New Content, Article!
As you can see, I've added some things to the sidebar courtesy of the wonderful folks at freedictionary.com. It's set up to open in a new window, so click away! Also, here's an article I wrote in 2005 for the Levelland News-Press. Enjoy!
Sundown resident Jim Hogue, president of the Sundown Historic Preservation society and chairman of the Hockley County Historical Commission, has joined with other fans of times gone by to share with the world the deep history to be found in West Texas.
The Sundown society was started three years ago with one purpose: To preserve the old Mallett ranch house. The house was built in 1895 in the southwest corner of Hockley county. The project, Hogue explained, has not been completed yet, partly because of the size of it and partly due to the proper procedure.
"We haven't done that much in the last couple of years because of so many of the legalities we had to try to overcome. We're moving now. We've got a grant application being submitted to try to help start this thing," he said.
Since it's beginning, the society has also taken on other projects, such as the restoration of an old trolley car that was used during the early 40s, but for a reason other than transportation.
The trolley car was one of five bought during Sundown's oil boom and rented out to people who were scrambling for a place to live.
"This was when Sundown was booming. There was no housing and a lot of jobs, and people were flocking in here trying to find a place to live because they had a job here," said Hogue. The society plans to preserve the car as a part of the historical boom town days.
Hogue also stated that the society had taken a step towards preserving another part of Sundown's past.
"Our historical society is trying to make our cemetery a historical cemetery. That's all been taken care of. All we're waiting on is word from them, and that took a lot of work," he said. In order to be considered a historical cemetery by the Texas Historical Commission, a cemetery must be at least 50 years old. The first burial in the cemetery was in 1933.
While the first three projects involve restoring the past, the society's main project, Hogue said, is to make a piece of history for the generations to come.
"Our main project right now is our historical wall. We have sold bricks to people, old timers from way back to school classes. Anybody that was ever involved in the history of Sundown. We've sold the bricks and now we're fixing to build this brick wall," he said. The wall will be built on Main Street from 370 bricks city residents have bought. "I'm taking bids for the cement slab now, and we hope to have that thing built be oil patch days, which is August 6," he said.
Hogue believes that preserving the history of Sundown is an important responsibility.
"Well, if we don't preserve it, it'll just disappear, which is one of the problems with West Texas. We bulldoze stuff down as it gets old, so we don't preserve the history. Part of it is to try to preserve some of the history here of the boomtown," he said.
Hogue also explained that, as chairman of the Hockley County Historical Commission, he is also involved in promoting the history of the West Texas area, which could also boost the local economy.
"We are a member of a state historical commission, and that's our purpose throughout the state is to preserve history. Now, if you preserve history, you also create tourism. Tourism creates economical development," he said.
Hogue went on to explain that much of the history of the area is unknown to most people.
"We have completely ignored history in our part of the world, and there's a lot of history here that nobody knows about. When you talk to someone about the history of Texas, the Alamo is all that comes to mind," he said.
Hogue related one tragic story from the area's past. "We had buffalo soldiers come through here chasing apaches right through Hockley County. Read the book by Paul Carlson titled 'The Buffalo Soldier Tragedy of 1877'. It tells all about this part of our history that nobody knows about. These were black soldiers. They were sent out to capture and send back to the Indian reservation some young braves that rose off the reservation and they came back here to hunt. In the process they attacked some buffalo hunters in Lubbock, which was a watering hole, and stole their horses and killed one or two of them. The Army sent this company of buffalo soldiers out to catch them, and they never saw them, and they were out here 90-something hours without a drop of water, in July," he said. Four of the soldiers died in the West Texas heat. The rest were able to make it to Tahoka Lake.
Another little-known piece of history in Hockley County, Hogue explained, is the story of the Comanchero trail. The comanchero were a group of traders from Mexico and the U.S. that traded goods with the Indians. According to historians, the trail served as a trade route for 100 years.
"They'd come over from New Mexico and cross over into Ransom Canyon, and we know where it is. We've found it on an 1800 map of the state of Texas. When they surveyed Hockley county, it was noted every time they crossed the Comanchero trail, so its up in northern Hockley county," he said.
The commission has also teamed up with the Cochran County Historical Commission to put together a bus tour showcasing the history of West Texas. The tour, which the commissions expect to bring 350 people, is planned for September 24. The tour will start in Levelland and will show the historic Slade, Mallet and Yellow House ranches in Hockley County and the Slaughter Surratt and Duggan ranches in Cochran county. At the Yellow House, attendees will be treated to a performance by a buffalo hunter re-enactor which will tell of the hunters' life and experiences. West Texas historians Paul Carlson and David Murrah will also speak during the tour.
Hogue summed up the function of the commission and the restoration projects.
"Our purpose is to promote history out here on the Llano Estacado that nobody knows about and try to give it some publicity and even get some tourism to come. If people come to West Texas, they go to the ranching heritage museum at Tech, and from there on there ain't nothing west of there. We're trying to say 'yes, there is.' There are things west of there," said Hogue.
posted by Bakka @ 5:00 PM
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