Texas Panhandle Pioneers: The Simms Brothers

Texas Panhandle Pioneers: The Simms Brothers (HM11U1)

Location: Panhandle, TX 79068 Carson County
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Country: United States of America
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N 35° 20.767', W 101° 22.81'

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Inscription
Permanent citizens, forgers of local civilization. Walter Franklin (1869-1963), George Leonard (born 1875) and Dormer D. Simms (born 1884) moved to Texas in 1886 and to this county in the early 1900's. They arrived later than visiting hunters, soldiers and others who in the 1870's cleared this land of buffalo and hostile Indians, and started ranching. But unlike the early ranchers who ran cattle on state-owned range, these pioneers bought land and worked to pay for it. (To tide them over drouths, such settlers sold buffalo bones and earned bounties for wolf-scalps.)

In the 1905-1906 winter, the Simms Brothers used mule-drawn plows and walked from Washburn (18 mi. SW) to Higgins (115.4 mi. NE), constructing a 4-furrow railway fireguard. John Sparks, an early local teacher and a Simms brother-in-law, worked with them and led the group in gospel singing at nightly campfires. Also in the crew were Jim Calhoun and John Sterling.

Family land ownership was preserved. Years later, oil and industry brought great prosperity to this region. A fourth generation now lives on the land.

Frank Simms married Minnie Pugh Williams; George married Alice Jane King; and Dormer married Gertrude Talbot. Descendants are leaders in Texas business.
Details
HM NumberHM11U1
Tags
Marker Number4702
Year Placed1968
Placed ByState Historical Survey Committee
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014 at 1:17am PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)14S E 283703 N 3914027
Decimal Degrees35.34611667, -101.38016667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 35° 20.767', W 101° 22.81'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds35° 20' 46.02" N, 101° 22' 48.60" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)806
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 500-506 E 5th St, Panhandle TX 79068, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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