|
|
SEMINOLE,
TEXAS
Gaines County Seat,
Texas Panhandle
Hwy 385
40 miles S of Brownfield
63 miles N of Odessa
25 miles E of the New Mexico state line on Hwy 180
Population: about 7,000
|
 |
| "My
Grandfather, W.H. Brennand had a general Store in Seminole in
1909. This is a photo of main street Seminole at that time.
The Victorian House near the center of the picture was the Brennand
Home." (Cick on photo for larger image) Photo courtesy
Ann Brennand Martin Williams |
|
History
in a Pecan Shell
Named after local Indian watering holes.
County named after signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence
James Gaines.
Seminole was made the County Seat of Gaines County when it was organized
in 1905. However Seagraves
was the county's most populated town until 1950.
The first bank was opened in 1906. Bank robbers didn't find out about
it until 1912. As soon as they did they robbed it. In 1914 the population
was about 300 people.
For five years Seminole enjoyed a rail connection to Midland.
This proved unprofitable in 1923 and the railroad (The Midland and
Northwestern) suspended operations. The same year, Seminole had their
worst fire, destroying a good portion of downtown.
Several of our sources point out the size of the Seminole School
District. The Handbook of Texas says that it served 370
students over an area of 753 square miles. The Texas State Travel
Guide says that it's 1,149 square miles, but has no figures on
the number of students.
Gaines County Courthouse - next page |
|
|
Brennand
Home in Seminole, 1909
Photo courtesy Ann Brennand Martin Williams |
|
|
"This
is a photo of my Aunt, Annie Lou Brennand in a car with the Ramsey
Family. Taken in front of the Stark Store about 1910" - Ann Brennand
Martin Williams
(Cick
on photo for larger image) |
|
|
"My
Grandfather, W. H. Brennand who had the store." - Ann Brennand
Martin Williams |
Seminole
Attractions
The Gaines County
Museum is located at 700 Hobbs Highway which is the same as US 180.
Hours: Monday through Friday 8 to 5 with 12 to 1 reserved for lunch. |
|
|
The Razed Tower Theater
Photo
courtesy Billy Smith,
July 1988 |
Seminole
Texas Forum
Subject:
Seminole, Texas 1911: "...drovs of antilops and perriary chickens
and heaps of wolves and perriary dogs."
I live in Mayfield, Kentucky, but was raised in Northwest Tennessee
not too far from Reelfoot Lake. Recently I had to put my Dad in
a nursing home and I have been going through his possessions and
I found two letters that were written to my Great Grandmother, Hallie
Carpenter Posey, in 1910 and 1911 from a friend in Seminole, Texas.
Evidently the friend had once lived in the area and had moved to
Seminole.
However, my Great Grandmother was from Scottsville, Ky and it could
have been that they were friends there. My Great Grandmother's folks
got burned out in the Scottsville area during the Civil War and
I have records showing her being in Northwest Tennessee around 1871.
She was born in 1850 and passed away at the age of 99 in 1949 there
in Northwest Tennessee. Her friend, Mrs. Lettie Abshure wrote some
very long letters to her during this time and described Seminole
in detail. Please find [the following]
excerpts from the letters and let me know if anyone may know
of her.
The excerpts are copied exactly
as written and provide some insight into the language, spelling
and history of the times. If I can be of further service, do not
hesitate to contact me. - Kenneth M. Smith, Mayfield,
Kentucky, November 15, 2006. See excerpts
from the letters.
Anyone with stories, photos or incidents of Seminole's history is
invited to share them with our readers. Please contact
us.
Book
Your Hotel Here & Save
Brownfield
Hotels
Odessa
Hotels
More
Hotels
© John Troesser |
|
|
