A Collection of Memories: A History of Armstrong County, 1876-1965 Page: 65
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Armstrong County
until Mrs. Ray's health demanded that she
take life a bit easier and seek a warmer
climate. After a year in Amarillo, where
Marcus attended the Lowry-Phillips Mili-
tary Academy, they moved to southern Cal-
ifornia. Here Marcus was employed with a
wholesale grocery firm, an association
which continues to the present. Mrs. Ray
lived to that rarely attained old age of 92,
when in October, 1963, she died at her home
in La Canada, California.
If it is true that the progress and growth
of a new country run parallel with the devel-
opment of railroad lines, it is certainly
true of Armstrong County's history.
About the time that the Fort Worth & Denver
extended its line into Washburn, the Santa
Fe had built its road into Panhandle. A
"spur" line had been built from Panhandle
to Washburn, a distance of 14.3 miles, but
by 1908 the Santa Fe had decided todo away
with this short line and extend its own line
Into Amarillo. This would have the effect
of making Amarillo the railroad center of
the Panhandle, rather than Washburn as had
been the case. When Logue and other land
owners around Washburn learned of the plan,
they hastened to Austin, the state capital,
to obtain an injunction to prevent the spur's
removal, But the railroad companywas alert
to this move, and the day before the injunc-
tion could be served, they moved in a large
work crew and set to work, after dark,
tearing up that mile of track that cut across
the two counties, Carson and Armstrong.
Later the remainder of the track was moved.
Mr. Logue was the owner of the townsitE
section of Washburn as well as adjoining
land. In making the investment he had relied
upon the state constitution which defined a
railroad as a permanent fixture upon which
land values could be based. Thus with the
removal of the railroad line, land values
were deflated and financial disaster for the
landowners was inevitable. Mr. Logue sued
the railroad company for damages. His
attorney, Mr. R. R. Hazlewood, won the case
in the first court and was awarded $50,000.
The case was appealed by the railroad to
the next highest court, the Appellate Court,
where the verdict was reversed. When the.
plaintiff, Logue, took the case to the high-
est court, The State Supreme Court, he
again met defeat. Washburn was destined to
decline in importance,.
After Mrs. Logue's death in 1902, Mr.Logue had lost heart and had little interest
left in continuing on the farm. In 1906 he
sold his homeplace and moved into Wash-
burn, where he had built a new home.
For a time he engaged in the real estate
business, as new comers were arriving in
ever increasing numbers and the sale of land
was brisk. But soon he became interested
in the establishment of a bank. Thus it was
that the Washburn State Bank, Capital $10,-
000, came into being with James Logue
serving as president, cashier, bookkeeper
and janitor as well. But the county seat was
at Claude, a larger town with more oppor-
tunities, so the Washburn bank was merged
with the first State Bank at Claude and he
became its president in September, 1910.
The family moved to Claude when the pur-
chase of the W. R. Irby home, three blocks
southwest of the public square was com-
pleted. It was this home and this business
that held the private and public interest
of Mr. Logue until failing health forced his
retirement in 1926. His latter years were
spent in Amarillo with his daughter.
With the advent of World War I came a
need of community cooperation and the
establishment of a Red Cross Chapter in
the county. The women and girls of the
town and country met regularly in the
courthouse where the knitting of sweaters
and socks, the making of bandages, etc.,
for use of our armed forces was the para-
mount interest, as was the sale of Liberty
Bonds. James Logue was the President of the
Armstrong County Red Cross Chapter and
was active in the encouragement of bond buy-
ing. Meetings were held all over the county
in the school houses, which also served as
community centers,
On February 21, 1929, the life of James
Logue ended, the result of a stroke, at his
home in Amarillo. He was buried in the
Washburn Cemetery beside his wife, Katie,
and their four small children.
By the time of his father's death, Roscoe,
too, had moved to Amarillo. In the spring
of 1928 he became foreman of the labor gang
at the Santa Fe Roundhouse, where he re-
mained for many years. He was also the au=
thor, in his later years, of two books, "Un-
der Texas and Border Skies'" published in
1935, and "Tumbleweeds and Barb Wire
Fences" published in 1937. Writing re-
mained Roscoe's chief interest and at the
time of his death in March, 1960, he was'
actively engaged in bringing out a newAnd revised edition of his two books. Ros-
65
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Armstrong County Historical Society. A Collection of Memories: A History of Armstrong County, 1876-1965, book, 1965; Hereford, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth91040/m1/73/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .