Gray County Historical Markers
Gray County Historical Markers
1934 Pampa Post Office Building, Pampa
Battle of North Fork of Red River, Lefors
Devils Rope Museum, McLean
Eldridge Post Office
First Methodist Church of Pampa, Pampa
First National Bank in Pampa, Pampa
Freedom Museum U.S.A., Pampa
Gray County
Gray County 50th Year Anniversary, Pampa
Gray County Courthouse, Pampa
Gray, Peter W., Pampa
Historical Museum of Barbed Wire and Fencing Tools, McLean
Indian Battlefield, Pampa
-------------------------
1934 Pampa Post Office
Building, Pampa
Year Marker Erected: 1992
--------------------
Battle of North Fork of Red
River, Lefors
Marker Location: located on R.O.W. of SH 273 10 miles SE of
Lefors.
Year Marker Erected: 1972
Marker Text: On Sept. 29, 1872, Col. Ranald S. MacKenzie
(1840-89) found in this area a 262-tepee village of Comanches
defying treaties that sought to confine them on Indian Territory
reservations.
MacKenzie's 231 U.S. Cavalry and Infantrymen captured the village
in half an hour and routed Chief Mow-Way's warriors, who made a
desperate resistance from sheltering creek banks.
That night the Indians succeeded in recapturing their horses from
an army guard detail. This taught MacKenzie a lesson that led to
his eventual victory in the 1874 campaign to subdue the Indians.
------------------
Devils Rope Museum, McLean
Mailing Address:
Devils Rope Museum
Box 290
McLean, Texas 79057
Street Address:
100 Kingsley Street
Area Code: 806
Phone: 779-2225
Contact: Delbert Trew
Area Code: 806
Phone Number: 779-3164
Museum Classification: History
Original Purpose: Factory
Type of Exhibits: Barbed Wire Route 66
Educational Programs: Guided Tours, Traveling Trunks, Films,
School Tours, Hands-on Activities for Children, Lectures,
Demonstrations, School/Museum Cooperative Curriculum, Special
Programs/Accomodations for Disabled Visitors
------------------
Eldridge Post Office
Marker Location: FM 291 R.O.W., 4 1/2 miles north of Alanreed.
Year Marker Erected: 1978
Marker Text: The first post office in Gray County, Eldridge was
established on March 20, 1886. The locality was first called
Elfin Grove, but the post office was never known by that name.
The new facility spared area ranchers a 20-mile ride to Mobeetie
to pick up mail.
Eldridge Post Office moved in 1888 one mile north of its original
site to a spot 1/2 mile west of this location. It stood near a
blacksmith shop on McClellan Creek. About 1902 the post office
moved several miles south to the railroad, where Eldridge became
Alanreed.
-------------------
First Methodist Church of Pampa,
Pampa
Marker Location: Ballard and Foster Street, Pampa
Year Marker Erected: 1996
Marker Text: Five charter members established the First Methodist
Church in 1906, the first denomination organized in Pampa. In
1908 a one-room white church with a steeple was built. This
church site was purchased in 1924, and a new sanctuary was
completed in 1928.
Additional buildings and land were acquired as the congregation
grew and renovations to the structures were made. The church
provides many educational and worship activities for its members
and supports the community with several outreach programs. The
First Methodist Church has served the area for more than 90
years. (1996)
--------------------
First National Bank in Pampa,
Pampa
Year Marker Erected: 1989
--------------------
Freedom Museum U.S.A., Pampa
Mailing Address:
Freedom Museum U.S.A.
600 N. Hobart Street
Pampa, Texas 79065
Street Address:
600 N. Hobart Street
Area Code: 806
Phone: 669-6066
Contact: Deborah Hendrick
Area Code: 809
Phone Number: 665-3301
Director: John Tripplehorn
Museum Classification: History, Military, Non-Historic Structure,
Museum Building Type: Historic Structure
Original Purpose: Water Pump Station
Types of Exhibits/Collections: Military, Aviation, Photos,
Historical
Educational Programs: Guided Tours, School/Museum Cooperative
Curriculum
-------------------
Gray County
Marker Location: From Pampa, go 2 miles east on U.S. 60.
Year Marker Erected: 1936
Marker Text: Formed from Young and Bexar Territories; Created
August 21, 1876; Organized May 27, 1902; Named in Honor of Peter
W. Gray 1819-1874; Member of the First Legislature of Texas;
Member of the Confederate Congress; Appointed to the Texas
Supreme Bench in 1874; County Seat, Lefors, 1902; Pampa, Since
1928
-------------------
Gray County 50th Year
Anniversary, Pampa
Marker Location: 200th Block of Kingsmill Street, Courthouse
Square, Pampa
Year Marker Erected: 1971
Marker Text: Lest We Forget; Gray County; 50th Year Anniversary;
1902-1952; Dedicated to our early day pioneers, through whose
efforts Gray County was established. And who contributed so much
to our 50 years of progress.
-----------------
Gray County Courthouse, Pampa
Construction Date: 1928
Architect: William R. Kaufman
Contractor: H.L. Case Company
Style: Classical Revival with Beaux Arts influences
Description: 4-story cast stone and brick structure with
classical details. First story clad in cast stone made to look
like ashlar set in horizontal bands. Upper three floors are brick
with full-height brick pilasters featuring Corinthian capitals.
Substantial Modifications: -1959 - Annex added. -1970 - Annex
destroyed by tornado and rebuilt.
------------------
Gray, Peter W., Pampa
Marker Location: 200th block of Kingsmill Street, Courthouse
grounds, Pampa
Year Marker Erected: 1963
Marker Text: (Front) Star and Wreath County Named for Texas
Confederate 1819-1876 Virginia-born, came to Texas 1838. Aided
1839 removal Texas Shawness. Officer in Milam Guards, Texas
Republic.
Political, cultural leader in Houston, Republic, State, and
Confederacy: he was district attorney, judge, Justice Texas
Supreme Court, Legislator in Texas and C.S.A. Delegate to Texas
Secession Convention that raised troops to seize U.S. forts,
provided for Texas frontier defense, and ratified C.S.A.
Constitution.
(Back) Gray in 1864 became Treasury Agent for the
"amputated" C.S.A. Sector West of the Mississippi
River. There, in effect, he was Treasury Secretary for a land in
chaos. Smuggled currency was scarce. Often it was hijacked. No
western press could be found to print notes.
Couriers and Pony Express were Gray's "wireless" to the
Confederate capital. Ammunition, arms, medicines, factory goods
vital to the war effort had to be imported for Arkansas,
Louisiana, Missouri, as well as for Texas.
Blockade-runners exported cotton via Havana to Europe. Cattle and
cotton went to market in Mexico, as Gray served the gallant
Confederacy. A Memorial to Texans Who Served the Confederacy.
Erected by the State of Texas 1963
-------------------
Historical Museum of Barbed Wire
and Fencing Tools, McLean
Mailing Address:
Historical Museum of Barbed Wire and Fencing Tools
P O Box 290
McLean, Texas 79057
Street Address: 100 Kingsley St
Area Code: 806
Phone: 779-2225
Contact: Delbert Trew
Area Code: 806
Phone Number: 779-3164
Director: Harold Hagemeier
Museum Classification: General, History, Art, Science, Historic
Site, Historic House, Children's Museum, Aviation, Natural
Science, Nature Center, Military, Planning Stage/Not Open, Other,
Non-Historic Structure, Museum Building Type: Historic Structure
Historic Designation: Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, Subject
Marker, National Register of Historic Places, Local Designation
Original Purpose: Jail, Depot, Hotel, House, Courthouse, Library,
Mission, School, Theater, Post Office, Military Fort, Bank, Fire
Station, Multiple Buildings, Factory
Types of Exhibits/Collections: Science, Art, Military, Aviation,
Natural History, Archeology, Interactive, Photos, Historical,
Local/Pioneer History, Archives
Comments on Changing Exhibits: We have a gallery plus annual
shows.
Educational Programs: Guided Tours, Self-guided tours, Traveling
Trunks, Films, Museum Classes, School Tours, Hands-on Activities
for Children, Lectures, Demonstrations, Living History Programs,
Intrepretive Drama, School/Museum Cooperative Curriculum, Special
Programs/Accomodations for Disabled Visitors
----------------------
Indian Battlefield, Pampa
Marker Location: Located just east of Highway 70 at turn off to
Lake McClellan, but before entering park, about 17 miles south of
Pampa.
Year Marker Erected: 1936
Marker Text: In this vicinity Lieutenant Frank D. Baldwin,
commanding two companies of United States troops, attacked a
large band of Indians and rescued two white girl captives,
November 8, 1874.
-------------------------
Texas Historical Commission
http://www.thc.state.tx.us/index.html
Texas Historic Sites Atlas - Search
Frames Page
http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/Atlas/atlas_search_frame.html
Back to Gray County Historical Markers
Page last updated on April 9, 2000