Mister and Lady: Thurber, TX History and Time With Family

With an upcoming trip to Ohio looming, Mister and I are meeting Jen and family in Thurber, TX to borrow her car rack. It worked so well in Missouri last year and I'm hopeful for the same result this go round. We left Dallas around 10:15 and zoomed right to Thurber. We had a great lunch at the New York Restaurant on the Hill and visited for awhile before deciding to check out the museum here. While at the restaurant, there was a LOT of information on the menu. I snapped pictures so y'all could read it if you so desired. Ya probably need to really enlarge it though. The history of this area is amazing and so fascinating to me. It's pretty mind boggling that there is VERY little remnant of the city that once occupied this area. Crazy, right?

Just below the restaurant is the W.K. Gordon Center for Industrial History of Texas. Now, the camera can come out.

This is a fragment of the wall of the brick plant that operated on this site from 1897 - 1931.

At the rear of the museum property is the Whitehead Cemetery. This is a significant reminder of the African American community that occupied the Thurber townsite in the early 20th century. When the Texas and Pacific Coal and Oil Company relocated its offices to Fort Worth in 1933, several families remained in their company-owned homes. Albert Whitehead and fellow black residents established this plot south of the former town square for friends and relatives as a convenient alternative to the Thurber Cemetery. The first documented burial is that of Sarah Grand in 1943. Tarleton State University maintains the cemetery as part of the W.K. Gordon Center for Industrial History of Texas grounds.

Looking from the cemetery towards the museum, you can see the smokestack, one of the few remains of a city long gone.

Time to learn.

Standing on the front step and looking towards the smokestack - I-20 is between. Where it lies was once a bustling town of 10,000 souls.

To the rear is a castle. What? We have to look it up as gunshots are ringing all around us. It is the Greystone Castle Sporting Club and has a shooting range in addition for various other choices.

Into the museum and the first thing is a movie with sooooo many interesting details. I highly recommend this stop if you are on this road and bored out of your mind. Who isn't on 1-20 between Weatherford and Abilene?

Many Italian homes had backyard ovens where homemade bread was baked. A fire would be lit in the oven and allowed to burn until the bricks reached the desired temperature for baking. The fire was then removed and the loaves placed in the oven by means of a long-handled wooden shovel and allowed to bake until done. This bread had a heavier texture and thicker crust than American bread, and was preferred by Italians over the bread baked in the company bakery. Bread was baked twice weekly and on baking days an appetizing aroma of fresh-baked bread permeated the entire community. One of the displays has a recipe for Italian Bread. I'm going to share as it sounds yummy and I want to remember it, too. It's best to have room temperature around 85 degrees and yields two loaves.

1 package yeast (2 1/2 tsp)

4 tsp sugar

4 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)

11-12 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp salt

In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water. Stir in sugar with wooden spoon, and let stand until dissolved. Sift flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour the yeast mixture into it. Use your hand to knead the ingredients into a smooth dough. Turn the dough onto a floured pastry board, knead about 10-15 minutes until smooth and elastic-like. Pat a little more flour on dough if it is sticky. Knead by folding dough toward you, pushing down and away from you. Form into a ball and place it in a greased bowl. Use salad oil to grease bowl lightly and turn dough over in bowl so the top will be slightly greased. Cover with a cloth. Let rise at 85 degrees room temperature, free from drafts, until dough is double in bulk - about 1 hour and 15 minutes. When two fingers poked into dough leave indentations, rising is sufficient. Turn dough onto floured board, punch it down, and knead it several times. Divide the dough into two parts. Shape each piece into a loaf. Place loaves well apart on floured cloth, with the tucked edges on the bottom. Let rise 40 minutes or until puffy looking. Preheat oven at 400 degrees. After rising, place each loaf on a greased cookie sheet with tucked edge on top. Place in 400 degree over and bake about 10 minutes, then lower temperature to 350 degrees. Let bake about 40 to 60 minutes. Tops should be well browned and sound hollow when rapped on bottom with knuckle. Remove from baking sheets and cool on racks away from drafts. TO BAKE IN OUTDOOR OVEN: When preheated oven has cooled to 350 degrees, transfer the loaves one at a time onto a floured bread paddle by lifting cloth to roll a loaf onto your palm, then slip bread paddle under loaf, laying the seam parts up. Slip the loaves onto the clean over floor, load from front to back. When all loaves are in the oven, set door in place. Bake about 1 hour. Loaves are done when browned and sound hollow when rapped on bottom with knuckle.

Back to history - When you are out and about in Texas and you see brick roads or walkway, look at the bricks closely. They may say Thurber Brick. Mister and I have seen them around quite often.

Some exhibits to peek at -

Perspective of a coal miners space. No thank you.

My sweetie -

Jen and family -

This is a small idea of the Thurber General Mercantile and Dry Goods store. This building housed the dry goods and furniture store and the undertaker. It was part of the Texas Pacific Mercantile and Manufacturing Co., a subsidiary set up in 1894 to manage Texas and Pacific Coal Co. stores, saloons, opera house and other commercial enterprises. This store offered the Thurber residents everything from mink coats to caskets. As I'm standing and looking around, a speaker comes on and with a loud, "Hello, Welcome to the Mercantile," I'm jump and am so startled that I start giggling loud enough for everyone to come check on me. Fun times.

Thurber's Drug Store - Like the general mercantile and dry goods store, Thurber's drug store was owned and operated by the Texas and Pacific Mercantile and Manufacturing Company. This well-stocked establishment carried a wide assortment of drugs, personal toiletries and gift items. The store advertised "a thousand and one things offered . . . fine watches, diamond rings, ladies purses, Turkish pipes, matchboxes, combs, and other fine items . . . the most complete selection to be found west of Fort Worth."

During coal strip mining in the Thurber vicinity in 1980-81, operators uncovered the deteriorated remains of several pieces of historic mining equipment. Local resident Bill Rowland recognized the artifacts as parts belonging to three mining carts. After acquiring the wood, metal strapping, wheels, and axles of one of the carts, Rowland shared his discovery with friend John Goodwin. These two men shared an interest in preserving Thurber history. As a result Goodwin purchases the pieces of the cart and then commissioned Rowland to restore it. In turn, Rowland asked Walter Kostiha, sone of a Thurber miner, to lead the restoration effort. Kostiha compiled information about the carts using mining records, technical experience, and first-hand knowledge. Through a partnership with the high school metal shop in nearby Strawn, the missing parts were carefully fabricated. The men completed the restoration in February 2000. The cart went on exhibit at the W.K. Gordon Center for Industrial History of Texas at its grand opening in November 2002.