~ West Texas Historical Association ~
Laura Horner has joined the WTHA staff as the Editorial Research Assistant. Welcome aboard, Laura!
Another successful annual meeting has passed. Next year's meting will be held on April 5-6, 2013, at the Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas.
The WTHA announces a scholarship for those interested in the study of the history and culture of West Texas in the amount of $750. The scholarship is open to both high school seniors with a proven interest in history and historical research and undergraduate college students with a proven interest in history and historical research who are also declared history majors. Deadline for the application is April 15, 2012. Applications details available here.
On the Road with WTHA has photographs and news from our membership's latest travels to promote the organization. The image to the right is of Texas Parks & Wildlife ranger Carl Hopper with Whitey the Longhorn, taken by Holle Humphries for the Texas Plains Trail.
Tai
Kreidler, Holle Humphries and Bill Neal recently
visited the Downtown Medicine Mound Museum in
Quanah, Texas. The Downtown Medicine Mound
Preservation Group holds fundraising events in
order to sustain the museum. More photos can be
seen by clicking on the picture of Bill [to the
left].
Tai Kreidler and Monte Monroe also visited with folks at the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge and the State Line Tribune to look over some of the collections available at these institutions.
Upcoming events:
May 4, 2012 - the WTHA will have a session entitled "Texas and new Mexico: West Texas Historical Association Session" at the Historical Society of New Mexico annual meeting in Santa Fe. Bruce Glasrud, Peggy Hardman and Jack Becker will be presenting, and Marisue Potts will be moderating the session. View the meeting program.
May 15, 2012 - Preservation Month Regional Workshop in Lubbock, Texas, from 9 am - 4 pm at the Municipal Garden and Arts Center. Link to workshop flyer
Fellowships:
The West Texas History Fellowship Program offers two fellowships of $45,000 each. Fellowships are for a full academic year. Included is a $5,000 publishing subvention will be provided to an academic press for each completed manuscript accepted for publication. Research must focus on the western half of Texas and utilize regional archives. Applicants must have completed a Ph.D. or be ABD in a field of the humanities. Details [Word file] More fellowships and student awards are available on our awards page.
Lonn Taylor had a book reading and signing for his book, "Texas, My Texas: Musings of the Rambling Boy," at Front Street Book in Alpine on February 23, 2012.
J'Nell Pate and Bill Neal were among the participants of "A Gaggle of Fort Worth Authors," hosted by the For Worth Library at the Central Library on February 8, 2012. She spoke about her book "Arsenal for Defense: Forth Worth’s Military Legacy" and Bill discussed his book "Vengeance Is Mine."
On October 22, 2011, Dominick J. Cirincione and J'Nell Pate had a book signing for their latest book, "Sesquicentennial Wagon Train," at the Fort Worth Stockyards to celebrate the train's 25th anniversary.
WTHA sends our condolences to the families of Julius DeVos, Allen Grady Hatley Jr.,
and Bob Fee. DeVos passed away on
August 21, Hatley on June 24, and Fee on
September 12.
More information on our dearly departed can be found on our
Remembrances
page.
On August 6, 2011, Clark Hitt presented his findings on the Texan-Santa Fe Expedition of 1841 to a crowd at the Wichita Brazos Museum and Cultural Center meeting in Benjamin, Texas. Also in attendance were Bill Townsley, Dorlores Moser and Holle Humphries, who took the photograph of Hitt.
Jay Moore has received the Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History Leadership in History Awards for his DVD "History in Plain Sight."
On August 4, 2011, the San Angelo Standard Times published an article on Ross McSwain and his new book, "Warnout Memories." Link
Elleta Nolte eighth book, "Indeed You Can," is now available for purchase. [press release]
Bill Neal's latest book, "Vengeance is Mine: The Scandalous Love Triangle that Triggered the Boyce-Sneed Feud," was released by UNT in July, 2011. The San Antonio Express-News published a review of his book on August 7th.
Michael Cox has just published his latest
collection of Texas history and tales in the
book, "West Texas Tales."
The Mountain-Pecos Regional History Conference in Sanderson on May 21st was attended by several WTHA members. Photos and a short recap can be viewed by clicking on the picture of Troy and Paul to the right.
WTHA
hosted a session titled "Bosque
Redondo: A Retrospective" at the Historical Society of New
Mexico conference in Ruidoso, NM, from May 5-7. Peggy
Hardman and Robert Hall presented and Bruce Glasrud presided.
The strong turnout resulted in HSNM and WTHA agreeing to
exchange sessions for the 2012 meetings in Santa Fe (HSMN)
and Alpine (WTHA).
WTHA
sponsored a session at the the Oklahoma
Historical Society annual meeting in Enid,
Oklahoma, from April 27-29, 2011. The session,
titled "Open Country: Droughts, Land Rush, and
Pioneers of the Oklahoma and Texas Plains," was
moderated by Bruce Glasrud, with presentations
were by Robert J. Hall on "The Opening of
Oklahoma: A Family Story," Kevin Sweeney on
"Boomer Bust: Boosterism and the Southern Plains
Drought of 1885-1887," and Leland Turner on
"People of the Wind: The Transformative Effect
of Wind Energy Technology and Rangeland
Economies on the Southern Plains." Robert was
not able to attend but his presentation was
given in his stead. Clint Chambers also gave a
presentation on "Jack Stillwell: Frontier Scout,
Hunter, Lawman, Judge" in a separate session.
Pictured to the right is Clint Chambers and Bill
Bennett.
Mike Cox's review Ely's book in his May 14, 2011, Austin Statesman-American column can be read here.
On April 29, 2011, Texas Radio ran a 10-minute segment on Glen Ely's new book, "Where the West Begins: Debating Texas Identity," on their "Texas Matters" weekly show. Broadcast over thirty stations, the show can be heard online at http://www.tpr.org/programs/texasmatters.html
Ely's book was also featured in the Fort Worth Start-Telegram's "News and Notable" section on March 7, 2011, and in an in-depth interview on April 5, 2011. The interview is still available for reading here.
Tom
Crum and Paul Carlson's book, "Myth, Memory and
Massacre: The Pease River Capture of Cynthia Ann
Parker," received a favorable review in the
January 2, 2011, issue of Corpus Christi
Caller-Times. With Tom Crum, a group [pictured
at right] gathered at Pease River to mark the
150th anniversary of Parker's recapture.
Attendees included Don Parker, Lance Tahmahkera
and Juanita Pahdopony of the Comanche Nation.
Once
again, WTHA held a session at the Center for Big
Bend Studies meeting in November, 2010.
Presenting were Paul Carlson, Tom Crum, and
Peggy Hardman, with Bruce Glasrud presiding.
Leland Turner presented in a separate session on
the history and influence of Roy Orbison.
Who Are We?
Caption:
Midland meeting, 2000
Our Association is active. Each year we hold a conference in a West Texas city. We visit, present papers, and exchange ideas and information. We publish a selection of papers in our annual Yearbook. Also, twice a year, we put out a newsletter highlighting people, places, and events throughout West Texas. In addition, the Association works cooperatively with other historical groups such as the East Texas Historical Association and the Texas Oral History Association.
Caption:
Former president Darlene Bellinghausen presides over a
session at the Midland meeting.
In addition, the WTHA promotes research and writing by giving cash awards. These include prizes for the best Year Book article, the best nonfiction and best fiction books on West Texas, and the best student article. The Association also provides research funds on a competitive basis.
Please
take time to look us over. Contact us if you would like to
attend our annual meeting, present a paper, preside over one
of the sessions, and submit one of your articles or books for
an award. If you are from West Texas, or if in your heart you
are a West Texan, we encourage you to become a member. Our
dues are inexpensive. Our journal is well-known,
and highly regarded. Our membership is international. And, the
hospitality is just right.
Tai Kreidler, Executive
Director
email: tai.kreidler@ttu.edu
Throughout its long and
distinguished history, the WTHA has encompassed a wide range
of both professional and non-professional historians--from
lawyers and physicians to ranchers, business people, and
teachers. Although their interests vary, members share a
common desire to preserve the rich history of the West Texas
region for present and future generations.
Caption: Exhibits and silent auction at the 2000 Midland meeting.
P.O.
41041
Texas Tech
University
Lubbock, Texas
79409-1041
Ph. 806-742-9076 wthayb@ttu.edu
|
SUBMITTING ARTICLES For those planning to submit articles to the Yearbook, the Style Sheet Presentation has been added to the website. You can view it either in PowerPoint or html format. Also added is Dr. Carlson's presentation on Style Concerns. |
UPDATES
- Memberships can now by paid by mail or online.
- The spring 2012 Cyclone newsletter is available now, along with back issues.
- WTHA has Facebook page. You will need to be a member to view the page.
- There are now 4 ways to search for articles in the Yearbook - by author, by title, by subject, and by volume.
This website, which is best viewed in Internet Explorer versions 6.0 or higher, was updated on 5-4-12.
FREEZE FRAME
Travis Roberts Jr. and Clint Chambers attended the WTHA session at the Center for Big Bend Studies meeting, 2010.
At the Frontier Texas Museum, some members take a photo op by a buffalo sculpture. Pictured are H. Allen Anderson, Patricia Clark, ?, Robert Hall, Cheryl Lewis and Travis Roberts Jr.
Historians on the Road- Tai
Kreidler, unidentified friend, Clint Chambers, Bryan Edwards, Paul
Carlson, Harry Bob Martin, Jack Becker, and Robert Carr on the top of
Soldier Mound in Dickens City. Click on the image to see a larger
version.
Lewis Earl and friends.
PHOTOS FROM OUR MEMBERSHIP
A picturesque view of the bridge over White Woman Creek near Darrouzett, Texas, as captured by Bob Burton.
Colorful cactus plants thriving in Palo Duro Canyon is photographed by Robin Clark.
Who says there's no wildlife in suburbia? Holle Humphries shot this photo of a wild turkey on the garage roof of a neighbor's house in the Tech Terrace subdivision of Lubbock, Texas.