Frank "Pancho" Webb (My Grandfather) and Pancho Villa.
Soon after his first child
Melva was born, Frank
Webb took a job as
construction
superintendent over a
section of the Copper
Canyon Railroad,
southwest of Chihuahua
Mexico. He had two
groups of workers doing
the pick and shovel
work, while he did the
dynamite. One group
was a band of
Tarahumara Indians,
while the other group
was a band of Mexicans
under contract to
Doroteo Arango
"He [Pancho Villa] had legitimate ventures, as well; including that
of being a contractor on the Copper Canyon railroad"....from the
Texas Cowboy Gazette
All the workers called Grandpa Webb,”Pancho Webb”. Doroteo was
later known as Pancho Villa. ( he took the name of a recently killed
gang leader)
Copyright ©2009-2011 Monty Webb. All rights reserved.
James Webb Jr. joined the
LDS Church in 1835
James and his boys ran the
Webb Blacksmith shop in Nauvoo
Edward Milo Sr.
Chauncey
Edward Milo Jr.
Gilbert
Frank
James Levi (Lee)
Carlyle Farr Webb
Monty Webb
Leslie
Gilbert was an influential railroad
contractor in the Southwest and all
over Mexico. He apprenticed Frank
Webb at age 16 to learn
railroading down in El Paso. When
he was about 20, Frank Webb took
a few days off from his job in El
Paso to go visit his folks down in
the colonies. He met Edith Farr at a
church dance and decided he
better stay and “help his folks for a
while”. Later, after they got
married, Frank built some of the
Copper Canyon Railroad, 100 miles
southwest of Chihuahua Mexico in
up until about 1905
Gilbert was the prime suspect in
the Wham Payroll robbery in
Arizona, 1889 – see Ambush at
Bloody Run by Larry D. Ball for the
best detail. He was found innocent
after a long trial in Tucson. Some
called him the “Later-Day Robin
hood” He left Arizona and went to
Texas and then Mexico.
Mormon Colonies
Supplies had to be brought up to where the work
was going on by pack animals. Aunt Melva at 3 or
4 years of age would sometimes get to ride in
front of Pancho Villa as they hauled freight to the
railroad camp. He teased her about her “accent”,
but was impressed that the little girl could speak
Spanish so well. The Copper Canyon Railroad
today through the area worked by Frank Webb.
Melva in front of a
tent at the camp
up in the Sierra
Madre. 1905
Melva on white horse, Pancho in sombrero, Grandma Edith on left. - Frank Webb took photo
After a few years, Pancho Villa
quit working on the railroad and
with his gang, joined the
revolution. All during the time he
worked on the railroad, he would
disappear for a few weeks at a
time during which various cattle
rustling, and mine robbing skills
were honed. When he did not
return, Grandpa Webb was happy
because Pancho Villa used to
make all the Mexican crew play
poker with him and win all their
money on pay day, then Grandma
Webb would hear all the sad
stories from the wives of the poor
men. Grandpa had to speak to
Pancho Villa after Grandma heard
of this, and shamed him for using
his intelligence to take advantage
of the poor. Pancho later became
a great defender and provider for
the poor and only stole from the
well off.
Grandma Edith Farr Webb
Grandma Webb was very popular at the
camp. She became the de-facto doctor.
She had a beginning Spanish text book
and was teaching herself how to read
and write Spanish. She started a little
school for the wives and children of the
workers who would never had been able
to go to school.
In the evenings, some of the workers including
Doroteo, also learned reading and writing
Spanish from Grandma Webb. Some years later,
Villa kidnapped Lee Webb (James Levi), another
son of Edward Milo Jr., and a second cousin to
“Uncle Gilbert”, and was going to kill him
because the ransom was not paid, no one ever
got the ransom note, but that's another story.
( see “Uncertain Sanctuary” by Estelle Webb
Thomas) At least we know Villa picked up
something useful from his time with the
Webb's, he could write!
Lee (James
Levi) Webb
in Chihuahua
General Pascual Orozco heard of the kidnapping and as he was a friend of Uncle
Gilberts, he and his army took charge of Lee and escorted him to safety. This, and
many more problems created by the Revolution convinced Frank Webb to get back
to the states. He ran a successful dairy for many years in Tucson and was in the
presidency of the Binghamton branch, later Bishop of the Tucson First Ward for
many years. He was in the Tucson City Band with Linda Ronstadts Grandfather,
and in his last years was back in road building driving a Caterpillar. He probably
thought about how much easier it would have been back in Copper Canyon if he
had been able to use a Cat.