Payne Gap School, 1887-1943
A history of the Payne Gap School from its origin in Hamilton County in 1887 to its final year in Mills County, 1943 (with updated info)
History
“How About Another Round?”: Rick’s Bar, the Tradition of Drinking Businesses in the United States, and a History of Saloons in Hamilton, Texas
Using Rick’s Bar in Hamilton, Texas, as a springboard, this essay explores the history of drinking establishments in the United States, focusing on the western saloon, and then tells the history of saloons in Hamilton, Texas.
Ridge Schoolhouse Restoration
Curtis and Michéle Roberts are restoring the Ridge Schoolhouse, a 1930s landmark located in western Mills County.
Barzilla Payne and Payne Gap
Learn about Barzilla Payne, who journeyed from Indiana to Texas and established a new home that was the beginning of the Payne Gap community
New Payne Gap Cemetery Directory
Learn about how the Payne Gap Cemetery data was collected, vetted, and transformed into the new cemetery directory …
The Big-Brained Menace from Moline: Bob Altenloh
A short biography of Bob Altenloh and an analysis of the 271 “The Moline Menace” columns he wrote for The Goldthwaite Eagle from 1978 through 1984 …
A New Beginning
For years, the community has accepted that the Payne Gap Cemetery officially started in 1905 based on a deed from W.F. Hearne to trustees of the Payne Gap School District that transferred four acres to expand the school’s campus. However …
Mills County in Wikipedia
About a month ago while attending the Mills County Historical Commission meeting, I visited the then current Wikipedia article about Mills County, and I was surprised at how anemic it was. …
Once Upon a Time, 5,000 years ago …
Late last year, we hosted Del Barnett, Archeology Steward, Texas
Fire Nor Man Wants to Die
Around noon on March 14, 2022, I noticed a flurry of activity near the fence surrounding our wind project’s lay down and operations and maintenance areas. I soon realized that some workers had started a blaze. Seconds later, it was out of control, tearing its way toward the northeast and moving as fast as liquid …
Those at Rest
The most thorough resource for finding out who is buried at the Payne Gap Cemetery is our directory, supplemented by Find-a-Grave …
Payne Gap Schoolhouse and Students Circa 1940
That’s our very own Glenn Dale Duncan (Sam’s dad), front center, with suspenders. He was about six years old when an anonymous photographer took this picture of the 1940-41 class. This is the earliest known photograph of the rock schoolhouse, which replaced an earlier wooden structure destroyed by a fire …
