Wichita County Historical Commission

09/02/2026

William E. Huff, son of Wichita County founder R. E. Huff, involved himself in the Wichita Falls community in many ways. From board service (Times Record News and First Wichita National Bank) to real estate to insurance, William “Bill” Huff excelled.
Reading that statement makes one envision a staid businessman, nose to the grindstone, shoulder to the wheel. However, Bill Huff loved sports as a participant and supporter. He played baseball as a boy at the YMCA and in public school. As a Baylor University student, Huff played first base, even playing some semi-pro after graduation. As an adult, Huff served on the board of the Texas League and, in 1929, bought a controlling interest in the Spudders Baseball Club. In 1950, Wichita Falls baseball fans honored him with the title “Mr. Baseball.” Besides baseball, bowling was Huff’s other ongoing sports interest. He continued league bowling until age stopped him.
But, before all this, Bill Huff was a young man growing up in Wichita Falls. In the early 1900s, Bill or one of his friends had a camera. With that camera, Bill and his friends took pictures showing their fun plus some views of early Wichita Falls.
For more information on the Huff Family of Wichita Falls, contact the Wichita County Archives

08/26/2026

A Wichita Falls Summer Memory
The corner of Weeks Park Lane and Southwest Parkway was the home of Kiddyland, later called Fun Land. The amusement park included a boat ride, a miniature train, and a merry-go-round. If you were in grade school in the 60s and 70s on into the 90s, you wanted to go to Kiddyland.
The true draw to all the kids was the rides. Called the “old 369,” the Cannon Ball miniature train followed a mile-long track around the park. Helicopters would “fly” up and down, circling around a tall spire. Kids could drive a kid-sized tractor, pump a hand-car on the railway, and drive a “sports car.”
Kiddyland drew school children from Wichita Falls along with North Texas and Southern Oklahoma. Besides offering amusement rides, the park provided concessions and a covered area for parties. Many a school child spent a few hours at Kiddyland followed by a sandwich under the picnic shelter, celebrating the beginning of summer vacation

08/21/2026

See our latest Marker Minute.

Join the Wichita County Historical Commission for Marker Minutes. H...

08/20/2026

There are so many stories like this one that have gone untold. Beginning October 1, 2026, the Undertold Marker cycle of the Texas Historical Commission opens. By completing this simple application, your topic could potentially receive a FREE Texas Historical Commission marker. Contact your local County Historical Commission for more information.

08/20/2026

We need more citizen historians in Wichita County. Are you interested in learning more about the roots of where you live? Contact the Wichita County Historical Commission. We need your help!

08/19/2026

Disco comes from the French word “discothèque,” the upscale European dance clubs that appeared in the late 60s. The clubs played jazz and r & b music, eventually birthing a style of music known for its beat, orchestrations, and electric instrumentation. Some describe the music and club style as a response to the disillusionment of the 60s. The discos of New York City welcomed a diverse population, accepting of all populations. The music itself presented themes of escapism, love, and resilience.
The music of the 60s gave way to the sounds of Donna Summer, KC and the Sunshine Band, the Village People, ABBA, Chic, and Earth, Wind and Fire. DJs did more than spin records for the dancers. Using reel-to-reel tapes, DJs produced extended versions of songs, adding beats, new sections, and new sounds.
The dancing of the 60s required a lot of room for everyone to “groove” to their own sound. Disco brought back “touch” dancing and styles with names such as "Bump", "Penguin", "Boogaloo", "Watergate", the “Hustle,” and "Robot".
The disco club arrived in North Texas in the 70s. A list of the clubs in Wichita Falls providing the dance beat, flashing disco ball, and lighted dance floor (just like Saturday Night Fever) included Mad Hatter, Dance Factory, Seymour Highway Electric Company, Vampp’s, Stardust Club, Graham Central Station, Earthquake Ethel’s, and Maze Disco. In 1978, Windmill Gardens, a club for the younger set, opened on Call Field and advertised their DJ Bumpin’ Butch.
By 1980, the disco cowboy appeared in the form of “Urban Cowboy.” The Mad Hatter, which became Earthquake Ethel’s, reemerged as Rodeo West, where local cowboys could scoot their boots.
And then, disco was gone. In 1979, Comiskey Park in Chicago held a “disco demolition,” destroying thousands of disco albums.
What are your memories of Wichita Falls’ discos? Did you wear your best disco outfit to Graham Central Station or dance on the lighted floor of the Seymour Highway Electric Company?

08/17/2026

Check out our newest Marker Minute.

08/12/2026

As early as 1907, the citizens of Wichita Falls could have their tea “iced” thanks to the Wichita Ice Company. P. Miricle managed the concern, which, besides providing ice for the family ice box, also sold coal for heating!
1912 proved to be a growing year for the ice business in Wichita Falls. Both People’s Ice Company and Wichita Ice Company expanded their cold storage and ice-making capacity. In the late 1910s, Wichita Ice became a distributor of non-alcoholic beverages, Pablo, “a hoppy drink,” and Graino, made by the Grain Juice Company of Dallas.
People’s Ice Company built a new plant at 5th and Indiana in 1920. The former ice company building stands today as the home of Backdoor Theater. Wichita Falls Ice expanded in 1923, buying Burkburnett Ice Company.
In the mid-30s, Southwestern Ice Manufacturing met in the Marchman Hotel. The local area ice companies present included the Henrietta Ice Company, the Independent Ice Company of Iowa Park, the Electra Ice Company, and four companies of Wichita Falls (People’s Ice/Wichita Falls Ice/New Age Ice/People’s of Wichita Falls).
How did the average family cool their food? The family might have an “ice box,” an insulated box with a compartment that held a block of ice. Periodically, the ice man came. If you were a Wichita Ice customer, the delivery man arrived in a red, white, and blue wagon. The family would usually buy a “coupon book,” paying in advance for ice delivery and saving money over paying at each delivery.

08/10/2026

What is your local legend? Nominate your story now!

The next Legends & Lore grant round opens Monday, Aug. 24!

Every community has stories to share. Our Legends & Lore marker program helps bring them to life. Commemorate your local folklore with a grant funded Pomeroy Marker.

Legends & Lore markers highlight the folkways, traditions, songs, and storytelling that shape a community’s identity. From larger-than-life legends to tales passed down for generations, they celebrate the stories that make each place unique.

Go to our website to review guidelines, check eligibility, and apply online: https://www.wgpfoundation.org/history/legends-lore/

Legends & Lore marker grant applications are due Monday, Oct. 12.

Why apply? Here are just a few reasons:

✅ Marker, pole, and shipping fully funded
✅ Highlight local folktales, folklife, and legends
✅ Spark curiosity, attract visitors, and generate media attention

Applications are currently accepted from the following states: Alabama, Connecticut, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Don’t see your state listed? If you know of a qualified folklore related organization in a state not yet participating, let us know.

Located in Connecticut? Join us for a webinar with the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History on Tuesday, Aug. 25. Sign up here: https://www.connecticutmuseum.org/event/tellingctstories/

08/05/2026

Six thousand spectators lined the shore to watch outboard boats race laps around a one-mile course.
No, we’re not on Lake Travis, Lake Texoma, or even Lake Arrowhead. We are on Lake Wichita.
Boats of one type or another have been racing on Lake Wichita since as early as 1912. Reports of a race described a rollicking competition with the finish called a tie between Matt Arnold and Curtis Combs. Dean Howard, another person in the race, lost despite leading the entire race. Howard probably would have won, had he not lost an oar.
The Traction Company, founded by Frank Kell and J. A. Kemp in 1909, ran a streetcar track to Lake Wichita.
Residents rode the streetcar to the Lake Wichita “resort” to view row boat races with a prize to the winner of $10!
By 1924, the boat races included one and two-cylinder motors, single oar, and “tub” races. One event also included a Texas Oklahoma Bathing Girl revue. After a pause of a few years, outboard motor racing returned in 1929-30 with boats piloted by W. T. Waggoner, Jr. and Ralph Harvey, Jr.
Twenty-three years later, in 1952, racing returned to Lake Wichita and continued during the 50s. Races, sanctioned by the National Outboard Association, sometimes had more than 100 boats entered. The Wichita Falls Boating Club sponsored races at Lake Wichita and Lake Kickapoo. Racing boats soon included outboards, runabouts, and hydro-plane. Over 6000 spectators attended a regatta with boating entrants from Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
Currently, the Wichita Falls Sailing Club holds sailboat races on Lake Arrowhead.