Noel McDade . . . Changed Panhandle History
By Glynda Pflug
Have you wondered why the large city park in southeast Dumas is called McDade Park?
The story behind the name relates the life of a remarkable man who came to Moore County as a young man in 1906 and changed the history of the area.
Noel McDade was one of four children born to Joseph and Jane McDade. They were originally form Alabama, then Louisiana and then, in 1874, to Fannin County, Texas.
In 1906, with all of their belongings packed in two railroad cars, the family moved to Moore County to a section of land they had purchased a year earlier for $2600. The land was just west of Dumas.
The trip from the railroad in Channing was not an easy one. They arrived in Channing in March of 1906 about 10 p.m. They loaded part of their household items in wagons on Tuesday and were ready to depart for Dumas. A winter storm blew in and they had to wait until Thursday to leave.
When they arrived at their new home, according to a very detailed diary kept by Noel during his lifetime, "We had a time. Stove joints wouldn't fit, and for a time, it looked as though we would have to go to bed or freeze." They found the windmill had blown over, so there was no water. Part of the fence for the corral was torn away so there was no place to secure the stock. As a result, "We went to bed with no supper, no water."
It snowed all the next day and according to the diary, with help from a neighbor, Mr. Anthony, "we went back to Channing Sunday and brought out the rest of our house, plunder and implements." Tuesday, with help from Mr. Anthony and Mr. Biffle, they put up the windmill.
Wednesday, they made another trip to Channing and brought out posts, "finishing our moving."
On Christmas Eve, 1909, Noel was married to Susie Payne. The older McDades moved to town in 1910, leaving Noel and Susie to run the farm. In 1910, the business district consisted on the courthouse, Anderson's Blacksmith and two mercantile stores, Phillips and Lamberts.
The diary tells of a farming mishap that Noel had. He was plowing a field close to the house with his team of mules. The team must have had other ideas instead of plowing. They got away from him six times that day. He remembered seeing Susie looking out the window at him as he circled the house time after time hanging onto the reins and trying to get them to stop. He said when he finally got them to stop and he went in the house, Susie was still laughing.
Noel's first business interest was a store where he could make feeds available without having to make the trip to Channing. Then, he started working as a bookkeeper at the bank, later purchasing the bank in 1928.
He was president of the bank during the Depression years. Under the orders of President Roosevelt, his bank along with others across the country was ordered closed. It was one of the first to reopen when it was found to be solvent.
During this time, he was one of a group of men who were working to incorporate the City of Dumas and was elected the first mayor in 1930. He sold his banking interests and worked on city projects.
In 1935, he ran for County Judge and served for ten years, earning the name "Judge" which he was called the remainder of his life.
He remembered that in the early days of Moore County, there was no jail. Prisoners were handcuffed to a long heavy log. Noel said he "couldn't remember how long they were left that way -- probably until they sobered up."
He served the county during the days of the dust bowl and the Depression. His diary reflects his deep concern. In a 1966 interview, Noel remembers, "The time was 1936, a dark period of depression for all the country and deepened to near-disaster on the North Plains by a drouth period. The dust was blowing over dry acres, crops were sparse and just no money to be had."
Noel had been to Washington a couple of times seeking some aid. A financier from Amarillo came to see Noel and was concerned that the Federal Land Bank was getting ready to foreclose on hundreds of Moore County and Panhandle farms because of delinquent notes. A meeting followed in Amarillo and a group was organized to go to Washington and meet with some congressmen to stop the foreclosures. The three-man committee was Noel, H. D. Lewis Sr. of Dumas and County Judge Puett of Wheeler County. Noel was spokesman for the group. They talked too many congressmen and finally met with top Federal Land Bank officers. Noel spent two hours outlining the problems land owners were facing. In his talk, he emphasized, "These are good hardy people, and they pay their accounts. While we are here talking, they are out in the field fighting the dust and wind." The group was successful. The FLB chief announced, "I want to say that we have gotten grass roots thinking that we have not had before, there will be no more foreclosures."
He became involved in meetings to stop soil erosion. He made trip after trip to Washington to work a bill to help stop the land from blowing away in the high winds and drought. As a result, Wind Erosion districts were set up which led to the present day Soil and Water Conversation program. Noel drew up plans for the districts and they were passed by the state legislature, the first law of its kind in the United States. The law outlined that the SWC would furnish technical assistance and machinery to the nine counties in the Panhandle to combat the serious wind erosion problem.
He worked to help bring the Santa Fe railroad to Dumas in 1931, organize the first fire department, obtain gas and water for Dumas and to get city streets paved. He built the first brick building in Dumas, worked to secure the Cactus Ordnance Works and was instrumental in getting a dam built across the Canadian River and to get a highway routed through Dumas. He was a scout master, a Mason and a member of the Lions club.
When Dumas celebrated its 100th birthday, Noel was named as "Citizen of the Century." A few days after his death on December 9, 1979, a resolution was passed by the City Commission, changing the name of Pioneer Park to McDade Park -- in recognition of "his dedication, influence and contribution to the City of Dumas, Moore County, Texas."
Compiled from: Diaries of Noel McDade
Windswept Land
Moore County News Press articles
McDade family histories
The story behind the name relates the life of a remarkable man who came to Moore County as a young man in 1906 and changed the history of the area.
Noel McDade was one of four children born to Joseph and Jane McDade. They were originally form Alabama, then Louisiana and then, in 1874, to Fannin County, Texas.
In 1906, with all of their belongings packed in two railroad cars, the family moved to Moore County to a section of land they had purchased a year earlier for $2600. The land was just west of Dumas.
The trip from the railroad in Channing was not an easy one. They arrived in Channing in March of 1906 about 10 p.m. They loaded part of their household items in wagons on Tuesday and were ready to depart for Dumas. A winter storm blew in and they had to wait until Thursday to leave.
When they arrived at their new home, according to a very detailed diary kept by Noel during his lifetime, "We had a time. Stove joints wouldn't fit, and for a time, it looked as though we would have to go to bed or freeze." They found the windmill had blown over, so there was no water. Part of the fence for the corral was torn away so there was no place to secure the stock. As a result, "We went to bed with no supper, no water."
It snowed all the next day and according to the diary, with help from a neighbor, Mr. Anthony, "we went back to Channing Sunday and brought out the rest of our house, plunder and implements." Tuesday, with help from Mr. Anthony and Mr. Biffle, they put up the windmill.
Wednesday, they made another trip to Channing and brought out posts, "finishing our moving."
On Christmas Eve, 1909, Noel was married to Susie Payne. The older McDades moved to town in 1910, leaving Noel and Susie to run the farm. In 1910, the business district consisted on the courthouse, Anderson's Blacksmith and two mercantile stores, Phillips and Lamberts.
The diary tells of a farming mishap that Noel had. He was plowing a field close to the house with his team of mules. The team must have had other ideas instead of plowing. They got away from him six times that day. He remembered seeing Susie looking out the window at him as he circled the house time after time hanging onto the reins and trying to get them to stop. He said when he finally got them to stop and he went in the house, Susie was still laughing.
Noel's first business interest was a store where he could make feeds available without having to make the trip to Channing. Then, he started working as a bookkeeper at the bank, later purchasing the bank in 1928.
He was president of the bank during the Depression years. Under the orders of President Roosevelt, his bank along with others across the country was ordered closed. It was one of the first to reopen when it was found to be solvent.
During this time, he was one of a group of men who were working to incorporate the City of Dumas and was elected the first mayor in 1930. He sold his banking interests and worked on city projects.
In 1935, he ran for County Judge and served for ten years, earning the name "Judge" which he was called the remainder of his life.
He remembered that in the early days of Moore County, there was no jail. Prisoners were handcuffed to a long heavy log. Noel said he "couldn't remember how long they were left that way -- probably until they sobered up."
He served the county during the days of the dust bowl and the Depression. His diary reflects his deep concern. In a 1966 interview, Noel remembers, "The time was 1936, a dark period of depression for all the country and deepened to near-disaster on the North Plains by a drouth period. The dust was blowing over dry acres, crops were sparse and just no money to be had."
Noel had been to Washington a couple of times seeking some aid. A financier from Amarillo came to see Noel and was concerned that the Federal Land Bank was getting ready to foreclose on hundreds of Moore County and Panhandle farms because of delinquent notes. A meeting followed in Amarillo and a group was organized to go to Washington and meet with some congressmen to stop the foreclosures. The three-man committee was Noel, H. D. Lewis Sr. of Dumas and County Judge Puett of Wheeler County. Noel was spokesman for the group. They talked too many congressmen and finally met with top Federal Land Bank officers. Noel spent two hours outlining the problems land owners were facing. In his talk, he emphasized, "These are good hardy people, and they pay their accounts. While we are here talking, they are out in the field fighting the dust and wind." The group was successful. The FLB chief announced, "I want to say that we have gotten grass roots thinking that we have not had before, there will be no more foreclosures."
He became involved in meetings to stop soil erosion. He made trip after trip to Washington to work a bill to help stop the land from blowing away in the high winds and drought. As a result, Wind Erosion districts were set up which led to the present day Soil and Water Conversation program. Noel drew up plans for the districts and they were passed by the state legislature, the first law of its kind in the United States. The law outlined that the SWC would furnish technical assistance and machinery to the nine counties in the Panhandle to combat the serious wind erosion problem.
He worked to help bring the Santa Fe railroad to Dumas in 1931, organize the first fire department, obtain gas and water for Dumas and to get city streets paved. He built the first brick building in Dumas, worked to secure the Cactus Ordnance Works and was instrumental in getting a dam built across the Canadian River and to get a highway routed through Dumas. He was a scout master, a Mason and a member of the Lions club.
When Dumas celebrated its 100th birthday, Noel was named as "Citizen of the Century." A few days after his death on December 9, 1979, a resolution was passed by the City Commission, changing the name of Pioneer Park to McDade Park -- in recognition of "his dedication, influence and contribution to the City of Dumas, Moore County, Texas."
Compiled from: Diaries of Noel McDade
Windswept Land
Moore County News Press articles
McDade family histories