Immigrant Train Brought Family to Snow-Covered Panhandle
Immigrant trains brought many families to Moore County in the early 1900's. Mary Eleanor Parks was a young 16-year old when she came with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. H Parks, in December of 1904.
The train brought the family to Channing along with their household goods, horses, three-seated hack, and 100 leghorn chickens.
According to the 1970 story in the Moore County News-Press, Eleanor remembers, "There was snow on the ground when we arrived at Channing, and it stayed on all winter. Coming from Gatesville, we weren't used to snow, and we wondered just what sort of place we had come to." Mr. Parks had been to the Panhandle the summer before and bought land near Pringle. They had a water well and a dugout. They started building a two-story house with the help of a cousin who was a carpenter from Goodwell. Eleanor remembered the school was held in the upstairs part of the house.
The train brought the family to Channing along with their household goods, horses, three-seated hack, and 100 leghorn chickens.
According to the 1970 story in the Moore County News-Press, Eleanor remembers, "There was snow on the ground when we arrived at Channing, and it stayed on all winter. Coming from Gatesville, we weren't used to snow, and we wondered just what sort of place we had come to." Mr. Parks had been to the Panhandle the summer before and bought land near Pringle. They had a water well and a dugout. They started building a two-story house with the help of a cousin who was a carpenter from Goodwell. Eleanor remembered the school was held in the upstairs part of the house.
Eleanor married Winfred C. "Fred" Mowery at age 18 and the couple lived in Cimarron County, OK, near Buffalo Springs. She remembered seeing the first automobile that year in Stratford. The couple farmed and Fred worked on the XIT Ranch during the ranch's busy seasons.
The couple had twelve children, eleven were born in Oklahoma. She recalled, "We would load up the children in the wagon and go to parties, literary society meetings at the Leib School and on Sunday afternoon we had singing sessions. Church was held once a month at the school which served as a gathering place for the community."
They had to travel 23 miles to Texline or 30 miles to Clayton for supplies. They would purchase a few grocery items in Bertrand where they received their mail.
The children went to school in a buggy. It was too far to walk. They all completed high school, one was class valedictorian and another was salutatorian.
The family made a trip to Texline one day to see an airplane that was flying from Wichita Falls to Denver and would stop in Texline to refuel. Fuel was shipped in by train and people for miles around gathered to see the airplane. "We sat in our cars and watched for it -- sure 'nough it finally came into view, landed, and we watched while it refueled and took off again."
In 1928, the family moved to the Palo Duro Community and in 1940, they moved to 912 Beard in Dumas.
Eleanor was an avid reader her entire life and in 1945 became librarian for the county library which was in the courthouse. She held that position until 1957 when the new library was built.
She enjoyed her retirement, painting ceramics, piecing quilts, crocheting and being active in senior citizens and in First United Methodist Church.
Eleanor felt she was lucky to have her family close. Six made their home in Dumas, two in Denver, CO, one in Beaver, OK, one in San Diego, CA and one in Wickett, TX.
Those who lived in Dumas were Lorena Haile, Hazel Haile, Lois Mills, Kenneth, Clyde, and Joe Pat. One child was deceased at the time of the 1971 interview.
Fred died in 1957. Eleanor died in 1976.
The couple had twelve children, eleven were born in Oklahoma. She recalled, "We would load up the children in the wagon and go to parties, literary society meetings at the Leib School and on Sunday afternoon we had singing sessions. Church was held once a month at the school which served as a gathering place for the community."
They had to travel 23 miles to Texline or 30 miles to Clayton for supplies. They would purchase a few grocery items in Bertrand where they received their mail.
The children went to school in a buggy. It was too far to walk. They all completed high school, one was class valedictorian and another was salutatorian.
The family made a trip to Texline one day to see an airplane that was flying from Wichita Falls to Denver and would stop in Texline to refuel. Fuel was shipped in by train and people for miles around gathered to see the airplane. "We sat in our cars and watched for it -- sure 'nough it finally came into view, landed, and we watched while it refueled and took off again."
In 1928, the family moved to the Palo Duro Community and in 1940, they moved to 912 Beard in Dumas.
Eleanor was an avid reader her entire life and in 1945 became librarian for the county library which was in the courthouse. She held that position until 1957 when the new library was built.
She enjoyed her retirement, painting ceramics, piecing quilts, crocheting and being active in senior citizens and in First United Methodist Church.
Eleanor felt she was lucky to have her family close. Six made their home in Dumas, two in Denver, CO, one in Beaver, OK, one in San Diego, CA and one in Wickett, TX.
Those who lived in Dumas were Lorena Haile, Hazel Haile, Lois Mills, Kenneth, Clyde, and Joe Pat. One child was deceased at the time of the 1971 interview.
Fred died in 1957. Eleanor died in 1976.