Texas Wagon Yard Scene of Bustling Activity
by Laura V. Hamner, 1944.
Pages 10-12

Each wagon yard in Texhoma can take care of 100 horses every night, folks, so that means that when the yards are full, there are 500 horses and more in the town. Five hundred horses in a little prairie town like Texhoma in the early part of this century! That's a lot of horses. Besides, there are the wagons and men. What does it cost to stay at a wagon yard? Fifty cents a team. No extra charge for bunkhouse accommodations, yet the yards do well financially.

The Hickman Cafe is making good money in these days serving meals at 25¢ a plate.

Texas Wagon Yard at 3rd and Pecan St.

Freighters are busiest during wheat harvest. All the North Panhandle is flooded with wheat and there is no railroad it out on. It has to be freighted to railroad Texhoma on the Rock Island and Glazier on the Santa Fe in Hemphill County, Texas being the most accessible.

There is a constant stream of wagons going in one direction or the other. Wheat keeps coming into Texhoma all winter and the Hickmans feed the wheat haulers all year round. Sometimes they have as many as 70 in a day for more than a month with never a slack day.

Thomas W. Clayton
By Janie Clayton Harland
Pages 24-26

One Friday the teachers told the students to gather all the rocks and put them in piles at certain places Monday some swings and teeters had been installed. The rocks had been used in the concrete to set the posts. They were great fun for awhile. The country kids had the advantage over the town kids in the use of the swings. The lunch room teacher never kept them over 20 minutes and some would let them go as soon as they had swallowed a few bites. The town kids weren't allowed on the school grounds until the 12:30 bell so the country kids had possession of the swings which they could share with their town friends when they came or relinquish for a bribe.

There were no water fountains in 1915. Every child was supposed to have his own drinking cup and most did at the start of school but soon the few cups were passed from one to another at the hydrant or they drank from the hydrant directly. In 1916 or 1917 two fountains were installed in the east entrance and a small red shed was built on the west to hold the two for the lower grades. This was to keep the fountains from freezing but a colder place I can't remember. It took away all desire for a drink in the winter.

TEXHOMA --- 1905
by Mrs. F. D. Mason
Pages 13-14

It was in the fall of 1905 that my father, J. W. Vermillion, came in a covered wagon to the little town of Texhoma, Indian Territory. He purchased 29 acres of land on the north side of the railroad, where Riffe's Elevator now stands, and built a four-room house for his family. He then built a small drugstore on the site of the present Christian Church. Texhoma businesses at that time were Charley Baird's lumber yard; J. A. Robertson barbershop and post office combined (where May Kimballs now stands); Weatherly Grocery; Christopher Grocery and Patent Medicine Shop; McAdams Grocery and Rooming House, on his claim east of the town site; Arthur Nield's Confectionery and Land Office (where the Chevrolet Garage now stands), Yates and Whittaker Land Office. Avery and Tom Campbell's Saloon on the site of the Legion Hall; the Neeley Hotel; and the Commercial Hotel and Saloon owned by Bob Finch and Zeke Good. The depot stood where Main Street [2nd Street] and the railroad cross.

Texhoma June 6, 1908
Train's smoke seen in background going east

The old shell of a building, once owned by Dr.Glasser, now standing on the south side of the Adams Drilling Co. was once the one room schoolhouse and stood proudly where the high school building now stands. It was a very versatile building for during the week it was occupied by the 20-25 pupils and one teacher, Jeff Short, but at night and on the week ends it was used for church, Medicine Shows, Singing Schools, dances, parties and funerals. The most looked forward to entertainment was "Camps Tent Show" which came once a year.

A wagon yard covered the area now occupied by Mr. Field's office and the Post Office. A public well and public horse watering lank were out on main street [2nd and Walnut St.] (across from the Norris Store).

2nd and Walnut St. looking south

There were no home windmills for sometime, but residents could buy water for 15¢ a barrel, and even have it hauled to the home. A little card was placed in the door or window so the water haulers would know when one needed water.

We even had a volunteer fire department in those days, The fire alarm was given by 3 pistol shots, then the volunteer bucket brigade rushed to the scene to carry out everything loose, if possible, and maybe get the fire put out. -----

In 1907 the Methodists built a brick building on their present site and the Presbyterians built a block building on the Texas side.

In the earliest days of Texhoma, we had two weekly papers, Butterbaugh's "Times" and Buckley's "Argus". Then Mr. Fisher bought both of them and consolidated into one, "The Times."

A Mr. LeMaster built the first grain elevator and wheat was hauled in from as far as 40 miles away to the elevator. The depot was moved to straddle the State Line so that farmers and cattlemen could have advantage of two-state freight rates.