| |
CROSS
PLAINS, TEXASCallahan
County, West Texas / Panhandle
Hwy 36
Hwy 206 & FM 880
7 miles N of
Cross Cut
43 miles SE of Abilene
28 miles NE of Coleman
39 miles
NW of Comanche
Population:
1,068 (2000) 1,063 (1990)
|
 |
History
in a Pecan Shell
Cross Plains had been named Turkey Creek
- the stream that still crosses the town's Treadaway Park. It's early years had
the basic necessities like a store, a cotton gin and gristmill, but little else.
They had one newspaper in 1902 (The Herald) but it soon went out of business.
The second paper, The Cross Plains Review started in 1909 and continued
into the 80s*.
The town incorporated in
1910 with a population of 600. Two years later the Texas Central Railroad came
through. The Katy (Missouri, Kansas and Texas) Railroad took over the Texas Central
and for years ran "The Peanut Special" between Cross Plains and DeLeon
(Comanche County). Peanuts were a major Callahan County crop.
An oil
boom in 1925 increased the population and by 1940 it was over 1,200. It has remained
hovering around the 1,000 mark for the last 50 years.
Cross Plains today
has opened the former home of writer Robert
E. Howard as a museum and holds an annual Barbarian Festival on
Labor Day for Howard's most famous character. |
Cross
Plains Attractions The
Cross Plains Public Library
149 N. Main Street (Hwy. 206)
Hours: Monday through Friday 1 to 5.
The
library has copies of Novalyne Price Ellis' He Who Walks Alone for sale. The book
is based on the short life of Cross Plains author Robert E. Howard.
The
Robert E. Howard House
625 West Highway 36. Open By Appointment
Open all day on the second Saturday
in June.
Treadaway
Park:
Hwy 36
West of Town: A former state roadside park; it is now a Cross Plains park. It
is the location of the annual Cross Plains Barbarian Festival.
East
and West Caddo Peaks -
Five miles West of town. (Historic Landmarks - not accessible)
Cross
Plains Tourist Information
Cross Plains Economic Development: 254-725-6397
Cross Plains Area Hotels - Book Here
& Save
Abilene
Hotels
Coleman
Hotels |
Cross Plains Forum Subject:
Cross Plains Bank Robbery, 1974
Dear TE, Does anyone remember the two "ole" boys who robbed the bank - with a
"long tom" 12g. shotgun (borrowed from a grandad) in November, 1974? I was one
of the three State Officers who caught them about 12 or 14 miles out of town,
toward Abilene... It was a real comedy of errors - for the "bandits" - and good
fortune for us...We were in the right place at the right time, and they were in
the wrong place at the wrong time!!
It is hard to understand how, in a
"country town" like Cross Plains, a man could get away with walking into the bank
- in broad daylight, with a shotgun without getting shot...by someone, but I'm
sure it all happened so quickly that no one had time to react... Just thought
I'd ask who or how many remembered the incident... - Ronald Hill, Sweetwater,
Texas, December 29, 2006
I was born in Rising Star Texas
in 1952 and lived the first 6 years of my life in Cross Plains. My father worked
at a truck stop owned by Owen Pancake. If anyone has any old pictures, please
contact me at rich@our-town.com - Ronnie, February 16, 2004
You
have a very interesting site.... I happened across it when looking for articles
on Cross Cut. Found some pretty
interesting things about the old town. Its closest call to fame, other than Robert,
was Glen Strange and Curtis McPeters, who left Cross Cut in the
late twenties and worked in the movies. They came back in about 1928 and did a
program at the school. They had a band in Arizona and later got in the movies.
Glen was Sam the bartender in Gunsmoke in later years. He also did a Frankenstein.
McPeters was Cactus Mack and did 167 bit parts in old westerns. They were cousins
and were part of the Byrd family.
When Lake Brownwood was built and it
closed the road to Brownwood,
a new road was built farther west. It was not paved until after the war. The road
by-passed Cross Cut and left it
further isolated. The main road originally was the main street of the little town.
..... - Norris Chambers
*
[Cross Plains Review] continues still. And just celebrated it's 95th year - according
to the masthead of the newspaper. It's published every Wednesday and usually is
8 pages.... - Teri, July 22, 2003
Anyone wishing to share history,
stories or photos of Cross Plains, Texas, please contact
us
Cross Plains Area Hotels - Book Here & Save
Abilene
Hotels
Coleman
Hotels
More Hotels
© John Troesser
Our thanks to Bobbye Hinkle of the Cross Plains Library
for generously sharing her knowledge of Cross Plains and details of Robert Howard's
life | |
|
