Downtown Burkburnett
by Gwinn Van Loh

On the south side of the railroad was the livery stable (or wagon yard) owned by S. L. Fowler, with all of its buggies, surreys, wagons, horses, mules and smells. Here people rented whatever vehicle they needed and the desired animal to pull it. The livery stable provided a place for the travelers to spend the night and a place where their horses could be fed and watered before continuing their journey. Here is where the country doctor kept his own horse and buggy in which he made house calls. The livery stable was an important part of the town.

The Indians from across Red River, in the new state of Oklahoma, would appropriate lots for their camp ground in the town area for their long two-day wagon trip to Wichita Falls. Numbers of them camped both going and returning.

Burkburnett was a tiny town of frame buildings and dirt streets (in dry weather). When it rained, the streets were mud holes. Luke Davis, an old timer, said he saw the radiator of a car go out of sight in a mud hole, as well as the lead horse of a wagon team fall in a mud hole. During his struggle to get on his feet, he kept sinking more and drowned. If all the people who have claimed to have witnessed the horse drowning on Burkburnett's main street that day were really present, it would have been at least one-half the entire population of the town.

From the railroad depot going east was a tank company, then William Hash-Fraizure's Wholesale Grocery.

Accounts of thieves and hi-jacking were numerous. Luke Davis said one evening he was going home a little before sundown when he saw his kitchen was gone from his home, sitting in his yard. He asked his wife, what happened? She said, "why did you sell our kitchen? Three men said you sold them our kitchen and for me to help them get the furniture out."

A rooming house across the street from Boyd's store and one block west of the First National Bank was known as "Loafer's Corner". This was where at least four men at a time would meet on the porch to catch up on the days happenings.

The First National Bank was established in 1907, the same year as the Town Lot Sale.

Because of oil pollution, drinking water had to be brought in and sold for five and ten cents a glass. The oil field was short and pushed to the northwest and southwest.

In 1918, the Katy Railroad operated nineteen trains daily into Burkburnett.

The movie "Boomtown" was a blockbuster hit when it was made in 1940. The Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer film featured Hollywood stars Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Claudette Colbert, Hedy Lamar, Frank Morgan and Chill Wills. It was an extravagant portrayal of the oil boom which catapulted Burkburnett into the national limelight in 1940.

But how did Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer get the idea of using the tiny little Red River town?

The story originated in 1919 when a young bride, Mrs. Lucille Adams, came to Burkburnett. She became a collector of memorabilia and among her souvenirs was an August, 1939, copy of Cosmopolitan Magazine. In that edition was a novelette by James Edward Grant entitled "A Lady Comes to Burkburnett". "Boomtown" was based on that story.

Today the magazine is in the collection of Mrs. Virginia Carpenter.

With staged photographs and pen-and-ink drawings of western shootouts and cowboy gatherings, the novelette opened with a teaser which declares: "As robust as the boom town from which it came is this dramatic story of the Texas oil fields, of Big John and Square John and the woman who came between them."

In 1916, Burkburnett had 2 cotton gins, 2 grain elevators, 3 lumber yards, 1 machine shop, 1 oil well supply house, 2 garages, telephone office, post office, 2 hardware stores, 2 furniture stores, 3 drug stores, 3 picture shows (Pershing, Liberty and Lyric), 3 churches, 1 school and a saloon.

In 1910 a Temperance Movement was formed. Among the stores on Main Street during this era stood the Red Onion Saloon. The situation was complicated by some of the more prominent people of Burkburnett who saw the saloon as being "good for business and for bringing more money into town". Another group felt it was a damaging influence on the town. They decided an election must be held to try to vote the Red Onion Saloon out of town.

The members of the "Temperance Movement" needed a gimmick to create total town interest and participation in the issue. They planned a parade which would be prior to the voting. In those days it did not take much to create excitement and enthusiasm. The parade was a "big-to-do". The women dressed in their high necked white blouses and small waisted long skirts as they marched or rode in the parade. Some rode in wagons, drawn by horses. There were two or three cars and a surrey - all with banners flying. And a small band played. Everyone cheered the parade as it went up and down main street.

The Temperance Movement was a success. The election was won. The Red Onion Saloon packed up and left town--actually, it moved west of town near the Clara community.