The Texas Historical Commission (THC) recently announced it is recognizing the Notla Community, located in the southeastern quadrant of Ochiltree County in the Texas Panhandle, as "a significant part of Texas history" by awarding it a Texas Historical Marker.
A dedication ceremony to commemorate the event will be held Sunday, July 21, at Museum of the Plains, 1200 N. Main St. in Perryton. Registration begins at 1:30 p.m., with the program set to begin at 2 p.m. Due to limited seating, RSVPs were requested in advance. Guests are invited to bring any photos or memorabilia to share, and updates on the event will be posted on the Facebook group “Notla Community - Ochiltree County, Texas (FM 281)” .
John Erickson, local celebrated author of the “Hank the Cowdog” books and others on the history of the area, will open the ceremony. Doug Wilkens, Museum of the Plains Board Member and Member of the Texas Historical Commission, will give a presentation on the archaeological history of southeastern Ochiltree County, and Judge Charles Kelly will complete the program with the formal dedication of the Notla Community Texas Historical Marker.
The designation honors the Notla Community as an important and educational part of local history, according to a news release. The marker will be located at the site of the remnants of the Notla Schoolhouse, where the two-sided stile steps are still visible. It is located 26 miles southeast of Perryton on Texas Farm Market FM 281 near the intersection of FM 281 and Ochiltree County Rd 26.
Following Sunday's dedication, the floor will be open for guests to share their memories and memorabilia of the Notla Community. The Ochiltree County Historical Commission welcomes the public to share in and witness this exciting historical event.
“The Official Texas Historical Marker program helps bring attention to the community treasures and the importance of their preservation,” said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the THC in the release. “Awareness and education are among the best ways to guarantee the preservation of our state’s history. This designation is a tool that will increase public awareness of important cultural resources."
Notla Community origins
In 1889, the first Commissioners of Ochiltree County designated the 49 most southeastern sections of land in the county as Common School District No. 1. R.E. Wamble and wife Emma became the first settlers of the area in 1901. By 1905, W. F. Taylor and wife, Helen, moved to the area and donated land for a school.
The first school, established in 1908, was called Ridge. Around 1907, Frank B. Gerhart and his wife, Georgia, opened a freight wagon station. Being halfway between the towns of Ochiltree and Glazier, Texas, it became widely known as Half Way House, and Ulysses T. “Bud” Westerfield helped operate the enterprise.
By 1920, several more families had moved into the area, includine Frank and Lucy Hamilton, W. R. and Beulah Norris, W.M. and Luna Good, and Mr. John J. Morrisey. The Hamiltons opened a general store and made application for a post office to be named Alton, an Alton, Texas, post office already existed. So, the postal service suggested spelling Alton backwards. Thus, Notla, Texas, became official, and the post office opened in 1921.
With the population increasing by 1923, the decision was made to move the Ridge Schoolhouse to a more central location, according to the release. During the move, a breakdown occurred near the Hamilton home, so the damaged Ridge Schoolhouse became the Notla post office. A new school house, built on land donated by R.E. Wamble, became known as the Notla Schoolhouse, which remained operational until 1939-1940 when it merged with the Perryton School District.
From the 1920s to the 1960s, "the Notla Schoolhouse was a vital part of the highly active social culture which included residents of Wolf Creek and parts of Lipscomb and Hemphill counties. It was the venue for a plethora of events: Sunday School & Church, square dances, every holiday festivity, potluck suppers, card & domino parties and many others. It was also home to many events of the Notla Home Demonstration Club and Notla Lads and Lassies 4-H Club until it burned in 1966. For almost seven decades, the Notla Community thrived and the Notla Schoolhouse was an iconic landmark and hub of a community lifestyle that rarely exists today," the release states.
“It is vital that as we move forward, we do not forget our past. Not only will the Texas Historical Marker provide awareness in the community of our fascinating history, but it will become a building block for the promotion of local tourism,” said Stacy Brown, Director of Museum of the Plains.
There are three types of Texas Historical Markers issued:
- Subject markers are posted solely for public education awareness and are awarded more frequently than the others.
- The Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL) is a legal designation for historic structures that comes with a measure of protection but must also meet a third criterion - architectural integrity.
- Historic Texas Cemetery (HTC) markers identify cemeteries which have obtained the HTC designation and whose histories have been researched in detail.
With approximately 15,000 markers, the state of Texas has one of the largest marker programs in the United States, and 17 states have used the Texas program as a model.
The THC reviews more than 300 marker applications each year.
For more on the Texas Historical Commission, visit www.thc.texas.gov .
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