Only a few miles down Highway 34 to the east of Haigler, is a little town named Parks. This little community is rich with history. I'm sure many "Haiglerites" have stories intertwined with people who lived there.During a recent visit to that area I took some pictures that I'd like to share with you.
I remember going to Parks when my mamma's Uncle Lute and Aunt Georgie (Bartlett) Stafford had a grocery and cream station there just north of the grain elevators. All that remains on that lot are some pieces of foundation and a hand pump. The location is across the street south of the little postoffice that is still active.
Across the street east of the store was a little filling station which is still standing, vacant and lonely. Just east of that is a
n unoccupied house that is reminiscent of the families that grew up in it.I don't remember where the Staffords lived because I only remember being at their store. The other times I remember spending time with them was at family gatherings either at my grandparents, my aunts Floy Ruggles or Ethel Rath or my parents homes.
The day I was there, the grain elevator dryers were going full blast creating the only sound in this quiet little village. It was during corn harvest, so I'm sure the bins had been filled to capacity.When I was at home on the farm, I can remember my dad checking to see which "elevator" was paying the best price for wheat or corn and many times, it was the Parks Elevator that he delivered loads of grain that he hauled in our little red 1940 (?) chevy truck. This truck had stock racks that you folded down on the sides when you weren't using them to haul cattle. We would climb up the side of the truck, using the stock rack as a ladder, to jump into the grain and sometimes ride to town on top of the grain.
My mamma's cousins, Margaret, Esther, Larry and Keith Stafford, went to school in Parks at the two story brick building that now stands as only a shell. The schoolyard is overgrown with weeds and most of the windows are broken out, but there are still alot of memories exuding from this quiet spot in town.
My grandmother taught sunday school in the Parks Methodist church where my grandparents, Frank Crabtree and Mae (Bartlett) Crabtree got to know each other during the years before driving to Benkelman in a horse drawn wagon to get married on September 13, 1916.Sometime during the 1950s the church was destroyed by fire.
There is also a building that looks like it may still be used for community activities. There is a sign on the outside that says "Parks Community Building".
Driving east along the river road toward Benkelman, there is a building that I don't remember knowing about. I wonder if anyone can enlighten me on the history or function of the long brick building just south of the railroad tracks between Parks and Doane.If you have stories or pictures of Parks history, we invite you to share them with us by contacting Sherri Gregory or Floy Ruggles.
-- Submitted by Sherri Gregory
Please read comments that have been submitted for additional information.
The long orange stone building south of the railroad tracks you are talking about is where Mr. Pringle raised hogs. At one time he shipped an entire train load of fat hogs to market. If I remember corretly, they drove the hogs to Benkelman and loaded them out. He owned that land at that time and his house was the big stone house that is still on the north side of the road and now owned by Haywards.
ReplyDeleteCalvin Freehling
The Methodist Church in Parks that burned down was like one block north and two blocks east of the Community Building in Parks.
ReplyDeleteCalvin Freehling