Named for the last great Comanche chief, Quanah Parker, the town bearing his name celebrates its legacy in various ways. Quanah, the county seat of Hardeman County, is a wonderful example of a community that began at the end of the rail line alongside cattle drives, mining expeditions and people seeking a new life. It transformed into a thriving small town, rich in history. If you’re looking to discover the link between Native American lands and a community rich in farming and ranching, explore Quanah!
One of the best “finds” in Quanah is the Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway Depot Museum, which is filled with a wide variety of artifacts and memorabilia preserved from both indigenous peoples and settlers who moved into the area in the 1880s. The building itself is recognized on the National Historical Register. In addition to contributions by Native Americans, exhibits include a Veterans’ Room filled with uniforms worn by locals, a railroad exhibit and several rooms dedicated by local service organizations. Rodeo fans may enjoy viewing posters and belt buckles from Lane Frost, the famous bull rider. Space enthusiasts can see an actual space suit on loan from NASA, honoring a native son, Galen Givens — an Apollo astronaut tragically killed in an automobile accident before he went into space. In the waiting area of the depot, one can almost hear the train coming.
Another building in the museum area is the former Hardeman County Jail. Sitting behind the depot, it stands as a monument to county law enforcement until the 1970s. At one time, the local sheriff’s family members lived above the jail, filling its history with all sorts of tales.
At the center of town, the Hardeman County Courthouse, designed by R.H. Stuckey, an architect from nearby Chillicothe, is also on the Texas Historical Register. The courthouse, completed in 1908, is of Neoclassical design with a domed cupola, stone columns flanking the entryways and a raised basement of Indiana limestone.
A couple blocks away on Main Street, the First Presbyterian Church, completed in 1910 and also designed by R.H. Stuckey, has a cupola like the courthouse. But its stucco exterior and stained-glass windows honor early members of that congregation. Still in use today, this structure is listed on the Texas Historical Register as well.
Many downtown buildings of Quanah have been transformed from their original intent to meet the challenge of changing lifestyles. A conversion of the former “Five & Dime” store into the 3 Rivers Foundation Ballroom, now facilitates concerts, parties, celebrations and reunions. The former First National Bank is a weekend gathering place called the Old Bank Saloon. Grocery stores and drug stores transformed into dental offices and new lodges and inns. Others are still undergoing restoration for new businesses.
The Quanah City Park, a few blocks from the downtown business district, features WPA work during the Depression. Its rock work and terrain create a space where concerts, picnics and local celebrations continue today. Recent work improved the playground and areas for other outdoor activities.
The Medicine Mound Depot Restaurant, at the east edge of town on Highway 287, combined two former rail depots, moved to that location from the nearby towns of Medicine Mound and Chillicothe. One cannot miss the five hills just east of Quanah called Medicine Mound. The descendants of the Comanches, Kiowas and other indigenous peoples, who once controlled this portion of the South Plains, claim these as a medicinal and burial place and a revered part of their history.
Visit and experience the legacy of the developing west in Quanah! History awaits you.
Photos courtesy of Shane Lance, editor of the Quanah Tribune.
Written by Kay Martin Atchison
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