Photograph of the Blach Building in Albany, Texas. The building is painted green, with red and white trim. There are two plaques to the right of the door that explain what the building is. The words "Shackelford County Tax Office" have been painted in both windows.
Photograph of the Blach Building, in Albany. It currently houses the Shackelford County Appraisal District. The front facade of the building is green with red and white trim. There is a historic marker to the right of the building.
Photograph of the doorway to the Blach Building in Albany, Texas. The building is painted green, with red and white trim. There are two plaques to the right of the door that explain what the building is. The words "Shackelford County Tax Office" have been painted in both windows, and papers have been taped into the doors. There is a wooden ceiling fan above the door.
Photograph of the Breckenridge City Offices. There is a flag pole in front of the building, as well as two potted plants. Cars are parked in the far right side of the photo.
Photograph of businesses along the square in Albany, Texas. Pictured are Bright Sky Press and Lynch Line Books. The buildings are largely stone. Several cars are parked or driving by the businesses.
Photograph of a monument to Camp Breckenridge. It says: "Camp Breckenridge C. S. A. Established near this site 1862. Part Confederate Frontier defense line from Red River to Rio Grande occupied by company of Texas frontier regiment. Posts were day's horseback ride apart and area patrolled regularly. Duties included curbing Indian raids, rounding up draft evaders and renegades. Confederates were poorly fed, clothed and lacked horses, ammunition. They shared few of the glories of the war, but at the cost of the lives of not a few of them. These men gave a measure of protection to a vast frontier area. A memorium to the Texans who served the confederacy. Erected by the State of Texas 1963." There is a small rendering of a Confederate flag at the bottom of the monument.
Photograph of a Confederate Memorial in Parker County, Texas. It is a statue of a man in uniform holding a rifle. It reads "In honor of the United Confederate Veterans of Parker County, 1861-1865" on the base of the statue.
Photograph of the doorway to the 1883 Stephens County Courthouse. It is engraved with the words "J. E. Flanders, architect, Dallas, Texas." There is a historic marker in the right to the background.
Photograph of the doorway to the 1883 Stephens County Courthouse. It is engraved with the names E. L. Walker, M. D. Rhea, S. S. Cook, and I. T. Crawford.
Photograph of an advertising billboard near the Dublin Dr. Pepper Museum and Old Doc's Soda Shop in Dublin, TX. The girl on the swing moves forward and back. She is Pretty Peggy Pepper, a woman chosen yearly as the plants goodwill ambassador.
Photograph of an advertising billboard near the Dublin Dr. Pepper Museum and Old Doc's Soda Shop in Dublin, TX. The girl on the swing moves forward and back. She is Pretty Peggy Pepper, a woman chosen yearly as the plants goodwill ambassador.
Photograph of an advertising billboard near the Dublin Dr. Pepper Museum and Old Doc's Soda Shop in Dublin, TX. The girl on the swing moves forward and back. She is Pretty Peggy Pepper, a woman chosen yearly as the plants goodwill ambassador.
Photograph of the Dublin Dr. Pepper Museum and Old Doc's Soda Shop in Dublin, TX. In front of the building is a statue, "Sweet Inspirations" depicting the plant's owner, Bill Kloster -- "Mr. Dr Pepper" -- offering a bottle of Dr. Pepper to a little girl.
Photograph of the Dublin Dr. Pepper Museum and Old Doc's Soda Shop in Dublin, TX. In front of the building is a statue, "Sweet Inspirations" depicting the plant's owner, Bill Kloster -- "Mr. Dr Pepper" -- offering a bottle of Dr. Pepper to a little girl.
Photograph of a historic plaque about the courthouses of Palo Pinto County. It reads: "Palo Pinto County was created in 1856 and named for a creek south of here that was perhaps named by Spanish explorers of the Brazos River valley. The county seat of 320 acres was surveyed at its geographical center and was originally named Golconda. A court session in 1857 called for the first courthouse to be built of wood frame construction, with two doors and three windows. The contract was awarded to a bid of $300. Shortly after, in 1859, the town name was changed to Palo Pinto. In 1882, just after the Texas legislature allowed counties to issue bonds for new courthouses, a large sandstone structure was built. It cost $35,000 and exhibited second empire styling with a central clock tower. A two-story sandstone annex was added in 1906 and connected to the courthouse by an iron bridge. Sandstone for the buildings was quarried south of the city. In 1940 these buildings were demolished and a new courthouse was erected by Work Projects Administration workers. The reinforced-concrete structure featured subtle classical detail and was clad with some of the sandstone from the old buildings. It was completed in 1942 at a cost of $250,000. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986."
Photograph of a historic plaque in Albany, Texas. It reads: "Hartfield Building. Charles A. Hartfield purchased the lot on this site in 1881. A noted area cook, he quickly established "Charley's Restaurant," which included a bakery and boardinghouse. Hartfield was so successful that he planned an elegant rock structure in which to house his business. Construction began in March 1884 amid a flurry of development in the area. Scottish stonemason Patrick McDonnell, who was responsible for much of the stonework on the new courthouse, was foreman for the Hartfield worksite. The project's scope proved too grand for Hartfield's finances, however, and in September of 1884 he sold the building to J. C. Lynch. Financially ruined, Hartfield was found dead within the year. Lynch sold his building in 1885 to three Albany businessmen: Max Blach, N. H. Burns and Sam Webb. Charles Hartfield's widow, Lettie Hartfield, joined them as an equal partner and the group completed the structure, probably using Charles Hartfield's original plans. The building was occupied over time by such businesses as a grocery, a general merchandise store, a bowling alley and an auto repair shop. The Albany Masonic Lodge began meeting in the structure as early as 1893, and it became known as "The Masonic Building" to local residents. Real Estate magnate L. H. Hill purchased the building in 1925, and the masonic lodge bought it in 1940. Damage from nesting bats caused part of the buildings limestone front to tumble into the street in 1954. The Masons took down the facade and rebuilt it with yellow brick. Sold again in 1996, the building was renovated and its facade reconstructed to reflect its former grandeur as one of Albany's finest early structures. (2000)"
Photograph of a historic plaque in Albany, Texas. It reads: "Lt. Col. William E. Dyess, (August 9, 1916 - December 22, 1943) "A native of Albany, and a graduate of Albany HighSchool and John Tarleton Agricultural College, William Edwin Dyess was the son of Judge Richard T. and Hallie Graham Dyess. Trained as a pilot at Randolph Field, San Antonio, he led the 21st Pursuit Squadron of P-40s in the Phillipines, where he was when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and the U.S. entered Word War II. Dyess' actions against invading Japanese forces at Subic Bay, despite few operational planes, and his later role as infantry commander earned him a reputation for bravery and resourcefulness. Dyess was among the men captured at the fall of Bataan on April 9, 1942 and forced into the grueling death march. He survived the malnutrition, disease and torture that resulted in the loss of thousands of his comrades. Almost a year after their capture he and 11 other men escaped and made their way through hostile territory. Dyess reported to the U. S. War Department and Gen. Douglas MacArthur on enemy actions. Through his personal accounts of Japanese atrocities in the Chicago Tribune, he influenced world opinion on wartime brutalities. Promoted to Lt. Colonel, Dyess returned to Albany in November 1943 after recuperation and made an appearance at the football field on his way to California. Weeks later, he died when the P-38 he piloted crashed at Burbank. His body was returned to his hometown for burial. His wife, Marajen, published The Dyess Story (1944), a book of his accounts, and Albany Playwright Robert E. Nail, Jr., wrote Men of Bataan (1943), an acclaimed play based on his exploits. Dyess Air Force Base at Abilene was named in honor of Albany's much-decorated …
Photograph of a historic plaque in Weatherford, Texas. It reads: "Parker County C. S. A. Part of a colonial grant to S. M. Williams and Stephen F. Austin, father of Texas, but with no permanent settlers before 1850, this county was created in 1855 and named for Isaac Parker, its legislative sponsor. By 1860 it had 4,213 people and in 1861 its voters favored secession 535 to 61. Oliver Loving, a settler, was an official stock raiser, furnishing beef to the Confederacy in the Civil War. He and 18 other men organized a full-time patrol against the frequent, bloody Indian raids. Citizens of adjacent counties took refuge here. In 1864 three local men were charged with treason. One admitted inviting Federal General J. G. Blunt to come from the Cherokee nation and give Parker County protection from the Indians. General John R. Baylor, a local rancher, was an officer in the Arizona-New Mexico campaign to make the Confederacy an ocean-to-ocean nation, and after victories there became Governor of Arizona. He was in the Confederate Congress from 1863 to 1865. Parker County sent the Confederate army nine companies. Its Company E, 19th Texas Cavalry, served in Parsons' Brigade--which fought over 20 engagements in three years with considerable distinction. (1964)"
Photograph of a historic plaque in Weatherford, Texas. It reads: "Parker County Courthouse. Scene of many noted trials. Built 1884-1886. Cost $55,555.55. Fourth courthouse in history of county, organized 1856. An oak on Ft. Belknap Road was Court site that year. In this building practiced S. W. T. Lanham, who was Governor of Texas 1902-1906. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1964."
Photograph of a historic plaque in Albany, Texas. It reads: "Shackelford County. First inhabited by nomadic Indian tribes, Shackelford County was created in 1858 and named for Dr. John Shackelford (1790-1857). The first permanent Anglo-American settlers in this area included J. C. Lynch (1828-1912), a native of Ireland who moved here in 1858; W. H. Ledbetter (1833-84), who arrived in 1859 and later started the Ledbetter Salt Works; T. E. Jackson (b.1820), a merchant who settled in the northern part of the county before 1860; and G. W. Greer (1812-93), who operated a stage station on Hubbard Creek after 1861. During the Civil War (1861-1865), settlers took refuge at "family forts" such as Fort Mugginsville and Fort Hubbard. They gained military protection from frontier perils when the U. S. Army established Fort Griffin in 1867. Griffin, the lawless settlement that grew up around the Fort, attracted buffalo hide hunters and cattlemen driving herds up the western cattle trail. Shackelford County was organized Sept. 12, 1874, with Fort Griffin as temporary county seat. Albany was chosen permanent county seat in Nov. 1874. The county's population increased sharply after the arrival of the Texas Central Railroad in 1881. Petroleum production generated an economic boom, 1910-30. Chief industries today (1976) are petroleum and ranching. (1976)"
Photograph of a historic plaque in Breckenridge, Texas. It reads: "Walter Prescott Webb's Formative Years. Noted historian Walter Prescott Webb (1888-1963) came with his family to Stephens County at the age of four. Over the next seventeen years, Webb received an education in frontier life that formed the basis of his intellectual development and his theories on the role of the Great Plains in American history. Webb's father, Casner, was a rural schoolteacher and farmer. As he moved to different teaching assignments, the family moved with him. W. P. Webb thus was exposed to the physical geographical variety within the county that was so important to his western thesis. His neighbors were prime sources of frontier lore. Although Webb's public school experiences were infrequent, it was during these formative years in Stephens County that he developed his love of books and his desire to attend college. Also during this time, Webb was contacted by William Hinds of New York, who was to become his benefactor and a great source of encouragement for the young scholar. In 1906 Walter P. Webb received his teaching certificate and spent the next three years as a rural educator. In 1909, at the age of 21, Webb left his home in Stephens County to pursue his college education at the University of Texas in Austin. (1985)"
Photograph of a historic plaque in Albany, Texas. It reads: "White Elephant Saloon (Blach Building). The land on this site, Lot 9, Block 3 of the original town plat of Albany, was purchased in 1882 by noted local restauranteur Charles Hartfield. He planned to build a restaurant next door, and the pending establishment was much anticipated by local diners. Shortly before his death in 1884, Hartfield sold the lot to Alabama businessman Max Blach. Blach was vice-president of the Albany Water Company. He and partner N. H. Burns brought a system of running water to the town in 1884. Blach began construction on this one-story native stone structure in March 1884. The building was completed in April and leased to J. R. Davis, who put it to its most infamous use. The White Elephant Saloon opened for business on May 1, 1884. Among its instantly popular features was a white elephant display which was removed from the rooftop early in the establishments heyday. The perpetrators were believed to be citizens who disapproved of the saloon's raucous business. Despite its popularity, Davis announced his intent to close the saloon in February 1886. The Blach building soon was leased to W. M. Wigley, who operated a dry goods and furniture store on this site. Succeeding furniture businesses occupied the building for many years. Blach's heirs sold the structure to S. C. Coffee in 1919. Coffee sold it in 1923 to T. J. Crow, who conveyed it to Albany businessman L. H. Hill (1859-1932) in 1925. The structure was used for various purposes over the years: it was the home of the Albany News in the 1940s and was the workshop and office of a pipe organ maker in the 1950s and 1960s. The Hill family maintained ownership of the edifice until 1977. …
Photograph of a historic marker for John Richard Winters (January 23, 1908 - August 11, 1997) in Palo Pinto, Texas. Text: Tax-Assessor-Collector for Palo Pinto County from January 1, 1947 to March 31, 1987. Longest tenured Tax Assessor in the State of Texas at the time of his retirement. Active participant in civic affairs and community projects throughout the county: Sea Scout Troop Leader; President of the Mineral Wells Junior Chamber of Commerce; Charter member, Captain and Secretary of Palo Pinto County's Sheriff's Posse; Secretary of Palo Pinto County Livestock Association and its FFA-4H Club Junior Livestock Show; Palo Pinto Masonic Lodge; Mineral Wells Masonic Lodge; Old Settlers Reunion. President of Tax Assessor-Collectors Association of Texas in 1862. Retired from U. S. Army as Chief Warrant Officer after 21 years of service in Europe in World War II and active reserves. Instrumental in County Contribution to state-wide screw worm eradication program; re-introduction of wild turkeys into Palo Pinto County; publication of Palo Pinto County History Books; Centennial Celebration; Erection of Historical Markers in Palo Pinto County. Remembered for his untiring efforts to promote Palo Pinto County and Improve the quality of life for all its residents throughout his 89 year lifetime.
Photograph of a Civil War memorial in Breckenridge, Texas. It reads: "Texas Civil War Frontier Defense (1861 - 1865). Texas made an all-out effort for the Confederacy after voting over 3 to 1 for secession. 90,000 troops, noted for mobility and heroic daring, fought on every battlefront. An important source of supply and gateway to foreign trade thru Mexico, Texas was the storehouse of the south. Camp Breckenridge and other posts on this line were backed by patrols of state rangers, organized militia, and citizens posses scouting from nearby "family forts". This was part of a 2000 mile frontier and coastline successfully defended by Texans."
Photograph of a memorial to Lt. General Robert Boyd Williams (1901-1977), Lt. Colonel William Edwin Dyess (1915-19430, and Rear Admiral Emery Arden Grantham (1914-1998) in Albany, Texas. Note: After consulting official records, it was determined that Rear Admiral Emery Arden Grantham's name is misspelled on the memorial. The proper spelling of his given name is Emery, not Emory as indicated on the memorial.
Granite monument. "Ledbetter Salt Works C. S. A. Located 8 mi. southwest on Salt Prong. Hubbard Creek, discovered 1861 by trail drivers. W. H. Ledbetter began extensive development of deposits in 1862. With increased Civil War demand for salt, a large furnace was built, kettles and materials for refining were brought from East Texas by wagon. Salt in large quantities was furnished Confederate troops west of the Mississippi, State Militia, area ranches and towns. Smoking or salting were only ways to preserve meat. When South levied a meat tithe, salt vital to cure bacon for military"
Stephens County Courthouse. Stephens County's first courthouse, erected in 1872, was a small pine building with desks for county officials lining the walls. In 1883, a new three-story red stone courthouse with a tower replaced the original structure. Discover of oil in Breckenridge in the 1920s resulted in a dramatic increase in population that led to the need for a larger courthouse and jail. Voters approved a bond in June 1924 to build a new courthouse and architect David S. Castle of Abilene designed the building constructed in 1926. Although not occupied until December 1926, a grand dedication ceremony was held here on July 4, 1926. The porch and sandstone entryway from teh 1883 courthouse were retained and are located at the southeast end of the square. During the depression of the 1930s, the courthouse became a financial burden and was refinanced. The last payment was made in 1962, thirty-six years after its completion. The four-story Stephens County Courthouse is a fine local example of the classical revival style and features limestone construction, arched entry doors and monumental primary entry stairs rising to triple arched entry doors, with ten columns above. (1997).
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