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A TXGenWeb Project
Page
About Lipscomb County
(Lipscomb County Courthouse)
Lipscomb, the county seat of Lipscomb County,
is on State Highway 305 in the central part of the
county. Originally its site in Wolf Creek Valley was
deemed a cattleman's paradise. In 1886 J. W. Arthur,
anticipating the arrival of the Panhandle and Santa Fe
Railway, established a combination store and post office
at the site. Arthur named his townsite Lipscomb, after
pioneer judge Abner Smith Lipscomb. Frank Biggers, the
county's leading developer, organized the town company,
which sold land for three dollars an acre.
The next year, Lipscomb was elected county
seat after a heated contest with the rival townsites of
Dominion and Timms City. John Howlett operated a general
store; John N. Theisen took over the Gilbert Hotel after
its move from Dominion; H. G. Thayer managed a saddle and
harness shop. A school district was established for the
community. Liquor flowed freely at the Alamo Saloon until
1908, when the county voted to go dry.
As it turned out, the railroad routed its
tracks south of the townsite. Subsequent attempts to get
a railroad line to Lipscomb were unsuccessful, as was the
attempt of local businessmen to develop a coal mine in
1888, after a five-inch vein was discovered in the area.
The present courthouse was built in 1916. The community's
position as the county seat, coupled with the success of
W. E. Merydith's real estate ventures, has enabled the
town to survive.
By 1910 several churches, a bank, a drugstore,
and various other businesses had been established there.
Lipscomb has had two newspapers, the Panhandle Interstate
and the Lipscomb County Limelight. Only two businesses
and the post office remained at the community by 1980.
Nevertheless, the importance of the town as a
farming and ranching center, along with oil and gas
explorations in the vicinity, kept Lipscomb's economy
alive. For most of the twentieth century, its population
level has remained fairly stable: population was reported
as 200 in 1910, 175 in 1930, 200 in 1940, and 190 in
1980. By 1990 it was estimated as forty-five. Though in
the early 1990s Lipscomb remained the smallest town in
the county, was off the main highways, and lacked rail
facilities, it was still the permanent county seat.
(Source: The Handbook of Texas Online)
A Poem About Lipscomb County
Written by the Lipscomb Fourth & Sixth
Grade - 1968
An Essay About Lipscomb County
Written by the Lipscomb Sixth Grade
Hello! As the
County Coordinator for Lipscomb County, I welcome
you to share your own research information and
help others with their searches by contacting me
at WebEire@aol.com.
You can also
post your Lipscomb-related Queries,
Biographies, Bible Records, Deeds, Obituaries,
Pensions, and Wills on the Lipscomb County
Message Board.
If you know
of information not displayed or would like to
become a resource, please contact me at WebEire@aol.com.
Thanks!
--Eireann
Brooks
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Search
The Lipscomb County Site
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World War I and
World War II
Texas Panhandle Casualties
and Missing in Action
World War I
World War II
Source:
Amarillo Globe-News
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NARA -- Access
to Military Service and Pension Records
The National Archives
and Records Administration (NARA) is the official
repository for records of military personnel who
have been discharged from the U.S. Air Force,
Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard.
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 Lipscomb County Family
Genealogies
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Descendants
of James R. WILSON
submitted by Cathy
Powers
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If you would like
to submit your Lipscomb County Family Genealogy
for inclusion on this page, please send it as an
e-mail attachment
to me at TimeTrvlrO@aol.com.
Plain
text-only (.txt) formatting is preferred.
Your
information can also be submitted in one or two
e-mails.
Your genealogy does not
have to be exclusive to Lipscomb County,
but your family should have been residents of the
county
for a period of time.
Photos can be added to
your family page.
Submit them in .jpg, .gif, or .bmp format only.
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Wolf Creek Heritage Museum
Museum
Photos
courtesy of Virginia Scott
The museum collection includes the following
exhibit areas:
1. The Ranch Room display features exhibits of
J.W. Beeson and the Great American Cattle Drive
of 1995, exhibits from the King Ranch, Barton
Bros. Ranch, Box T Ranch, 7K Ranch, Frass Ranch,
Jones and Jones Ranch, and many others. There is
a display of various saddles, and a barbed wire
collection.
2. The prehistoric area features prehistoric
bones of mammoths and other animals. Dee Phelps,
a local retiree, has a display of Indian
Artifacts found within 7 miles of Higgins.
Another exhibit includes two buffalo skulls that
washed up in Wolf Creek. This display includes
other Indian artifacts found in this area
featuring the collections of Deam Turner and
Lance Bussard.
3. The Farm area features farm implements used by
early settlers such as the early day plow, a
scythe, a corn sheller, a grinder to sharpen
knives, are shown. Photos accompany the exhibit
showing the implements in use.
4. The Medical area exhibits the early day
Lipscomb County doctors featuring the drug store
cabinet from Dr. Smith. A photograph and story of
housewife Lucy Owens, who with very little
training, practiced dentistry at her home in
Lipscomb during the week. Every Saturday she
would travel to Darrouzett and administer to
people who came to the Darrouzett barber shop for
her dental services.
5. The Military display exhibits Uniforms from
every war and conflict that the United States has
been involved and includes an Air Force, Army,
Navy, and Marine .A Memorial wall featuring Medal
of Lipscomb County Veterans serve as centerpiece
for the exhibit.
6. The school room displays the teacher's desk
and pupil's desk for the Lipscomb School and
features photo and equipment and instruments of
early day sports and music activities.
7. The communication area features the type set
used for the last issue of the Lipscomb County
Limelight and Follett Times, dated 9-1-77. The
exhibit also features the Lipscomb Telephone
Exchange Switchboard and the mailboxes from the
early Lipscomb Post Office.
8. The Pioneer Homes features articles from early
clothes, furniture, kitchenware, radio. All items
belonged to early Lipscomb County families.
9. The German Heritage area features photos of
early German Weddings, german cookbooks, and
German Religious items.
10. The Church Exhibit features Articles and /or
photos of past and present churches throughout
Lipscomb County.
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Lipscomb
County Mailing List
There is a
mailing list for Lipscomb County!
To subscribe
to this mailing list,
send the command subscribe (and nothing else)
to TXLIPSCO-L-REQUEST@rootsweb.com.
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County of the Month
Thank you!
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This page is
maintained by
Eireann Brooks,
Lipscomb County Coordinator, TXGenWeb
&
LaRae Halsey-Brooks,
Lipscomb County Co-Coordinator
You
are visitor number: 
This
page was last updated April 30, 2009.
Bluebonnets - Texas State Flower
© 1997-2009 by the Lipscomb County
Coordinator
for the TXGenWeb Project
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Lipscomb County Resources 
