The Power of One Triangle
Fourth in a series on the Texas Triangles.
The Texas Panhandle is rich and complex, shaped by Native American cultures, Spanish explorers, frontier settlers, ranchers and the development of railroads and the oil industry. It has been inhabited for over 10,000 years. Paleo-Indians hunted mammoths and bison on the High Plains. The Texas State Historical Association tracks the Apache, Comanche and Kiowa, who dominated the region before European colonization. The Comanche, in particular, controlled the area through the 1700s and 1800s.
Spanish explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado passed through the Panhandle searching for the mythical Seven Cities of Gold. Texas joined the United States in 1845, and American interest in the Panhandle increased. The Red River War (1874–1875) marked a decisive campaign by the U.S. Army to remove Comanche and Kiowa tribes and relocate them to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).
Following the forced relocation of the Plains tribes, Anglo-American settlers began to arrive. In the late 1800s, the Panhandle became a hub for cattle ranching. Legendary ranches were established, like the JA Ranch, founded by Charles Goodnight. In a well-executed thesis, Melissa Miers chronicles the advancement of railroads, such as the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway, which reached the Panhandle in the 1880s and 1890s, connecting it to larger markets and fueling town development.
Oil was discovered in the early 20th century, and a boom ensued, creating a new regional economy and contributing to the economic strength of the Panhandle settlers and the entire state, according to The Texas Almanac. Severe droughts and poor farming practices led to massive dust storms, the Dust Bowl of the thirties and economic hardship for farmers. Despite setbacks, the Panhandle developed a strong agricultural base and remained key to Texas’ oil and gas production. The grit of the Dust Bowl helped create the “grit” of being a Texan. The Panhandle remains proud of its frontier heritage, with strong ties to ranching, cowboy culture and Western history.
The combination of agriculture, energy production and manufacturing contributes significantly to the state’s economic output. The Panhandle’s industries provide jobs and support local economies. Though sparsely populated compared to other parts of Texas, the Panhandle holds political influence due to its economic contributions and conservative values, often influencing state policy decisions. These factors make the Texas Panhandle an integral part of the state.
The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum (PPHM) has told the story of Texas settlers for almost a century. At West Texas A&M University, we believe the PPHM, while important to our region, is even more critical to our state and its foundations. WT has worked diligently to find ways to “modernize” the PPHM. A timeline of events and actions over the past decade is available on the University website by searching “PPHM Timeline.” A 2015 Texas State Fire Marshal Inspection found 10 safety violations. “Workarounds” were performed. In 2017, an architecture firm was engaged to propose permanent solutions to the 2015 report. In 2018, WT developed a $40 million proposal for state appropriations to address the deteriorating and unsafe museum facility, which was not funded.
Moreover, a Campus Master Plan reinforced the PPHM’s importance to the campus, community, region and state. Academic funding for the PPHM was impossible because the state does not classify the museum as an “Education and General” facility. In 2019, the state approved continuing a special appropriation of $250,000 to maintain and modernize the 217,000-square-foot PPHM facility—Ditto in 2020.
In 2021, The Cultural Foundation of the Texas Panhandle (CFTP) was formed with representation from across the state. The CFTP demonstrated that the PPHM and TEXAS outdoor musical are valuable to every Texan, no matter where they hail from. In 2024, The Texas A&M University System committed significant resources to study the future of the PPHM and TEXAS through securing architectural and museum experts with cooperation from the Texas Historical Commission, all representing the best minds in the state and nation to address these challenges.
In January of this year, a Texas State Fire Marshal Report identifying 149 deficiencies in the PPHM was received. After discussions with the State Fire Marshal’s staff and CFTP Chair, Mark Bivins, the prudent course of action was determined to close the PPHM to the public for safety concerns regarding staff, students, faculty and visitors. The museum will remain closed until funding for a new museum can be acquired. We continue to investigate the potential of opening a portion of the museum to the public during this transitional time as we attend to contemporary safety standards.
Simultaneously, alternative means to share our state’s history found in the collections’ lore and impact on Texas and Panhandle will be explored. The collection of the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society, a nonprofit corporation that owns and manages the two million artifacts housed in the PPHM, is the nucleus of the work. The collection and museum partnership is central to our region and the whole state. The Panhandle uniquely defines what it means to be a Texan. The impact of the museum and collections can be felt from the Panhandle to the world. At WT we will continue working to find a means to share the PPHM vital treasure for our region and state with the broadest possible audience. As THE University of West Texas and a member of The Texas A&M University System, it’s our duty.
Walter V. Wendler is the President of West Texas A&M University. His weekly columns, with hyperlinks, are available at https://walterwendler.com/.
