True Stories of Amazing People and Places in Texas

Life in Hale County Tx 1850-1950

Hale County, Texas 1910-1939 as pictured in archived government photographs, vintage postcards, old school yearbooks and newspapers.

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Very nice image of Joe Phillips on his Farmall Tractor in Hale County Texas in 1950s

This amazing photo of J. Frank Norfleet (on left) was taken between 1921 and 1924. At age 55 Norfleet became a famous international manhunter when he single-handedly captured a gang of criminals who had swindled him out of $45,000 in 1919. The man on the right is W.H. Mercer, Secy. to Senator Mayfield. 

Some time in the 1920s fire fighters and local officials climbed aboard the fire truck and posed for this old photo postcard to promote Plainview

Downtown Plainview Texas in 1897

Mules, Horses and Wagons from two freight teams line Plainview's dirt street in front of early stores including Mrs. M. B. Fowle Dry Goods, Irick and Dyer Groceries, City Drug Store, Williams Bro's. Cheap Cash Store, Donohoo and Ware Dry Goods . . . Huge photo see full size

Photo of Plainview Texas in 1890 showing wide dirt street with cattle, horse-drawn freight wagons and Melton Leach Mercantile store. The idea of founding a town here began in 1886 when Z. T. Maxwell moved with his family and 2,000 sheep from Floyd County and established a farm . . . Read more and view photo full size

In 1893 a two-story hotel was moved 45 miles from Dimmitt Texas to Plainview Texas. This remarkable photo is believed to have been taken when it arrived . . . see full size

As late as 1904, immigrants were still making their way to the Texas Panhandle by wagon train. This photo, believed to have been taken near Littlefield, shows horses pulling covered wagons on their way to a new life in the Plainview Texas area . . . zoom in

Sometime in the early 1900s an unknown photographer took this large detailed photo of the north side of the courthouse square in Plainview Texas showing horse-drawn carriages and one early car with white tires parked on the dirt street . . .  Tap the photo to see full size

Staff and students appear in this photo of Wayland Baptist College in September 1910. Boys on the right dressed in black and girls on the left dressed in white.
 ... zoom in

Mr. and Mrs. Bishop paused for this photo in front of the Santé Fe Rail Station in Plainview before making their RR 1 mail route on a Harley Davidson in Hale County Texas in 1915 . . . see this amazing photo full size

Plainview & Lubbock stagecoach being pulled by mules with four passengers seated inside the stagecoach on a Sunday in Lubbock Texas in 1907. The driver is W. M. Crawford who owned the stage. The time to make the trip . . . Read more See full size

Was there ever a street named Restriction in Plainview Texas? Yes, until 1916 when the city council renamed it 11th street. The inscription on this photo shows 1842 as the date. Not likely, as Plainview wasn't founded until 1888. Before that there just wasn't much around here except flat open Prairie. Take a closer look

With two stories up and one to go, construction workers, students, teachers and parents posed for this large highly detailed photo of the Plainview High School in 1916 . . . see full size

Steam Engine powers a silo on a farm near Plainview Texas in 1912 as men on horseback and farmer's wife look on . . . take a closer look

In the early 1900s a crowd gathered around an earthen stock tank near Petersburg Texas to witness Robert Hall being baptized by a Church of Christ minister . . See full size image

Did you ever pump an aluminum tube to siphon water from an open ditch? Here's how it was done in Hale County Texas in the 1950s. Some farmers were so good at it they could set a tube with one hand and from the far side of the ditch ... See full size

In 1914 a large crowd gathered in front of the First National Bank on Pacific Street in this huge photo of Plainview residents, early cars, carriage and a man on horseback . . . see full size

Ware Hotel Plainview Texas in 1925

Ware Hotel Plainview Texas in 1925 with South Plains Drug and Stubbs Men's Store

In 1907 the Lynn County News documented a family's journey from Tahoka to Floydada via Lubbock, Plainview and Lockney in a Buick named Callie. It's a fascinating story of the people they traveled with and the people From Tahoka, Lubbock, Plainview, Lockney and Floydada . . . see the article

PB Snyder Strawberry Farm Plainview Tx in 1910

Picking strawberries on the P B Snyder farm six miles south of Plainview in 1910.

Plainview Lake in 1913

In 1913 Plainview Lake was filled by an irrigation pump with fourteen million gallons of water after 158 hours and was the largest body of water in Texas supplied by a well. It covered thirty acres and had a depth of five to six feet. The lake was a popular . . . Read more

Landowner Joe Phillips, Mr. T.A. Knight and son Marvin whose family lived on the 360 acre half-section of land near Plainview, Texas for over 30 years.

If you like these images, you can browse and view more than a thousand images of early life in Texas in eBay's Historical Texas Collection. . .