|
|
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
|
|
Search The
Lipscomb County Site
|
|
World
War
I
and
World
War
II
Texas Panhandle Casualties
and Missing in Action
World War I
World War II
Source:
Amarillo
Globe-News
|
|
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.
|
|
 Lipscomb
County
Family
Genealogies
|
|
Descendants
of James R. WILSON
submitted by Cathy
Powers
|
|
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.
|
|
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.
|
|
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.
|
|
Neighboring Counties
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If
you are interested in sponsoring a Texas County in the TXGenWeb
Project, please visit the Orphan Counties page.
|
|
If you like what you've seen here, please cast
your vote.
County of the Month
Thank you!
|
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 July 1, 2012.
Bluebonnets - Texas State Flower
© 1997-2012 by the Lipscomb County
Coordinator
for the TXGenWeb Project
|
Lipscomb County Resources 
