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BORGER, TEXAS
Hutchinson
County, Texas Panhandle
35° 39' 46" N, 101° 24' 6" W (35.662778, -101.401667)
Hwy 207 & 152
11 miles S of Stinnett
the county seat
29 miles NW of Pampa
50 miles NE of Amarillo
via Hwy 60 or Hwy 136
ZIP codes 79007-79008
Area code 806
Population: 12,534 (2020)
13,251 (2010) 14,302 (2000) 15,675 (1990)
Book Hotel Here > Borger
Hotels |
Borger, Texas 1926
Click
on image to enlarge
Courtesy Dennis Glubish |
History
in a Pecan Shell
Eight times larger than the County Seat of Stinnett,
Borger once boasted of a three-mile
long main street when things like that were rare. Borger was a
wild place in 1927. So wild, that Governor Dan Moody had to declare
martial law and send in the Texas Rangers. The Ranger-in-charge was
Captain Frank Hamer, who was to rain on Bonnie
and Clyde's parade in '35. Gov. Moody didn't want to do it, but
when a town shoots and kills its District Attorney, it's time to do
something.
A One-sided Shootout
Named after Asa "Ace" Borger, land
speculator and town builder, Borger lost its namesake in a one-sided
shootout in the Borger Post Office in 1934. It seems that the County
Treasurer, Arthur Huey (never trust a man with two first names) was
miffed at Ace for not bailing him out of jail on an embezzlement charge.
Huey confronted Ace while he was licking a stamp and called him a
bunch of names. Mr. Borger could live with that; but then Huey shot
him five times with a .45, which Mr. Borger could not live with. To
add insult to fatal injury, Huey took Borger's .44 and shot him again
(along with a few other postal patrons). It is not known if Mr. Borger's
letter was ever delivered. |
Borger, Texas
Attractions & Landmarks
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Hutchinson
County Historical Museum: History of Hutchinson County to its
boomtown days. 618 N. Main St., 806-273-6121
Ace Borger's
House, the first brick structure in Boomtown Borger is a town
attraction.
Lake Meredith
National Recreation Area, 16,000 acres managed by the National
Park Service.
Alibates
Flint Quarries National Monument (the only National Monument
in Texas), next to Lake Meredith National Recreation Area.
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"Borger-Isom
Depot"
Photo
Courtesy Ken Sharpe Collection |
Borger, Texas
Vintage Photos
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Two Gun Dick and Police Dog
Click
on image to enlarge
Courtesy Ken Sharpe Collection |
Borger, Texas
Oil Derrick
Click on image to enlarge
Photo courtesy Ken Sharpe Collection |
Night drilling
in Borger
See Electric
City
Click on image to enlarge
Photo courtesy Ken Sharpe Collection |
Water
and Ice
"Water $1.00 a Barrel
Ice $2.00 per Hundredweight"
1920s
photo courtesy Ken Sharpe Collection
Click on image to enlarge |
"Sand Storm,
Borger, Texas, April 14, 1935"
Postcard
courtesy Bob Walker |
Sandstorm postcard
posted in Whittenburg,
one mile from Borger
Postcard
courtesy Bob Walker |
Poison Gas and
Poison Snakes in Borger
Click on image to enlarge
Photo
courtesy Ken Sharpe Collection
More Texas
Animals |
Borger, Texas
Chronicles
Mr.
Acton's Story C. F. Eckhardt
"...We headed for that light. It was slow going, but we made
progress-but when we got to it, there was no house. There was just
a glowing ball of light, maybe a foot or a foot and a half across,
in the branches of a little tree..." |
A Panhandle scenic drive near Borger
The 25-mile loop (Texas 136 west, FM 1319 and FM 687) to the county
seat of Stinnett
is a Panhandle scenic drive.
It crosses the Canadian
River, eh? |
Borger
Area Ghost Towns
Isom,
Texas -
A Panhandle ghost town (absorbed by Borger), now inside the Borger
city limits.
Whittenburg
A mile from Borger
Phillips
In 1938 Whittenburg and Pantex became Phillips, Texas
Electric
City -
A Panhandle ghost town, 3 miles north of Borger on the southern
bank of the Canadian River.
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Borger, Texas
Forum
Phillips
and Borger
Our family was from Borger, Texas, and my dad's brother, Sydney
Wilson Bennett, worked in nearby Phillips
at the refinery. I was born in Borger in 1948 and left for Wyoming
in 1953. My aunt "Frankie" and uncle Wilson would babysit me and
my sister at their company home in Phillips.
We spent many, many a happy time there in the early years of our
lives.
About 30 years ago, I took my wife to see Borger and Phillips.
We had our first child with us, and we parked our travel trailer
across from my aunt and uncle's house in a friendly neighbor's driveway.
I took my wife on a "tour" of Phillips
and Borger, and we left a few days later, following a tornado. I
just did not want to sit through another Panhandle tornado!
I only learned of the demise of Phillips
today! My aunt and uncle moved away when he retired from Phillips,
to relocate in Bowie. Both are now deceased. I can't imagine Phillips
having been leveled. - Jim Pixley, Corona, California, May 24, 2007
Subject:
BORGER, TEXAS
My daughter-in-law in Houston found your website (she is a teacher
in creating websites & computer at Dobie High School in Pasadena,
Texas) and she forwarded your site to me. I grew up in Borger, started
to school there, graduated in 1940 and worked at the old Panhandle
State Bank, starting while a junior in high school. At the time
I knew everyone in town. I did an article on Dixon Creek for the
Museum in Borger, having moved there when I was about 3 years old.
My first memory of time is on Dixon Creek, and I have pictures of
myself standing in front of our tent at what was then called "Tent
City", up and down the banks of the Dixon Creek. Never met but one
person who could go back to Tent City with me, and she is now deceased.
I am 83 years of age now, and that seems so long ago, but I found
your site nostalgic, and brought back many memories. - Elnora Engle
Walker, January 12, 2007
Subject:
RIVERVIEW POWER PLANT TX
By chance found your site and was very interested in the pictures
of camp. I was born in Borger and lived in Riverview. My dad
worked at the Power
Plant. I have looked at the images of the area on google earth
and am able to place where we lived and even though the houses are
long gone, the trees tell where they were. Thie image
of camp you have on the site, does not seem to fit any of these
configurations so was very puzzled unless it was not taken facing
West. I do have images (will have to look for them) and when I find
them, will email them to you. Do you have any other images I could
see?
It was quite a memory jogger and was delighted to realize how much
was still there! Thanks for posting it. - Margot Carter Blair, April
02, 2006
Subject:
William Henderson - Borger, TX - Isom Township
My wife's step grandfather, William Henderson, was a land speculator
from Alabama who first established the Isom township which later
became Borger. He was the owner of the Black Hotel in Borger, and
following the 1920s scandal (martial law) he was elected mayor of
Borger. I have many newspaper clippings describing the events, and
many early photographs of the people of the time (and an aerial
photo of the original townsite). In addition I have letters and
a journal that gives first hand accounts of the early history of
Borger. I am beginning research so that I might write a biography
of "Pop" Henderson and the beginnings of Borger. Can you give me
any suggestions as to how I might proceed? Is there a way to access
newspaper articles from that early time, or is there anything that
can be gained from your museum? Perhaps I can come to Borger and
speak to people who are familiar with the early history and who
might shed some light on my research. Thanks. Thomas E. Casey, Colorado,
usmasu1@cox.net , February 28, 2006
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Hutchinson
County 1940s map
From Texas state map #4335
Courtesy
Texas General Land Office |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact
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