Jim Ned High School - Warrior Yearbook (Tuscola, TX)

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F P' .ts it Q ,, 1 Blacksmith at Lawn I can remember my father, Henry J. Miller, standing over the hot fire of the forge getting the sweeps red hot and beating them out with a hammer by hand on the anvil, then sticking them in the tempering tub of water to cool them. Sweat from the heat would be running down his face . The water was carried by hand in buckets to fill the tempering tub. This was one of my chores, carrying the water in a bucket. Ozella Miller Fish South Taylor Senior Class Officers of 1952 Gerald Dodson, Floy Young, George Hugh Herrington. Bobby Ray Beard. A com'mon sight in 1892 was a walking plow with wheels. This one is owned by Bartis Knight. 1 ?, Q Buffalo Gap Basketball Team in 1922. Oral Toney, Powell Hodges, Bailey Maxwell, Alvin Smith, Buck Maxwell. Young love , 1915

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The old Buffalo Gap Station Buffalo Gap. Texas The seventh Texas Legislature on February 1 , 1858 declared that there would be a Taylor County . The gap between the mountains was fairly open. The prairie dogs kept much of the brush cut down, and the herds of buffalo driven through during the wet weather helped to tread out a wide path at times more than a mile wide. In 1874 the last Indian fight was fought south of Tuscola. With the Indians vanishing, the few white men left felt free to hunt buffalo bones and skins. This was their wel- fare. By 1875, there was a sprink1e of people in the Buffalo Gap area. A man by the name of Ab Hunter put in a small stock of groceries in his house, which was a dugout. Hog Jackson was the first one to put a general store in a tent: but around 187 9 , Wylie and Darrs opened the first general store in a building in the county at Buffalo Gap. The same year, M. C. fMat7 Lambeth built the first board house. The lumber was hauled from Fort Worth. The freight was S3 . 90 per hundred. This was leased to the County for the County Court House. It was 16 by 30 feet. The county decided to sell lots it owned in Buffalo Gap for S75 a lot. Storms of settlers began to pour into Buf- falo Gap. It soon had a population of 1200. The cowboys kept the town lively . In 1881 word came that a railroad was coming through Taylor County. Everything was done to get the railroad routed through Buffalo Gap: but after much work, sweat, angry thoughts and almost fights, a northern route was decided on. Bufwalo Gap lost the battle . Some people in Buffalo Gap yelled thief to their neighbors north about 15 miles. The railroad joined Fort Worth on the east with E1 Paso on the western border of Texas. The new town on the railroad was named Abilene, after the cattle town, Abilene, in Kansas. The court house was moved to Abilene , which was declared the County Seat of Taylor County in 1882. Abilene started growing and hasn't stopped. Buffalo Gap lost most of its population but is still noted for its beauty and pioneer friendship. In the 1890's Buffalo Gap looked like the Athens of Educa- tion west of Fort Worth. It was a typical college town. The business district faced the courthouse square. About two blocks northwest stood the two- story County Jail. It was built of red stone and the stones are put together with cannon balls. A short distance south of the square was the Cum- berland Presbyterian College. It, too, was built of red sandstone like the jail, quarried west of the creek on the Dr. Haynes place . The building was used for school during the week days and for a place of worship on Sundays. A large man wearing a tall block shoe , known as Prof. Ellis, was the instructor of the school. Miss Banie Lyons and Miss Sallie Yoirng were two of the other teachers. In the early day , it was very often you could see the long herds of cattle being driven through this country to the northern and eastem markets. Wag- ons loaded with bones and hides were often seen traveling the road, going to market. Bones and hides first sold for S8 a ton but later sold for S22 a -ton. Every member of the family joined in picking up bones. Everyone was glad when Sunday came so they could go to church and worship and visit with their neighbors. The day was kept very Holy. Very little cooking was done on Sunday. All cakes and pies were baked on Saturday. The good people of Buffalo Gap loved their beautiful God- given place for the first County Seat of Taylor County. Mrs. Henry Ellenger History of Buffalo Gap During the Early Days A BULLETIN OF LOCAL HISTORY AND GENEALOGY Mrs. Ima Cotten Jennings Buffalo Gap Girls Team: Elna Short, Ruby Brookreson, Lucille Hodges, Elsie Sharp, teacher Roxie Wright, Rood and Bessie Maxwell, Eva Waldrop 'T 3' -sl Mr. Box. Supt. , and Buffalo Gap School

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LUU is Qwfspvulng Lwcjfamj Wyr- Ranching is a good way of life. Sure, we experience some bad years along the way, but the joy of a good year once in a while and the hope of another one helps keep us going. Dick Atkins Research for oil has come a long way. For instance , instead of having to leave the wooden frame of the drilling rig to work on the well , one can now tear the drilling rig down and move to a different location. Nowdays one can call a different rig in to work on the well like the one in the pic- ture . Work in the oilfield was hard in early days, but now with modern machines and tools to help the worker, it is a whole lot easier. Mr . White ' 'I believe farming is one of the best ways to make a living but it takes a lot of hard work and long hours. There is not as much hard work now as when I first started to farm. There are more machines to do the work. I believe the farm outlook is good for there will be more people to feed and there is not any more land being made. It costs a lot more to farm now than when I first started to farm: all parts, fuel, and new farm equipment have gone up greatly . A tractor and equipment that ten years ago cost 5 to 6 thousand dol- lars today cost 15 to 20 thousand. Five years ago diesel cost 15 to 20 cents: today it costs 35 to 50 cents. Farming and stock farming is one of the main sources of income to the Jim Ned Valley. Farming and ranching feed more people with less manhours than any other country in the world . Consumers pay less of their total income for food than in any other country in the world. Farm and ranch families are important to this area, state, and nation. Delmon Smith Wx A I