Painted Hills

Subject: Painted Hills Mon 22 Oct 2007, 6:51 pm

I have always loved the natural beauty of Palo Pinto County, though I haven't spent as much time there as I would like. Its name from the Spanish translates as 'Painted Stick,' after a creek which flows through the county. Does anyone know exactly where this stream lies, and how it came by its own descriptive name? I like to think of this lovely county through which the Brazos River angles rather as 'Pintado Colinas' .... for its copper-colored hills of blackjack oaks and red sandy soil. Palo Pinto County holds the bounty of the western cross timbers.

It also harbors the most substantial masonry bridge in our state, which I have never seen. Here it is:

http://www.historicbridgefoundation.com/ipages/texas/panhandle/palopinto/possumkingdom.html

Palo Pinto County - still holding its memories and its quiet stretches of undisturbed space.

And Schoolhouse Mountain ... did children ever really harken to a bell on that high hill?
_________________
The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves

Subject: Re: Painted Hills Wed 24 Oct 2007, 4:29 pm

I don't think I've ever been to this county, it's out west away right?

Subject: Re: Painted Hills Wed 24 Oct 2007, 11:05 pm

Yes ... the line runs: Tarrant Co. --> Parker Co. --> Palo Pinto Co. The seat of Palo Pinto is the town which bears its name, but larger and better known is Mineral Wells. In the northwest corner of the county lies the lovely Possum Kingdom Lake and the State Park. There is said to be a wonderful rails-to-trails pathway which has been kept in use there for hikers and bikers .... which I've long planned to traverse but have yet to do!

One of my dear cousins is descended from the Santo family (of German extraction) for whom the little settlement of that name in southeastern Palo Pinto County likely was called after (as is often the case with place-names, there is some controversy about how and/or for whom the town was titled).

Would love to head out that way soon Smile

Holly
_________________
The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves

Subject: Re: Painted Hills Wed 24 Oct 2007, 11:33 pm

Madelyn ...

Here is a neat series of photos, which come from the Portal to Texas History, which was put in place by the University of North Texas Libraries (also included in the links section here). Check out the 'Hell's Gate' formation at the bottom of the page, which the old channel of the Brazos River cut through the sandstone at Possum Kingdom Lake:

http://texashistory.unt.edu/search/?q=%22United+States+-+Texas+-+Palo+Pinto+County%22&t=dc.coverage

That surely must have pleased John Graves (one of Texas' best with thought, paper and pen Smile

)!

Holly
_________________
The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves

Subject: Re: Painted Hills Sat 27 Oct 2007, 12:21 pm

looks like they got it all at the Lovers Retreat.

Subject: Re: Painted Hills Sat 27 Oct 2007, 11:39 pm

I'm interested in the train also seen on that page, as it passed through the little town of Millsap. Called the 'Sunshine Special,' it evidently was an early commuter train which brought folks into Dallas from rural points to the eart and west?

http://texashistory.unt.edu/data/IMLSTHDI/BDPL/negatives/meta-pth-16248.tkl

And Millsap itself must be located in Palo Pinto County, ear Strawn? It does have a syrup sorghum named after it:

http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:YuJJIMVOpeQJ:sorghum.tamu.edu/publications/787576-747466-l5146.pdf+Milsap+Texas&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=us&ie=UTF-8
_________________
The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves

Subject: Re: Painted Hills Thu 08 Nov 2007, 8:14 pm

Subject: Re: Painted Hills Fri 09 Nov 2007, 7:04 pm

We have biked on the trail but stayed at Possum Kingdom. This part may be close now but there are plenty of other places to see some nice scenery all around that area. cat

Madelyn

Subject: Re: Painted Hills Sat 10 Nov 2007, 1:07 pm

HA HA THey both lost it, Now some fat cat from Houston got it for a playground

Subject: Re: Painted Hills Mon 19 Nov 2007, 12:06 am

You may be right Smile

But why would he (or, she) hail from Houston, necessarily Question

_________________
The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves

Subject: Re: Painted Hills Mon 19 Nov 2007, 12:36 am

Speaking of lovely Palo Pinto County ... during the mid-1980s, my sister and I drove to Mineral Wells, in order to be present at a concert given by musician, Terry Talbot. This event was held in what I remember as being a renovated theater .... but nothing more. Does anyone know what venue it might have been?

Thanks!

Also, check out these pages:

http://www.masonproffit.com/terrytalbot.html
_________________
The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves

Wrangler Joined : 13 Nov 2007 Posts : 49

Subject: Re: Painted Hills Tue 20 Nov 2007, 9:57 pm

You'll have to wait a few weeks till Christmas to find out for sure, but here are a few bare bones:

http://www.txstate.edu/commonexperience/johngraves/timeline.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodbye_to_a_River

http://web3.unt.edu/news/story.cfm?story=10670
_________________
The woman of the frontier made the best of her situation, for she had developed a respect for the land that gave her freedom as well as the courage to live in it.
~~~ from the perspective of Anne Seagraves