Haskell, Texas, Haskell County Seat. (original) (raw)

First Street, the main street in Haskell.
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, September 2007

History in a Pecan Shell

The townsite was originally known as Willow Pond Springs. Captain Randolph Marcy's expedition passed this way in 1849 and a member of the expedition wrote his brother about the place's potential. In 1879 the brother - named Thomas Tucker occupied the area renamed the place Rice Springs.

The post office was established in 1885 and the community was renamed after a soldier who died at Goliad - Charles Ready Haskell. The county was organized that same year and Thomas Tucker became the first judge.

The Haskell Free Press became the first newspaper in 1886.

In 1900 the Texas Central Railroad reached Stamford and Haskell connected in 1906.

The town incorporated in 1907.

Just before World War II - the Lawson oilfield was discovered six miles east.

Lake Stamford was built in the 1950s to provide water for municipal, industrial and recreational use.

Haskell's population peaked in 1970 with 4,166 people.

Haskell, Texas

Landmarks & Attractions

2002 Photo courtesy Jack Williams

Buildings on First Street
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, September 2007

Old 1927 City Hall building on North 1st Street.
Photo courtesy Terry Jeanson, September 2007

Nearby Historic Attraction

The MacKenzie Trail Monument

- South of Haskell, about 1.5 miles north of Stamford at the intersection of US277 and SH6, before crossing the Haskell County line.

Mackenzie Trail by Clay Coppedge

"The best of what's left of the Mackenzie Trail today is probably on private property. You're near it when you're at the intersection of U.S. 277 and Texas 6 in , where a monument tells you the trail ran a little north of there. The trail also ran between Dickens and Spur, so when you're on parts of U.S. Highway 82 from Dickens to Lubbock you're probably following Mackenzie's path pretty closely." - Read full article

Haskell, Texas Chronicles:

From "Get Along Little Turkeys..." by Mike Cox

"... No matter that it's been largely forgotten, herding large flocks of turkeys from Point A to Point B once was as much a part of the wild west as gold rushes, gambling and gunfights. The reason was the lack of refrigeration. Meat only stayed fresh on the hoof--or scaly four-toed feet. With large trucks yet to be invented, and assuming no rail service, the only way to get large numbers of turkeys from the farm to the dinner table was for mounted men to herd them.

Though it probably happened earlier, the first known Texas turkey drive took place around 1907, when pioneer Stamford resident R.M. Dickenson paid to have 500 turkeys driven 18 miles from Haskell to Stamford. The drive didn't work out too well..." Read full article

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