1. Copyright ©2009-2015 Monty Webb. All rights reserved.

2. It all started with “Uncle Gilbert”
Gilbert Webb was a
rancher, a store
owner, a railroad
builder, and a beef
contractor to the US
Army at various times
in his life. He was also
the mayor of Pima
Arizona.

3. Gilbert was a distant
cousin once removed
to my grandfather
Frank, but everyone
called him Uncle
Gilbert.
James Webb Jr. joined the
LDS Church in 1835
James and his boys ran the
Webb Blacksmith shop in
Nauvoo, Illinois
Chauncey
Frank
Gilbert
Edward Milo Jr.
Carlyle Farr Webb
Monty Webb
Edward Milo Sr.
James Levi (Lee)
Melva

4. Painting, "Holding Up the Pay Escort" by Frederic Remington.
Was drawn from the accounts of eye witnesses.

5. Painting, "Holding Up the Pay Escort" by Frederic Remington.
Was drawn from the accounts of eye witnesses.
“Uncle Gilbert”?

6. It all started with “Uncle Gilbert”
Gilbert Webb was the prime
suspect in the Wham Payroll
robbery in Arizona, 1889 . He
allegedly made off with over 280
lbs. of gold and silver coins worth
almost $1,000,000 today.
He was found innocent after a long
trial in Tucson. Some called him
and his gang the “Latter-Day Robin
Hoods.” because he was always
providing beef and jobs to the
residents of Pima Arizona. Some say
the beef was rustled from the Army
just after being sold and distributed
to the town to dispose of the
evidence. He left Arizona and went
to Texas and then to Mexico. The
money was never recovered.

7. Grandpa Frank Webb's
trail to the
Mormon Colonies
Born 1879
At age 16
Goes to El Paso to
learn railroading from Gilbert
At age 10
At age 22 visits
his folks
Pima O

8. The Mormon Colonies were many miles
north of Chihuahua
Married at 24
In Sierra Madre at 26
Working for Gilbert

9. Now how did Uncle Gilbert convince
The Mexican Government to grant him
contracts to build railroads in Mexico?

10. Area near Creel,
about 100 miles
Southwest of
Chihuahua
where my
Grandpa
blasted through
the Canyon

11. A young Francisco Villa on his white horse
"He [Pancho Villa] had legitimate
ventures, as well, including that
of being a labor contractor on the
Copper Canyon railroad"....from
the Texas Cowboy Gazette
Pancho Villa was a natural leader
and was very successful as a
bandit .... He was also
involved in more legitimate
ventures, including being a
contractor on the
Copper Canyon railroad....
From The California Native
Newsletter:
... organized the “K.C., Mexico and
Orient Railroad Co.”
An interesting anecdote is that
Pancho Villa
worked as contractor in this line.
Ferromex “Chepe” Railroad:
Railroad History

12. 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 on his horse 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.
Pancho Villa's real name was
Doroteo Arango. His duties for
the railroad were to replace any
workers quitting with fresh men
{ and their wives and children if
any} from Chihuahua, and to
haul all the supplies for the
railroad camp out to and up the
mountains. He had a lot of free
time between trips.

13. Pancho Webb ( All the
workers called Grandpa
Frank Webb,”Pancho
Webb”) was in charge
of both the work crew
provided by Doroteo,
and also a group of
nearby Tarahumara
Indians. They did the
pick and shovel work,
he did the nitroglycerin-
later replaced by the
nifty invention
dynamite.

14. Melva in front of a tent at
the camp up in the Sierra
Madre about 1907.
...thunder and lightning all around us
in the dark. The wind was wild and
whipping.
Lightning might have hit one of the
mules- it kicked and sent all the
trunks flying. That scared Mama's
horse and it ran away up the side of
the mountain. Mama fell- but her foot
caught in the stirrup and she was
dragged along...all the men tried to
rescue her. Finally the horse got stuck
in some rocks and she was safe.
Papa put Mama on his horse and
walked the rest of the way. He put me
into Villa's lap. Villa was the best
horseman. That ride was very
uncomfortable... the saddlehorn
bumped me in the ribs on one side
and on the other side I could feel the
bullets Villa had in his bandalero. The
handle of his pistol punched my back
as we all travelled slowly on....
From The Harps on the Willows by
Melvina Webb Herbert

15. Melva on white horse, Pancho in sombrero, Grandma Edith on left. - Frank Webb took photo
Frank is 26, Pancho is 27

16. The Copper Canyon Railroad today in the area worked by Frank Webb.

17. 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
and some called him the modern-
day Robin Hood.
Grandma Edith Farr Webb

18. 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 and was going to kill him
because the ransom was not paid, no one
ever got the ransom note, but that's
another story. 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

19. Pancho Villa
About the time of Lee's kidnapping

20. General Pascual Orozco heard of the kidnapping and as he was a friend
of Uncle Gilbert's, 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
Binghampton 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.