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CAMP SPRINGS,
TEXASScurry County,
West Texas / Panhandle
FM 1614
10 miles East of Snyder
Population: 10
Book
Your Hotel Here & Save
Snyder
Hotels
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Hwy
1105
Photo Courtesy Charlene Beatty Beauchamp, 2001 |
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History
in a (small) Pecan Shell
Springs
were the main attraction to the area, even before the settlers
arrived. Indians would camp here and later, the U.S. Army would
bivouac here when it explored the area or went looking for Indians.
Robert
E. Lee found time to chase Comanches in the area between his
stint in Mexico during the Mexican War and commanding the Southern
forces during the Civil War.
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Longhorns,
by Hwy 1105 on Camp Springs Road
Photo Courtesy Charlene Beatty Beauchamp, 2001 |
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The
actual springs are 6/10 of a mile northwest of the historical
marker on a private ranch. They form a pool about 40 ft across.
There are many indications of prehistoric visitors.
In Gunnar Brune's excellent Springs of Texas, he
adds a description of the springs from 1878 - including
the story of the Berry family who would load up their wagon with
wash tubs and dirty clothes and make the 10 mile trip to the springs.
They'd boil their clothes, eat lunch and let the clothes dry on
the branches of trees.
He goes on to relate how Comanches stole horses in the
area and how the springs were used for Baptisms. A schoolhouse
was built close to the springs and it became a meeting place for
the settlers, slowly evolving into a town.
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Lee
Farm in Camp Springs
" My Uncle Charles Lee lives there." Charlene Beauchamp
Photo Courtesy Charlene Beatty Beauchamp, 2001 |
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One
W.H. Camp settled here, but it was some time before the community
bore his name. The postmistress had a son with the rather unusual
name of Afra. The Handbook of Texas Online states
that: "Residents called their town Afra after the postmistresses
son." Perhaps it was a case of call it Afra or get late mail.
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Camp
Springs Cemetery
Photo Courtesy Charlene Beatty Beauchamp, 2001 |
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"They
later called the town Camp Springs." (Maybe after Afra moved
away). The post office closed in the early 50s and in 1990 the population
was given as 10 persons.
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Leaving
Camp Springs
Photo Courtesy Charlene Beatty Beauchamp, 2001 |
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