History of Crowell, Texas
Crowell was founded in 1891 and named after George T. Crowell, who owned the site about 190 miles northwest of Dallas, near the Oklahoma border. It is the county seat of Foard County, which has a population of an estimated 1,500.
Famous Civil War General George B. McClellan owned a copper mine in the vicinity well after the war. But the area, which is in the heart of what was once hostile Comanche territory, is probably better known for the story of Cynthia Ann Parker, who was kidnapped by the Indians in 1836 when she was only nine years old.
Cynthia lived with the Comanches for 24 years, married the war chief Peta Nocoma and had three children with him, including Quanah Parker, the last Chief of the Commanches, who never lost a battle to the white man.
Quanah refused to accept the provisions of the 1867 Treaty of Medicine Lodge that brought the southern Plains Indians into reservations, and fought a series of skirmishes with Colonel Ronald S. Mackenzie and others during the U.S. Army's Red River campaign. Never captured, he finally decided to surrender and lead his tribe onto the reservation when he felt there was no choice.
Quanah then decided to "travel white man's road," learning English and becoming a reservation judge. He was friends with cattleman Charles Goodnight and President Theodore Roosevelt and even lobbied Congress to help the Comanche Nation. Today, he is considered a true Texas hero. He died in 1911 and was buried next to his mother.
Much of this colorful frontier saga took place around what is now the Copper Breaks State Park, north Crowell, which is one of the area's main attractions.
Crowell was an agricultural town when C. Frederick Wehba was growing up. In the 1950s and early 60s, not much was heard about wild hogs. But in recent decades the wild hog population has mushroomed, the result of protective environmental laws.
The town now boasts it is the Wild Hog Capital of the World and holds a Wild Hog Barbeque Cook Off every year. The town also holds a Cynthia Ann Parker Festival each May.
Crowell's Firehall Museum contains relics of pioneer days, including an exhibit on McClellan's copper mine. It's Depot Library and Museum contains an extensive historical collection on Cynthia Ann Parker and other frontier history.
Crowell is also the home of the Three Rivers Foundation for Arts and Sciences, which developed the Comanche Springs Astronomy Campus. The 50-acre campus contains several large telescopes and is a favorite of professional and amateur astronomers because it lies in a "dark skies" corridor, far from the lights of major cities.
Crowell Related Links
- Crowell, Texas
- Wild Hog Cook Off
- Three Rivers Foundation
- Crowell, Texas
- Copper Breaks State Park
- Teacup Mountain
- Firehall Museum
- Foard County Courthouse
- Cynthia Ann Parker
- Quanah Parker