Gotta Go To Gaines County

                                                                                        Photos by Holle Humphries
Gaines County....a few tidbits to toss in your trivia pot.  It's the birthplace of Tanya Tucker and Larry Gatlin.  It holds the record for the coldest day in 1926 at -23 degrees...brrrr.   It's the Peanut Capital of the World.  It has a wonderful monthly Trade Days.You can be sure you'll find lots of treasures. According to some good golfers, it has one of the greatest courses in the region.  Although no one knows for sure, there's a possibility that Quanah Parker was born there, but if not, he definitely spent some time there.   Want more?   Oh, there's a cute little Feed Store that makes fresh peanut butter while you watch.  Yum.   Let's see....oh, Gaines County has 3 wonderful roadside parks that they have saved and made into great places to stop while travelling, have family reunions, or just for a walk or picnic.  Seminole has Gaines County Museum and Seagraves has the Seagraves/Loop Museum and Art Center.  Okay....forget all that....and just take a look at it as a visitor would.  A clean, busy city with oil wells pumping right in the center of town.  Yes, things are hopping in Seminole....traffic jams in downtown.  Is this Dallas? Dolores Mosser, Holle Humphries and I had lunch at the Taco Loco..mucho yummified. We stopped by the Gaines County Museum where very informed director Roy Barnes was filling students minds with the glorious history of the county.  Stop by to visit him sometime.  Check out their website to find all of the upcoming events.   Happy Trails, Deborah Sue McDonald


Excerpt from Dolores Mosser, TPTR Board PresidentThis is the largest salt lake on the Plains and the "debated" birthplace of Quanah Parker. It is in the very middle of nowhere and it did not help that the County changed the highway number on us a couple of weeks ago. But there it was, located in a sand-hill basin and gleaming white. On the west side of the lake was a factory type building and since there was not a "visitors will be shot sign", Holle and I went to see what this place was. We went to the main office and there on the walls were some great historic photos of Quanah Parker. The receptionist was very kind to explain that we were at Cooper Natural Resource salt/brime processing plant. Very technical but the basics are that the wells below the lake bring up to the plant the salt saturated water where the salt is extracted and the water recycled. This salt, I am forgetting the chemical name, sodium something, is what makes paper sacks pliable, powder detergent fluffy and plate glass strong. Just as we were about to leave we see this guy going into the visitor and research building. We asked if he was the geologist and Sid M. invited us in for a chat, needless to say, an hour later we were all parting great friends. He knew all about the history of this area and he confirmed my "How the Plains were made" speech that I love to give. We had a delightful time learning about this 24 hour a day industry. He was so very interesting, believes the Cedar Lake birthplace theory and he loves the Plains. Not an easy thing when you are from Illinois. . Oh, by the way did you know the name "Quanah" means "fragrant" or "smells?" Holli and I have a running joke that Quanah's nickname was "Stinky" because this lake reeks, at least it does now.