Snyder, Texas, Scurry County seat. (original) (raw)

Scurry County Seat, Texas Panhandle / West Texas

32� 42' 56"N, 100� 54' 52" W (32.715556, -100.914444)

On Deep Creek, a minor tributary of the Colorado River
State Hwy 350, US 180, and 84
32 miles E of Gail
49 miles NE of Big Spring
90 miles NE of Midland
80 miles NW of Abilene
90 miles SE of Lubbock
100 miles N of San Angelo
ZIP codes 79549-79550
Area code 325
Population: 11,023 Est. (2019)
11,202 (2010) 10,783 (2000) 12,195 (1990)

Book Hotel Here › Snyder Hotels

Meeting the train at Snyder, Postmarked June 25, 1908
Click on image to enlarge
Old Photo courtesy Dan Whatley Collection

History in a Pecan Shell

The county was named after Confederate General Wm. Scurry. William Henry Snyder was an early merchant/ buffalo hunter who operated a trading post.
1878: Wm. H. "Pete" Snyder, former Pennsylvanian, opens trading post on Deep Creek.
1882: Mr. Snyder plans the future town of Snyder and first school opens
1884: County becomes organized and Snyder becomes county seat
1892: Snyder has two newspapers as well as two banks, and two churches.
1908: The Altururian Woman's Club is formed
1910: Population reaches 2,500 - a significant number for West Texas
1911: Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad comes to Snyder.
1931: First State Bank Closes due to The Great Depression
1948: Oil is discovered and Snyder is overwhelmed when it's population triples in one year
1950: The Snyder Daily News becomes the first daily newspaper published.
1964: The Diamond M Museum Opens - regarded as one of Texas' best art collections
1968: Due to the efforts of community leaders Snyder is chosen as one of only 11 "All American Cities"
1971: Western Texas College is opened

Snyder, Texas Landmarks / Attractions

Scurry County Museum - On the campus of Western Texas College

Historical Marker:Old Snyder Graveyard

Formerly state land until common usage established it as a cemetery in 1880's. Legend says first burial was an Indian. Early-day transients were often buried in unmarked graves. Tract closed to further burials, 1902. Many bodies have been moved elsewhere. Only 14 graves are now identified.

(1969)

Historical Marker (US 180 near 34th Street)

Former Calaboose
Prior to 1920s held rowdies arrested by town constable. After paved roads made the county jail accessible, this structure was moved and sold. Later, to obtain storage space, the D. R. Layman family swapped a cow for the former Hermleigh Calaboose.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1972

1883 Confederate Veteran & Pioneer Doctor J.C. Cornelius House
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, 2009

Snyder was used as a backdrop for a movie starring George Strait in 2001. The recently restored Ritz Theater gets some much-deserved attention.

Snyder, Texas Chronicles

• White Buffalo by Mike Cox
  While buffalo no longer roam the prairie, a life-sized statute commemorating that white buffalo stands in the Scurry County courthouse square. Beneath it is a historical marker about J. Wright Mooar, the man who brought the white beast down.
• Fire on the Snyder Town Square, February 2003
• Brewster Hudspeth's Faintly Blurred Memory of Snyder Mr. Hudspeth's comments do not reflect the actual history of Snyder and students are advised to consult the "History in a Pecan Shell" above.
  People
• Powers Boothe by Maggie Van Ostrand
  Powers Boothe was born in Snyder on June 1st, 1948 to Merrill Vestal Boothe and Emily Kathryn Reeves. He attended Texas State University, San Marcos (then Southwest Texas State) where he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and received his Master of Fine Arts from Southern Methodist University.
  Powers Boothe has long been one of America's finest actors in two major categories, character and leading man... more
• The Life of Riley by Mike Cox
• T. J. Faught - April 22, 1847-August 2, 1912
  Historical Marker in Snyder Cemetery:
  "Settled in 1879 as a rancher in northeast Scurry County. In 1884, six months after county organization, the first sheriff resigned in disgust. Faught was appointed, serving remainder of that term plus three more. As sheriff, he never wore a gun. Faught was also a leading citizen of Snyder. He built a hall for the Masonic Lodge, of which he was a charter member. Faught Street (now 27th Street) was named in his honor."

Snyder, Texas Old Photos

Alonzo Pierce with horse, circa 1910-20s
Click on image to enlarge
Courtesy Gregory Pierce

Subject: Snyder Photos

"I wish I could say exactly where these are, but I know they are from about the 1910s or 1920s. The two men in the store are Alonzo Pierce and his son, Lon Dupont "Pont" Pierce. Alonzo ran a meat market that eventually became somewhat of a general store, near or in downtown Snyder.

The photo of the lone man behind the counter is 'Pont Pierce again, and the photo of the man with the horse is Alonzo Pierce. I don't know where in Snyder that is, but I know it's in Snyder.

Alonzo was my great grandfather's brother. Alonzo moved from Canton, Texas, to Snyder with his little brother Albert Clayton Pierce. Alonzo settled down and had a handful of kids, but Albert met a woman from Abilene and they gave birth to my grandfather, Clayton Coffee Pierce in Snyder, then divorced and everyone moved to Dallas.

On a side note, if any photos come about that say "Albert Clayton Pierce" or "Dock Pierce" on them, please let me know. Thanks!" - Gregory Pierce, January 13, 2016

Alonzo Pierce and his son, Lon Dupont "Pont" Pierce, 1910-20s
Click on image to enlarge
Courtesy Gregory Pierce

Lon Dupont "Pont" Pierce, 1910-20s
Click on image to enlarge
Courtesy Gregory Pierce

William Manery and Store at 23 Street
Manery was the proprietor of several businesses,
and a part of Snyder is named after him.
Photo c1906 courtesy Charlene Beatty Beauchamp
More Texas Stores

High School in Snyder, 1900s
Courtesy texasoldphotos.com
More Texas Schools

Early 1900s Snyder street scene
Courtesy texasoldphotos.com

West Side Square, Snyder, Texas
Postcard courtesy www.rootsweb.com/ %7Etxpstcrd/

Scurry County 1920s map showing Snyder
From Texas state map #10749
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

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