The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.) 2004 Summer Edition Page: 6 of 22
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Page 6A
Orientation 2004
:TheJ-TAC
Thurber: A step back in time
By Melissa Schneider
Tarleton Alumna
Down highway 108, 28
miles from Stephenville, rests
the little town of Thurber.
Once a thriving commu-
nity during the early 1900's,
Thurber now sits idle. Only
the previous inhabitants of
Thurber could tell the story
of what the town had once
been and how the little ghost
town came to be.
- In 1918 Thurber was the
largest city between Fort
Worth and El Paso. The
thriving coal mines and brick
plant put Thurber on the
map overnight. At its peak,
Thurber was home to more
than 10,000 people.
The residents of Thurber
were controlled by the Texas
and Pacific Coal Company.
The company owned every-
thing from the coal mines to
the town's only general store.
It even issued its own money
that could only be used in the
Thurber general store. '
Over the course of Thurb-
er's existence, coal miners
opened 15 mine shafts, ,14
of which were operational.
When W.K. Gordon began oil
well drilling in 1915, only six
shafts remained. Two years
later, when the J.H. McCles-
key oil well opened in Rang-
er, a seventh shaft was cre-
ated but never used. !
!
That same year, gas be-
gan replacing coal as a. fuel
source. Shortly after, in 1918,
Texas and Pacific Coal Com-
pany changed its name to
Texas and Pacific Coal and
Oil Company.
The discovery of oil as
a new fuel source began the
devastating decline in Thurb-
er's operations. The Texas,
and Pacific Railroad that ran
through Thurber turned to oil
to power its locomotives. By
1920, only three mine shafts
remained operational. The
mine workers began a strike
in 1921 that halted the coal
mining operation. '
Life in Thurber began to
diminish. Fires destroyed
businesses and other build-
ings. Others closed their
doors and the owners moved
in. The brick plant closed in
1931. The residents of Thurb.-
er had already begun to seek
jobs and homes in other
towns.
By 1937, the once robust
town of Thurber had been
completely abandoned. The
houses were sold one by one
for as little as $30 or $40. The
town of Thurber was no more
than a tumbleweed rolling
with the wind.
The W.K. Gordon Cen-
ter'for Industrial History of
Texas was established to pre-
serve Texas' industrial past at
the site of one of the state's
most productive regions.
Thf center opened its doors
in November 2002. The Gor-
don Center is located next to
Interstate 20 across from the
original ice house smoke-
stack, one of only seven
original buildings left from
Thurber's past.
The museum offers an
in-depth look of how life in
Thurber went from a flour-
ishing community to a ghost
town. A short informative
video allows visitors an in-
sightful look at how Thurber
began. The video discusses
the coal mines, brick plants
and past residents. After the
video, visitors are encour-
aged to walk the museum to
visualize what life in Thurb-
er was like. The museum ,
emphasizes the brick, coal
and petroleum industries of
Thurber.
The museum houses ex-
tensive research of Thurber
and the surrounding areas.
Tarleton students are admit-
ted free with their student ID.
Enjoy a day of history by vis-
iting the W.K. Gordon Center
and the Smokestack Restau-
rant which lies across Inter-
state 20 from the museum.
Photo by Ron Landers, The J-TAC
The brick tower is an exact replica ■
of the real thing that still stands
across Interstate 20.
Grassburr, oh
memories
By Melissa Schneider
Tarleton Alumna
The Grassburr is Tar-
leton's oldest tradition. It
is the official yearbook for
Tarleton and the first edi-
tion was published in 1916.
To Tarleton graduates the
Grassburr is a book of memo-
ries that canbe shown to future
generations. The hard-bound
book holds the joys of college
life in its slick, crisp pages.
Jim Chambers^ president
of Town and Country Bank
and a 1968 general business
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Photo by Ron Landers, The J-TAC
The Grassburr, Tarleton's yearbook,,is published every year.
Shown above, Aleesha Pancake and Shyanne Story look
over a final copy of the book.
Tarleton graduate, describes
the Grassburr as "a constant
class reunion, a handy refer-
ence piece to reminisce with."
"It's the best invest-,
ment a college student will
ever make," Chambers
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said. "Buy it now, because
you may not have the op-
portunity ■to get one later.".
As_.a 1976. general busi-:
ness graduate,' Chambers'
wife Betsy still looks over
her Grassburr. "I was editor
of the Grassburr for a year
while I was going to school,"
she said. "I am proud of the
yearhook.I put together;', the
old pictures were great."
Mrs. Chambers de-
scribes owning a copy of , . „
tl „ , „ j eryone to. get his/her picture
the Grassburr as a record ■ rj; c ^ ^ ,L A
of your achievement. You
ries as they share their pre-
vious college experience
with their daughter who
is a Tarleton sophomore.
Col. Will Tate, a 1935
Tarleton graduate, said the >
best parts of his Grassburr
were the features section of
individuals and the com-
ments his friends wrote in
the back. "By all means,
buy a yearbook, because it
is a means of preserving col-
lege life," he said. Although
retired, Tate is a member
of the Tarleton Founda-
tion Board and Texan Club.
J
A 1976 graduate, Paula
Oxford said her Grassburr
documents her years at
Tarleton. "It's a hard copy,"
she said.- '"It "brings the peo-
ple arid activities together."
Darrell Brown, vice presi-
dent of Town and Country
"Bank and a"' 1987 Tarleton
graduate, said, "My most
cherished memory of my
Grassburr is ' the design,
Tarleton colors, and pic-
tures of campus life and,
events. The Grassburr is an
excellent' reference tool to
remember people today."
Brown encourages ev-
'~*'v f4£
will be glad you have one;
it shows all of the programs
and organizations you
were involved in," she said.
The Chambers' still
read over their Grassburrs.
They' enjoy in the memo-
Fundraising
rriacle for the Grassburr and
to purchase Grassburrs to
show your kids in the fu-
ture.- "Buying a Grassburr
allows" students an oppor-
tunity to always recruit
for Tarleton," 'Brown, said.
"Keep your Grassburr for
reunions and' gatherings."
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The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.) 2004 Summer Edition, newspaper, 2004; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth142224/m1/6/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Tarleton State University.