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| | Just
south of the square is the Old Jail that is now an antique shop.
Police
cars still park there (old habits die hard) and serve as landmarks if you should
visit
TE photo, April
2002 |
| History
in a Pecan Shell
The
name Vernon was their second choice after the Post Office refused the requested
Eagle Flat. (For more on naming of Vernon, see Forum
below.) The county's name, however has a more hair-raising story attached to it:
Josiah
Wilbarger was an early settler who was scalped by Comanches down around Austin,
where a creek
under Highway 71 still bears his name. Josiah
had the presence of mind to cover the wound with a sock (the only clothing the
Comanches left him) before slipping into unconsciousness. He crawled for two days
and was mistaken for a Comanche and nearly killed by rescuers. He lived for many
years after the incident, although his skull decayed and his brain was eventually
exposed, resulting in coma and eventual death. Vernon
lent its name to a struggling opera singer who combined it with Dalhart and became
Vernon Dalhart. Armed with this impressive name, he sold hundreds of thousands
of early "western" records. |
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Vernon
AttractionsThe
Wilbarger County Courthouse
The
stately no-nonsense Courthouse was built in 1928.Carnegie
Library (sort of)
Just past Main St on the Northside of Wilbarger is
the City-County Library. Although the 1915 structure was razed in the late
1970s, they continue to use the name of the original library's benefactor. The
cost of the original building according to Carnegie Libraries Across America
was $12,500. It might've been 12,501. The
Red River Valley Museum
Works of sculptress Electra Waggoner Biggs &
Jack Teagarden Momentos
Nearby
Destinations
Fargo and Doan's Crossing
Vernon's 19th Century history is closely
bound to the Red River crossing some 15 miles north. Corwin Doan
operated a store at this point and supplied cowboys with all they needed to survive
the trip. This is where an estimated six million Longhorn cattle crossed on their
way to the railheads in Dodge City, Kansas.
The fencing of the
west and the invention of barbed
wire put an end to the cattle drives that brought Texas back from the economic
collapse brought upon by the Civil War.
Ironically Vernon had often played
host to The International Barbed Wire and Antique Show.
Vernon
Tourist InformationVernon
Chamber of Commerce
On the NE side of the square on Main Street (Hwy 283).
1-800-687-3137 or 940-552-2564.
Website: www.vernontx.com
Book Your Hotel Here & Save: Vernon
Hotels |
| | We
checked four references for Vernon's population and they all say 12,001. We asked
eight different Vernonians if they happened to know whom the last person
counted was, and seven of the eight said it was they. |
| The
eighth person told us that the citizens of Vernon were called Vernonites,
and that the twelve thousand and first inhabitant was probably a rare example
of Census Bureau humor. |
Vernon
Texas Forum
Subject: Name of Vernon, Texas
There is no historical proof of the Mt.
Vernon theory as to the reason for Vernon's name. I agree completely with Joyce
Ashley. And I was born and raised in Vernon. - Lee Probst, May 27, 2008
No
Vernonites in Vernon
Dear TE, Just a couple of comments on your Vernon
information. There are several incorrect statements. For instance, Carnegie City-County
Library still exists. It simply moved to a new and more modern location at 2810
Wilbarger Street before the old building on Cumberland Street was torn down.
Vernon was not necessarily named for Mount Vernon, although that is
certainly one theory. However, according to the Wilbarger County history book
(page 578), "After the name Eagle Flat was not accepted by the postal authorities
due to other offices with "Eagle" in the name, the name Vernon was chosen but
history has not recorded a substantiated reason for the selection." The book goes
on to say that another (and more colorful) version of the origin of the name was
that it was named after Vernon Brown, a whisky drummer, the first to call on the
new townsite, promised free samples of his wares if the then-new town was named
after him. Actually, no one knows for sure how the town got its name.
Also, I have lived in Vernon for 57 years now and have NEVER heard anyone called
a "Vernonite."... - Joyce Ashley, Vernon, Texas, January 7, 2007
Subject: Kramer's
studio
I found numerous old, old photos left by my Grandmother, they were
developed at Kramer Studio in Vernon, Texas. Can you tell me if, by some miracle,
it's still in business or what may have happened to it? Thanks, Margie Foster,
OKC, January 05, 2006 | |
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