Reminiscing back to the 1920’s in Wichita County, Texas.

Posted on Facebook March 8 2023

   Above left, the Auburn Speedster sitting near an oil well in Kemp City (later known as Kamay) in 1925 probably belonged to one of the wealthy oil men drilling there. The old saying “when you have money, you can buy stuff” surely applied to the owner of this car.

    A 1926 aerial view of Wichita Falls. How many buildings do you recognize?

 Producers Creamery at 1209 Indiana in 1926.

Aerial View of Iowa Park in 1921.

The Wichita Theatre and Opera House in 1929, before it was remodeled.

Spudder Park on September 19, 1929 during the best of five playoff games between the Dallas Steers and the Wichita Falls Spudders. The Spudders won this game, 5-2, but lost the series in the final games in Dallas.

The Texas Company operated in Electra during the first oil boom in Wichita County in 1911. The bank building in which the Texas Company operated in is still standing. The Texas Company later became Texaco.

The Olympic Theater was located at 908-910 Indiana Ave in 1926. Next to it at the corner of 9th & Indiana was the Perkins-Timberlake building.

Aerial view of Burkburnett in 1921. Notice the oil derricks from the 1918 oil boom are still in place.

The Barkley Building #3 at 6th & Scott was home to Lloyd Weaver Chrysler and Fox-Brown Chevrolet in 1926. During the 1970's, this building was known as the “Beco Building” for a business the never materialized. On December 1, 1976 it became the Wichita County Annex and is currently being remodeled to resemble its by-gone beauty. 
Kudos to our County Commissioners for helping preserve our history

Mrs. Minnie Mae Addicks, Joseph Kemp’s little sister started dealing in real estate after her husband passed away in 1906. She became very successful and in 1908, built a home at 1319 Tenth Street (where 10th & Broad Church of Christ now stands at the corner of 10th & Broad). She also built the home of her brother-in-law, Frank Kell just around the corner on Bluff Avenue. The Kell House is almost an exact replica on Addicks’ home. William McGregor built a home at 1310 Tenth Street, across the street and down from Addicks and is still standing. This was the wealthy part of Wichita Falls at that time.

The Weeks Mansion near the intersection of Harrison & Kell West was built in 1924 by Attorney and Oilman Fred Weeks. Situated on 13 landscaped acres, this majestic mansion was a show place, even among the other rich oilmen.