Page "John Riley Banister" Paragraph 5

What inspired Banister to leave Banister Hollow is not clear, although oral history suggests that it was in part due to his mother's unhappiness and abusive treatment from an uncle named Argiles Hicks.

Further anecdotal evidence suggests that the wild, chaotic nature of the region was also an influence, as, according to Leona Bruce, mobs and guerillas were a constant threat.

Furthermore, the attraction to the West, the land where Banister's father had gone before, may have been the strongest impetus.

Banister, at age thirteen, along with his brother, Will ( who was named for their father ) decided to leave their home to seek out their father in Texas.