Flat Lands Attracted Henry DeLamar
For many years a gateway east of town had the name "DeLamar" at the top. When the gate was originally built is unknown but it marked the farm home of the Henry DeLamars, first of Henry Arthur and Ethelyn DeLamar, then Henry Arthur and Patricia DeLamar.
The elder DeLamar was born in Whitney, Texas in March of 1889. He earned a degree in bookkeeping and business and worked with his brother-in-law and sister in Wellington. Henry, his brother-in-law, and a friend heard about land in Moore County and Henry bought 640 acres in 1918.
Henry met Ethelyn Thompson in Wellington. Ethelyn had earned a teaching certificate from Clarendon College and was teaching Latin in Wellington. The couple married in 1920.
During World War I, Henry served in the U.S. Navy. After he returned from the service, he, Ethelyn and young son, Henry DeLamar Jr., worked to establish their farm. They had their fist crop in 1929. Sometimes they slept and cooked on the prairie while they fenced their property and built a two-room bunk house. They had no well for water and hauled water from neighbors, George and Hattie Troutman, who lived on a section east of the DeLamar farm. They used a barrel on a wooden sled pulled by a tractor to haul the water.
Henry was involved in community progress and worked to secure a building for the American Legion where he served as commander.
He died in 1965 at age 76. Ethelyn lived to be 91 years old. She died in 1991.
Their son, Henry DeLamar Jr., spent most of his life in Moore County as a farmer and rancher. He met and married a Dumas elementary school teacher, Patricia Hoops, and they were parents to David DeLamar. She was a graduate of Oklahoma University and had taught school in Spokane, WA, and in Amarillo before coming to Dumas.
Pat left her mark on Moore County in several ways, but one of unusual importance. In 1973, with the encouragement of a number of people, she ran for the office of County School Superintendent on the platform of "Eliminating the outdated office". She promised that if she were elected, she would resign and vacate the office. According to Texas law, this was the correct procedure to do away with the office and the county judge would assume the responsibilities.
When the county school board was established and a superintendent named, there were nine small schools in the county. By the 1970s, Bivins School was the only school left that had not consolidated with the Dumas schools. Bivins had only 15 students enrolled. The county school board was established in Moore County in 1940 and supervised these schools - Orem, Blue Creek, Lakeview, Palo Duro, Pythian, Record, Hay Creek, Crawford and Bivins.
The resignation of Pat came as she promised. She resigned as County School Superintendent in 1974, saving expenditures by the county that could now go directly to the school systems.
Henry belonged to the Texas Farm Bureau and Dumas Coop. He had been an active member of the Moore County Art Association.
The elder DeLamar was born in Whitney, Texas in March of 1889. He earned a degree in bookkeeping and business and worked with his brother-in-law and sister in Wellington. Henry, his brother-in-law, and a friend heard about land in Moore County and Henry bought 640 acres in 1918.
Henry met Ethelyn Thompson in Wellington. Ethelyn had earned a teaching certificate from Clarendon College and was teaching Latin in Wellington. The couple married in 1920.
During World War I, Henry served in the U.S. Navy. After he returned from the service, he, Ethelyn and young son, Henry DeLamar Jr., worked to establish their farm. They had their fist crop in 1929. Sometimes they slept and cooked on the prairie while they fenced their property and built a two-room bunk house. They had no well for water and hauled water from neighbors, George and Hattie Troutman, who lived on a section east of the DeLamar farm. They used a barrel on a wooden sled pulled by a tractor to haul the water.
Henry was involved in community progress and worked to secure a building for the American Legion where he served as commander.
He died in 1965 at age 76. Ethelyn lived to be 91 years old. She died in 1991.
Their son, Henry DeLamar Jr., spent most of his life in Moore County as a farmer and rancher. He met and married a Dumas elementary school teacher, Patricia Hoops, and they were parents to David DeLamar. She was a graduate of Oklahoma University and had taught school in Spokane, WA, and in Amarillo before coming to Dumas.
Pat left her mark on Moore County in several ways, but one of unusual importance. In 1973, with the encouragement of a number of people, she ran for the office of County School Superintendent on the platform of "Eliminating the outdated office". She promised that if she were elected, she would resign and vacate the office. According to Texas law, this was the correct procedure to do away with the office and the county judge would assume the responsibilities.
When the county school board was established and a superintendent named, there were nine small schools in the county. By the 1970s, Bivins School was the only school left that had not consolidated with the Dumas schools. Bivins had only 15 students enrolled. The county school board was established in Moore County in 1940 and supervised these schools - Orem, Blue Creek, Lakeview, Palo Duro, Pythian, Record, Hay Creek, Crawford and Bivins.
The resignation of Pat came as she promised. She resigned as County School Superintendent in 1974, saving expenditures by the county that could now go directly to the school systems.
Henry belonged to the Texas Farm Bureau and Dumas Coop. He had been an active member of the Moore County Art Association.
One of the history books at Window on the Plains Museum has a poem written by Henry:
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THERE is something about the flat lands THE canyons and the breaks THERE is something about the prairie THE dry grass and all the rest THAT tries your soul patience THAT puts you to the test PRAIRIE land Sometimes break Sometimes cold ENDLESS plains OVER which the sandstorms rolled OPEN up your windswept skies AND give us rain. We have tilled the soil With sweat and tears We have planted seeds For grain and feed Now Oh loving God Supply our need. AS though the gates of heaven opened up I seemed to hear the voices of the past to say "DWELL not too long on memories of the past FOR there is always the future to live AND though we love the days of our fathers THEY too lived for the future WHICH is our today FOR they knew the things which last THE land, the windswept skies and God. FOR our prairie land THEY braved the bitter cold of winter THE dusty heat of summer AND all the hardships in between AND in our fondest memories AND in conclusion WE seem to hear them say "LIVE as Godly a life as you can HAVE faith in God and your fellow man FOR he will never let you down AND neither will your prairie land. |