Alvarado in Johnson County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Outlaws Benjamin Bickerstaff and Josiah Thompson
Photographed by Mansfieldphoto.com, April 11, 2026
1. Outlaws Benjamin Bickerstaff and Josiah Thompson Marker
Near this site in 1869, Alvarado citizens ended the lives of outlaws Benjamin Bickerstaff and Josiah Thompson. A former Confederate veteran and prisoner of war, Bickerstaff was wanted for the murder of an African American man in Louisiana shortly after the Civil War. He later joined Alvarado business owner Josiah Thompson, also a Confederate veteran, and the two are believed to have participated in numerous robberies and murders in this area, including incidents in Alvarado. When they rode together into town on April 5, 1869, organized citizens shot them numerous times. They were buried in Balch (Old Alvarado) Cemetery.
Erected 2006 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 13482.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Events. A significant historical year for this entry is 1869.
Location. 32° 24.385′ N, 97° 12.706′ W. Marker is in Alvarado, Texas, in Johnson County. It is on South Friou Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Alvarado TX 76009, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region and in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, and one of the Confederate States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Alvarado (within shouting distance of this marker); Alvarado Masonic Lodge No. 314, A.F. & A.M. (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); First Methodist Church (about 500 feet away); Site of Alvarado School, Church and Union Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Balch Cemetery (approx. Ό mile away); Balch-Senterwood Cemetery
this page online
Photographed by Jesse Nelsen, August 11, 2021
2. Outlaws Benjamin Bickerstaff and Josiah Thompson Marker
Photographed by Jesse Nelsen, August 11, 2021
3. Outlaws Benjamin Bickerstaff and Josiah Thompson Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on May 30, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 23, 2021, by Jesse Nelsen of Farmersville, Texas. This page has been viewed 838 times since then and 52 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 30, 2026, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. 2, 3. submitted on August 23, 2021, by Jesse Nelsen of Farmersville, Texas. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
