left you will see two large obelisk markers, one each for Judge and Mrs. Hightower. South of then is a multi-trunk tree, where you will discover the box.
Hike length: 0.1 miles
Lewis Buckner Hightower, Sr., legislator and judge, often known as "The Bear-Hunting Judge," was born on October 20, 1838, in Florence, Lauderdale County, Alabama. His father, an attorney, moved the family to Texas in 1842. Lewis Hightower studied at Austin College in Huntsville and later at the Baylor Law School at Independence, graduating there in 1859. He then returned to Huntsville to open his law office, but his fledgling practice was quickly interrupted by the Civil War. Hightower first served with Company I, Bates's (Fourth) Regiment Texas Volunteers, and later Company I, Brown's (Thirty-fifth) Texas Cavalry Regiment. He was elected as its captain on March 27, 1863. After the war Hightower resumed his law practice and as a Democrat was elected in 1876 to the Texas Legislature. He was appointed by Governor Lawrence S. (Sul) Ross to the Ninth Judicial District bench in July 1888, and then in November 1888 won election to the office over two challengers. He was never challenged again and held the office until his death. His most celebrated case came in August 1889, when Governor Ross appointed him as a visiting judge in Fort Bend County during the Jaybird-Woodpecker War. However, his greatest achievement was not his judicial prowess, but his hobby. Hightower was a renowned bear hunter and was often known to dismiss court to make time for hunts. He is credited with having killed some 200 bears during his lifetime. He never gave any of those bears a fair trial. He figured that just being a bear was enough to make him guilty of something. That makes him a hero in my eyes. He once explained, "I practice law for recreation and hunt bear for a livin'." In spite of spending a great deal of time helping to rid Texas of bears, he found time to marry four times and was the father of twenty children. Ten bears for every child. Seems fair to me.
Directions: This box is located in Wells Cemetery near Cleveland, Texas. From Cleveland, take US 59/I-69 south to the TX 105 bypass exit eastbound. Take the next exit towards Plum Grove. Turn right and immediately turn right again on Wells Cemetery Road. Go to the end of the road and park in front of the gate.
To the Box: Enter through the gate and walk toward the back of the cemetery. On your left you will see two large obelisk markers, one each for Judge and Mrs. Hightower. South of then is a multi-trunk tree, where you will discover the box.
Hike length: 0.1 miles