Locklin Bartholomew Murray was born in Jackson, Miss., came to Texas with his family in the early 1860s, married Susan Lucinda McSpadden (1855-1917), and had 7 children who lived to adulthood. About 1888 he settled near Sanco, in Yellow Wolf Valley, and began ranching. In 1894, Coke County citizens elected him sheriff and tax collector, and he served four consecutive terms until 1902, earning a reputation as an honest and efficient lawman.