The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 32, July 1928 - April, 1929 Page: 62

62 Southwestern Historical Quarterly
and other expenses, and Mr. T. D. Hobart agreed that the J A
Ranch would furnish horses and saddles, for an expedition to lay
out the proposed highway. However, on the date set for the ex-
pedition to start Mr. Colp was called away because of illness in
his family and nothing has ever come of it to date. Mr. Braswell
states that a number of prominent ranchmen who have land along
the proposed highway expressed their willingness to donate land
for this purpose.
A number of local enthusiasts (of whom the writer is one)
believe that if this proposed plan is carried out that this will be
the most beautiful scenic highway in Texas and will rival any
scenic highway in the United States, because it will be remem-
bered that the Palo Duro Canyon follows along the edge of the
Cap Rock and that it varies in width from a half mile to over
fifteen miles, and in depth from a few hundred feet up to thirteen
hundred feet and that on either side every few hundred yards a
gully or ravine empties into the canyon and that each one of the
gullies or ravines is a miniature canyon in itself several hundred
feet deep. The banks of the main canyon and its tributaries, too,
have all the wonderful scenes produced by the agents of erosion,
projecting rocks, deep gorges, and caves. The banks are covered
from top to bottom with a growth of cedar, hackberry, catclaw,
cactus, shinnery, bois d'arc and a number of other kinds of trees
and shrubbery. Along the banks of these canyons are to be found
many birds, reptiles and wild animals such as rattlesnakes, skunks,
coyotes, opossum, raccoons, fox, hawks, eagles, bobwhites, Mexican
quail and every kind of singing bird to be found in the Panhandle,
of which there are about two hundred different varieties. In the
opinion of the writer it is fitting that as much of the First Cattle
Ranch of the Panhandle as possible, and especially the sixty miles
of it lying along the Palo Duro Canyon should be kept intact for
the enlightenment and pleasure of the oncoming generations.
Perhaps no better way to do this could be found than to open a
scenic highway through this wonderful canyon, and make a park
out of it and turn it into the "playground of the Panhandle."