DawnsDelights: Daughters of Gip Akin

My Grandma was the Daughter of Ula Mae Akin Durbin and Raymond F. Durbin. The Akin sisters, Joy, Ula Mae, Ida Faith, Ora Lea, and Lovella had a special bond, the love of family. Aunt Lovella was only a few years older than my Grandma and was able to share so many stories with us of those memories with her sisters. My Aunt shared this photo with me, and it was perfect for this MyMemories.com layout.

The Akin sisters were Gip and Nancy Ola Akin five daughters, and lived in Dawson, Texas; later Venus, New Mexico. Gip was an interesting gentleman from all that I have read on him. While Lovella was a young lady, Gip Akin had become a local Baptist Minister. In his early years he had been part of the Night Riders of Dawson Texas, and had written short stories.

This is part of a story that was shared by Lovella Akin Moore, who first heard this from her father Gip Akin. I will have to transcribe the complete story at a later date.

Gip came to Howard, Texas 1890 and lived there for 35 years. They worked on a the Slaughter Ranch, where he was a horse wrangler--he was 17 years old. He took care of 150 head of horses and lived with the wagon - it was home. Started out in the spring about the first of April--worked until Christmas. The Ranch covered 5 counties. The year 1897 branded 18,000 calves, stamped Lazy S on both sides--ear marked figure 7 under bit in each ear and worked for Slaughter 3 years. Then went to work for Barts Ranch - 200,000 acres. Headquarters where the city of Lamesa is now (worked there for 2 years). Then took up 4 sections of homestead Land. Post office called Chicago - got the mail two times a week from Big Springs. Built the house on what was called the home section, a little one room house facing the South. Part of this Land is in the city of Lamesa now, then went to Live 16 miles North of Big Springs.

Gip and his brother Mit Akin participated in the Texas Range Wars, and they fought against the Big Ranchers who didn't want them (the nesters) or homesteaders) in the area the outcome being many killings and burnings had occured. Gip & Mit Akin at this time earned the title "The Night Riders".

Here is Gip and Nancy in their later years, standing with my Grandma and her sister Pat Durbin.