Individual Details

This is the infamous John Prather of the White Sands,NM area, whose ranch the government tried to take to expand the McGregor Missile Range. John held the sheriffs off by gun point. The movie "Fire on the Mountain", staring Buddy Epson was based on this event. There were also songs written about John Prather. The government took over 200,000 acres of Prather ranch lands.. When Samuel left his ranch, his brother, John, had Samuel's wife sign a power-of-attorney and John took Samuel's ranch. It is said in the family that John almost starved Samuel's wife and kids. Today, John Prather's ranch house and a few acres around it are a State Park just south of Alamogordo. -- Gary Prather et al. (edited)

Birth	21 Nov 1873	Van Zandt Co., TX
Census	1880	Van Zandt Co., TX
Marriage	2 Oct 1898	Otero Co., NM - Rose A. "Rosie" GOODWINE
Census (family)	1910	Otero Co., NM - Rose A. "Rosie" GOODWINE
Census	1910	Otero Co., NM
Death	12 Feb 1965	Alamogordo, Otero Co., NM
Burial		Prather Ranch (now McGregor Missle Range), NM

Spouse	Rose A. "Rosie" GOODWINE (1885 - 1910)
Child	Anna M. PRATHER (1895 - 1910)
Child	Thomas Ellis "Tommie" PRATHER (1900 - 1976)
Child	Rossa L. PRATHER (1903 - 1910)
Child	Gladys D. PRATHER (1904 - 1910)
Child	Connie Catherine PRATHER (1910 - 1982)

Father	John Ellis PRATHER (1845 - 1923)
Mother	Mellisa Anna "Mattie" BROWNING (1850 - 1889)
Sibling	Robert Lee "Tink" BROWNING (1869 - 1950)
Sibling	Martha Elizabeth "Mattie" PRATHER (1871 - 1900)
Sibling	Margaret E. "Maggie" PRATHER (1878 - 1900)
Sibling	William A. PRATHER (1883 - )
Sibling	Jennett "Jenny" PRATHER (1885 - )
Sibling	Owen Winfred "Odie" PRATHER (1889 - 1972)
Sibling	Living

Notes