Historical Markers of Palo Pinto County
part 1
I’m a native of East Texas. Sweet Hubby is a Native of West Texas. After we got married a few years ago, we settled in West Texas. This summer break from school, I decided I wanted to get to know the county we call home a bit better. Hence a journey to visit and capture a picture of all of the historical markers in Palo Pinto County, Texas. The county seat is Palo Pinto, though the largest town is Mineral Wells. There are 57 markers in and closely around Palo Pinto County. Way too many to cover in one post so I will break the subject matter up into smaller portions.
The Civilian Conservation Corp at Possum Kingdom State Park and the Morris Sheppard Dam historical markers are the 1st two that I am writing about.
The Civilian Conservation Corp at Possum Kingdom State Park : Ok, I must admit. I love the state parks of Texas. Love to camp. Love to boat (read as hubby loves to fish while I read a book). Love to hike trails. While visiting the Possum Kingdom State Park, I was able to capture a picture of this historical marker. The land for this park was obtained by the state of Texas from the Brazos River Authority in 1940. Ten years later, the park was opened to the public. This 1528 acre park sits adjacent to Possum Kingdom Lake. In May of 1941, the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) Company 2888 officially moved from the Tyler State Park to this park to begin improvements. The lake is mostly about 32 feet deep with the deepest point being about 106 feet and filled unexpectedly fast in April of 1941, so the CCC had to change all of their design plans. Instead of doing improvements on both shores, they opted to only improve the west shore with electricity, picnic tables and campsites. The members of CCC 2888 built over 7 miles of roads, culverts, the overseer’s residence, septic system and the concession stand. They also built stone fireplaces and and a few other things that have been replaced over the years. The CCC 2888 abandoned the park in July 1942. They were the last of such crews to leave. This marked the end of nine years of such crews doing public works in Texas.
Below is the inscription of this marker:
The Civilian Conservation Corps Company 2888 was transferred here from Tyler in May 1941 to develop Possum Kingdom State Park. The CCC enrollees cleared the park area and shoreline, laid a waterline, built campsites and picnic tables, constructed culverts and more than seven miles of Park Road 33. The CCC camp included barracks for 200 men, a library/recreation building, a kitchen/mess hall, shops, a classroom and infirmary. Closed July 13, 1942, with the advent of World War II, this was the last CCC Camp in Texas. The park continues to serve the region. (1996)
The Morris Sheppard Dam at Possum Kingdom Lake
The Morris Sheppard Dam and the Possum Kingdom Lake: We had to make three trips out to the dam before catching the gates to the observation area open. As you can tell from the pictures, it was definitely worth the effort. Isn’t the scenery beautiful? Do you ever ponder why something is named after someone? Or better yet who was that someone that something was named after? Me too. I am forever riding shotgun as we tootle down the highway and see a stretch of road memorialized for someone. Immediately, I grab my phone and start googling the name. Lots of times, I find out really interesting facts like I did when I googled this dam’s name.. The dam was named for a former United States Senator, Morris Sheppard, from Texarkana, Texas. Though Mr. Sheppard’s name is on this dam, he is better known at the Father of Prohibition. That’s right. Sheppard was the author of the 18th amendment to make the sale of alcohol illegal in the USA. Funnier still is that a still that produced 130 gallons of moonshine per day was discovered during the prohibition on a farm that Mr. Sheppard owned. As I read about Mr. Sheppard I found that there is a historical marker in his honor in the town of his birthplace, Naples, Texas. May just have to go check it out the next time we are in deep east Texas.
The dam and lake were built in response to severe flooding along the Brazos River and water conservation. This project was started in 1938 and completed in 1941- the same year Pearl Harbor was attacked.
The following is the inscription of the dam’s marker:
| Built in response to disastrous Brazos River flooding, Morris Sheppard Dam and Possum Kingdom Reservoir were early attempts at water conservation and flood control in Texas. The U.S. Government funded $4,500,000 of the three-year, $8,500,000 project through the Works Progress Administration, a Depression era recovery agency. Named for U.S. Senator Morris Sheppard and completed in 1941, the dam is 2,740 feet long and 190 feet high. Nine spillway gates allow for the passage of flood waters and drift material. Power generating facilities consist of two 11,250-killowatt units which serve much of the surrounding area. The creation of Possum Kingdom Lake from the impounded waters of Morris Sheppard Dam sent bridges, roads and an entire town underwater. Recovery was initially slow, but quickly picked up after World War II with the establishment of major fishing lodges, camping areas and other recreational facilities. The growth and success of the area is a tribute to the spirit of the surrounding communities which continue to benefit from the project’s original purposes of water conservation and supply, and hydroelectric power generation. (1983) |
-
Blog
Historical Markers of Palo Pinto County part 1 I’m a native of East Texas. Sweet Hubby is a Native of West Texas. After we got married a few years ago, we settled in West Texas. This summer break from school, I decided I wanted to get to know the county we call home a bit…
