A Stake in West Texas: Pulling a Chain and Raising a Family Across Big Oil Country

by Rebecca D. Henderson

Overview

In 1950, Ann was eighteen and Bob D twenty when he asked her to marry him and hit the road for West Texas. They packed their station wagon, left home and began a life of adventure together on Conoco's West Texas survey crew during the 1950s oil boom. Five kids, twenty-one towns and thirteen years on the road—Bob D and Ann's travels along the highways of West Texas are a portrait in a landscape of oilfields, railroads and ranches. Layering local history with family memoir, author Rebecca D. Henderson reveals a glimpse of mid-century West Texas through her grandparents' adventures as a young couple raising children on the road..

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626193802
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	01/21/2014
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Rebecca D. Henderson lives in her native Fort Worth, Texas with her husband and four stepsons. A graduate of Baylor University, she spent ten years living in Yunnan, China, where she worked as an English teacher and translator among other jobs. At every available opportunity, she loves camping, hiking, and exploring new places around the state.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 7

Introduction 9

1 Oil Booms, Railroads, and Army Outposts 17

2 Bob D and Ann 27

3 Land Surveying in Texas 45

4 Surveying for Conoco in West Texas 55

5 Texline, Stamford, and Big Lake 67

6 Paint Rock 77

7 Monahans, Sanderson, and Big Bend 87

8 Pecos 99

9 Ranching and Farming 111

10 Balmorhea and Fort Davis 121

11 Sweetwater 133

12 The Road Home 143

Bibliography 153

Index 155

About the Author 159