Keeping History Alive....museum tramping in Quanah and Crowell

I am not a good, loving-it-all camper. Oh, I have camped since childhood, backpacked 10+ miles into the Cascades more than once (when I was much younger) and was willing to sleep on the ground sans air mattress enough times to really appreciate the comforts of a good pillow-top. I want the creature comforts of a hot shower, food cooked inside a dry RV-without the added nutrients provided by sand/ash/bugs. The best part of our RV life is seeing places I would never take an airplane or a car trip to visit...it's the history of my ancestors, both Native American and the Europeans that came over on the Mayflower. It is the museums in small towns, monitored by volunteers in most cases, lovingly chronicled and displaying the local history that appeals to me. So this post is about the local museums with some history thrown in.

This is the Quanah Historical Museum building. Once the Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway depot....
built in 1908, a historical landmark
and part of the Hardeman County
 Jail museum
(located behind this building > )









Quanah, TX...named for the last Comanche Chief - Quanah Parker....2010 census pop. 2642. The town went into decline when the Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railroad left town in 1982.

 

In addition to the Chief Quanah and railroad history, Astronaut Edward Givens - killed in a car accident while training for Apollo 7, Lane Frost - 1987 PRCA World Champion Bull Rider, cotton production, US veteran's and the Masonic Lodge histories are included within it's walls. It's a two story building packed with history, admission FREE.

 

We were lucky to visit on Thursday, the volunteer informed us "had we come on Friday the museum would be closed as she had a funeral to attend." If you go, go early - she closes at 3pm to gather up grandchildren after school.

 

This mural is attached to the building adjacent to the museum. Sadly many of the buildings are so old, they are crumbling and so while we were visiting the old hotel was demolished and there were visible signs that more of the more dangerous buildings would also be taken down. The brick street is directly behind the museum....gorgeous really.

 

Quanah is the Hardeman County seat and this courthouse was under restoration (so we couldn't go up to the cupola)

  

 This is the dedication marker for Chief Quanah on the grounds of the courthouse.

 

Onto Crowell's Firehall Museum (2010 census pop. 826)....20 miles from Quanah...it's museum is located on the main drag in what was once the Firehouse....while we were here one of the locals, a 80 y/o (he said so, although he didn't look much older than 70) informed us that "we had to work real hard to get to Crowell". What he didn't know was we were glad we did.

 

 



 

The Sante Fe Depot, built in 1908, is home to the Crowell Public Library (below) and Museum. The museum educates visitors on the local history and has an extensive collection dedicated to Cynthia Ann Parker who was kidnapped by Comanche Indians and eventually lived with them for over 25 years. The depot is open Monday to Friday, and library hours Noon - 5pm. Cynthia Ann Parker was the mother of Chief Quanah. 

 

 

 Sweet Cream Suds proprietor Carli, local native, raises her own goats out on the Pease River. Hand-milked, hand-made soap, lotions and body butters can be found here in her retail outlet in Crowell or on-line (click on the link posted within the shop name above. You can find her on Facebook as well.)

She also carries a few artisans products like the pottery and yarn pictured below.

I appreciate the ingenuity and creative efforts of small town businesses to keep and build on their history so we support them by supporting their businesses whenever we can. Marlow Supply, Tater's Café and Gentry's Grocery and Supply (the oldest surviving business - 69 years - in town)

 

 Gentry's was a surprise, and a bit scary given the rather large hole in the floor at the back part of the building...but Mr. Gentry was really sweet and we found the insect (death bomb) spray that we needed. It is a must see if you are in the 'hood.

 

 See these feet....?

 

 That's a "hitching ring", along with several others on E. Commerce (just down from Marlow's and in front of the drugstore). 

 

The feet however, are moving on....see ya.

 

Thanks for your time...next up is the National Wild Hog Cook-off post.

 

~Ciao!