George Washington Marion Duck

George Washington Marion Duck was born in Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky on October 4, 1828. He married Evaline White in 1849. In about 1852 G.W.M., Evaline and their two little girls headed for newly established Somerset, Texas.

The Ducks began farming, and in 1854, G.W.M.Duck was sworn in as Constable of Precinct 9, Bexar County. In 1856 another daughter, Mahalia Elizabeth, was one of the first babies born in the newly formed Atascosa County. By 1871 the couple had five more daughters and a son.

G.W.M.served as Census Enumerator in 1860 and Tax Assessor-Collector from 1858 until he was elected sheriff in 1873, except for one term (1882-1884) when he ran for State Legislature and was defeated. He reputedly never carried a gun, which seems unlikely for that era. Perhaps he chose to use a shotgun or rifle over a hand gun.

In 1884, the Duck family bought property in Pleasanton from the Doak family. An acre of the Doak homestead had been reserved to be used as a cemetery, as the Doaks had buried their young son, Gustave there, in 1865. In the years to follow, others were buried there as well, including Martha Duck in 1890. On April 3, 1891, another Duck daughter, Eva, died and three days later, their mother Evaline also died. In 1892, sheriff Duck donated a parcel of land that adjoined the Doak cemetery. Several neighbors followed and it became the Pleasanton Cemetery. Duck Street is named for the family.