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High School
in Iowa Park
1900s photo courtesy texasoldphotos.com |
History in
a Pecan Shell
The town, originally
named Daggett Switch was founded in 1888 alongside the tracks
of the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway by D. C. and A. J. Kolp.
When the Texas Panhandle Company brought in prospective buyers from
Iowa around 1888, it seemed that a change of name was in order. It
occured with the opening of the post office that year.
The town was officially launched on a disasterous note. Shortly after
incorporation, a good portion of the town burned. It soon became a
shipping point for cotton and wheat.
Hard times came in the early 1890s when a drought hit, but by the
time 1900 arrived the town had a respectible population of nearly
800.
The population fell during the mid teens but an oil discovery in 1918
righted the dip. By 1926 the population was just over 2,000. A cement
highway connecting Iowa Park with Wichita
Falls was built in 1927. In the mid 30s Iowa Park managed to keep
its populatiuon near 2,000 while most other towns declined.
Sheppard Air Force Base provided a shot in the arm in the 1950s but
by the end of the decade the population was still hovering around
the 2,100 mark. By the late 60s the population had swelled to nearly
5,000 and increased further to 6,200 in the 70s. |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage or recent photos, please contact
us. |
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