| |
HAPPY,
TEXAS
Official Slogan: "The Town Without a Frown."
Unofficial Slogan: "We didn't
like the movie either."
Swisher County, Texas Panhandle
Hwy 87 and
FM 1075
On the Randall County Line
11 miles NW of Tulia
19 miles S of Canyon
35 miles
S of Amarillo
Population:
647 (2000)
Book
Your Hotel Here & Save
Canyon
Hotels >
Texas
Hotels > |
| | Happy,
Texas
Main Street
"The
L. C. Klein Land Co. office located on the south side of Main Street. It was later
used as the post office and as William F. Miller's office."
Photo Courtesy
Swisher County Museum |
History
in a Pecan Shell:
The name comes from Happy Draw - a watercourse discovered
and named by thirsty cowboys. Hugh Currie is credited with establishing the town's
post office near Happy Draw in 1891. It was also the site of a stage horse-changing
station.
Hopes of a depot were dashed in 1906 when Happy was bypassed
(a mere two miles) by the Santa Fe. A town was established alongside the tracks
and Plains Lumber and Grain was the first company to open for business.The towns
first store was opened by J. F. White and Happy soon had their own paper - appropriately
named "Happy News." In 1907 the town was reunited with the post office when it
relocated on the new site. The following year the First State Bank of Happy opened
its doors. |
| |
Happy
Chevrolet Store and gas pump
Photo Courtesy Swisher County Museum |
| "Mose
Wesley's Auto Repair Shop was the first brick building in Happy, Texas, built
in 1913. The night before the opening, a dance was held in the new building to
celebrate the occasion. Mr. Wesley died in 1918, but the business continued with
Mr. Emmett LaRoe as shop foreman and Miss Myrtle LaRoe working as bookkeeper.
Alden Montgomery moved his automobile sales business into the building and it
was called Montgomery Motor Company. For thirty years he sold cars and tractors.
After his death, his son Flake took over the business and operated it until his
death, at which time the inventory was sold at auction. The Taylor-Evans Farm
Store occupied the building through 1967, and ten years later it was rented to
Wildore Taylor III for displaying and restoring antique cars." |
| | Happy
Fire Truck
(foreground) and new City Hall under construction (background).
Photo
Courtesy Swisher County Museum |
Happy
was incorporated in 1925. Like most of Texas, Happy built it's infrastructure
in the 20s. Improvements included the formation of a VFD and new school construction.
The Depression years passed without incident, and by 1940 there were 576 residents.
The population was about the same (588) in 1990 and it has since increased to
647.
© John Troesser |
Editor's
note: Happy's inclusion in TE was suggested by Andrew Wilson, a 21 year-old
actor from San Antonio, Texas who forwarded the three photos above and provided
text. Mr. Wilson wrote:
Dear Texas Escapes,
[Your site] is truly
a vault of knowledge that I use quite fequently, however, I beg you, please add
HAPPY, TEXAS to your treasure trove of history! - Andrew Wilson, December 30,
2004 |
| | |
