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ZEPHYR,
TEXASSuggested slogan:
"Inherit Our Wind"
Brown County, Panhandle / North Central Texas
Hwy 84
12 miles E of Brownwood
42 miles E of Coleman
54 miles SW of Stephenville
Population: about 200
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The
Community Center in Zephyr, Texas. It was once the Presbyterian Church.
Historical Marker in front of building.
Photo courtesy historictexas.net |
History
in a Pecan Shell
The usual definition of Zephyr is a soft, gentle wind. The Blue Norther
that pinned down the original surveying party here in 1850 was far
from a summer breeze. But surveyors have been known to be a little
on the sarcastic side, so they called the place Zephyr and when time
came (1879) to apply for a post office, the townsfolk couldn't think
of anything else.
When the railroad extended their line from Brownwood
to Lampasas, the Zephyrites
moved the grocery and post office the mile or so to the tracks. People
had long since stopped laughing at the irony of the name when a tornado
destroyed most of the town in 1909, leaving 20 people dead.
Now, primarily a farming and ranching community, Zephyr was once dependent
on cotton until the boll
weevil came to town. Our recent visit in June of 2000 showed several
new businesses in this tidy little place.
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Zephyr
Cemetery gate
Photo courtesy historictexas.net |
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Zephyr
Cemetery
Photo courtesy historictexas.net |
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The Zephyr
Store with ghost sign
Photo courtesy Jason Penney, Aug 2003 |
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The
Zephyr Public School Building
Photo courtesy THC
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The Zephyr Store
TE photo, 2000 |
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A Church in Zephyr
TE Photo, 2000 |
Zephyr
Texas Forum
Subject:
Zephyr Tornado
Dear TE, I thought you might enjoy this story.
My grandmother who is now deceased, passed through Zephyr the afternoon
of the tornado. The family consisted of her, her mother and father,
and her three siblings. They were all in a covered wagon traveling
to Lampasas. She was 13 years old. They had stopped at an old abandoned
rock building to stay the night in Zephyr, but her mother (who was
1/2 Cherokee Indian) felt uneasy staying there with clouds building
up, so they went on toward Lampasas, and camped out about 5 miles
further down the road. The old building was leveled that night of
the storm. If they would have stayed there that night, they would
probably have all been killed. - Sincerely, Tommy Eaton, MarbleFalls,
December 20, 2006
Subject:
Zephyr's 1909 Tornado
My great-grandparents, Annie Ola Gibbs Cloys and Millard Fillmore
Cloys were in the 1909 cyclone that hit Zephyr. As a child, my grandmother
(their daughter) had told me the story of how her father had come
home from a town meeting, and as he sat down to take off his shoes,
the cyclone hit. The baby, Gibbs Cloys, age 2, was killed in the
cyclone, and is buried in Zephyr Cemetery. My great-grandfather
was seriously injured, and the family left there and came to Trinity
where they had family, and where I now live. He died a few days
after they got here, and is buried with the rest of our family here
in Trinity. After I became an adult, my husband and I went to Zephyr,
and I took pictures and did a rubbing on Gibbs Cloys' gravestone.
It made the story real that my grandmother had told me so long ago.
I would like to visit Zephyr again and learn more about its history.
- Kaye Thornton Henry, Trinity, Texas, October 14, 2006
Dear TE, Thanks
for providing pics of the town buildings and the bit of history
on Zephyr, TX. My husband's gt. grnadmother was born there 19 May
1893 and named Ell Vance Cotten, dau. of W.B. Cotten. She married
Percy Eugene Bawcom 24 Dec. 1911 in Rising
Star, - my next town to look-up! Ell died 26 Jul. 1923 in Wichita
Falls, TX. from heart problems & is buried in Rose Mount Cemetery.
Such a short life, wasn't it? I copied your article on Zephyr to
add to my family history notebook. Thanks so much for placing this
article for all to see on your website. - Sonja Dodge Pampa,
Texas, July 31, 2006
Subject:
Iron Bridge Picnics of Zephyr
My name is Shelly Smith. I'm from the little town of Zephyr. I graduated
from Zephyr High School in 2005. I would like to say most everything
you have on zephyr is correct. there is one place you forgot to
mention. This place is called Iron Bridge Road as my great grandma
(Zephyr grad 1929, still alive) has said that the iron bridge has
been a place of history that is where they used to go and have picnics.
Next time you're in Zephyr, the Iron Bridge would be a good place
to take some pictures, that is where the Class of 2005 took their
senior class picture. I just thought you would be interested in
this place. - Shelly Smith, March 02, 2006
If anyone would like to share history,
memories or photos of Zephyr, Texas - please contact
us.
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