Discover Carson County: History and Route 66

A cultural and historical highlight in Carson County is the Carson County Square House Museum. It presents the history, natural history, and art of the Texas Panhandle. The museum complex includes 21 buildings, galleries, an outdoor diorama, and large outdoor objects. Different forms of interpreting history are presented side by side: exhibition rooms, recreated scenes, and objects in the open air.

Buildings and Life Stories

The historic Square House was built from lumber in the 1880s, hauled by ox-drawn wagons from Dodge City, Kansas. The complex also includes the Pioneer Dugout, an exact replica of a Carson County half-dugout. Together, these structures show different responses to the conditions of their time, without representing the same construction method or history.

Another stop in the complex is the Conway Community Church. It was completed in 1912 and held regular services until 1968. Former congregation members and volunteers from the area restored the church; in 1991, they moved it to the Square House Museum complex. These dates connect its use as a community church with a later restoration and its move to its present location in the museum complex.

The history of the Polish settlers of White Deer can also be traced through specific dates. They immigrated in 1909 in response to offers from the White Deer Land Company. First came a nine-week sea voyage across the Atlantic, followed by the 200-mile journey from Galveston to Panna Maria. The first Catholic church of the Polish settlers of White Deer was completed on May 13, 1913. Emigration, onward travel, and church construction mark different stages of this history.

Other local histories have different timelines. The oldest marked grave at White Deer Cemetery is that of Howard Milhoan, dating from 1915. The Jackson General Store was moved to the present-day town center of White Deer in 1908; it housed J. C. Jackson’s general merchandise store. White Deer was also the headquarters of the White Deer Land Co. In Panhandle, a major shipping center developed after the railroad plans were changed. Groom was founded as a railroad town in 1902 and named after cattle rancher Colonel B. B. Groom.

Route 66 and Notable Destinations

West of Conway, a 7.2-mile stretch of Route 66 passes a windmill, agricultural concrete buildings, and expansive open pastureland. The area around Conway is also home to the stretch between State Highway 207 and Interstate 40, described as the longest and best-preserved stretch of Route 66 in Texas. The road offers a different thematic perspective from the history of buildings and settlements: here, open landscapes and traces of agriculture shape the scenery.

The Britten Leaning Tower was deliberately built in the early 1980s to lure motorists off the interstate. Visitors can stop alongside the access road to photograph it; it is not possible to get closer to the tower. The Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ offers a different kind of visit: it is 19 stories tall, and visitors can walk around the cross at the Stations of the Cross at any time, day or night. The two destinations differ not only in theme, but also in the visiting options described.

When looking for a vacation rental in Carson County, you can first decide what you want to focus on during your trip: would you prefer to explore local and architectural history, or focus mainly on Route 66 and open landscapes?

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Panhandle, Presidio County, Brewster, Young, Real County, Calhoun County, Guadalupe and Kimble County.

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