Lost Places of Nocona

 By Bill Spencer

Clay St. thumb by BS

 

The following article is a list of several interesting structures or places that no longer exist in the vicinity of Nocona, Texas. Some of the sketches reveal unanswered mysteries, while some topics are just trivial.  The reader can decide which is which.   Information about some of these sites is sketchy; therefore, updates are welcomed by this author.  This article is the second in a series of essays about the community of Nocona, and how it used to be.  The purpose is to get some memories down on paper before forgetfulness sets in, and we no longer have a touch with the past. 

 

The Internet may help to solve the problem of losing touch with our heritage.  The World Wide Web is so big that it can keep track of nostalgia, and allows one to pull-up appropriate information in seconds.  Also, perhaps this article will stir some other researchers to publish recollections about the area.  The article only mentions structures that are gone; consequently, if the structure is still here and is visible, it will not be included. Send any information about lost places to Bill.Spencer@esc9.net . Go to the companion article: "Nocona: A View of the 50s."

 

Table of Contents

 

Abandoned Rail Road

Abandoned Swimming Pool

Badger Cage

Bamboo Grove

Beck Field

Boot Co. Little League Field

‘Burned’ Out Bridge

Big Oak

Carnival on Young Street

Chamber of Commerce Window

Chief Drive-in

Chimney Rock (Rock Chimney)

Club Lake

Duxbury

Easter Egg Hunt

Foot Bridge

Golf Course Dirt Greens

Gravity Hill

Hilltop Drive-in

Ice House

Jet Plane at Park

Laundry on W. Pine

Lost Water Wells

Lover’s Lane

Miniature Golf

NISD Lost Places

Nocona Motel

Old Pro Shop

Picnic Area Behind Golf Course

Police Parking

Red River Station

Road Side Park

Skating Rink #1

Skating Rink #2

Trash Dump 1

Trash Dump 2

Wading Pool

Worm Farm

Yarbrough Field

 

 

The Road-side Parks East & West

 

About one mile east of the city limit sign on HWY 82 was a small road-side park located on the south side of the road. It was composed of nothing more than a litter barrel, concrete picnic table, and at one time it even had a small barbeque pit.  However, the park was seldom used for what it was originally intended.  Instead it was the turn around spot for teenagers who were driving the drag along HWY 82.  Most any night, and especially on weekends, there would be a steady stream of cars heading east, exiting at the road-side park, and then heading back west to town. 

 

East of the Boot Shop, the roadway just past the city limits sign was also used as a race track for teens wanting to experience a bit of high speed adrenaline.  Many hot rods were tested on this stretch of road.  If one lived in the eastern part of town, sometimes sound sleep might be interrupted by racking motors and skidding tires as kids tested their jalopies or even the family car.  Kids would take off when they passed the Chief Drive-in and race until they approached the park. To make the right turn going into the park, racers had to ride their brakes the last tenth of a mile.  HWY 82 became four lanes in the early seventies and the park strangely disappeared.

 

The western road-side park, about 3 miles west on HWY 82, stayed in operation until the new millennium.  The park was on the south side of the highway surrounded by large native oak trees.  With a couple of picnic tables and a shady oak canopy, the park was frequently used by travelers.  The area is now fenced and traces of the remaining facility are barely visible.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Club Lake

 

Club Lake was about three miles west of Nocona.  To get there one had to travel down West Pine to the cemetery.  When Pine (FM 1759) turns north at an intersection just past the cemetery, one would continue traveling west on the dirt road aptly named “Club Lake Road.”  Club Lake is at the far end of this lane.  The lake was fairly small, but occasionally fishermen tried their luck there.  If one walked north around the small man-made dam, the remains of an old club house were still visible in 1965.  Long time residents mention that high school dances were held there until the early 1950s, but specific details about these parties has not been found by this author. 

 

Was there really an elegant country club located at this remote location where well-bred Nocona social climbers danced, dined and often loaned their ball room out for school functions?  Perhaps couples dressed in evening clothes took romantic moon-light strolls around the small  lake.  Off in the distance, the couple might hold hands as they listened to a small orchestra play a rendition of an old Glenn Miller hit. This is probably a fanciful vision of old Club Lake, but it is intriguing.

 

The lake was a popular lover’s lane in the sixties well after the club house was demolished.  Even the lake itself appears to have disappeared.  The area is now overgrown with mesquite bushes.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

‘Burned-out’ Bridge

 

In 1924, or 1925 depending on the source, the Austin Bridge Company constructed a single lane suspension bridge over Red River.  The Texas Department of Transportation web site states that this bridge may have been the first bridge completed by this company.  Suspension bridges like this one were held up with large strands of interwoven wire stretched between supporting towers.  The location of the bridge was about 5 miles northwest of Prairie Valley School.   Legend says that the bridge was burned and no longer could be used for traffic. Remains of the bridge littered Ketchum’s Bluff until the sixties.  The rock bluff of the Oklahoma side was substantially higher in elevation than the flatter surface on the Texas side. The supports and part of one main strand were visible.  The bridge roadway appeared to be made of wooden planks.

 

In 1955 the bridge main supports on both sides of the river were still standing.  One long looping cable hung from a tall support column that rested on a concrete footing on the Oklahoma side and drooped down into the water.  Parts of the bridge’s suspension littered the Texas side in those days.  These thick cables of wire were made up of thousands of smaller wire strands.

 

Drivers and passengers crossing the small bridge might have noticed a small side-to-side sway as their Ford Model T Road Cars crossed the 700 feet span.  The trip was certainly a bit scary as travelers slowly motored over the big red swirls of current only a short distance below the wooden planks of the suspended structure.  Braver drivers might have stopped for a while in the middle of the span to marvel at the intensity of the flow, and gaze at drift wood and fallen trees as they drifted with the energy produced by the river's substantial volume of water.  In the twenties and thirties, the trip might have produced the same adrenaline rush as roller coaster riders get today at amusement parks.

 

The area near the bridge was accessible by a dirt road running north to south from FM 2849.  The area was frequently visited by fishermen, campers and high school party-goers.  The meandering Red River has now cut into this access road and made the area less accessible to vehicles.  In this area the river actually flows northward, and reaches the tip of the arcing curve near the bridge site.  The river is cutting eastward; consequently the road down to the site has been lost.

 

Update: 10-28-2007:  Tony King of Weatherford, TX states: "The first week of October of this year I took a 35 mile float trip down the Red River between the Highway 81 bridge and the Taovayas Memorial Bridge. About 14 miles downstream from the Highway 81 bridge is where these photos were taken. One photo is of the Oklahoma side, the other was taken in a pasture on the Texas side about 700 feet away."

 

 

 

 

 

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Abandoned Swimming Pool

 

In 1955 the remains of what appeared to be a swimming pool were located at the corner of Travis and West Pine.  Area kids called it a swimming pool, but the sides were actually well above ground and the pool area was about six feet deep.  Some said that the structure was not for swimming, but the remains of a basement for a demolished structure.  There was a ladder that would allow access to the bottom of this structure.  Even after a heavy rain the structure would only retain a small amount of water, which means that it had some sort of drainage.  By 1960 the structure was filled in and covered up.  The lot where this structure was located is vacant today.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Beck Field

 

This athletic area was located where the baseball-softball complex north of the cemetery stands today.  Beck Field was apparently the football field for high school football teams before 1950.  In 1938, Jack Crain probably rewrote high school record books on this field, including scoring over seventy touchdowns and having at least one game with over 400 yards rushing. 

 

After the current football field for the new High School was constructed in the fifties, Junior High teams still practiced at Beck.  Kids would dress at North Ward and either jog to the field or take a school bus.  This distance was about one mile along West Pine. By then the viewing bleachers had been removed.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Trash Dump (First)

 

The first and original dump could be reached by traveling south on the Montague HWY for three miles, then turning left on a dirt road, and following it east for another mile.  This area was vegetated by small mesquite bushes and an occasional cactus plant.  Perhaps the dump was put here because of the apparent desolation of the area.  The roadway and soil were red clay, which made the area inaccessible after rains. The dump was situated on the north side of this dirt road. Prior to 1960, residents burned trash at home, and then carried the charred remains to this unmanaged repository.  An occasional dozer would clear out paths so that vehicles could navigate in and out.  Entering the Dump Ground was tantamount to getting a flat tire.  Piles of lumber with nails littered the pathways as well as free nails, screws, and broken glass.  Sometimes piles of trash were burned by an attendant to make room for more waste.

 

There was no limitations as to what could be abandoned as the lot contained debris from carpenters and contractors, as well as domestic waste.  Dead animals, broken furniture, old car bodies, and other discards were left there.  Lots of cans were in the mix.  Cans were made out of tin or steel, not aluminum; consequently, nobody had a reason to recycle them. 

 

The Dump revealed the simplicity and non-sophistication of citizens of rural communities like Nocona.  People left personal records, cancelled checks, and old mail without a concern that anyone would care to gather the information. There was an unwritten code of conduct that one’s personal trash should be left alone.  However, men and women looking for recyclable metal and other ‘valuables’ did constantly comb the area, and probably snooped at garbage left by upstanding citizens.  Trash was kept in heaps above ground; however, when the dump was closed, probably due to a new environmental law, the waste was covered with soil.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Trash Dump (Second)

 

After the closing of the first Dump, in the sixties the City began picking up garbage at the curb side.  The City took garbage to a trash dump located a mile south of the landing strip west of town.  Public dumping was allowed here, but most of the time attendants directed the visitor to a large trench that had been excavated by a large dozer.  One had to back up to the trench and heave the trash over the side.  When the hole was full, the garbage was covered with soil and a new hole was dug.  The City gradually buckled under to increasingly stiffer regulations on how to dispose of waste.  City leaders would soon decide that collecting trash could be done more economically by private companies.  This dump was closed in the late seventies due to the increased regulation of public waste disposal.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Chief Drive-in

 

Just east of the Boot Company was the large rectangular structure that focused the images from the projection booth for thousands of carloads of movie goers.  Lines of cars started forming near the box office and entrance on the east side of the big lot at sundown each night, except Wednesday.  Entering the theatre with anticipation and excitement, viewers could relax in their full-sized, chrome covered sedans for an evening of thrills and excitement.  The parking lot had pathways that were bordered by ridge-like terraces where cars would park.  These semicircular ridges had speaker pedestals mounted every 20 feet so that viewers could reach the speaker and hang it on the car window.  Smells mingled in the cool night air.  Fresh popcorn was the first aroma to notice, but then there were engine exhaust odors and even the smell of recently air born dust to contend with.  It was all part of the drive-in experience.

 

If moving a vehicle in the theatre after dark, it was important not to let car lights reflect off of the big screen.  This would obscure the on-going film and immediately bring on sporadic echoes of horns.  Many drivers would creep along with just parking lights on, oblivious to the danger of driving in the dark, just so that others would not honk at them.

 

The sound from the speakers was at best “tinny,” and often drivers had to move to find speakers that were actually audible.  Speakers had a tiny volume dial that when cranked to the max position, offered a somewhat distorted, inarticulate blare.  But in the summer with the windows rolled down, all the other speakers from other cars combined to produced a semi-stereo sound that was almost pleasing.

 

Families parked closer to the front, while teenagers and daters parked near the back of the lot.  Right under the big screen was a play area including swings for children.  The local police car would sometime pass through the back pathways of the lot just to ‘show the flag’ to any local teens who might be up to mischief.  Groups of teens might stand around on the last aisle just talking, perhaps flirting, instead of watching the film.  Some of them might carry suspicious looking drink containers. An occasional high school kid might roll out of the trunk of a car when the coast was clear and he was sure that he had successfully beaten Mrs. Bailey out of a dollar.

 

The concession stand was a busy place.  The usual fare was salty popcorn, soft drinks, and curly French fries.  Theatre pricing was always on the high range, so most folks brought their own eats and drinks to the drive-in. A couple of small restrooms were available, but they only held one person at a time.  Consequently, it was not a good idea to use the restroom at intermission.  If you were curious you could look in the next room and see the projectionist manning his station.

 

Driveway spikes guarded the exit on the west side of the theatre.  This contraption was made of long bent nails that would allow a vehicle to exit safely but hinder any cars from entering here. Tall, tin walls bordered the park to restrict access to non-paying viewers; however, the rear area of the park had no barrier.  When short of money, one could navigate down the oil lease road behind the drive-in and see the screen. (See Lovers' Lane)

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Yarbrough Field

 

Yarbrough Field served Little League teams beginning about 1960 as teams moved from the old American Legion field near the Cemetery.  The new field was located just north of present day Jack Crain Stadium at the high school campus.  The field was named after Jack Yarbrough who was killed while building the stadium.  Shortly after the field was built, problems with the layout were noticed.  The left field fence was too close to Blue Mound Road, plus there was no room to build other fields nearby for the growing girls’ softball league and T-Ball.  Consequently, in the nineties Little League games were moved back to the renovated sports complex at the Beck or American Legion Field.  The original bleachers used at Yarbrough field were hauled off and remnants still can be located just south of Montague County Ag Barn. Yarbrough field was taken back in by the public school campus, and used for athletic practice.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Abandoned Railroad

 

The railroad right of way ran parallel to HWY 82 through town.  The MK&T railroad served to divide the city in half and channeled movement across the grade to either Clay or Cooke.  The station house was located at the intersection of HWY 82 and Clay, and there were cotton loading platforms at the corner of Cooke and HWY 82.  Both passenger and freight trains served the community of Nocona until the mid fifties.  The original station has been remodeled into a residence and moved to a location on west HWY 82.

 

In the 1950s train movement through Nocona became more and more infrequent until it was finally discontinued.  But, trains were a source of comfort and connection to the city while they were here.  The only disadvantage was the wait imposed on drivers at Clay and Cooke when the trains were moving through.  Nonetheless, the monotonous clanging and churning of the sound of a late night train moving through Nocona might be music to the ears of some restless insomniac, the gray noise of metal turning on metal might reassure a child afraid of the dark, or the distant wail of a whistle might reassure a lonely old woman that the world was alive even at night.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Hilltop Drive-in

 

On HWY 175 going south to Montague there was a drive-in theatre located on the ridge just north on town.  This theatre was up and running during the fifties and had several movies that featured the highly touted 3-D (3 dimensional) illusion.  On wearing the paper glasses with plastic or cellophane lenses, one could almost imagine Indians shooting arrows right out of the screen into your car.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Bamboo Grove

 

On Maple Street between Young and Baylor was a stand of Bamboo Canes growing beside the road.  Most likely all kids in the northwestern part of Nocona visited this place on various occasions.  Good, long pieces of cane could be harvested to make very imaginative tools and weapons.  Spears, lances, swords and other implements of make-believe war were here for the taking.  Even better, the more one harvested, the more it produced.   The Bamboo Grove is now gone, contrary to one popular belief that bamboo cannot be killed out.

 

Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey has a scene where ape men learn how to make weapons which symbolized their increasing evolutionary speed to a more advanced state.  The Bamboo grove on Maple Street probably had the same effect of neighborhood children.  The creating and shaping of playthings from bamboo probably increased their creativity and intelligence significantly. 

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

The Badger Cage

 

What is the meanest animal in the world?  Kids in the west part of town circa 1960 would certainly know the answer was a badger.  The story is probably an urban legend, or in this case a rural legend.  However, there was a dark pit covered with heavy wire and padlocked on West Pine in a backyard near where sewer creek crosses under this street and heads north.  Every kid in the area said there was a badger in there, but upon looking in the dark cage, one really could not see or hear anything.  The story may be true or may not, but the excitement that this legend created in the minds of kids is worth including the account on this list.  Perhaps this was a rite of passage or test of courage to approach the dark pit to try to see the badger, possibly expecting that some furry monster would fly out of the gray depths and try to escape through the wire cover.  Legend or not, many kids swallowed their fear and proved their toughness by stepping up to the Badger Cage.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

The Worm Farm

 

If one follows the Cemetery highway past the ball fields as it makes a right angle to the north, one will see a livestock pen on the left side of the road.  This used to be a big pig sty, and this area was always wet.  Fishermen headed to Red River could go this way to get to the river, and often many would stop at this place to dig their worms.  The land may have belonged to the Nocona Locker Plant, but many people felt obliged to stop and dig a few holes. This was obviously an excellent worm habitat in the fifties and sixties.

 

It would be easy to sink the shovel right down to the hilt in the soft, fowl smelling ooze of the pig pen.  A scoop of this black sediment, once turned over and broken up on the ground, could be seen to be teeming with life.  Earth worms, intertwined like a ball of tangled string, could be obtained by the dozens.  Many were almost the size of small snakes.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Ice House

 

Located near the corner of Cooke and Willow, the Ice House was a warehouse structure that provided blocks of ice in a time when refrigerator ice makers or quick stop ice bags were still a dream.  This was the first place a working man would stop to chill his drinking water before he tried to toil in the baking Texas heat. The typical piece of ice sold was the shape of a small rectangular box just big enough to slide into a large water can..  The ice house also sold snow cones.  Innovations brought about by the invention of new refrigerants such as Freon probably caused businesses like this to die.  By the fifties ice could be produced in ones own refrigerator as affordable appliances became readily available after World War II and the Korean War.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

 Picnic Area Behind the Golf Course

 

When the local Golf Course was nine holes of dirt greens, there was small picnic area just west of the sixth hole.  The site was not visible from the course because of the dense stand of oaks nearby.  The area was still there in 1965.  To get to this area, one had to travel down the road that borders holes one and two and then jogs west across hole four, and finally due south along the hole formerly called seven. The area was also accessible via the landing strip just southwest of the golf course.

 

The picnic area contained a concrete table and a once viable barbeque pit.   The area was shaded nicely by large oak trees. No one seems to remember who used the area or why it was there.  By the sixties the place appeared to become a lover’s lane, and then shortly thereafter disappeared.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Clay Street Landmarks

 

The northern portion of 100 Clay Street has a bank and a park today.  Several building used to be located on both sides of the street.  On the west side of the street, Scott’s Hardware Store was a prominent business.  On the east side of the street where a park is now located, Newland had a plumbing store and Grundy Humphrey had an office.  These buildings existed prior to 1960. Later on a small plant nursery owned by Jimmy Guinn was built at the corner of Clay and Oak.  Today all of these building are gone.

 

In the 300 block of Clay, just next door to the Post Office, was a garage and filling station.  Walsh and Watts Station is thought to be the name of this establishment.  Today a beauty shop sits on the spot where the station was located.

 

 In 1978 tragedy struck Jack Crain as well as Nocona.  Jack’s wife, Jean, was the proprietor for a clothing store at the corner of Clay and Elm.  It was an unusual winter’s day in North Texas, where snow was actually collecting in significant amounts on the ground.  A well-known local man, Clifton Baxter, delivering mail on his usual circuit through downtown Nocona, had just entered the door and was making his usual small talk with Jean.  Suddenly, all along Clay, shoppers and business owners heard what sounded like an explosion.  As each person ran to a door or window to look outside, it became apparent the clothing store roof had collapsed.  Jean and Clifton has been killed by the falling ceiling and roof of the building.  Apparently, accumulations of snow had weakened the structure and caused the mishap.  Today a small hotel stands on this spot.

 

Just north of Dr. Spivey's office was the home and business of the person who poured most of the concrete in Nocona during the fifties, Othor Oldham.  Othor poured concrete the old fashioned way, one mixer at a time, because cement mixing trucks had not been invented yet.  Oldham concrete can be identified by his distinctive logo stenciled periodically on curbs and sidewalks.  Also, Oldham concrete is the work of a true artisan of the trade, in that the structures that he built were virtually indestructible.  The old Othor Oldham home was torn down in 2002.

 

Just off Clay Street on Willow was a large welding shop known as Towery’s Welding.  In the fifties and sixties this establishment did a significant business in oil field welding services.  The building has now been torn down.

 

What would it be like to drive down Clay Street and stop three times for red lights?  Lucky drivers might catch all of the intersection traffic lights green.  But looking at the situation from a different perspective, what if the driver is trying to get on Clay from Oak, and the hour is 3:30 near school dismissal time?  The traveler on Oak would be glad for a controlling traffic light at that situation, since cars traveling on Clay at this hour may be barreling along, plus the fact that cars parked along the curb at Oak tend to obstruct a clear view of Clay.  This can only be a hypothetical question since Clay Street traffic lights went away in the early sixties.  Traffic lights, by the strictest definition, are not a lost place, but they certainly need to be included in this article.

 

What ever happened to the old, two-story, boarding house just north of the Mini Mart on Clay?  A fairly large building, the gray structure appeared to be composed of apartments, since it had stairways going up the outside of the building.  This building was across the street from another structure that was demolished, the Othor Oldham residence.

 

And of course, the former brick covered street itself should be included in this list of lost places.  Jobs were created by the Federal Government to help citizens earn a living during the economic downturn of the Depression.  Bricking of Clay Street was one of these projects. Clay Street bricks can still be found deposited in various stockpiles around Nocona.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Miniature Golf Course

 

In the sixties their was a short lived miniature golf course located east of the Boot Shop on the north side of HWY 82.  The course was similar to what we call Putt-Putt Golf.  .

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

 

Old Golf Pro Shop

 

The old club house was located where the northern most cart shed is located today.  This would be just east of the entrance to the road that allows vehicles to traverse into the course along hole one.  The club house was really a small cottage, which may have served as a home for the greens’ keeper.  The building is now gone.  It was likely removed in the early sixties.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Big Oak

 

One of the biggest native oaks in Nocona was located near 100 block of Jordan Drive.  In aerial photos from the sixties the oak is very prominent and can be spotted easily.  The curb near the big tree at Jordan Drive was probably built in the mid fifties by Othor Oldham.  The curb had to be extended outward by three feet to go around this tree.  This curb outcrop is still present today but the oak is gone.  In 1993 a car slammed into the tree and damaged part of the bark.  The tree struggled to survive for a few months, but then died and was removed.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Skating Rink

 

A few miles south of Montague on HWY 59 was a skating rink owned by the Holloway’s of Nocona.  A night club is located in the same spot now, but in its hey-day, the skating rink was a popular teen hang out for kids from all over Montague County.  The rink was more or less equidistant from most of the towns in Montague County, so it became a meeting place for teens looking to broaden their social horizons.  The fact that girls from one town could flirt with boys from another town, and vice versa, certainly added to the mystique of the place.  It was not uncommon for Nocona teenagers without transportation to start out on foot expecting to catch a ride with others headed toward Montague.  The Skating Rink was in business until the mid sixties.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Lover’s Lane Behind Chief Drive-in

 

If one follows Willow Street until it ends near the eastern edge of Nocona, one will come to a cattle guard and enter an oil lease road that runs right behind the Boot Shop and where the Chief Drive-in used to be.  This area is part of the Dodson Oil Field.  This road runs parallel to the old railroad grade.  Kids too poor to pay admission to the Drive-in could drive back there and see the movie minus the sound.  Also, couples sometime went back there to get to know each other better.  One can picture a strange outing with a great view of a spectacular but inaudible Hollywood production and the echoes of pump jacks mechanically popping and churning in the oil field where the kids were parked.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Red River Station

 

All that is left now of the lost community where herds of cattle crossed Red River is a marker and a small cemetery.  The place was located about where Salt Creek enters the river.  In its prime, during the most active days of the Chisholm Trail, Red River station was a bustling frontier town with a post office, saloon, boarding houses, stores and a ferry.  As cowboys moved herds to railways in Kansas, they tried to cross Red River at this point because of several conditions.  The river was less dangerous to cross here, even though many cowboys are said to have drowned here.  The grades down the Texas side and up the Oklahoma side were less steep.  Finally, several stores kept supplies that enabled cowboys to restock before making the rest of the trip to Kansas.

 

At least one “Raw Hide” episode was loosely based on the ghost town about 10 miles northwest of Nocona.  “Incident at Red River Station” aired in 

1960. In this episode the Cattle minders assisted a “real” doctor who was hindered in administering vaccinations for small pox by a quack doctor. 

It is doubtful that this event ever happened at Red River Station, TX. However hundreds of thousands longhorns undoubtedly crossed the river at this 

point.  Many trails converged at the river to form the Chisholm Trail that carried most of the cattle across Indian Territory (Oklahoma) into Kansas.  A

typical herd might have 10 to 15 men driving 1,500 or more cattle up to 15 miles a day.  Some of these herds started out in extreme South Texas, but

most all considered the Red River the most dangerous part of the trip.  By the time crews of cowboys reached Red River station most men were already 

exhausted and low on food, clothing, medicine, and other supplies.  Beef was not to be eaten because it did not belong to the cattle pushers plus there

was not time to butcher animals or preserve the carcasses. 

Many crews had already been on the trail for a month; consequently Red River Station offered many luxuries that the young men had not seen in a while.

As cowboys girded themselves for the river crossing, they might have a chance to relax in a real bed for one night.  However, most men would still take

turns riding circles around the herd each evening, as well as performing other regular chores.  Then at first light, cowboys would “road” the cattle, which 

meant that “pointer” riders at the head of the herd would get the lead cows moving in the right direction, while the rest of the heard followed.  Cattle would

bunch up at the river’s edge waiting on cattle ahead to start swimming.  Cowboys might say a prayer as they surveyed the vast Big Red stretched out in 

front.  The Texas side might reveal pecan trees with red mud caked half way up the trunk to mark where the last flood reached.

 The stretch of river where Salt Creek empties into the river had no extremely steep bluffs; however, the process of moving 2000 head across the 20 to 

30 feet deep channel was packed with intense anxiety.  The legend that cowboys could walk across Red River on the backs of cows is probably just a 

legend.  Death by drowning in Red River was probably the number one cause of death along the trail.  Cowboys knew about this danger and were

unusually careful when crossing the river.  Nonetheless, numerous accidents did occur as swift currents separated men from their mounts, and the poorest 

of swimmers were pulled beneath the red curtain. 

 Once on the Oklahoma side, “pointer” cowboys could see the Chisholm Trail lay out in front of them, and easily pick out the right direction of movement. 

 The path was literally like a sunken road from all the herds that had passed previously, as millions of hooves had packed the sod.  From here on the only

 real dangers were from mischievous Native Americans or from gangs of men trying to enforce the Texas Tick Laws.

 

Nocona Motel

 

Next to the Diary Hut, Loboy, or Bell’s (whichever incarnation one likes) was a small motel.  On HWY 82 between Cooke and Grayson, the old Nocona Motel might have been a fifties version of Motel 6.  The motel had about 10 suites and may have been fairly busy at one time.  The main office was a two-story building that was later moved a short distance to the east on HWY 82.  The rest of the motel was torn down to make room for an insurance agency.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Easter Egg Hunt at Benton’s Hill

 

The Easter Egg Hunt was more of an event than a place, but it gets a mention anyway.  Somewhere in the vicinity of where Eleventh Street enters Benton’s Ranch, is where the yearly event took place.  One of the local organizations, perhaps the Jaycees, Lions or Rotary Club, sponsored the event.  Nevertheless, hundreds of kids gathered at the barricade somewhere on the flat approaches to Benton’s Hill.  At the given hour the rope barrier would drop and a melee of toddlers mixed with bigger kids would descend on the pasture.  The toddlers were quickly thrown aside as older kids would scoop all the eggs in a frantic, but methodical way.  Some parents were even greedier than the big kids, as they drug children that could barely walk by the arm, while at the same time scooping up brightly colored spheroids.  The madness only lasted for a few minutes as the hillside was stripped bare and mostly disappointed participants straggled back to the parking area.  The Hunt was an interesting gala, as some girls wore new Easter dresses and boys wore Sunday school clothes.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Jet Plane at Park

 

The city park had an old jet air plane placed there in the late sixties.  Military people call relics like this 'paper weights.'  The old jet was a nice place for kids to explore until it started to smell like an outhouse.  The plane was originally sealed until  kids found a loose hatch  and were able to get inside, then vandalism began to take its toll.

 

Golf Course Dirt Greens

 

Dirt greens at the public golf course is an oxymoron, but the thought of this phenomenon tickles the imagination.  Prior to about 1960 the nine-hole municipal golf course did not have grass growing on the putting areas.  The putting surface was made from a mixture of sand and oil.  The oily sand was probably used because the surface would not blow away in a Texas windstorm, plus it could be smoothed to an almost perfectly flat surface with a turf roller. 

 

The procedure on hitting a ball successfully on the putting area was to mark the ball, then take a turf roller and smooth out the path from the ball to the cup.  On a warm summer day, this was an easy undertaking as the hot sand and oil combined to make an almost pristine surface after the rolling process had been done.  The sandy putting surface also helped to hold approaching iron shots by catching the ball like a glove.  The greens were fairly small, and most were almost perfect circles.

 

Playing golf in the fifties was an exercise in contradictions.  On a hot summer day, a faintly pungent, but pleasant smell was emitted by the big oak trees which lined the fairways.  Then the refreshing odor of recently cut grass carried the player to the final destination at the end of each fairway.  The results of long drives and straight iron shots was a small, sandy circle that smelled like an oil refinery.  The overpowering petroleum smell probably seemed out of place in this pastoral sport. However, most golfers in this day were associated with the thriving oil production north of town; consequently, the smell from the putting surface may have not even been noticed by most of them.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Lost Water Wells

 

Prior to 1960, kids played outside in the summer heat, occasionally stopping to find some shade from a big oak and a cool drink from an outside water hydrant.  It was all about the water back then, because getting thirsty was easily remedied with the sweet well water that flowed from Nocona's taps.  Perhaps at this time citizens may not have realized how good their water tasted because, of course, they were accustomed to having the quenching liquid all the time.  Also, not as many kids had enough money to buy a soda to satisfy every thirsty feeling.  City Fathers soon became concerned that the city wells might not handle the water needs of future citizens.  Plus it occurred to some that a new lake might spin-off a sizeable recreational business.  So the new lake became a reality and city water wells were moth-balled.  The first sign of the switch over probably saw fewer kids lined up at school water fountains as well as many diners turning away from the free water that came with their lunches.  Then house wives noticed that detergents did not produce many suds.  An occasional bather might complain that his skin felt "funny" after good soaking.  After a while taste buds became acclimatized to the new lake water taste, but the memory of fresh well water still lingers, even today in town dwellers who grew up before Lake Nocona was built.  Add fresh water wells to the list of lost places of Nocona.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Rock Chimney or Chimney Rock: Contributed by Stan Pritchard

 

Rock Chimney is an unusual piece of terrain located northwest of Lake Nocona, almost directly behind the Walsh and Watts Yard.  The formation seems to be an anomaly to the surrounding rolling planes.  The location exudes an eerie ambience, an odd feeling that the visitor cannot quite put into words. The 20 feet high outcrop made of rocks actually resembles a chimney, as the name given to it by local citizens implies.  Another rocky prominence nearby, but not quite as big, keeps the Chimney company.  Just to the east of the two peaks is a gravel pit bordered by a small creek. Visitors to the formation have to know precisely where they are going because the Chimney is hidden away in a small valley and is not visible until one has mounted the encasing high ground.  Also, a significant stand of timber helps to hide the site.  The place itself is not lost since one can still manage to hike into the area with some difficulty; however, the knowledge about the history of the place is lost.  This fact qualifies it to be included as a 'lost place.'  (The thumbnail at right belongs to Stan Pritchard.)

 

One theory on how the Chimney was formed relates that the location was used during the Depression era as a gravel quarry.  The WPA was a federal agency that put unemployed men to work doing community projects including building public facilities, possibly including the concrete bleachers at Prairie Valley.  This theory goes on to mention that WPA workers mined the quarry and used the limestone for several projects in the county.  Subsequent erosion left the one main prominence, shaped like a big chimney, surrounded by a relatively low area.

 

However, local citizens also hint that Rock Chimney might have been an Indian landmark or even some kind of "power place" for Native Americans.  The area is used by campers today; similarly, perhaps Indians camped there well over 100 years ago.  After all, the area is a well hidden refuse with a nearby water supply. It is easy to imagine foraging Indians wading the muddy Red River, pilfering a few cattle or burning down several homesteads, then on the way back, 'holing-up' in a snug hideout,.  Unveiling the history of the Chimney would definitely be an interesting endeavor. Legends and stories persist about the nature of this unusual structure; consequently, any information would be appreciated by this author. 

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Laundry on West Pine:  Contributed by Stan Pritchard

 

There were two self service laundries in Nocona in the early to middle fifties.  One building, still standing today, was located on Cooke.  The other laundry was located on West Pine just north of Patrick's Sand and Gravel yard and nearby Cochran's Store (or station).  The lost laundry on West Pine was a smaller building with fewer washers.  Self-service laundries at this time consisted of about a dozen big wash pots with hand ringers mounted on top.  One could buy detergent, bleach, and the ever important ingredient called bluing right on the premises.  Laundries like these were considered a great technological improvement over the drudgery of hand washing and ringing. The West Pine Laundry rested almost on top of sewer creek; consequently, the business owner seemed to take advantage of this fact..  Sewer creek got its name because the city used part of its flow to transport human waste to the treatment plant to the northwest of the laundry.  Apparently, the laundry also used the creek, as one often noticed a sudsy runoff moving northward down the creek.  There was no such thing as E.P.A. in the fifties, so this was not considered to be any problem at all.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Police Parking:

 

During the fifties there was a reserved parking place on Elm Street right across the street from Popular Dry Goods.  The area was clearly marked 'RESERVED FOR POLICE.'  The patrol car did use this spot, especially on Saturday mornings when vacant parking places were at a premium.  Chief of Police Fitts, or other officers,  could use this spot to observe most of Clay in any direction.  This put the big cruiser right in the very center of the small town's "casual hustle" on the busiest day of the week.  Citizens certainly observed the special circumstances of this parking place because when the police car was gone, no other car would use the space. The reserved space was almost a symbol of the times which demanded a quite, peaceful life in the safety of a secure small town.  On any Saturday morning, when the police car was in position, showing the flag so to speak, everyone went about their business feeling well protected.  Kids did not ride their bicycles on the sidewalks, and adults avoided jay walking, unless it was completely necessary.  The U-turn phenomenon that was often a problem at Clay and Elm suddenly came to a temporary halt, at least until the Constables cleared out.  Orderly commerce and shopping were the only activities to be done.

(Return to Table of Contents)

 

Gravity Hill:

 

One can take the scenic route from St. Jo to Capps Corner via a highway (677) through the so called St. Jo Mountains.  These are not real mountains but a series of hills and valleys that are heavily timbered with native oak.  Traveling north from St. Jo along HW 677 reveals a beautiful view of hillsides and timber as one travels down a sharp incline about 5 miles out.  According to legend, at some point near this decline, the road levels off and then starts back up a slight grade. If one puts his vehicle in neutral and stops in the roadway, supposedly the vehicle will start to move on its own up the noticeable, but slight incline.  The traveler sees, or thinks he sees, that the car is actually coasting up hill.  This optical illusion or gravitational glitch is a well know legend in northern Montague County.  Travelers along this stretch of road should always be on the look out for other travelers who are testing the laws of gravity, but are also creating a potential rear end collision.

 (Return to Table of Contents)

Foot Bridge Over Red River: Contributed by Stan Pritchard

The oil boom in the North Field located just north of Nocona surged in the forties and fifties bringing in oil workers by the hundreds.  This rich oil producing region was centered around Prairie Valley and Spanish Fort with Red River as it's northern boundary.  Geographically speaking, Red River seemed to run right through important oil pockets below ground, as similar oil fields existed on the Oklahoma side of the river that mirrored the North Field in importance.  There had to be some conveyance for oil field workers including roustabouts, drillers, pumpers and others to get across the river without driving 70 or more miles via the bridge between Terrell, OK and Ringgold, TX.  Commerce between the two states brought innovation because there was a valuable product, ripe for the taking, laying right between the two entities.  Crews in Texas needed to work on wells in Oklahoma and vice versa.  Of course a new bridge north of Nocona came along several decades later, and was not in the picture at this time.

 

The creation of the foot bridge across the 'Big Red' allowed workers to cross the river in a convenient manner.  A small community of oil field workers grew near the foot bridge on the Texas Side.   Several foundations for small dwellings are still visible as well as remnants of the now defunct bridge.  The lost bridge may have been built to service pumping units (pump jacks) that pumped crude directly from the river’s canal.  As many as two units may have been in the river.  However, the foot bridge also allowed Oklahoma workers to be employed by Texas producers, since they could park their vehicles on the Oklahoma side and walk over to their jobs on the Texas side. The thumbnail above (Stan Pritchard's photo) shows part of the pipe bracing of the center of the bridge, near the pumping unit in the river canal, washed up to the Texas Side.

 

The photo left (Pritchard) was taken from the Texas side at the peak of one of the big loops in Red River.  The river is actually moving north to south at this point.  The power lines running an electric pump jack on the Oklahoma side are still visible.  This photo was taken in 1997.

.

The twisting red current follows the meandering canal freely along the border between the two states.  Near the foot bridge the river actually flows from northwest to southeast.  When the river was high after spring and fall down pours, the water level might actually rise to the level of the bridge.  Traveling across the bridge during these times might require a bit of bravado.  The photo right (Pritchard) was taken from the Oklahoma side to show the ramp leading up to the bridge. Perhaps one of these river raising rainy periods brought the angry current high enough to sweep the little bridge away. More research will undoubtedly reveal how and when the foot bridge broke apart.

 

Oil field hands, by their very nature, had plenty of fortitude because most were constantly exposed to dangerous work on oil rigs, pulling units, or wench trucks during their long, arduous shifts.  The foot bridge is gone now; consequently, this lost place is a testament to the courage, innovation, and persistence of men who worked in the oil patch called the North Field.

Maptech topographic maps of the location including three scales:

(Return to Table of Contents)

 Wading Pool at Park:

 

While driving past the City Park on a hot July afternoon, one notices five or six cars parked under the tall oaks near the entrance.  The temperature is hovering near the century mark, but in the southwest corner of the park a line of adults sit on a low stone and mortar wall.  Getting closer, one observes that these people are also observers as children splash water in a small pool no more than a foot deep.  The 30 by 50 oval has had a fresh coat of aqua marine colored paint that, while some would say it looks gaudy, makes the pond appear cool and refreshing.  Blades of grass floating in the pool show evidence that a careless grounds keeper got too close with his mower, but the children do not even notice the green strands.

 

The wading pool is gone now, having been filled in by dirt and pea gravel.  The pool represented the last vestiges of a time when city governments were not "snake bit" by threat of being liable for accidents.  While the little pool must have been great fun for small children, it was probably a project that the City did not have the expertise or the time to maintain.  Chalk up another lost place, remaining only in nostalgic memories of Nocona.

 

Boot Co. Little League Practice Field:

 

At the corner of Mesquite and Bonham was the practice field for the Boot Company Little League Team.  The lot was next door to the home of one of the coaches of the team, J. N. Cardwell.  The small practice field had a backstop and a small set of bleachers.  A chain link fence bordered the area.  J. N. kept a small water fountain attached to an outside faucet on the west end of his house so that players could run over and get a drink when ever they were thirsty. 

 

Coaches such as J. N. Cardwell and Bud Cooper not only worked with boys to teach them the game of baseball, but they also helped boys develop character.  The boys that practiced on this lost field consider themselves lucky to be mentored by volunteers like J. N. and Bud.  This little baseball diamond is one more lost but not forgotten place in Nocona.

 

Duxbury

 

Circa1888, the small town of Duxbury was located 8 miles east of Nocona, TX near what today is called the Bonita cut-off.  At this time Duxbury was a thriving agricultural community that probably catered to the cattle drives coming from the south headed toward Red River Station. Residents of the area today theorize that Duxbury may have had a population of several hundred persons, and a down town area with more than two dozen buildings including a post office.

 

Until 1990, at least three old framed building stood near HWY 82 at the junction where a farm-to-market road heads north to the community of Bonita. These wooden structures were thought to be remnants of the small village of Duxbury. Southwest of this spot, 8 miles east of Nocona, is the small cemetery of Duxbury.  Most of the persons resting here have the surname of Hill; therefore this could actually been a family plot.  However, there are at least two graves of cowboys thought to be attached to crews bringing cattle up the Chisholm Trail.

 

Other Montague County residents mention the fact that the area around Duxbury was later called Jonita.  Whether the name Jonita was somehow confused with the nearby town of Bonita, or whether this was a change of name by community members of Duxbury, no one is really sure.

 

Duxbury was probably a small community with a similar reputation as Red River Station 15 miles to the northwest.  Red River Station had all the attractions that weary cowboys were looking for including saloons,  brothels, and cafes.  Also, Head of Elm, or Saint Jo, 5 miles further east on HWY 82, considers itself right in the main pathway of the heaviest of the cattle drives; however, Duxbury could have competed with nearby St. Jo for the cowboys' business. Duxbury could have been a place for cattle drovers to sleep in a real bed, get a hot meal, or even indulge in a bit of carousing and gambling before hitting the hardest part of their journey in crossing Red River.

 

Carnival on Young Street

 

Circa the late forties or early fifties, Nocona hosted the D. S. Dudley Carnival. Martha Spencer, who lived at the corner of West Pine and Young states:  "I always thought of  the whole area just across Young Street as the old carnival lot.  Before the Oldham and Yarborough houses (I'm not sure of the Baxter house) were built over there, the D.S. Dudley Carnival set up over there for four or five years in a row.  Grandmother Capps manned the entry ticket booth, and Granddad Capps operated the Tilt-a-Whirl.  I was nine or ten at the time and absolutely thrilled that we all got to go there every night to look around and watch the gypsies and ride the Tilt-a-Whirl a few times.  And the last year the carnival set up there, someone talked Mother and Dad into letting people park on the side and front yard and share in the profits.  All this fun stopped when the lots sold and the Oldhams, Baxters, and Yarboroughs built houses there.  That old structure that we all thought was a swimming pool was already here on the back of the property."

 

Skating Rink: Downtown Nocona

 

In the late 1940s, Nocona had a skating rink a few blocks from downtown Clay Street.  Martha Spencer May reports: "Sister Mel and I used to go skate on Saturday afternoons instead of going to the movies.  It was a big barny building built on a vacant lot just two or three blocks west of the downtown area.  We could easily walk there."

 

Going by Martha's remembrances, the skating rink would be just west of Clay Street, possibly as far west as Main Street or even Baylor.  The Spencer Daughters lived at the corner of West Pine and Young Streets, which is just a few blocks northwest of the probable location of the skating rink.

 

Chamber of Commerce Window: Lost View to the Past

 

In March of 2006, two Nocona ISD carpenters, were carefully removing the heavy siding from the top of the old F & M Bank Building.   See the details of the remodeling project on the old bank a.k.a. Nocona ISD Administrative Offices. Danny and Cody Russell were unfastening the next piece of metal when both noticed that the uncovered window was boldly lettered with the words "CHAMBER OF COMMERCE."

 

On a smaller scale, this was not unlike archeologists uncovering important artifacts of the past.  Nocona's history is very important to the people who grew up and live here; consequently, finding a relic that dates back to 1929 is a wonderful discovery. This window was more than just any window because it represented the hopes and desires that this small city would become an economic hub and an excellent place to raise a family. The Chamber of Commerce employees who worked inside this window had the primary goal of attracting citizens to live here and promoting businesses that would create jobs for them.

 

 Before this window was blocked by dark, metal siding, the Chamber Director could look out on a bustling downtown that was full of traffic and pedestrians headed to do business in one of the many small stores and offices along Clay and the intersecting east-west streets that make up downtown Nocona.

 

Shortly after this window was removed from its location on the second floor that fronts Elm Street in March 2006, it was taken by some unknown person or persons.  Who ever took the window removed an important piece of memorabilia that would have been preserved and given a home in the newly remodeled NISD Administration Office.

 

Hope springs eternal, therefore, perhaps the scavenger who took the "window to our past" will return it to its rightful place.  This window is not a souvenir meant for only a few selfish eyes to enjoy, but  tangible evidence of the heritage that belongs to all the citizens of Nocona. 

 

Lost Places at NISD

Over the last decade NISD has undergone almost constant remodeling and renovation; subsequently, some structures naturally went away.  However, the following list at least preserves many lost items for future consideration.

 

 

1. Cinder track: easy on knees, hard on Coaches:  Red cinder was certainly attractive, and the wear and tear on knees was even less than many newer surfaces used today.  The maintenance of cinder was the problem.  Before meets, the running surface had to be smoothed with a sled pulled behind a truck.  After whipping the red cinders into shape, coaches next had to pull out a cumbersome lane marker to put chalk lines around the track.  With six lanes, one had to fill and refill 6 boxes of chalk that were attached along a metal frame, that had wheels on it.  The chalker had to be pulled precisely and carefully or the lanes would be crooked.  The track was built in 1967 based on a 440 yard cycle.  In 1985 when the track got an all-weather surface, the north end of the track had to be extended by a few feet because of the new metric standard of 400 meters.
2. Middle School brown brick loses fashion favor:  When the Middle School was built in 1979, the brick used to cover the structure was a chocolate-brown color.  After the High School was renovated in 1997, the brown brick was stripped off the middle school, as well as the high school gym, and a brick was used that matched the existing high school color.  Now all structures on the Secondary Campuses have the same tan color.  What ever happened to the chocolate-brown brick?  Is it in a landfill somewhere?
3. High School tennis courts: fact or fiction:   Fact…during the fifties the High School had its own tennis courts located just behind the practice field.   Later the area was used for parking at Yarbrough field, and the courts were covered up.
4. City loses entire block:  The 200 block of Cedar Street is now part of the Elementary School Campus.  After a wing of classrooms and a new gym were added in 1999, this block was taken in by the expansion.  At least two homes and a several storage buildings had to be removed.
5. Elementary School playground dwindles:  With the addition of Elementary School Facilities, the playground area at the school took a sizeable reduction.  One area that was lost was a small baseball diamond at the southwest corner of the school.  This area was used by Gibbs Little League teams for a practice area.
6. Overhead ladder and parallel bars torture no more:  Two sets of overhead ladders are now lost in action.  One set was on the west side of the field house and the other was on the east side of the field house.  Also on the east side were a set of parallel bars and a chin-up bar.  These are probably not missed much by athletes at NHS because they caused many blisters during their reign as body building necessities.
7. Nostalgic Concession Stand (Old Smokey) dies:  At the south end of Jack Crain Stadium was the white building with orange and black trim that served refreshments for almost five decades.  One could buy popcorn and eat it while watching the game from the south end zone.  With this view, the spectator could hear every grunt and groan, every expletive deleted, and see each individual’s desperate struggle, especially if a team was inside the 10 yard line on the south end. Whenever the barbeque grill was used at the concession stand, a southerly breeze was sure to get the fans’ hackles up.  Especially in August and September games, a warm south wind would send the smoke right up into the bleachers making sensitive spectators dab at their eyes, not from sadness, but from allergies.  This building and the nearby restroom was demolished in 2000 to be replaced by a new concession stand located on the north end of the home side.
8. Missing band stand ends separatist movement:  Before new bleachers were built at Jack Crain Stadium, the Band had its own small bandstand just to the south of the main viewing stands.  At various times it was painted orange or black depending on the current Band Director’s taste in color.  Someone had attempted to enclose the back of the structure by placing sheets of tin flashing behind the wooden planks used for seats.  Supposedly this would help direct the sound toward the field, or perhaps this would keep the wind off band members when blue northers blasted in.  Now band members sit on the south end of the main viewing bleachers.
9. High School Cafeteria gets beat by fast food:  High School students wishing a cafeteria lunch now eat in the Middle School.  Until the early seventies, the High School had its own cafeteria located on the north end of the building.  This kitchen and cafeteria were terminated, probably due to the “open campus” concept.  More and more students had their own transportation and there were no rules to prevent them from eating off campus.  Computer Labs now occupy the space where the High School Cafeteria was located.
10. Front Door-- identity problem:  The former front entrance way into the High School suffered the most unkind fate of all by becoming the back door.  Even though the door is still in the same location, another front door took its place.  The front of the High School is now considered to be on the western side by the columns.
11. Stolen Arborvitae: pilfered pampas grass:  Pictures of the front of the High School from the late fifties to the early seventies show at least 3 short evergreen bushes near the front door and at least two good stands of pampas grass a bit farther from the door, but close to the flagpole. These plants were captured in at least 30 years of pictures of the front of the High School as students posed for their various superlative pictures.  Future "Most likely to succeeds" will have to pose near the concrete drainage and sidewalk areas that now cover this historical vegetation.
12. Houses make way for landscape:  The far western part of the secondary campus used to contain several houses that were moved or demolished when NISD bought the property.  The backyard trees are all that are left of these houses as this area is now either covered with parking lots and landscape.  The first house at the south end of the block was a large, white frame house with a many nice trees.  The next house was a small red cinder, brick house.  In the middle of the block was another smaller house with a shop next to it.  This building used to be a beauty shop and was also the location of students looking to get into a little trouble.  A large cottonwood tree used to mark the approximate location of this notorious spot; however, this large tree was removed in 2003. This important, but sick tree, was the last marker of the spot where many disagreements were settled the old fashioned way. Brush obscured the back of the shop; subsequently, kids could walk off campus, quickly settle disagreements with fisticuffs, then hurriedly get back for the next class.  The area was also convenient for satisfying a nicotine craving.  At the end of the block, close to the swimming pool, was a mobile home.
13. Elementary Kiva gets killed:  The Kiva was a sunken, carpeted area at the Elementary school.  It was like sitting on a circular step.  Library materials were kept there, so that kids could read and relax in the area.  The Kiva was also used as a place to hold meetings.  Remodeling took its tole on the Kiva, which is now a classroom.
14. Old Shop: 'Mobile' home:  The first Secondary School Shop has come to perhaps its final resting place on HWY 82 after serving as various businesses at various locations.  As a school shop it was located where the Administrative Annex is located today  The classroom served Middle and High School students in the first expansion across Clay Street to the west.  This building looked like a small cottage, and had been built by Bill Billings.  Now the building is gone and a brick-covered portable building stands in its place. The original building has been moved to HWY 82 near the intersection of Cooke Street.
15. North Ward sheared:  While the old North Ward Building no longer belongs to the School District, it does have an interesting history worth investigating.  Prior to 1952, North Ward housed high school students.  At some time earlier in its life as a high school, the third floor of the building was removed, giving North Ward its current look.  When the new high school was built, North Ward became a middle school.  Why was the third floor taken off?  Was there an issue of safety?  In the late seventies a new middle school was built on the premise that North Ward was structurally unsound.  Was this a correct perception, or was it a plan to get the community behind a bond election?  The old building is still in use as an apartment complex.
16. Ticket booth bye-bye:  At the main gate to Jack Crain Stadium was a small building made of concrete blocks originally used to sell tickets at games.  The building was about 10' by 10', with 2 small ticket booths, and between these small cubicles was the entrance to the stadium.  One bought a ticket at either of the two windows (booths) and then proceeded through the center of the small structure where another person collected the ticket.  When this structure was cleared away, a turnstile was placed on the concrete slab where the booth had resided.  Now ticket sellers just sit near the gates at small desks and collect admission.
17. North end zone parking nixed:  Prior to Yarbrough Field being closed, cars could pull into the Little League Park's parking area near the right field of the diamond and get in close proximity to the north end zone of the football field.  This view offered a good line of sight to action on the north end of the field, plus admittance was free.  When Yarbrough Field was closed this parking area was fenced and became football practice area.
18. Old bleachers get pulled back and then pulled out:  Prior to 1982 the bleachers at Jack Crain Stadium were a sprawling structure made of welded metal and long wooden planks.  The old wooden bleachers covered most of the home sideline.  There were smaller bleachers flanking the main seating, one at the south end used by the band, and one at the north end used mainly by kids. Prior to 1967, there was a six-feet tall chain link fence running about 10 feet behind the main bleachers.  This fence did tend to keep kids from playing on the practice field during the game, but unfortunately, it held many of the younger kids right underneath the bleachers.  When the cinder track was built in 1966-67, this fence was taken down so that the wooden bleachers could be pulled back to allow room for the track.  Several wench trucks attached cables to the bleachers and slowly pulled them back.  The old press box had one interesting feature.  A ladder behind the bleachers could be used to climb directly to the press box without walking through the bleachers.
19. Four replaces ten:  Football field lighting used to be provided by approximately ten metal poles that were planted right on the sidelines.  Legend has it that a former Superintendent heard of a similar metal support falling over at another school because of rust forming near where the base of the structure was buried in concrete.  The four new large replacement lights were positioned well back from the playing area, and could provide the same illumination as the older lights.
20. View Vanishes:  Nocona High School, built in the fifties, was considered by many to be an architectural masterpiece.  The walls of the structure were composed of many windows.  Because of soaring utility cost for heating and cooling, administrators decided that most of the windows should be covered by metal siding.  Loosing a good view is not a lost place; however it might be considered a lost memory, a lost mental picture of bright natural light flooding in through a classroom window on the long east to west hall. 
21. South end scoreboard scrapped:  The big orange scoreboard at the south end of the football field was easy to see from the old wooden bleachers on the home side.  The crowd that always stood at the south end near the old concession stand, mostly older men with styrofoam coffee cups in hands, would crane their necks to look up and toward the south to catch a glimpse of the clock that was directly over them.  Most of the old time fans learned how to read upside-down from years of standing under the big, rusty, orange contraption.  A new black scoreboard replaced "big orange," and now rests at the northwest corner of the field.
22. Lost Baseball Field Fence:  Some called it the American Legion Field while others opted for the older term "Beck Field" named after the family that donated the plot for city recreation.  Regardless, this area was the site of High School Baseball, Pony League, Slow-pitch Softball, Little League Practice, and later would become the location of all baseball and softball games for the city and the school.  In the late seventies, the main baseball field had a dirt infield, and an outfield made of prairie grass.  Slow-pitch softball was a growing sport as several local teams played on the main field, and even organized into a league using the facility.  Most of the users of the field agreed that the playing surface was adequate, but one thing was lacking, a fence around the park.  At this point several sports organization began the process of collecting pipe, fencing and donated labor to build a fence.  Slow pitch softball teams contributed most of the labor, and this is probably when the fence turned out to be problematic. The fence was to be set at about 280 feet from home plate straight across for left field to right field.  This distance was appropriate for softball, but not for hard ball.  High School baseball games tended to become  homerun derbies. This problem was corrected with the construction of a longer fence several years later.

(Return to Table of Contents)