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History in
a Pecan Shell
The town got its start in the mid 1890s when rancher S. G. Umbarger
leased land here from the railroad
(the Houston and Great Northern). He liked it so much he bought it
two years later and opened several business to cater to freshly arrived
settlers.
The Panhandle and Santa Fe Railway established a switch
near Umbarger’s ranch in 1898. Umbarger (the man) sold out and moved
away to Canyon, Texas, but
since that was a mere 10 miles away, his name remained solidly in
place.
In 1902 a small group of German Catholics transmigrated from Fayette
County, adding much-needed growth. A general store/ post office
opened and a school district was established in 1904.
Between 1902 and 1910 Father Joseph Reisdorff, a Catholic missionary,
worked hard to attract other German Catholic settlers. Friction developed
between Father Reisdorff and John Hutson, another town founder and
as a result, the town had two separate Catholic churches built. The
population was bolstered somewhat by Swiss immigrants who settled
here from 1911 through the 1920s but the town remained under-populated.
From 18 residents in 1920, and only 80 by 1930, it reached 150 on
the eve of WWII.
The town's proximity to Canyon
and Amarillo may
have helped Umbarger survive, but it may also have affected its growth.
The 1984 population was given as 327 – the same number used on the
2010 state map. |
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St. Mary's
Catholic Church in Umbarger
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Photographer's
Note:
A lady at the St
Mary's church in Umbarger was so kind to show me around the church
and explain the work done by the Italian Prisoners. In the large painting
behind the altar was an angel. The artist, from his memory of his
wife, painted her face on the angel. Years later after the war the
artist brought his family back and she was able to see her face on
the angel. - Barclay
Gibson, January 25, 2009
Visit nearby Italian
POW Camp Chapel -
3 1/2 Miles S of Hereford
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Photo of WWII
Italian POWs and priests in Umbarger displayed in the church.
Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2008 |
| 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/historic photos, please contact
us. |
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