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"Drilling for oil in the main street of Whittenburg, Texas"
Photo Courtesy Ken Sharpe Collection | | |
Founded
as Whittenburg, merged with Pantex in 1938 and now part of present-day Phillips,
Texas
History
in a Pecan Shell
Just a mile from Borger
(northeast), Whittenburg was founded by area rancher James A. Whittenburg when
oil was discovered in the area in 1926.
The Phillips Petroleum Company
had a refinery under construction and the "town" had originally been intended
to house Phillips employees. But the oil seemed it would flow forever and permanent
structures soon replaced the tin roofed shanties.
Whittenburg was granted
the post office shown below in 1926 - while Isom
and Borger argued about who would get naming rights for the oil field. Isom lost
and merged with Borger in 1926 - about the time Whittenburg's population was 200.
Whittenburg maintained its separate identity until 1936 when it merged with Pantex,
Texas, both becoming Phillips. |
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Oil Derrick
next to the Whittenburg Post Office
Photo Courtesy Ken Sharpe Collection |
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Back
of above postcard, postmarked in Whittenburg
Courtesy Bob Walker |
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| *Not
a traditional "ghost town" but one that once had its own separate identity which
has been lost - for whatever reason. | |
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