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"A pretty
view showing the Canadian River in the Background."
Click on image to enlarge
1920s vintage photo courtesy Ken
Sharpe |
The Naming
of Canadian River
Where did the name
for the Canadian River originate? Take your pick. Some believe
it came from early French traders from Canada on a hunting expedition.
One historian wrote in 1929 that, later, French explorers named it
while camped where the river runs into the Arkansas River.
Other believe the word is of Spanish origin, derived from the word
"canada," meaning canyon. This is because much of the river runs through
deep canyons.
- From "Bits,
pieces on odds, ends" by Delbert Trew |
"Strange
Locations of Oil Wells in Canadian River"
Click on image to enlarge
1920s
vintage photo courtesy Ken
Sharpe |
Photographer's Note:
These shots are of the Canadian River valley traveling from Dumas,
Texas to Amarillo
(in Potter County).
You can see Amarillo
on the far horizon (to the South). The river has carved its way through
the otherwise flat plains in a million different channels. The road
is U.S. 287/87 which is the main road from Texas
through the Panhandle
to Denver and other points North.
The Canadian River today is often just a small stream thanks to the
many dams on the river and its tributaries in New Mexico, but even
a short rainstorm can fill its banks.
The Canadian River is now an important recreation area for off-roaders,
hikers, and hunters. To the east of these views, the river flows into
Lake Meredith, which
is an important source of drinking water and recreation. - Tom
Jones, December 24, 2007 |
More
About The Canadian River
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Canadian
River was watery trap
by Delbert Trew
Almost every early day description, narrative and historical note
written about the Canadian River uses the words "dangerous," "treacherous,"
"quicksand" and "death." Whether man, beast or wagon was involved,
the river often took its toll...
Head-rises
wiped out frontier towns by Delbert Trew
A head-rise is a wall of water, either small or large, brought on
by a heavy downpour of rain upstream. A head-rise may occur on a down-sloping
cow trail, ranch road, arroyo, canyon, creek or river. A head-rise
can even occur down a wide flat draw if enough rain falls quickly...
Our ranch bordering the Canadian River continually suffered from erosion
and damage caused by head-rises and flooding.
Miles of fences were destroyed and acres of riverbanks lands were
washed away down the river.
We prowled the river banks after each flooding looking for posts,
telephone and REA poles washed down by the water.
Once we found a nice wooden bridge which we took apart and used to
build new corals.
Always, we had to watch for tangles of barbed wire, mad, wet rattlesnakes
and quicksand in the bayous.
Almost overnight after a head-rise, the wet muddy river bottoms became
dry again and the red sands began sifting with the winds.
It was a never-changing pattern.
read full article
More Texas Rivers |
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1940s Texas
Panhandle map showing the Canadian River
Courtesy Texas General Land Office |
1940s Texas
Panhandle map showing the Canadian River
Courtesy Texas General Land Office |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories,
landmarks and vintage or recent photos, please contact
us. |
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