On the Texas Plains Trail... Museum #15

The Crosby County Pioneer Memorial Museum
Crosbyton, Texas

The Crosby County Pioneer Memorial Museum is a great museum with a very large collection of Indian artifacts.  It is made up of four wings, the last wing being the newest and still getting all put together.  The tour begins in the main hallway where we learned about early visitors like Coronado and about the Texas Rangers and U.S. 4th Calvary during the presence of the Indians.  Also included in this hall was a section all about cotton where we learned that Crosbyton at one time had the largest cotton gin in the nation.  There was also a display about early telephones with a telephone switchboard, a small exhibit about medicine and a few displays dedicated to the founders of the museum.  The next wing was all about the first inhabitants of the area, Hank Smith (from Germany) and Elizabeth Boyle (from Switzerland).  It gave details and artifacts about their life and families.  Home and family life displays were in the next hall and had time period home furnishings and clothes along with a dug-out home.  The last and newest wing was solely about American Indians and was wall covered displays of Indian artifacts and arrowheads collected over the last 40 years by a 4th decedent of Quannah Parker, Wayne Parker.  His collection is so large that the museum is still continuing to process and display them.  Worth seeing, especially for the kids, was the huge open tee pee with mannequin Indian children in the middle of the room and the various stuffed animals, like the Golden Eagle.  One wall had numerous pictures of Qaunnah Parker and information about his mission.  It was interesting to read about the Battle of Blanco Canyon, which took place near by Crosbyton, when the US Army and Quannah Parker and the Comanche Indians battled, ultimately ending the Comanches control of the area.    This was the first museum that the husband has been able to join us and he was even impressed with the exhibits and the information offered.  The museum was self guided but a guide was offered and was much appreciated, they are always so helpful and interesting to listen to.