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DUMAS, TEXAS
Moore County Seat,
Texas Panhandle
Junction of US 87 and 287, and Hwy 152
34 miles S of Strafford
49 miles N of Amarillo
71 miles W of Pampa
Population: 13,747 (2000) 12,871(1990)
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Entering
Dumas
Photo courtesy James Feagin, 2001 |
| According
to the State Travel Guide, Dumas offers "scenic beauty in rugged
canyons and hills of Canadian River brakes." |
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West
Texas sunset 10 miles outside of Dumas
Photo courtesy James Feagin, 2001 |
Dumas Attractions
Moore
County Courthouse
Eight City
Parks
Lake Meridith
- Southeast of Dumas
Fishing, swimming, boating and water skiing.
"Windows
on the Plains" Museum -
1820 S. Dumas Ave. 806-935-3113
Dumas
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The Evelyn Theater in Dumas
Photo courtesy Billy Smith, June 1999 |
Dumas, Texas
History
"Dumas ...
was named for Louis Dumas, president of the Panhandle Townsite Company
in Sherman, who purchased railroad survey lands in the Panhandle.
In January 1891 Dumas and his associates formed the Moore County Townsite
Company and platted the town on a site some five miles south of South
Palo Duro Creek." See Handbook of Texas Online:
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/DD/hed6.html
Dumas,
Texas, 1920 by
Louise George
Mill Boyd - "The first I remember of Dumas was the first night
we got here. It was along in April or May, and we were out of Dumas
a few miles in a Model T car coming from Amarillo, and a rain had
just gone through and cleaned everything off, and it looked so pretty.
There was not a tree, not a fence - nothing. Out about three miles,
along about the Stallwitz farm, I looked and I could see the town.
I could see that white courthouse with that cupola on top with just
a few houses here and there, dotted around. Dumas was so little and
it looked so lonesome. I thought, 'Oh dear! Where have I come to?'...
School Days
by Louise George
J.T. Brown - “...When I was in school, the school was up there
where the Christian Church is now, up there on west Fifth or Sixth,
somewhere in there. There were two big old two-story buildings there
for schoolhouses. The class I graduated with in 1931 was the last
class to finish in the old school building..."
Remembering
Christmas by Louise George |
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Dumas welcome sign
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/
%7Etxpstcrd/ |
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Water tower
and statue in Dumas
Photo courtesy James Feagin, 2001 |
Dumas Tourist
Information
Dumas and
Moore County Chamber of Commerce:
806-935-2123
Dumas
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Dumas Texas
Forum
Subject:
Refinery Fire
I will never forget July 29, 1956. I was five years old. The fire
siren in Sunray blew and we could
see the smoke from the refinery north of Dumas. My mother was very
scared because my Dad was a volunteer fireman in Sunray. When the
phone rang later my mother started crying... Dad had been badly
burned when one of the tanks exploded. Later, Dad said he could
tell the tank was about to go and he and the men with him began
to run. There was a small berm nearby and Dad was able to get to
it. The flames went over Dad and burned the back of his head and
severely burned his arms... but he survived as did other men from
the Sunray volunteer fire department. Sadly, others from the small
community fire department did not. Even though I was very young
at the time, I remember some of the men who died that day and how
the whole town of Sunray mourned.
Yes, they are heros.... from a time and place where heroism really
meant something. - Randy Foshee, Canon City, Colorado, September
01, 2006
Subject:
Fire at Diamond Shamrock July 29, 1956 - 50 Year Memorial
There were 19 men killed by fire and explosion with 33 people injured.
Four men who were fatally injured were employees of the refinery,
and thus not included as members of either Dumas or Sunray Volunteer
Fire Departments.
At least one man (D.C. Lilley) had his name misspelled [on the monument].
His correctly spelled name is D.C. Lilley. As his son I have quite
a lot of info on this incident. There are monuments in Sunray
and Dumas and a 50 year memorial is planned for 2006 in Dumas.
The NYC firefighters were all headed upward on 9-11-01. They are
among heroes anywhere. Out of over 5 million people, 343 firefighters
died that day. On July 29, 1956, nine men ( 8 firefighters and 1
refinery employee) died among a town with a population of 1,240.
I consider them all heroes as well as the men who found them and
carried them to medical services. (We don't know who most of them
were.) They have my eternal thanks. The burial of most of these
men was at Lane Memorial Cemetery located one mile N. of
Sunray and approx 1/4 mile east on
a (now paved) FM road.
Four of these men were members of the First Baptist Church of Sunray.They
were Broxson, Emmett, D.C. Lilley, and Weir. Funerals were held
on July 30 and 31, 1956 with mourners lining both sides of the road
from the church to Lane Memorial Cemetery.
I lived northwest across from the church and watched these funerals.
My father's being the last. All funerals were closed casket from
this refinery fire and explosion.
My biggest regrets are my family not meeting my father.
Thanks for the article and time you've spent setting up this website.
May God Bless. - Larry Lilley, Retired Fire Dist. Chief of the
Lubbock Fire Department, Active duty: 27 years, 2 months, Lubbock,
Texas, March 19, 2006
Anyone wishing to share history or photos of Dumas, Texas, please
contact
us.
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