The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and not necessarily those of The New Agenda.

Over the centuries and millenia, the voices of the common people have been lost. Illiteracy ran rampant, and no one bothered to interview the commoners over their daily experiences. This past century, a new field emerged called Public History dedicated to the people of small towns and communities. Now in the modern era, we have a great wealth of voices literally recorded in audio cassettes as well as transcribed on paper. These recordings are oral histories about the lives and experiences of everyday people. However, the general populace remains ignorant that these voices exist, safely stored in the archives of Museum’s and Library’s.

When I did my research for my public history course, I discovered the voices of women who settled the Panhandle of Texas. I have summarized a few histories, which I found within the archives of the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

Mrs. Todd was born in Virginia in 1858. Her father died during the Civil War. Her mother raised her children by herself and managed a small farm. She was the only girl in the family, so having only boys for playmates, she engaged in activities that society considered improper for girls such as fishing and tracking rabbits. She married Mr. Todd in 1884 and migrated to the Panhandle the following year. Because the area was scarcely populated, she lived an isolated life aside from with the cowboys. The nearest family was a distance of ten miles, and she described in her history the festivities when everyone gathered for celebrations.

Orliena Hammock was born in 1878 in Alabama. She and her family migrated to the Panhandle when she was two years of age. In Estacado, her father became a Deputy Sherriff and shoe cobbler while her mother ran a restaurant. Her 1-room school also served as a church established by the Quakers. She married at age seventeen. In her oral history, she talked little about herself or her activities. Instead, she gave more information about the towns and events in their development.

Mrs. Shipley was born in Tennessee, 1850. She married at age seventeen and five years later, they moved to East Texas. In 1890, they decided upon the Panhandle. Their eldest daughter drove one of the wagons during their four-week move. Their first home in the unsettled territory was a small dug-out. She was a talented rider. One day, by herself and with a small baby, she saddled herself upon a new horse. Something spooked it, and it reared up. Rather than letting the horse throw them, she flung the baby onto the ground and then jumped off. They were both unharmed. Neighbors were scarce, and doctors were even scarcer. When she became pregnant with her first Panhandle baby, she was terrified for both her life and that of her unborn baby. Fortunately, Mrs. Dawson rode miles to visit her and helped her through her pregnancy. When her husband left for Oklahoma on a business venture, she saved enough money so that when the venture crashed, they remained well-off. Her daughters were more interested in horses than dolls.

These are merely summaries. Their histories have been recorded with more depth and detail in the Panhandle Plains Historical Museums. Every major Museum has archives, and it is quite a shame few people are aware of Museum archives. They reveal what life was like and give more depth to the historical periods they lived in. So many histories have been hidden away. Who knows how many voices lay tucked away in the files waiting for someone to come and listen?