The Heidel Family

Lea County Families "Then and Now" Vol l, 1979

The Heidel family, like so many others, came from a far distant land to settle America. This was not by choice, as most people were driven to other countries bt various deeds and conditions which existed in their homelands, especially in Europe. This family history, as far back as our records indicate, began with the birth of Fredrick Heidel in the year 1852 in Saxon, Tailzek Germany.

The Heidels owned all the railroads in Germany at that time and built the great Heidelburg University in the city of Heidelburg. Both are still very much a part of Germany today. During this era, the laws were extremely binding and people were placed in "classes", society demanding that each class of people remain in their catagory. High class, middle class and low class individuals were expected to marry into the same class they had been raised and to do otherwise was to create extreme problems. WHen a marriage took place, the high class demanded that a dowry be brought into the family treasury, according to the wealth of your partner. This assured your continuance of being in the high class. One must also have the consent of parents, brothers and sisters, before any marriage was permitted.

Fredrick Heidel had been extensively trained as an expert steamist and engineer of the family railroads. On his travels through Germany, he met and fell in love with a lovely girl whom he wished to marry. The young lady was a member of the low class society and even though Fredrick went through the usual procedure to seek her hand in marriage, she was not to be accepted into his class. His love for her ws stronger than his concern for class and he took her as a bride on August 22, 1875. He was immediately disinherited by his entire family and all his holdings were confiscated, leaving him penniless.

As time passed, Fredrick worked for the pitifull sum of $8.00 per year in American money and saved enough money to leave Germany and begin a new life. On January 4, 1883, he and his family embarked for America and landed at Galveston, Texas, February 7, 1883. They worked their way up through Texas to Runnels County, in and around Ballinger and Bronte, Texas. Here, he rented a farm to raise his family and eke out a meger living. On October 17, 1892, Fredrick Heidel was shot in the back while working his fields. It was believed by some, that Fredrick may have given away some secret of an invention from the Old County, that he had been murdered.

Fredricks death left his wife and nine children to battle life alone. With this burden on them, the boys had to take over and try to keep the family fed and together. Many times hey had to seek work in other parts of the country. This is when the late Richard Heidel, Lea County settler, came west to the cattle domain of the XIT Ranch at Amarillo, Texas where he worked as a cow hand. As time passed, the open territory began filling with people seeking land and homes. Property lines had to be establised and the XIT began surveying out it's boundaries and Richard Heidel ws part of the crew that surveyed. As the cattle empires began to over run, scouts were sent to other areas of the open country, seeking new ranges to run catle. In 1900, Richard heidel rode across the territory that is now New Mexico, being careful not to attract the attention of anyone at that time. Heidel's report to the XIT people described a veritable garden of paradise, with grass belly deep to a horse, consistent rain and plentiful water. This descriptin included the area of Clayton, Raton and south to the Mexican border.

A shA short time later, Richard Heidel returned to Ballinger, Texas to his family and bought a small farm. Here, he met and married Eula Parrish, (Eulia's brother, the late W. O. Parrish served as District Judge of five counties around Ballinger, for 36 years.)

Fate began playing it's hand at shaping the future of the Heidels. The Seven Year Drought that started in 1902 and lasted until 1909 was a disaster that wiped out almost everything that Richard Heidel owned. He recalled he beautiful westen country that he had scouted for the XIT, so he loaded his family and belongings into a covered wagon and headed west to Post, Texas and employment for awhile, then onto what is now Lea County, New Mexico. Richard Heidel arrived here in 1910 with one covered wagon, a wife and baby daughter, for horses, one sorrel mare, a milk cow, chickens and a collie dog. When New Mexico became a state in 1912, the Homestead Act was enforce and open to homesteaders. By this time, the county was overrun with people and Heidel rode North and South, searching for a suitable homestead. To a newcomer, everything seemed to be taken, but one day he met man named Suton, who sold him his claim for the sorrel mare and $200.00. This was called Squatter's Rights but later the claim was filed on. Heidel's claim  was the SE1/4, Sec 1, NE1/4, Sec 12, Township 13, Range 36E.

Requirements of the 1862 Homestead Act stated that certian improvements must be made on the land, including 40 aqcres of cultivation, a house and also fencing. Residence had to be established ther for three years, before the claim could be "Proved Up" and a deed be grantes to the claim. These requirements were met, with difficulty, by Heidel.

Railroads were begining to dot the country and Lubbock, Texas was the nearest railroad point. Heidel removed the bed from the chassis from his wagon and set it on the ground. This served as the home. He then headed to Lubbock to get materials for improving his claim leaving behind his wife Eula to hold the claim so that someone else would not try to move in and take over. (Claim jumping was a common problem).The trip to Lubbock took eleven days to and from. It was a struggle for Eula to hold the claim as she had to gather Cow Chips to burn. As many other settles have verified, cow chips were about the only source of fuel in those day an in  the fall of the year a mad rush to the cow watering holes and bedding places, for the valuable chips. Many a battle has been fought over cow chips in New Mexico.

In order to make a claim, a person must be a United States citizen and Richard was not a citizen, being born in Germany. Roswell was the county seat at this time and he had to ride horseback all the way to Roswell to apply for citizenship. WHen he arrived he ran into much oppsition, due to hos German ancestry and was having a very difficult time, when a man came up to him and put a .45 pistol in his hip pocket and said, "Smole them out, Heidel." Citizen ship was then granted and Richard Heidel "Proved Up" on his claim.

Having worked in and around Roswell at different time, on ranches and farms, and seeing irrigation come about, Ricchard Heidel became very interested in this innovation and wondered if ot could be put to work in Lea County. The availibilty of water was conformed in 1926, when Runnells Drilling Company of pampa, Texas came in and set up a 120 foot wooden tower., attempting to drill for oil on the Russ Anderson Ranch, one and a half miles north of Old King, New Mexico. This well was drilled to a depth of 5500 feet. It was then discovered that there were oceans of water in Lea County. Having too much difficulty with water, the well was plugged with drill bit and 1,600 feet of cable in the hole. I, Haywood Heidel, worked on this well the entire time as a tool dresser.

In 1926, Lane and Boulder, a pump manufactured a pump, handled by Mamie Lorry Hardware Company of Roswell. R. Heidel, R.W. Smith and a Mr. Prior, drilled wells and put in pumps, pioneering irrigation in Lea County. This area is now known as Prairieview. The family was raised on Richard Heidel's claim and was a showplace for many years.

Richard Heidel passed away in 1954 having suffered sever burns from a weed burner in 1944, which adly affected his health and heart. Eula Heidel was moved to Lovington after his death, where she resided until she passed away in 1963.

In remembering the Heidels' it could be said that they were among some of the bravest people who settled the west, now known as Lea County, New Mexico. This writer, Haywood Heidel was born on May 26, 1911, in the frontier community known as old King, which consisted of a post office, school and trading post.

Ernest Bess was the Deputy Sheriff and later became Sheriff of Lea County.

A neighboring community of old Plainview also sprang up and I recall this busy little "town" very well. It had a barber shop, blacksmith shop, trading post, post office and cream station. This is where we took our cream and eggs weekly, to trade for groceries. The little town of Knowles lay to the south and it boasted a bank, post office, trading post, school, blacksmith shop and a barber shop. Then, Lovington sprang up, which still lives and is a thrieving little city, while all the other little towns fell by the wayside. Most of the schools continued to be used until  later and are now landmarks, such as Prairieview, Knowles and McDonald.