Page 48 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2021- Online Magazine

Local
History

SHALLOWATER

Where Texas

Pride Runs Deep

by D’Ann M. McGuire Jim Bowles and his horse Mignon

“Now, in this area of cattle ranches stretching far and wide
Was a rancher named Jim Bowles, with neighbors on each side.
He heard about a shortcut that was coming through his way
And thought a town along the track might be possible one day.”

hese were the words that inland from coastal ports. The
came to me one night as railroads filled that need, but even Picnic at the Shallowater Schoolhouse June 26,
TI began hoping to write a with the cross-country stretch of 1913 celebrating the arrival of the Railroad
book that recorded the history of tracks in the 1890s, trains literally
Shallowater for young generations went north and then west – around
to learn from and for older the Texas Panhandle. The Santa Fe
generations to cherish. I gathered Railroad Company finally laid a
information from several sources, line from east Texas to the central
including a museum journal written town of Coleman, Texas. The goal
by Don Casey, which provided was to cut across Texas toward
wonderful details. Clovis, New Mexico.

A few of my friends who were By 1909, serious plans were made, Owner Kinsey Young in front of his
children during the early days of and several men were anxious for gas station (c. 1950)
Shallowater shared photographs the track to go through their land.
and took me on a tour of present- Monroe G. Abernathy wanted to
day locations to point out where raise the funds for a track to be laid
the early buildings had been. The from Lubbock to Plainview. He
Texas Tech Southwest Collections tried to secure deeds and money
Library was another informative for the project but could not gather
stop. One very interesting place it all by the railroad company’s
where I found information was in November 1909 deadline. G.W.
a building that the late Woodward Littlefield owned the Yellow House
sisters, Elliene and Dana, of Ranch and wanted the railway
Shallowater, had built. It is a to come through his land. He
replica of the first little schoolhouse, offered the Santa Fe Company a Judge W. D. Crump with one of his
and they had stored newspapers, sum lower than they wanted, but granddaughters. (He was one of the eleven
notes and photographs inside they accepted his offer and started founders and, in 1936, was thought to be the
oldest librarian in Texas at the age of 91.)
that gave me several pieces of platting the area for the tracks.
information and more names to He first approached his friend
contact. I completed my project in The tracks would have a switch and neighbor, Bob Crump. They
2013 for the 100th anniversary of for the trains, going in opposite decided to meet with the man
Shallowater. directions, to pass. One of the who owned the land next to them,
switches was near the land J.C.
The open plains of the United States “Jim” Bowles owned, and he was where the majority of their townsite
began to develop as passengers, very interested in starting a town dream would be located. They
goods and parcels needed to move to bring commerce to the area. purchased that land and invited

48 Lubbock Senior Link