Wills Point, Van Zandt County
On Feb. 5, 1912, 16-year-old Elbert Gray committed a most heroic act. Two-year-old Calvin Stepp had fallen into a water well sixty feet deep and barely one foot across. Lowered by rope, Elbert descended feet first to carry Calvin to safety, but near the top Calvin slipped and fell again. On the second try, Elbert went head first and successfully rescued Calvin after four hours trapped below the surface. Both youths had only minor cuts and bruises. Newspaper accounts and letters of support sent to the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission resulted in Elbert being awarded a Carnegie Hero Medal in Oct. 1913. During World War II, Elbert lost all fingers on one hand in a Dallas War Defense plant. Elbert and Calvin kept in touch the rest of their lives. 175 Years of Texas Independence * 1836-2011