CHARLEY JASPER DUNN

Charley Jasper Dunn, born January 15, 1877 in Lavaca Co. TX, was the son of Henry C. and Elizabeth (Bettie) Dunn He came to Sterling Co.TX with his family.

On April 21, 1902 Charley married Clara Mae Wagner. They were married by A.d. Renshaw, Justice of the Peace. (see Clara Mae Wagner page for her information and list of children)

Charley Dunn was a partner with his brother, Keet Dunn, in the Dunn Brothers Livery Feed and Sales Stable. Located on the corner of 4th and Concho, just west of the old Doran Hotel, the buildings faced south. The Eunn Brothers sold feed and stabled, bought and sold horses. They also broke and trained horses. On a check from J.L. Glass, dated 1913, there was a charge of $25 for breaking horses . They charged $5 for one horse.

During the war, in 1914 and 1915, they broke and sold horses to the French government. They also rented hacks, buggies, surreys and wagons, etc. In 1910, an early picture of the first train shows Charley with the large surrey he used to carry passengers from the train to their destinations.

The Charley Dunn lived on the Mike Sullivan place at Wildcat Mountain. On walking home from school once, young C.J. took a short-cut through the bull pasture and ended up staying in a tree until his daddy came after hime on horseback. The family went by buggy to the Tabernacle in Sterling City. Mr. Dunn was a memeber of the Church of Christ, which met nce a month. Mrs. Dunn was a Baptist.

About 1904 to 1914, Charley owned a butcher shop with Jeff Davis and John Wagner, his brother-in-law. John would usually watch the shop and Charley and Jeff would go out and get the beeves. The C.J. Dunn Meat Market was located on 4th Avenue between the T.A. McGee Grocery Store on the west and the Cummins Saddlery on the east.

In 1912, Charley and Keet Dunn furnished wagons and hauled stone from nearby hills to build the county jail. Charley was also a land and stock commissioner. At the time of his death, he was constable in Sterling City. On November 15, 1916, he was accidentally shot. The Sterling City News Record printed the following account of his accident:

C.J. DUNN KILLED BY ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE OF HIS GUN

The community received a sad shock Wednesday when the news came by telephone that Charlie Dunn had been instantly killed at the Sam Cutbirth Ranch in Reagan County, by the accidental dischage of a pistol.

Mr. Dunn, in company with Messrs. Ivy Johnson and G.E. Lynn of Kingston, Oklahoma, left here last Tuesday morning for the Sam Cutbirth ranch about 50 miles west of here, where Mr. Johnson went to receive a string of mules which he had purchased from Mr. Cutbirth through the deceased. After having counted and received the mules Wednesday morning, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Cutbirth and the deceased returned to the house and while the two former went into the house to finish up the deal, Mr. Dunn, in company with Mr. Cutbirth's little son, went out to the car to prepare it for returning home. The little lad said that Mr. Dunn got on the running board of the car and raised the cushion on the back seat (supposedly to get a can of oil) when a piston which was lying on it fell and was discharged. The .45 caliber bullet striking him in the left cheek, plowing its way upward through the brain, killing him instantly.

The remains were buried at the City Cemetery at 3:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon with honors of the Woodmen of the world, of which fraternity he has a cherished unit. The largest procession and the most profuse floral offerings ever offered in Sterling City were present at the funeral... In his death, Sterling has lost a useful citizen.