Trippin Again: A walk through Panhandle history
Skylerr Patterson
The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum has reflected the region s history for 88 years.
Editor s note: As we begin to see COVID-19 in our rear-view mirrors, travelers are cautiously returning to the roads. This series offers destination options for eastern New Mexico-area residents looking to get away for a few days.
CANYON - In the center of this small Texas town lies more than 14,000 years of history. From cars to dinosaurs, the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum covers it all.
PPHM opened its doors in April of 1933. History Professor Hattie Anderson of West Texas Normal College, now West Texas A&M University, was the source of this vision.
DON NEWBURY
There are a handful of college coaches in this land whose names are interchangeable with the colleges they served during their entire careers.
They were paid salaries that would be laughable compared to contracts held by many big-name coaches today.
The coaches were J. Horace (Cap) Shelton (1893-1967) at Howard Payne College (now University) in Brownwood, and Oscar W. Strahan, who likewise began his tenure around 1920. Strahan (1881-1978) was at Southwest Texas Normal College (now Texas State University) in San Marcos. Their combined service totaled almost a century….
They were close friends, winning similar honors at state and national levels. When they started, both institutions played outdoor sports only. Back in the day, SWT had an enrollment of several hundred, and HPC, even fewer. Each coach was also athletic director, and each served at various times as head coaches in football, basketball and track. Both also taught academic c
DON NEWBURY
There are a handful of college coaches in this land whose names are interchangeable with the colleges they served during their entire careers.
They were paid salaries that would be laughable compared to contracts held by many big-name coaches today.
The coaches were J. Horace (Cap) Shelton (1893-1967) at Howard Payne College (now University) in Brownwood, and Oscar W. Strahan, who likewise began his tenure around 1920. Strahan (1881-1978) was at Southwest Texas Normal College (now Texas State University) in San Marcos. Their combined service totaled almost a century….
They were close friends, winning similar honors at state and national levels. When they started, both institutions played outdoor sports only. Back in the day, SWT had an enrollment of several hundred, and HPC, even fewer. Each coach was also athletic director, and each served at various times as head coaches in football, basketball and track. Both also taught academic c