James Briton "Brit" Bailey was a pioneer Texan noted for courage, integrity, and eccentric behavior. He came to Texas in 1818 with his wife and six children and settled on what came to be Bailey's Prairie. In 1824 he joined Stephen F. Austin's colony, became a captain in the local militia, and fought in battles preceding the 1836 Texas Revolution. At his request, he was buried standing up, facing west, with a gun at his side so no one could look down on him, even in death.