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History
in a Pecan Shell
The town was founded
in 1906 by John and Pat Landergin, sons of Irish immigrants who immigrated
to the US because of the Irish potato famine of the 1840s. The brothers
were born in New York and later moved to Indian Territory in the 1870s.
They raised longhorn
cattle along the Red River and once drove 1,040 head of cattle
over the Chisholm Trail to Kansas where they settled briefly - making
a fortune by shipping cattle to England.
The brothers leased land in the Texas
Panhandle to raise more cattle and in 1908 with the arrival of
the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway, the town of Landergin,
was established - and subsequently Vega,
Texas where John Landergin opened the First State Bank there.
They bought part of the XIT
ranch and invested in other land in Oldham
and Deaf Smith
Counties as well as New Mexico and Arizona. In 1912 they moved to
Amarillo and built
a mansion on Polk Street. John died in 1923 and his brother in 1929.
Their company floundered after the death of John and the ranch holdings
were finally liquidated after WWII
- sold at auction to farmers and smaller ranchers.
In 1936 Landergin's population was a mere 15 - and in the 1980s only
two businesses were in operation. |
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Landergin
grain elevators
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine, July 2006 |
| 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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