Suggested edit: OBERTHIER,F. H.
He Remembers It All
Want to know when any event here really happened? Ask F. H. Oberthier. It is probable that he can tell you not only the year but the month and day. Take irrigation for example. It has been said that the first test well was drilled in 1910; he says that a group of business men took the train for Portales in August of 1910 to see their first irrigation well. They saw plenty of water - a deluge had just fallen when the train pulled into Portales at noon - but finally they saw the well in operation during the afternoon. A group of 40 each contributed $100 to finance the test well dug by D. L. McDonald, and the first well finally was dug in 1911.
"I believe I am the last one of those 40 men still living," the 94 year old pioneer declared.
Born in Russ County, Texas, on Aug. 4, 1869, F. H. Oberthier started west at the age of seventeen traveling in two covered wagons with his parents to Comanche County. He soon started reading "The Comanche Chief" which he still reads regularly. He was married there to Miss Amanda Holmesley on Jan. 10, 1894.
In 1901 Oberthier bought some land in Castro County and eventually owned 10 sections there. It was when his ranch foreman Lint Merritt was ready to leave that he decided to come to Hereford to look after his ranching interests.
Oberthier probably is known best as the owner of the first plant to supply electric power to Hereford. Soon after coming here on May 1, 1908, he began the building of the plant. The town was "wired-up" and the power was turned on October 12, 1908. Electricity was produced by a steam plant, using slack coal shipped in from Colorado. The plant was located on the railroad right-of-way, and an office was maintained on the north side of the 100 block of West Third Street. He sold out to the forerunner of the Southwestern Public Service Company in April of 1925.
At first the plant was operated only a few hours a day. Of course local homemakers had to get used to the "luxury" power, and several learned the hard way. One woman was ironing when the power went off for the day. She left the iron sitting on the board and left home for a visit without thinking to unplug her new-found relief from the drudgery of heating "sad irons" on a coal stove. When the electricity came on, the iron - which of course was not automatic - burned through the board, dropped into the clothes basket underneath and set the house afire. Another woman left a bedspread in the electric washing machine when the current went off. When she returned from fishing on the Tierra Blanca, she found her beloved bedspread almost pulverized. The power had come on, and the machine had run. . . and run . . . and run.
The Oberthiers became members of the local Christian Church when they moved here. He served as a deacon a part of the time. He was a school trustee during the superintendency of Miss Millicent Griffith and at the time when Central School building was constructed in 1909.
Mrs. Oberthier was active in church and cultural circles; she was a member of the Bayview Study Club. She died here on Jan. 21, 1957.
They were parents of Fred (married Lois Maddux), manager of Southwestern Public Service, Clovis; Louise, who married Timothy Tinsley and after his death Wilbur Gaines, New York; Elizabeth, (Mrs. Dewey) Lawrence, Tyler; and Frances, who was married to Ted Houston, Sr., and after his death to V. O. Hennen, Hereford banker. She, too, has been active in Hereford social and civic circles and in the Episcopal Church here. (A History of Deaf Smith County, by Bessie Patterson, 1964
Contributor: Sherry (47010546)
He Remembers It All
Want to know when any event here really happened? Ask F. H. Oberthier. It is probable that he can tell you not only the year but the month and day. Take irrigation for example. It has been said that the first test well was drilled in 1910; he says that a group of business men took the train for Portales in August of 1910 to see their first irrigation well. They saw plenty of water - a deluge had just fallen when the train pulled into Portales at noon - but finally they saw the well in operation during the afternoon. A group of 40 each contributed $100 to finance the test well dug by D. L. McDonald, and the first well finally was dug in 1911.
"I believe I am the last one of those 40 men still living," the 94 year old pioneer declared.
Born in Russ County, Texas, on Aug. 4, 1869, F. H. Oberthier started west at the age of seventeen traveling in two covered wagons with his parents to Comanche County. He soon started reading "The Comanche Chief" which he still reads regularly. He was married there to Miss Amanda Holmesley on Jan. 10, 1894.
In 1901 Oberthier bought some land in Castro County and eventually owned 10 sections there. It was when his ranch foreman Lint Merritt was ready to leave that he decided to come to Hereford to look after his ranching interests.
Oberthier probably is known best as the owner of the first plant to supply electric power to Hereford. Soon after coming here on May 1, 1908, he began the building of the plant. The town was "wired-up" and the power was turned on October 12, 1908. Electricity was produced by a steam plant, using slack coal shipped in from Colorado. The plant was located on the railroad right-of-way, and an office was maintained on the north side of the 100 block of West Third Street. He sold out to the forerunner of the Southwestern Public Service Company in April of 1925.
At first the plant was operated only a few hours a day. Of course local homemakers had to get used to the "luxury" power, and several learned the hard way. One woman was ironing when the power went off for the day. She left the iron sitting on the board and left home for a visit without thinking to unplug her new-found relief from the drudgery of heating "sad irons" on a coal stove. When the electricity came on, the iron - which of course was not automatic - burned through the board, dropped into the clothes basket underneath and set the house afire. Another woman left a bedspread in the electric washing machine when the current went off. When she returned from fishing on the Tierra Blanca, she found her beloved bedspread almost pulverized. The power had come on, and the machine had run. . . and run . . . and run.
The Oberthiers became members of the local Christian Church when they moved here. He served as a deacon a part of the time. He was a school trustee during the superintendency of Miss Millicent Griffith and at the time when Central School building was constructed in 1909.
Mrs. Oberthier was active in church and cultural circles; she was a member of the Bayview Study Club. She died here on Jan. 21, 1957.
They were parents of Fred (married Lois Maddux), manager of Southwestern Public Service, Clovis; Louise, who married Timothy Tinsley and after his death Wilbur Gaines, New York; Elizabeth, (Mrs. Dewey) Lawrence, Tyler; and Frances, who was married to Ted Houston, Sr., and after his death to V. O. Hennen, Hereford banker. She, too, has been active in Hereford social and civic circles and in the Episcopal Church here. (A History of Deaf Smith County, by Bessie Patterson, 1964
Contributor: Sherry (47010546)
Suggested edit: OBERTHIER,F. H.
He Remembers It All
Want to know when any event here really happened? Ask F. H. Oberthier. It is probable that he can tell you not only the year but the month and day. Take irrigation for example. It has been said that the first test well was drilled in 1910; he says that a group of business men took the train for Portales in August of 1910 to see their first irrigation well. They saw plenty of water - a deluge had just fallen when the train pulled into Portales at noon - but finally they saw the well in operation during the afternoon. A group of 40 each contributed $100 to finance the test well dug by D. L. McDonald, and the first well finally was dug in 1911.
"I believe I am the last one of those 40 men still living," the 94 year old pioneer declared.
Born in Russ County, Texas, on Aug. 4, 1869, F. H. Oberthier started west at the age of seventeen traveling in two covered wagons with his parents to Comanche County. He soon started reading "The Comanche Chief" which he still reads regularly. He was married there to Miss Amanda Holmesley on Jan. 10, 1894.
In 1901 Oberthier bought some land in Castro County and eventually owned 10 sections there. It was when his ranch foreman Lint Merritt was ready to leave that he decided to come to Hereford to look after his ranching interests.
Oberthier probably is known best as the owner of the first plant to supply electric power to Hereford. Soon after coming here on May 1, 1908, he began the building of the plant. The town was "wired-up" and the power was turned on October 12, 1908. Electricity was produced by a steam plant, using slack coal shipped in from Colorado. The plant was located on the railroad right-of-way, and an office was maintained on the north side of the 100 block of West Third Street. He sold out to the forerunner of the Southwestern Public Service Company in April of 1925.
At first the plant was operated only a few hours a day. Of course local homemakers had to get used to the "luxury" power, and several learned the hard way. One woman was ironing when the power went off for the day. She left the iron sitting on the board and left home for a visit without thinking to unplug her new-found relief from the drudgery of heating "sad irons" on a coal stove. When the electricity came on, the iron - which of course was not automatic - burned through the board, dropped into the clothes basket underneath and set the house afire. Another woman left a bedspread in the electric washing machine when the current went off. When she returned from fishing on the Tierra Blanca, she found her beloved bedspread almost pulverized. The power had come on, and the machine had run. . . and run . . . and run.
The Oberthiers became members of the local Christian Church when they moved here. He served as a deacon a part of the time. He was a school trustee during the superintendency of Miss Millicent Griffith and at the time when Central School building was constructed in 1909.
Mrs. Oberthier was active in church and cultural circles; she was a member of the Bayview Study Club. She died here on Jan. 21, 1957.
They were parents of Fred (married Lois Maddux), manager of Southwestern Public Service, Clovis; Louise, who married Timothy Tinsley and after his death Wilbur Gaines, New York; Elizabeth, (Mrs. Dewey) Lawrence, Tyler; and Frances, who was married to Ted Houston, Sr., and after his death to V. O. Hennen, Hereford banker. She, too, has been active in Hereford social and civic circles and in the Episcopal Church here. (A History of Deaf Smith County, by Bessie Patterson, 1964
Contributor: Sherry (47010546)
He Remembers It All
Want to know when any event here really happened? Ask F. H. Oberthier. It is probable that he can tell you not only the year but the month and day. Take irrigation for example. It has been said that the first test well was drilled in 1910; he says that a group of business men took the train for Portales in August of 1910 to see their first irrigation well. They saw plenty of water - a deluge had just fallen when the train pulled into Portales at noon - but finally they saw the well in operation during the afternoon. A group of 40 each contributed $100 to finance the test well dug by D. L. McDonald, and the first well finally was dug in 1911.
"I believe I am the last one of those 40 men still living," the 94 year old pioneer declared.
Born in Russ County, Texas, on Aug. 4, 1869, F. H. Oberthier started west at the age of seventeen traveling in two covered wagons with his parents to Comanche County. He soon started reading "The Comanche Chief" which he still reads regularly. He was married there to Miss Amanda Holmesley on Jan. 10, 1894.
In 1901 Oberthier bought some land in Castro County and eventually owned 10 sections there. It was when his ranch foreman Lint Merritt was ready to leave that he decided to come to Hereford to look after his ranching interests.
Oberthier probably is known best as the owner of the first plant to supply electric power to Hereford. Soon after coming here on May 1, 1908, he began the building of the plant. The town was "wired-up" and the power was turned on October 12, 1908. Electricity was produced by a steam plant, using slack coal shipped in from Colorado. The plant was located on the railroad right-of-way, and an office was maintained on the north side of the 100 block of West Third Street. He sold out to the forerunner of the Southwestern Public Service Company in April of 1925.
At first the plant was operated only a few hours a day. Of course local homemakers had to get used to the "luxury" power, and several learned the hard way. One woman was ironing when the power went off for the day. She left the iron sitting on the board and left home for a visit without thinking to unplug her new-found relief from the drudgery of heating "sad irons" on a coal stove. When the electricity came on, the iron - which of course was not automatic - burned through the board, dropped into the clothes basket underneath and set the house afire. Another woman left a bedspread in the electric washing machine when the current went off. When she returned from fishing on the Tierra Blanca, she found her beloved bedspread almost pulverized. The power had come on, and the machine had run. . . and run . . . and run.
The Oberthiers became members of the local Christian Church when they moved here. He served as a deacon a part of the time. He was a school trustee during the superintendency of Miss Millicent Griffith and at the time when Central School building was constructed in 1909.
Mrs. Oberthier was active in church and cultural circles; she was a member of the Bayview Study Club. She died here on Jan. 21, 1957.
They were parents of Fred (married Lois Maddux), manager of Southwestern Public Service, Clovis; Louise, who married Timothy Tinsley and after his death Wilbur Gaines, New York; Elizabeth, (Mrs. Dewey) Lawrence, Tyler; and Frances, who was married to Ted Houston, Sr., and after his death to V. O. Hennen, Hereford banker. She, too, has been active in Hereford social and civic circles and in the Episcopal Church here. (A History of Deaf Smith County, by Bessie Patterson, 1964
Contributor: Sherry (47010546)
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