Bickley, Cecil 1981-01-00

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Cecil Bickley, retired grocer, gives a history of Denver City, Texas.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: Cecil Bickley

Additional Parties Recorded:

Date: January 1981

Location: Denver City, Texas

Interviewer:

Length: 1 hour


Abstract

Tape 1, Side 1: Oil discovered (1936), Denver Producing Company, Second well drilled, Miller family, Divorce and division of land, Oil discovered in Gains County (1935), Watson, founded, Three miles south of Denver City, County wet, "Beer joints", Boarding house in Watson, Texas, C. S. Amon partnership, Purchase 320 acres, Moved from Watson to Denver City (1938), Walter Doolen, Surveyed town site, Marked off site, Problems with boundaries, Businesses moved, Cox grocery, Lack of amenities on prairie, Cox's generator, Evolved into utility service, Schowalter, Purchased 160 acres, Built South Denver City, Competition with Denver City, Bickley purchased in South Denver City, Built grocery store, South Denver City, Businesses, Denver City (again), Boarding house, Trucking business, Drug store/Post office, Land prices (early 1930s), Yoakum and Gaines County, Land dispute, Law suit, Oil discovered, Tax problems, Seminole school, South Denver City elementary school, Never very successful, Children transferred to Denver City, Consolidation of Seminole and Denver City schools, Sligo school district, Annie Armstrong founded, Educated through high school, Denver City elementary, Built 1939, High school students bussed to Sligo, Judge Beane, Sligo school superintendent, Daughters, Denver City businesses (again), Bickley to Denver City, Married six weeks, Built store, Wife, Raised in Louisiana, Hated West Texas, Reasons for move to Denver City, Grocery store, Coleman, Texas (1939), Married (June 1939), Economic conditions in 1939, Businesses moving to Denver City, Population, Gas processing plant opened, Gas flare, Seagraves, Texas, Rejected "oil field trash", Annie Miller, Refused to sell to oil field people, Allred, Texas, City of, Alexander Family, Cox Family, School system, Denver City busy (1940), Incorporation, Election, Mayor, City Council, Bickley on City Council, School board, Oil company contributions, Tax assessing

Tape 1, Side 2: General building of city, Citizens of Denver City, Anecdote about Bickley's butcher being arrested, McGinnis, Derwood, McGinnis family, J. W. Jones, Superintendent, Denver City schools, Built Denver City High School, First brick building in town, hired school personnel, Set up entire program in one year, World War II, Shut off all supplies for war effort, Business almost halted, Conditions in Denver City, People moving to Hobbs, New Mexico, Down to 160 water meters totals, Town begins to rebuild prior to wars end, Lions Club, Served as Chamber of Commerce, Worked to get bus line, Bus line established (1948), Worked to get bank, Bank established, Financing, Effect on business, Denver City begins to rebuild, Bond issue for sewer system (1947), Library built, Tejas Library club, Cemetery started, Reasons for success of Denver City, Photographs discussed, School, Gasoline plant, Shell houses, Hospital, Main street, City parking ordinance, Anecdote about man sunk in mud, Girl Scouts (1949), Binckley attended Tech (1929), Denver City (again), Church, Schools (again), Bond issue for Hospital (1948), Courthouse, Sudan vs. Amhurst over Courthouse

Range Dates: 1909-1948

Bulk Dates: 1936-1948


Access Information

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