Texas Plains Trail Region

11/01/2025

We are elated to share The U Drop Inn Café will be open again for business! Plan to stop and grab a bite when you’re exploring Visit Shamrock Texas on historic Route 66! 🍀🛣️

09/01/2025

On this day in 1984, veteran Texas newspaperman and chili aficionado Frank X. Tolbert died of heart failure. Francis Tolbert was born in Amarillo in 1912 and attended four different Texas colleges but never received a degree. He began his career in journalism as a sportswriter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and later worked for papers in Wichita Falls and Amarillo before joining the staff of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He also published two novels, numerous short stories, and various nonfiction works. Tolbert began using the name Frank X. Tolbert when he enlisted in the United States Marines in 1942. He served as combat correspondent in the Pacific for the marines' official publication, Leatherneck, and later as its managing editor in Washington, D.C. He joined the staff of the Dallas Morning News in 1946 and began publishing his "Tolbert's Texas" column.

Tolbert's most popular work, A Bowl of Red (1962), was devoted to chili con carne. Soon after the publication of A Bowl of Red Tolbert founded the Chili Appreciation Society International, which is based in the ghost town of Terlingua, where annual chili-cooking contests are held. He officially retired from the Morning News in 1977 but continued to write one column a week until his death.

Gilbert Martinez , left, son of founder of El Fenix restaurants and Dallas Morning News columnist Frank X. Tolbert, dressed in Mexican sombreros at an autographing party of Tolbert's newest book "A Bowl of Red," a history of his favorite food, chili con carne. Photo is stamped dated August 13, 1966. (Clint Grant/The Dallas Morning News)

04/01/2025

“On this day in 1929, Bose Ikard died. Ikard, born a slave in Mississippi in 1843, became one of the most famous black frontiersmen and trail drivers in Texas.

The Civil War left Bose a free man, and in 1866 he went to work for Oliver Loving as a trail driver. After Loving's death, Ikard continued in the service of Loving's partner, Charles Goodnight.

The two men became lifelong friends. Goodnight later commented that he trusted Bose Ikard "farther than any living man. He was my detective, banker, and everything else in Colorado, New Mexico, and the other wild country I was in." In 1869, after settling in Weatherford, Ikard participated in a running battle with Quanah Parker's Comanche band, riding alongside his former master, Milton Ikard. Goodnight visited Bose in Weatherford whenever the opportunity arose and gave him presents of money.

After Ikard's death, Goodnight bought a granite marker and wrote an epitaph for his old friend: "Bose Ikard served with me four years on the Goodnight-Loving Trail, never shirked a duty or disobeyed an order, rode with me in many stampedes, participated in three engagements with Comanches, splendid behavior."

https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/ikard-bose

01/01/2025

🎉 Happy New Year from the Plains Trail Region!

As we say goodbye to another year, we’re reflecting on all the incredible moments and milestones that have made 2024 so special across our 52 counties and our great state!

Thank you to everyone who contributed their time, talents, and support to make this year so memorable. Here’s to continuing our mission of celebrating and preserving the Plains Trail’s heritage, culture, and community in 2025!

Cheers to the adventures ahead. We will see you on the Trail!

25/12/2024

🎄Merry Christmas from the Texas Plains Trail Region! This holiday season, we’re grateful for the communities and heritage that make the Texas Plains Trail so special.

Wishing you and yours peace, joy, and countless blessings. May your days be merry and bright! 🎄

17/12/2024

Our region is fortunate to have several nice rest stops and picnic areas scattered throughout our 52 counties! Located between Brownfield and Lubbock on US Highway 62 is the Blankenship Picnic Area, which is also the site of the former Primrose School and historical marker.

The marker reads:

(About one-half mile southwest)
First public school in Hockley County; named for a wild prairie flower. In 1902 homesteaders had begun farming here. By 1909 their children needed education, so the parents hauled lumber by wagon from Big Spring (about 100 mi. S), donated labor, and built a one-room schoolhouse. Classes began Dec. 13, 1909, with pupils from the Ardis, Baker, Blankenship, Brown, Carter, Cowan, Dixon, Perritt, Rose, and Witherspoon families. The schoolhouse served as polling place, church, and public meeting hall in 1917, when Ropesville was established about a mile away, with better facilities. (1974)

12/12/2024

We are beyond overjoyed at this news! We are so proud to have two state historic sites in our region now this addition.

We look forward to continuing to share the The Slaton Harvey House legacy with generations to come! 💙

10/12/2024

On this day in 1928, the future television star Dan Blocker was born in DeKalb, Texas. When he was six years old the family moved to O'Donnell, in Lynn County, where his father operated a general store.

Dan attended Texas Military Institute in San Antonio and Hardin-Simmons University before entering Sul Ross State Teachers College in Alpine in 1947. After graduating with a B.A. degree in speech and drama, he refused offers of professional careers in both football and boxing. He was drafted for combat duty in Korea, where he served as an infantry sergeant. In 1952 he returned to Sul Ross, where he earned an M.A. degree, and then taught school in Sonora, Texas, and Carlsbad, New Mexico, before moving to California in 1956 to work on a Ph.D. degree at the University of California at Los Angeles. During this time he also worked as a substitute teacher and began his career as a professional actor in Los Angeles.
He played the role of Hoss Cartwright for thirteen seasons, from 1959 until his death in 1972 from complications following an operation, on NBC's "Bonanza," one of the longest-running and most popular TV series in history.

A monument in Blocker's memory stands in a park in downtown O'Donnell, across the street from a museum which displays memorabilia from his career.
📍 https://bit.ly/3hgD01i

07/12/2024

The Ritz Community Theatre in Snyder is once again lighting up the downtown square! Just in time for Christmas. 🎄❤️ We love to see our historic theaters being preserved. These venues are more than buildings—they are living legacies where art, history, and community come together to inspire and entertain.

03/12/2024

Subscribe to the heritage magazine of our Lone Star State! 💙

Time’s Running Out! Black Friday Sale Ends Tuesday! This is your LAST CHANCE to save 20% on a 1-year subscription to Authentic Texas. Don’t miss out on this incredible deal to explore stories about Texas history, culture, and heritage!

It's a great gift for friends and family, so whether its for you or a gift for someone else, don't miss out on great savings! https://authentictexas.com/subscribe

30/11/2024

🛍️ Small businesses are the heart and soul of the Texas Plains Trail Region. From family-owned shops to local cafes and artisans, these businesses are not just economic drivers—they’re keepers of our culture, history, and community spirit.

When you support small businesses, you’re doing more than just shopping local:

• Preserving Local Heritage
• Strengthening Communities
• Fostering Innovation

Let’s keep the Texas Plains Trail Region thriving by choosing to shop small and invest in the businesses that make our area extraordinary.

Featured is a favorite stop on our way to Palo Duro Canyon, the Sad Monkey Mercantile. Just 15 minutes from Canyon, and 25 minutes from Amarillo - Sad Monkey Mercantile is a multifaceted business offering a unique experience for both tourists and locals alike. They aim to provide a place for all visitors to find food, drinks, and rest, while browsing camping gear, homewares, and “Panhandle Proud” merchandise.

📍https://www.sadmonkeymercantile.com/about

28/11/2024

Happy Thanksgiving from the Texas Plains Trail Region! 🦃

Today, we’re counting our blessings and celebrating the spirit of gratitude that binds us together. We’re thankful for:

🛤️ Our Rich Heritage – The stories of the Texas Plains Region connect us to the resilience and pioneering spirit of those who came before.

🤝 Our Communities – The people who preserve, share, and celebrate our history are the backbone of our trail. We’re grateful for the museums, heritage sites, cultural centers and passionate individuals who keep Texas’ legacy alive.

🌅Our Scenic Landscapes – The vast plains, red canyons, vibrant sunsets, and rugged beauty of this region inspire us every day.

💙 Our Visitors and Supporters – Whether you’re exploring our region in person or cheering us on from afar, your curiosity and enthusiasm fuel our mission to share the story of the Texas Plains Trail.

As we gather around today, we’re reminded of the importance of connection—past, present, and future. Thank you for being a part of our journey!

📸 A tom turkey at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas Parks and Wildlife

27/11/2024

🎉Congratulations to the McDonald Trading Post on being honored with a Texas Treasure Business Award by the Texas Historical Commission. This honor recognizes their significant role in West Texas history as a key trading and ranching hub since the late 19th century.

The McDonald family’s dedication to preserving this heritage ensures that future generations can appreciate its impact on the region’s development. Here’s to celebrating a piece of Texas history that continues to inspire!

For 88 years of continuous service, McDonald Trading Post was recognized with the Texas Treasure Business Award by the state historical commission

20/11/2024

Warren Queton, a member of the Kiowa Tribe, shared his reflections on the significance of Palo Duro Canyon to the Kiowa Tribe, Comanche Nation, and the Cheyanne and Arapaho Tribes in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Palo Duro on September 28, 2024.

We are so grateful for his insight and to be able to continue to learn about the Native American heritage in our region through these partnerships.

I had the great honor to speak with Warren Queton, a member of the Kiowa Tribe, who shared his reflections on the significance of Palo Duro Canyon to the Kio...

19/11/2024

This Texas Quote comes from M.E. Bell, a young ranch hand who began working for legendary cattleman Charles Goodnight on the J.A. Ranch in the early 1880s—a story of grit, determination, and the start of a life shaped by the rugged ranching life of the Texas Plains.

The Texas Quote of the day comes from M.E. Bell, who was roughly 16 years old when he went to work for the iconic rancher Charles Goodnight on Goodnight's J.A. Ranch in the early 1880s:

"I shall never forget the day I asked Colonel Goodnight for a job. He was in the office working on his books at the time I applied for a job. I walked into the office, but he did not look up. I spoke to him and told him that I wanted a job. He turned around in his chair and looked at me for a good bit before he said a word. I felt like he was staring a hole right through me. The first thing he said to me was, 'Well, son, you are rather small, do you think you can do a man's work?' I told him I believed I could. He then said, 'I don't believe I can afford to give you as much as I am giving the other boys.' I told him that was all right, what I wanted was a job. And it was the truth, too: I was just a kid, a long way from home, jobs were scarce, winter was coming on, and I wanted some place to stay during the winter months.

He gave me a job all right. He had a grub patch near headquarters which he kept to try new hands to see if they really wanted to work. he put me to work on this grub patch. It was rather heavy work for me, but I worked like the dickens for three days on this job; then he put me on a horse. He gave me the same salary the other boys got, too."

----- Mitchell Edward Bell, as quoted by Harley True Burton in "A History of the J.A. Ranch IV," Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol. 32, No. 1, July, 1928. M.E. Bell worked for five years on the JA Ranch and later became owner of a substantial ranch 26 miles south of Clarendon. He fathered five sons, all of whom became ranchers and cattlemen. M.E. Bell was born in Mississippi in 1864 and died in Amarillo in 1958. He was 93 years old. Mr. Bell was buried in the Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon, Texas. Shown in this photo is the main house/headquarters of the JA Ranch. I would imagine this looked quite appealing to a skinny 16-year-old kid looking for a place to stay out of the cold!

11/11/2024

Today, we pause to honor and thank our veterans, the brave men and women who have served our country with courage, dedication, and sacrifice. We are forever grateful for your service and the legacy you have built. You are the true heroes, and we are in your debt.

As you travel through our region, visit one of the many sites that honors veterans and our military heritage: https://bit.ly/3UQ16hw

📍Freedom Museum USA, Pampa

07/11/2024

We are so excited to see these preservation efforts underway! ❤️

History is underway at the Goodnight Ranch!

All five house chimneys are being restored for the first time in 50 years, along with stained-glass weathervanes crafted to closely resemble the originals that once crowned the roof, overlooking the Southern Great Plains. We are deeply grateful to see this dream become a reality and eagerly anticipate the moment we can welcome visitors back for house tours! In the meantime, please feel free to visit the Learning Center on-site! We have a new exhibit on the Red River War!