Is this the way to Amarillo? Well, you would never know if you didn’t have a SatNav – it has proved to be an absolute essential for this trip. Today we left the state of Oklahoma and headed for Texas.
John fixed up several eye-catching destinations along our route. First up was Lucille Hamons’ Route 66 filling station at Hydro. It was built in 1929 and extended in 1934 to include overnight tourist accommodation. In 1941 it was taken over by Lucille Hamons, who for the next 59 years served fuel to passing motorists. The site is now an historic monument.
Then we travelled on to our first ghost town, Texola, and yes it was rather ghostly. The town is sited on Route 66 and dates back to the early 1900s, originally being named Texokla or Texoma. By 1909 the town had successful corn and grist mills and several businesses. The population grew up to the 1930s, but gradually dwindled when the town was bypassed by the speedier Interstate highway I-40. Business declined and the population reduced from a peak of 581 in 1930 to 31 in 2010. Today it is listed in the National register of Historic Places.
We then headed to Shamrock to see its water tower. Many of the businesses had an Irish theme, but the personnel in the cafe we visited had no idea why. A bit of research enlightened us to the fact that ‘Shamrock’ was suggested for good luck and courage by Irish immigrant sheep rancher George Nickel in 1890 when he applied to open a post office in the area. The name was accepted, and good fortune followed when in 1902 the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway came to town and with it an influx of people and prosperity. This led to a need for a reliable source of water.
Until this time residents got their water from two wells or hauled it to town in barrels on wagons. In 1911 residents of the growing town realised that a more permanent water source was needed and agreed to a water tower and reservoir to be installed, achieved by 1915. Today it remains one of the tallest water towers in Texas.
We moved onwards and now John, getting an obsession for water towers, took us on to view another, in Groom. This was a tilting water tower and was not the result of some later subsidence, but a deliberate attempt to attract sightseers to the area. It obviously worked… hence our visit.
Our destination, some 300 miles from Oklahoma City, was Amarillo, and a rather plain town it appears to be especially considering the attraction of the Neil Sedaka lyrics about the town and his sweet Marie, famously sung by Tony Christie. Perhaps we too will see her, but unlike Sedaka and Christie we will not be staying long for tomorrow we head to Santa Fe in New Mexico.
Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2022