High Plains History; Railroad Town

[Person 1] A Little test here [Doug "Grikets"] High Plains History Railroad Town [Person 1] Ok go ahead. What began as a grouping of canvas tents, along the Canadian river in Hemphill County, Texas became the hub of rail traffic in the northern panhandle for more than fifty years. In 1886 a Southern Kansas Railway Compan- [Person 1] I need to go back, lets take the volume down a little. Try again. [Doug "Grikets"] What began as a group in a canvas tents along canadian river in Hemphill County, Texas became the hub of rail traffic in the northern panhandle for more than fifty years. In 1886 the Southern Kansas Railway Company of Texas, a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa-Fe railroad, began plans to bridge the canadian river and continue laying rails south into the panhandle. A year later land was sold to the railroad to create a depot, sidetracks, cattlepens, churches, and a school lots were made available for merchants and

shopkeepers on July 4th, 1887 and a town originally called Moulton that soon changed to Canadian, was born. The Santa-Fe Railroad became the lifeblood of the community for sixty seven years, providing jobs, education, and entertainment for the employees and surrounding population. Section houses, water stations, round houses, stockyards, telegraph offices, and a depot. A reading room, hotels, and restaurants were constructed. A Brick depot with a three hundred foot-- [Person 1] Can you go back and start over- [unintelligible] [Doug "Grikets"] A brick depot with a three hundred foot platform and a harvy house restaurant were completed in 1907. The reading room was a boarding house for men working on the trains and musicians, actors, and lectures were brought on a regular basis to entertain railroad and some townspeople free of charge. [Person 1] ok lets stop for a minute. [Unintelligible] [Person 1] Do you remember where you stopped? [Doug "Grikets"] yep. [Person 1] Ok. [Long Pause] [Person 1] Wait, Wait, Wait... Ok go ahead.

[Doug "Grikets"] The reading room was a boardinghouse for men working on the trains and musicians, actors, and lectures were brought in on a regular basis to entertain or railroaders, and townspeople, free of charge. Santa-Fe also provided educational programs to farmers and ranchers in the area in the 1920's a special farm in home demonstration train toured, exhibiting the latest experiments and findings from agricultural universities and teaching how to improve production quality of crops and livestock. Through the

years setbacks occurred, including several round house fires and floods that washed out bridges tracks, but the railroad continued to build and improve thus in providing jobs for many local residents. Durring the 1924-- [Person 1] Lets go back to "but the railroad" [Doug "Grikets"] But the railroad continue to build and improve, thus providing jobs for many local residents. Durring the 19-- [Unintelligible] [Person 1] I keep hearing water drip on you. [Doug "Grikets"] Yeah [laughter] [Person 1] When we start we'll start with "During 1924..."[Doug "Grikets"] Ok. I keep wanting to say during the 1924 flood or somehting. [Laughter] [Unintelligible conversing] [Long pause] [Unintelligible]

[Shuffling; Speakers leave the recording] [Unintelligible] [Laughter] [Person 1; Returing to the recording] I'm not stopping this track because I always worry I'll record over it. [Silence] [Person 1] Ok. [Doug "Grikets"] Durring 1924 one train left the local yard each hour. The opening of the oil field industry, in the texas panhandle, created and need to be able loaded thousand cars a day. One out of every six families in the area was employed by the Santa-Fe. In 1936 the change from steam engines to diesel-electric power created even more demand for rail shipping, and better passenger trains, with dining cars, and fewer stops for water and fuel. When World War II broke out trains became a vital force in the home front

war effort. Santa-Fe employees probably purchase victory bonds and spearheaded scrap metal drives. In 1954 the Texas Railroad Commission granted - [Person 1] Go back and start that one again. [Doug "Grikets"] In 1954 the Texas Railroad Commission granted Santa-Fe permission to move its frieght terminal to Amarillo. One hundred and fifty families were moved from Hemphill county to the new rail hub. The railroad, once called the greatest factor in the county's growth, no longer serve as a major force in the community. Today canadian functions as a center for ranching, the oil and gas industry, and as a popular stop on eco tourism trails and even now they don't stop at the depot any more, up to seventy five freight trains a day still whistle and rumble their way threw canadian. Thanks to the River Valley Pioneer Museum for contributing material for this story. For High Plains Public Radio I'm Doug "Grikets" in Canadian Texas. [Person 1] Okay I think it's

ok ,but just to be on the safe side, and with that dripping before, I would like to read it one more time. [Doug "Grikets"] Ok. Lets see if we have fewer glitches this time. [Person 1] It's ok, your doing fine [Doug "Grikets"] What began- [Stops] [Person 1] Thought I heard people talking. [Unintelligible] [Silence] [Person 1] Ok, go. [Doug "Grikets"] What began as a grouping of campus tents along the Canadian river in Hemphill County Texas, became the hub of rail traffic, in the northern panhandle, for more than fifty years. In 1886 the Southern Kansas Railway Company of Texas, a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa-Fe railroad, began plans to bridge the Canadian River and continue laden rails south into the panhandle. A year later land was sold to the railroad, to create a site for depots, sidetracks, cattle pens, churches, and a school.

Lots were made available for merchants and shopkeepers on July 4th, 1887 and a town, originally call Moulton but soon changed to Canadian was born. The Santa-Fe railroad became the lifeblood of the community for sixty seven years, providing jobs, education, and entertainment for their employees in the surrounding population. Section houses, water stations round houses, stockyards, telegraph offices, a depot, a reading room, hotels, and restaurants were constructed. A brick depot with a three hundred foot platform a Harvey House restaurant were completed in 1907. The reading room was a boardinghouse for men working on the trains and musicians, actors, and lectures were brought in on a regular basis to entertain railroaders and townspeople, free of charge. Santa-Fe also provide educational programs to farmers and ranchers in the area. In the 1920's a special farm in home demonstration train toured

exhibiting the latest experiments and findings from agriculture universities, and teaching how to improve production quality of crops and livestock. Through the years setbacks occurred, including several round house fires and floods, that washed out bridges and tracks, but the railroad continue to build and improve, thus providing jobs for many local residents. Durring 1924 one train left the local yard each hour. The opening of the oil field industry in the texas panhandle created- [Person 1] Hang on just a minute. [Silence] [Person 1] Let me see, I think its this way. [Person 2] I think its that way. [Multiple people speaking] [Doug "Grikets"] I don't remember-- I think there are double doors. The other time I did this

I rocked right through it. [Laughter] [Person 2] What was it on? [Doug "Grikets"] It was [uninteligible] and the dance platform, History of the dances. [Silence] [Person 1] Gosh were almost done, and then it starts again. And now thats a new sound, [Laughter] [Perosn 1] So its a good thing were doing it twice, ok go ahead start with 1924 same place again. [Doug "Grikets"] Ok. Durring 1924 one train left the local yard each hour. The opening of the oil field industry in the Texas panhandle created a need to be a able to load thousand cars a day. One out of every six families in the area was employed by the Santa-Fe. In 1936 the change from steam engines to diesel electric power

created even more demand for rail shipping and better passenger trains with dining cars and fewer stops for water and fuel.When World War II broke out trains became a vital force in the home frront war effort. Santa-Fe employees proudly purchased victory bonds and spearheaded scrap metal drives. In 1954 the Texas Railroad Commission granted Santa-Fe permission to move its freight terminal to amarillo. 150 families were moved from Hemphill County to the new rail hub. The railroad, once called the greatest factor in the counties growth, no longer served as a major force in the community. Today Canadian functions a center for ranching the oil and gas industry, and as a popular stop on eco-tourism trials, and even though they don't stop at a depot any more, up to seventy five freight trains a day still whistle and rumble their way through canadian. Thanks to the River Valley Pioneer Museum for contributing material

for this story. For High Plains Public Radio, I'm Doug "Grikets" in Canadian Texas. [Person 1] Ok I think we made it. [Laughter] [Person 1] Finally. Ok, lets do a little check on sound. [Michael Lad] High Plains History Oslo's Settlement. [Person 1] Ok do it again. [Michael Lad] High Plains History Oslo's Settlement. [Person 1] Keep going. [Michael Lad] High Plains History Oslo's Settlement. [Silence] [Michael Lad] High Plains History- [Person 1] Keep reading a little bit more. [Michael Lad] Ok. After 1880 land colonizers lured a number of farmers to the panhandle plains of Taxes by promoting the agricultural benefits that might befall a landowner in this vast area. In 1909 a series- [Person 1] Ok, lets start again

After 1880, land colonizers lured a number of farmers to the panhandle plains of Texas by promoting the agricultural benefits that might befall a landowner in this vast area. In 1909 a series of excursions, to Hansford County resulted in the establishment of a norwegian Collony- [Person 1] Go back and start it at "1909". [Michael Lad] In 1909 a series of excursions to Hansford County resulted in the establishment of a norwegian colony, made up primarily of families who had originally emigrated from Norway to Minnesota Wisconsin, in the northern great plains states. They were interested in dating additional landholdings for sons, and grandsons, who would carry on the traditions of farming, as well as, the language, social, and religious customs from the old country. The effort to develop norwegian colonies in Texas was spearheaded by Anders L. Mort, an immigrant from norway who had

previously brought settlers to north central Texas and to the Oklahoma Territory. Mort knew that in order to create a successful townsite- [Starts line again] Mort knew is that, in order to create a successful town site, he had to do some preliminary planning. 1904 he began to develop a community he called Oslo, in honor of the ancient capital of Norway. He built a school near the center of the proposed settlement, designated forty acres of property for the United Norwegian Lutheran Church, and provide a salary for a Lutheran minister. He then ran extensive ads in norwegian language newspapers and reproduced thousands of flyers and booklets inviting norwegian families to meet him in either chicago or kansas city, and the travel by rail to Guymon. They would then be transported, by wagon, twelve miles to Hansford County to view the opportunity of a lifetime. Farm ground that could be purchased for six dollars an acre. The

advertisements touted the comunity life, the school, the church activities, and an average rainfall in Hansford County of nearly twenty five inches, most of it falling durring the growing season. The first group of buyers arrived in 1909 and in time- [Repeats line again] The first group of buyers arrived in 1909, in time to plant spring crops which did well at harvets time. Word spread through more newspaper ads, and national church newsletters, and more immigrants took the road to Hansford County Texas. The community built a new church, established a norwegian language newspaper, and held an annual norwegian heritage celebration, but a prolonged drought beginning in 1913 began to shake the foundations of the project. Mort became embroiled in legal battles, concerning the truthfulness of his promotions of Oslo, and though many settlers were staunch supporters and published statements of belief that Anders Mort Land Company sells began to falter. Mort

eventually gave up the dream of Oslo Towns site- [Repeats line] Mort eventually gave up the dream of an oslo town site, closed the land company, sold his fine home in Guymon, and took the train to chicago. The failure of the Denver and Gulf railroad to build a line through the area only help to seal the fate of the Oslo settlement. The families who remained formed a rural community that retain much of its ethinic character, well into the 1930's, but the establishment of schools and towns in the area, and improvements in highway travel, caused a gradual assimilation of the community known as he Oslo Settlement. Thanks to the Hansford County Historical Commission for contributing material for this story including a new Oslo on the Plains, by Dr Peter L. Peterson. For High Plains Public Radio, I'm Michael Lad, in Waka Texas. [Person 1] Can you read it one more time. Just so we have some wiggle room? [Michael Lad] Ok. After 1880

land colonizers Lured a number of farmers to the panhandle plains of Texas, by promoting the agricultural benefits that might befall a landowner in this vast area. In 1909 a series of excursions to Hansford County resulted in the establishment of a norwegian colony, made up primarily of families who had originally immigrated from Norway to Minnesota Wisconsin, and the northern great plains. They were Interested in gaining additional land holdings for sons and grandsons, who would carry on the traditions of farming, as well as, the language, social, and religious customs from the old country. The effort to develop norwegian colonies in Texas was spearheaded by Anders L. Mort, an immigrant from Norway who had previously brought settlers to North Central Texas and to the Oklahoma Territory. Mort knew that in order to create a successful townsite he had to do some preliminary planning. In 1904 he began to develop a community he

called Oslo [Person 1] Lets stop, lets stop- [Conversing over an interruption] Ok. [Michael Lad] In 1904 he began to develop a comunity he called Oslo, in honor of the ancient couple of Norway. He built a school near the center of the proposed settlement, designated forty acres of property for the United Norwegian Lutheran Church, and provide a salary for a Lutheran minister. He then ran extensive ads in norwegian language newspapers and produced thousands of flyers and booklets inviting norwegian families to meet him in Chicago or Kansas City and to travel by rail to Guymon. They would then be transported, by wagon, twelve miles to Hansford County view the

opportunity of a lifetime, farm ground that could be purchased for six dollars an acre. The advertisements touted the community life, the school, the church activities, and an average rainfall in Hansford County of nearly twenty five inches, most of it falling during the growing season. The first group of buyers arrived in 1909 in time to plant spring crops which did well at harvest time. Word spread through more newspaper ads, and national church newsletters, and more immigrants took the road to Hansford County Texas. The community built a new church, establish a norwegian language newspaper, and held an annual norwegian heritage celebration, but a prolonged drought beginning in 1913 began to shake the foundations of the project. Mort became embroiled in legal battles concerning the truthfulness of his promotions of Oslo, and though many settlers were staunch supporters, and published statements of belief in the Anders Mort Land Company, sales began to falter. Mort

eventually gave up on the dream of an Oslo town site- Mort eventually gave up the dream of an Oslo town site, closed land company, sold his fine home in Guymon, and took the train to chicago. The failure of the Denver and Gulf railroad to build a line through the area only help to seal the fate of the Oslo Settlement. The families who remained formed a rural community that retained much of its ethinic character well into the 1930's. But the establishment of schools and towns in the area, and improvements in highway travel, caused a gradual assimilation of the community known as, The Oslo Settlement- [Person 1] Can you read that last sentence again? [Michael Lad] But the establishment of schools and towns in the area, and improvements in highway travel, caused a gradual assimilation of the community known as, The Oslo Settlement. Thanks to the Hansford County Historical Commission for contributing material for this story, including a new Oslo on the High Plains, By: Dr. Peter L. Peterson. For High Plains Public Radio I'm Michael Lad in Waka Texas. [Person 1] Can you read those credits again?

[Uninteligible] [Michael Lad] Thanks to the Hansford County Historical Commission for contributing material for this story, including a new Oslo on the High Plains-- oh Sorry. [Laughter] [Person 1] One more time. [Michael Lad] Thanks to the Hansford County Historical Commission for contributing material for this story including A New Oslo on the Plains, By: Dr Peter L. Peterson. For High Plains Public Radio I'm Michael Lad in waka Texas. [Uninteligible] [Michael Lad] For High Plains Public Radio I'm Michael Lad in-