|
First Street,
the main street in Haskell.
Photo courtesy Terry
Jeanson, September 2007 |
History in
a Pecan Shell
The townsite was
originally known as Willow Pond Springs. Captain Randolph Marcy's
expedition passed this way in 1849 and a member of the expedition
wrote his brother about the place's potential. In 1879 the brother
- named Thomas Tucker occupied the area renamed the place Rice
Springs.
The post office was established in 1885 and the community was renamed
after a soldier who died at Goliad
- Charles Ready Haskell. The county was organized that same year and
Thomas Tucker became the first judge.
The Haskell Free Press became the first newspaper in 1886.
In 1900 the Texas Central Railroad reached Stamford
and Haskell connected in 1906.
The town incorporated in 1907.
Just before World
War II - the Lawson oilfield was discovered six miles east.
Lake Stamford was built in the 1950s to provide water for municipal,
industrial and recreational use.
Haskell's population peaked in 1970 with 4,166 people. |
Haskell, Texas
Landmarks & Attractions
|
| 2002
Photo courtesy Jack Williams |
Buildings on
First Street
Photo courtesy Terry
Jeanson, September 2007 |
Old 1927 City
Hall building on North 1st Street.
Photo courtesy Terry
Jeanson, September 2007 |
Nearby Historic
Attraction
The MacKenzie Trail Monument - South of Haskell, about 1.5 miles
north of Stamford at the intersection
of US277 and SH6, before crossing the Haskell
County line. |
Mackenzie
Trail by Clay Coppedge
"The best of what's left of the Mackenzie Trail today is probably
on private property. You're near it when you're at the intersection
of U.S. 277 and Texas 6 in , where a monument tells you the trail
ran a little north of there. The trail also ran between Dickens
and Spur, so when you're on
parts of U.S. Highway 82 from Dickens
to Lubbock you're probably
following Mackenzie's path pretty closely." - Read
full article |
Haskell, Texas
Chronicles:
From "Get
Along Little Turkeys..." by Mike Cox
"... No matter that it's been largely forgotten, herding large
flocks of turkeys from Point A to Point B once was as much a part
of the wild west as gold rushes, gambling and gunfights. The reason
was the lack of refrigeration. Meat only stayed fresh on the hoof--or
scaly four-toed feet. With large trucks yet to be invented, and
assuming no rail service, the only way to get large numbers of turkeys
from the farm to the dinner table was for mounted men to herd them.
Though it probably happened earlier, the first known Texas turkey
drive took place around 1907, when pioneer Stamford
resident R.M. Dickenson paid to have 500 turkeys driven 18 miles
from Haskell to Stamford. The drive
didn't work out too well..." Read
full article
|
| 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
us. |
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