A Moment in Time The Carters at 810 Gregg
Joseph George Carter arrived in Howard County in 1885 at the young age of 18. Leaving his birth home in Ohio, he had decided to go west for work and begun herding sheep and digging wells for Jim Currie, early settler in Howard-Glasscock area. Currie encouraged Joseph to homestead some land, and the 320 acres he filed on were the beginnings of his ranch. On June 16, 1897, he married Lillian Marks, who had come to Howard County in 1895 to teach school. She lived with her aunt's family, Mr., and Mrs. W.R. Settles on their ranch south of Big Spring and taught at Panther Draw School. After the wedding ceremony, Joseph and his bride traveled to San Antonio, on horse and buggy, for their honeymoon.
Through the years, Joseph slowly converted the herd of longhorns to Angus, importing purebred Angus bulls from Scotland to improve the quality of the cattle. In the 1920's, oil had been discovered creating a sizable increase in the land value and income.
The couple had 4 daughters before giving birth to two sons. They were all educated at home and taught by their mother and several governesses. A red one-room schoolhouse was built by Joseph and a neighbor to allow for neighboring children to attend school as well as the Carter children.
In 1915, the Carters built a “town” home for the children to attend a higher level of education. They sold their cattle, leased the ranch, and moved to Big Spring, building a two-story home at 810 Gregg. Downstairs included a parlor, spacious kitchen, dining room, and a large bathroom that had a massive bathtub. The upstairs had large spacious bedrooms with 9-foot ceilings and walk out porches to enjoy the southern and eastern breezes. The home was situated on a large lot facing east on the west side of Gregg.
In 1925, once the children were of age,