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Weekend road trip Chapter 2...(photo overload)

F

fmurphy

Member
Well as I promised, here is chapter 2 of the weekend photo road trip... as I said in earlier post there is part of this related to the "Castaway" photos. We traveled to the small community of Mobeetie, TX. As Charles Goodnight once said "I think it was the hardest place I ever saw on the frontier except Cheyenne, Wyoming." Our main purpose for the trip was for my friend from Britain to see where the scenes from "Castaway" were shot, but the history of the area just floored him. For a small spot in the road in the eastern panhandle of Texas, there is more than you could imagine...would love to travel back in time to witness a few of these things. I want to apologize up front for the photo and information overload. This post could have probably been easier and easier to digest by doing a chapter 3 and 4.....but hey...it was a fun trip I and part of the history of an area of Texas that people don't really think about.
There is Fort Elliott, established in what is now Wheeler County in 1875. The only thing remaining is a historical marker and a few artifacts at museums. Here is the historical marker that was put up in the 1930's, the ORIGINAL flag pole from the Fort (notice how the 2 masts were assembled) and one of the ORIGINAL jail cells that is on loan to the local museum in Mobeetie.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobeetie,_Texas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Elliott

Next is the link to the "Castaway" movie VVVVVVV
 
A rather historic and colorful figure in this post is John C Orrick r AKA George "Cap" Arrington. Who was a soldier during the civil war, a Sheriff in Wheeler County and a Texas Ranger. The biography on this guy is amazing!! There are a lot of links to him that can be found on the net. By the way....(the connection) "Cap" Arrington originally owned the ranch and house where the "Castaway" scenes were shot...... If you have time to look him up, please do...he's a real part of the old west. In some of the history you'll find, it's pretty sugar coated, other parts will tell you what is was really like to live in those days... He was actually wanted for killing some guys and he ran off to South America and changed his name.... the rest is True West at its finest....


http://www.rivervalleymuseum.org/index.php/exhibits/ranching-history/gw-arrington-family
https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/far20
 
The true center of Mobeetie,Tx is the Old Mobeetie jail and museum. It was closed while we were there on sunday but still a lot of stuff to see. Old Houses and stores, old farm implements and drilling equipment for water wells back in the day. (and a few turkey) The museum is full of historical artifacts and actually has the old trap door in the second floor for when they performed hanging....it was a state requirement at the time....The son of the famous Texan Sam Houston, Temple Lea Houston, also worked in the county as an attorney when he was younger.

http://www.mobeetie.com
 
Probably the most informative part of any road trip like this is to go to the local cemetery. If you just take a moment and put the pieces together you can see what life on the frontier was really like. There were more graves for children than you could imagine. Most died at birth or a very early age. There was a marker for the daughter of Temple Houston, Sam Houstons granddaughter, There was a marker of a woman who got shot trying to protect the famous Lawman, Bat Masterson. G.W. Arrington is there along with other Civil War veterans. As mentioned earlier in this post, the markers can tell a story. As with this Civil War veteran and his son, who died just a few days apart from smallpox.
When you go out on little road trips, look at your surroundings...you'll be amazed at the history around you and the untold stories you can run across. It will make you think about how lucky we really are right now.

Sorry for the photo/information overload....just thought I would share some stories and give you some information on little known places in our own back yard......
Thanks for checking it out..

http://www.newschannel10.com/story/19116219/mobeetie-cemetery
 
As a lover of Texas History, I would like to thank you for the time you spent researching, taking pictures and writing this historical story about this part of our beloved Texas. I enjoyed reading your Post and viewing the pictures.

I do hope that you will write more stories for the Forum about historical sites that you visit while traveling the back roads of the Pan Handle area of Texas. This was one very enjoyable Post and I appreciate the time that you spent composing and posting it...Thank you! Kelley (Texas) :)
 
Thanks a lot Kelley..
Its always a pleasure to do trips and share the photos of the area.. I thought this one may be a little long winded but didn't want to drag it out.
Not sure where the next little day trip will lead, but hopefully somewhere interesting.
 
of historical or sites of interest relating to West Texas and the Pan Handle of Texas. I appreciate the time and effort that you put into this story, thank you! Kelley (Texas) :)
 
So much History and Treasure in our own backyards,
Just open your eyes, bring the camera, and enjoy what you find.
RJ. :thumbup::usaflag:
 
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