Texas Historical Marker #00903
Clarendon Cemetery. In this first cemetery of Donley County, sixteen rods west lie the first dead of Old Clarendon. Here white civilization sank its roots in sadness and from the graves in this sacred acre strong pioneer spirits turned to face the future with greater love for the land and a firmer determination to build for a tomorrow which we know today. To those of the Old Clarendon Colony who first found rest on this bold promontory and to their survivors, this stone of imperishable Texas granite is loyally and lovingly dedicated. Erected by the State of Texas, July 4, 1938 #903
?, Clarendon, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #01250
Donley County. Formed from Young and Bexar territories; Created August 21, 1876; Organized March 22, 1882; Named in honor of Stockton P. Donley 1821-1871; a Confederate officer elected to the Texas Supreme Bench in 1866; Clarendon, the County Seat. #1250
?, Clarendon, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #13942
Funeral Business in Clarendon. For more than a century, this site has been the location of a funeral home, a vital community business serving a widespread area of the Panhandle. Kentucky native Pleasant Andrew Buntin (1849-1941) brought his family to Texas in 1879, settling first in Mobeetie (Wheeler Co.). The Buntins moved to Clarendon in 1888 following the arrival of the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad. P.A. Buntin rode a mail route from there through Palo Duro Canyon and Schott Gap (Briscoe Co.) to the Caprock, changing wagons and horses to make the 60-mile round trip in a single day. Buntin also operated a dairy, and he was a charter member of the Methodist church and the Masonic lodge in Clarendon. At this site in 1899, Buntin established a funeral home, one of the earliest in the Texas Panhandle. He and his wife, Lucy Jane (Gibbs), had four children, and their youngest son Fred continued in the family business. Fred attended Clarendon College and the Dallas School of Embalming, and joined his father's company in 1919. The business territory covered several counties, and notable early burials conducted by the family included pioneer ranchers Charles and Mary Ann (Dyer) Goodnight in the 1920s. During World War II, the civic-minded Buntin Funeral Home provided military service plaques -- with blue stars for active personnel and gold stars for casualties -- for families to display in the windows of their homes. The Buntins sold the business in 1945, although the family name remained in use with others for several years. A number of families have since been associated with the historic operation, including, from 1977, the Robertsons, who for a short time owned another funeral parlor in Clarendon. (2007) #13942
212 S Sully, Clarendon, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #04403
S. W. Lowe House. Local merchants J. G. and F. D. Martin built this house in 1904. Rancher James M. Calhoun owned the property from 1910 to 1914 and cattleman Robert H. Muir from 1914 to 1926. Muir sold the residence in 1926 to Sam W. Lowe, a college educator, merchant, stock farmer, and civic and church leader who served three terms as Donley County judge. Lowe died in 1968, but his wife of 53 years, Lilac, continued to occupy the house until 1981. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark-1982 #4403
507 W. 5th Street, Clarendon, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #00480
Boydstun Cemetery. Pioneer area settler Henry S. Boydstun (1858-1942), a native of Illinois, moved his family to this area in 1890. That year, his infant son, Eddie, died and was buried in the southwest corner of the family farm. In 1898, Boydstun deeded two acres at the site for use as a public burial ground. A small farming community that developed near there included a school and, from 1891-1940, a post office (listed as Boydston). Although Boydstun deeded land for the cemetery, he and his wife, Mary (d.1950), were interred in nearby town of Groom. (1988) #480
?, Clarendon, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #00854
Church of St. John Baptist. Oldest church continuously in use (in earliest Episcopal parish) in the Texas Panhandle. The first services were held by the Rev. Mr. Townsend of Dallas Diocese in the J. B. McClelland Ranch house, Nov. 1877. On site given 1891 by Isaac W. Carhart, building was erected in 1893. A donor, Mrs. Elizabeth Goff of Philadelphia, chose the name. The church was consecrated April 24, 1893, by Bishop A. C. Garrett. First Vicar: the Rev. W. D. Sartwell, 1890-93. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark-1971 #854
?, Clarendon, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #01884
First United Methodist Church of Clarendon. When the Rev. Lewis H. Carhart, a Methodist minister, founded Clarendon, he envisioned it as a religious and educational center. The town was established in 1878 near the junction of Carroll Creek and the Salt Fork of the Red River, six miles north of its present location. Local cowboys nicknamed the settlement "Saint's Roost" because it had no saloons. The first building erected was a combination church and school. Until the turn-of-the-century, there was a Northern Methodist Church in the community. When the railroad arrived in 1887, Clarendon moved to its present site. The Rev. James T. Hosmer, a circuit rider, conducted Methodist services in private homes. In 1888 the Rev. Isaac L. Mills and 15 charter members organized the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. In 1890 the fellowship erected a frame church building on the southeast corner of Kearney and 4th Street. Membership increased significantly after the founding in 1898 of Clarendon Methodist College, forerunner of Clarendon Junior College. To accommodate the growing congregation, this large classical revival structure was built in 1910, during the pastorate of the Rev. O. P. Kiker. The original roof was replaced in 1950. (1978) #1884
420 S. Jefferson Street, Clarendon, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #02735
James T. Patman. Outstanding peace officer. Sheriff of Donley County, Nov. 1905 to Jan. 1, 1916 - era when large ranches were being subdivided into farms. Born in Sulphur Springs. Was a Methodist. Married Allie Graves. Had a son and daughter. Died in Clarendon. Recorded, 1968 #2735
?, Clarendon, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #12977
The Clarendon News. The Clarendon News The town of Clarendon began with an effort led by the Rev. Lewis H. Carhart as he strived to create a colony based on Christianity, temperance and education. To promote the settlement, he created The Clarendon News, publishing the first issue in June 1878, the same year the first colonists arrived. The News was the first newspaper in the Panhandle. Since its first printing, it has changed owners and names many times but has always provided local news coverage and community interest pieces. As the community grew, printing methods changed from hand-set type to 21st-century computer innovations. The newspaper's long, continuous run is a tribute to Carhart and the many pioneer journalists who followed him. (2003) #12977
105 S. Kearney St, Clarendon, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #14341
St. Mary's Catholic Church. #14341
815 Montgomery, Clarendon, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #13596
Donley County Courthouse. Designed by the architectural firm of Bulger and Rapp, and built by Troutman Brothers Contractors, both of Trinidad, Colorado, this distinctive public building opened in November 1891. The original Romanesque Revival design included prominent towers, contrasting red brick and quarried limestone, and complex projecting elements. Work in the 1930s resulted in removal of the entire third floor, as well as many architectural details. The county restored the courthouse to its original splendor and rededicated it on July 4, 2003. Today, it is the oldest functioning courthouse in the Texas Panhandle. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2006 #13596
300 S Sully St, Clarendon, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #05127
Stockton P. Donley. Star and Wreath County named honor Texas Confederate officer (1821 - 1871) Came to Texas from Kentucky 1846. District Attorney 1853. Enlisted private 7th Texas Infantry 1861. Made Lieutenant. Captured with regiment after bitter fight at Seige Fort Donelson Tennesse 1862. Prisoner war 9 months Camp Douglas, Illionios. When exchanged health so broken assigned post duty. Elected to State Supreme Court 1866. Because of Confederate service was removed 1867 by U.S. Military order. A memorial to Texans who served the Confederacy. Erected by the State of Texas 1963 #5127
?, Clarendon, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #03769
Old Mobeetie Trail. (to early town, about 40 mi. NE) A road older than recorded history; carved out in centuries of wintertime travel to the south, spring migration to the north, by millions of bison and by Indians who lived by hunting these large animals. Important in era of Texas Panhandle settlement. Used in 1873-1874, when first lifelong residents put dugout dwellings in the Panhandle and began to hunt buffalo to fill demand for hides and meat. Fort Elliott, established 1875 to regulate Indians resisting white settlement, soon had as a neighbor the town of Mobeetie, which for some years was the county seat for 28 counties and a place to go for medical aid, supplies, and access to stage travel. In 1876 Kansans came this way south for better hunting, calling this "Rath Trail," for their leader. Also, in 1876 cattlemen began to bring herds here. By 1880 this ancient path was a southern arm of Jones and Plummer Trail, over which cowboys moved longhorns to railroads and northern cattle markets. Beginning about 1887 the Mobeetie Trail was used by "nesters" taking up farm lands alongside the old great ranches. Those it served founded and expanded agricultural-commercial economy of the Panhandle. #3769
?, Clarendon, TX, United States