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SNYDER, TEXAS
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 |
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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
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Scurry County Museum - On the campus of Western Texas College
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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)
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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. |
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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."
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Alonzo
Pierce with horse, circa 1910-20s
Click on image to enlarge
Courtesy
Gregory Pierce |
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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 |
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Alonzo
Pierce and his son, Lon Dupont "Pont" Pierce, 1910-20s
Click on image to enlarge
Courtesy
Gregory Pierce |
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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 |
| Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories
and recent or vintage/historic photos, please contact
us. |
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