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Home of the Lyford Family and our LaMancha herd of legendary Texans!
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LOCATION
AREA HISTORY
The name of Wichita Falls is derived from the Choctaw Indians who were the
original settlers of the area in the early 1700's. The name "wia chitoh,"
which means "big arbor," was a description of the grass-thatched arbors in
the Wichita's village.
Anglo-American settlers were drawn to the area during the 1860's with the
lure of vast grass-rich prairies making the area home to the infamous
North Texas cattle barons. In need of money, the Texas Republic sold
land certificates for fifty cents an acre. The original 640 acres which
were to become the City, were rumored to have been won by John A. Scott in
a poker game. In 1892 the city became the county seat and was accessed by
the Fort Worth & Denver City Railroad which would prove to be the first of
several systems to serve Wichita Falls.
Oats. wheat, and cotton crops were plentiful and supported the City's
economy during the early 1900's. World War I brought with it the
discovery of oil which made the area a household name, almost overnight.
The Fowler No. 1 well in Burkburnett "Boomtown" Texas, became the area's
first deep-well strike, and in 1919 the 4,000 feet wide and three mile
long pool produced 3.3 million barrels of oil. Nicknamed the "Factory City," Wichita Falls had more than 100 manufacturing companies in the 1950's. With 101,724 people in 1960, the self-proclaimed "Shiniest Buckle in the Sun Belt" was riding an all time high. The economy proceeded on a strong note until the 1985 downturn in domestic oil production.
Today Wichita Falls has a more diversified economy with some 185
manufacturing operations, an average unemployment rate of 4.6% for 1997,
and a population that has surpassed the 105,000 mark. The area boasts an ever increasing interest in "the Arts" with its museums and galleries, ballet, and symphony. It also has more than 40 parks, numerous outdoor recreation centers, including swimming pools, jogging trails, golf, tennis, picnicking and a multi-plex entertainment and event center.
Larry & Kimmye Lyford & Family 4784 Turkey Ranch Rd. Wichita Falls, TX 76310 Phone: 940-691-3559 E-mail: kim@bar4ltejas.com
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