Hemphill County (Images of America) - Tapa blanda

Title: New book provides window into Hemphill County's past

Author: Staff Writer

Publisher: The Canadian Record

Date: 9/24/09

New from Arcadia Publishing and local author Susan Caudle, in conjunction with The River Valley Pioneer Museum, is Hemphill County, the latest in the popular Images of America series.

From Spanish conquistadores and American Indian battles to railroads and oil booms, Hemphill County has seen it all. Located in the northeast Panhandle, Hemphill County is a land of sage-covered sand hills and rolling breaks, with towering buttes and deep canyons cut by the Canadian River.

Canadian, the county seat, has a unique history of its own. This oasis located on the banks of the Canadian River was the site of the first rodeo in Texas and a stop on the Santa Fe Railway. Other commerce soon followed, including a successful ranching and farming culture, as well as many thriving oil and natural gas industries.

Highlights of Hemphill County:

-The majority of the images included were selected from the archives of the River Valley Pioneer Museum and their Julius Born Collection.

-The remaining photos were provided by local residents and have never been published before.

-Represents the history of Hemphill County 1888 2000. All profits from the sale of the book will be donated to the River Valley Pioneer Museum.

It is available at the Museum Gift Shop at a cost of $21.95. Advance orders will be taken through September 29. Call 806.323.6548 to place your order.

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Its mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America's people and places.

About the Author:

Susan Owens Caudle is a native of Hemphill County, born there in 1948 to "Red" and Frances Trenfield Owens. Her interests in history were encouraged early in her life, first from her Grandmother Trenfield who had taught in a one room school in neighboring Lipscomb County and later from exceptional teachers like Mr. Ronald Barney and Mr. "Hub" Hext in the Canadian school system.

Although she left Hemphill County for college in 1966 and did not return as a resident until 2005, her abiding interest in the early years of the county never waned.

Susan is a member of the Board of the Hemphill County River Valley Pioneer Museum who co-authored this book by making their entire photo collection available. She also serves on the Board for the Edward Abraham Memorial Home in Canadian. Additionally, she is a recent member of the Comancheria Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Her membership on the two boards and their respective fund raising efforts leaves some, but not enough, important time for reading and vocal support of the Canadian Wildcats in their sports contests.

She hopes this work will bring back fond memories to Hemphill County residents, past and present. Future residents will hopefully enjoy the journey into the county's past. Susan regards the book as a present to Hemphill County, a present which both she and The River Valley Pioneer Museum are pleased to provide.

From Spanish conquistadores and American Indian battles to railroads and oil booms, Hemphill County has seen it all. Located in the northeast Panhandle, Hemphill County is a land of sage-covered sand hills and rolling breaks, with towering buttes and deep canyons cut by the Canadian River. Once inhabited by the ancient mammoth and mastodon and, more recently, thundering herds of bison, Hemphill County has a rich human history too. It was home to the Kiowa, Comanche, and Cheyenne Indians and was crossed by Coronado's famous expedition in 1540. American Indian fights, such as the Battle of Buffalo Wallow, also occurred here. Canadian, the county seat, has a unique history of its own. This oasis located on the banks of the Canadian River was the site of the first rodeo in Texas and a stop on the Santa Fe Railway. Other commerce soon followed, including a successful ranching and farming culture, as well as many thriving oil and natural gas industries.