A history of Deaf Smith County, featuring pioneer families Page: 15 of 174

                                
History 
Deaf Smith County 
Pioneers

W. 0. London, J. P. Snyder, J. W. Hough, J. D. Bourn,
and C. C. Ferguson.
The city commission started immediately on a crusade
for street improvement and construction of sidewalks-a
very apparent need as cited in early-day recollection
of many pioneers.
W. D. Keliehor was appointed a special commissioner
in May, 1909, to head the work of numbering houses and
naming and numbering streets. It was at that time that
the name of the main street was changed from Dewey
Avenue to Main Street--with the explanation that there
would then be no doubt as to the location of the town's
main street.
The name of the "chamber of commerce" had become
the Commercial Club, and that group suggested beginning
at the railroad and numbering the streets running east
and west First, Second, Third, and so forth. The other
streets had been given names unofficially, and it was
suggested that those names be retained. Many of them
are in honor of pioneers, as Jowell, Gough, Witherspoon,
and others.
Contributing to the growth of Hereford and adding
excitement and color to life in the "Windmill City'
when range land began to be cut up and sold to "nesters"
who came in to establish small ranches and farms were
the immigration trains. Hundreds of people at a time
were brought in to seek homes or business opportunity
in the new town.
Land companies in big northern cities and local immigration
companies made a business of interesting people
in other states in Hereford and its rich agricultural
area. Their agents were granted passes by the railroad.
Prospectors came on special cars, where they
ate and slept in many cases. Local citizens turned out
either from curiosity or to greet the visitors in western
hospitality. Hotels and rooming houses flourished. At
first fast-stepping teams hitched to hacks or wagons
took prospectors to see the land. Then the two-cylinder
car became the pride of the land agent. Prospectors
were driven in cars to Kelso where carriages were
kept in the livery stable for a more leisurely showing
of land in the north-west part of the county.
"One   hundred  prospectors, under the supervision
of Tallmadge Brothers, were in town today," read a
story in the Hereford Brand of Sept. 2, 1904.
"Perhaps the one thing which counted most in strengthening
their confidence in the country was the display of
agricultural products prepared by the enterprising real
estate firm of Groves and Elliston.
"The large cabbage, onions, cotton, corn--in fact
everything which can be grown successfully, constructed
a most admirable exhibit and was viewed with much
interest and wonderment. Mr. Tallmadge was so impressed
with the expert preparation he is having one
sent to his office up north.
"The excellent crops which exist throughout this section
of the Panhandle will be an eye-opener to the people who
so long have regarded this as a broadwaste fit for nothing
but cattle range."
The Southwestern Colonization Company, composed
of C. G. Witherspoon, L. Gough, and J.P. Snyder, was
organized early in 1905. In March of that year the company
was reported to have a well organized system of agencies
to the North and Central West. Witherspoon was to have
charge of the main office in Hereford, and Gough was to
supervise the agencies. Traveling representatives from
Hereford were Snyder, M.A. Lamkin, J.H. King, A.J.
Oliver, and E. F. Connell.
J. B. Elliston, a Hereford booster since the immigration
train days, represented Groves and Elliston in
bringing immigrants to Hereford. He recalls with a

chuckle that Hereford realtors thought they were really
"'skinning those suckers" when they sold Deaf Smith
County land for $5 to $12.50 per acre. Then they were
amazed to see the suckers break out the rich land and

pay for it in one year.
He tells of a prospector named Joe Chmelik who
started to Hereford at the invitation of the Ellistons.
Another operator took him on to Friona instead. A. H.
Elliston, the senior partner in the firm, started out for
Friona in a buggy when he realized his client had gone
through.  About  16   miles from  Hereford, or more
than four miles this side of Friona, he met the irate
Chmelik who had set out, derby hat and all, to walk
back to Herefordi Elliston treated his sunburn then
sold him a section of land at $6 an acre.
The railroad reported in 1909 that 1,184 cars of immigrant
outfits had beel shipped into the Panhandle during
the year. On January 22, 1909, it was reported that two
long trains of home and land seekers had come to Hereford
during the week.
The immigration business dwindled toward the last of
the first decade of the century as drouth struck, and many
abandoned their places and went back east. However, after
rains when the land looked inviting, there was some
prospecting as late as 1912.
Planned For A Big City
For a time in the early 1900's there was actual rivalry
between Amarillo, Hereford, and Plainview as
each expected confidently to be the preeminent city of
the Plains. One thing that can be said for those pioneers--they
backed up their belief in their city with
cash, offering bonuses for schools, industry, railroads.
As early as 1906 Hereford was making a determined
bid for a north-south rail connection. Local citizens started
the fund with $20,00 which grew to $90,000 by 1907.
Dimmitt had pledged $50,000 and Gaines County $30,000.
Col. J. H. Ransom was promoting the proposed line
which was to run from the Colorado coal mines through
Hereford to the Gulf.
A contract was let for the construction of the grade
to Miller and Jefferson on May 10, 1907, and a groundbreaking
ceremony was held as work was started. The
grade was constucted in part, but apparently the project
lacked sufficient backing other than the money raised as
subsidy. When that money had been spent, the company
dissolved, leaving the unfinished grade as a scar on the
Plains.
Not daunted by the former failure, local citizens went
to work again in 1910 to raise funds for the organization
of a local company to build a proposed line to be known
as the Stamford, Plainview, and Hereford Railroad. The
line had been run from Stamford to Spur in Dickens
County in 1909, and the proposal was to bring it another
130 miles to Hereford.
The Hereford Commercial Club got behind the project,
and $30,000 was raised at the first meeting. The fund
grew to $200,000 by May of 1910. Again the project
fizzled.
F. H. Oberthier, backer of both proposals, said, "It
probably was not practical from a financial standpoint
at that time. The chief backer was a Col. Goodanough-and
he just probably was not good enough'
Santa Fe 'Here To Stay'
That Hereford pioneers' repeated efforts to obtain
a north-south railroad had met failure should have them
appreciate even more the fact that the Santa Fe was
showing signs of faith in the city.
A contract for the brick depot was let in July, 1908,
at a cost of $23,000. The building was constructed
substantially as it is now, except for occasional repair
and remodeling. Early pictures show it standing in bold

contrast to the sheet-iron livery stable to the north-east.