Haunted Amarillo - Pioneer Cemetery Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

West Texas Reviewer: Cache Owner (CO) has not responded, so the cache is being archived to keep it from continually showing up in search lists, and to prevent it from blocking new cache placements. If the owner wishes to repair/replace the cache sometime in the future (not to exceed 6 months from the date of this entry), just contact me (by e-mail), and assuming it still meets the current Guidelines, I'll be happy to unarchive it.

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Hidden : 9/20/2007
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:


This cache is a continuation of the “Haunted Amarillo” series and is located at what I believe to be an early pioneer cemetery in Potter County, Texas. I have driven past this burial site every work day for the past 4 years in the early morning and evening. I often wonder just who is buried here and what their story is. Sometimes I stop and listen, I don't know what for, but... I listen and let my mind explore the possibilities.

Could these headstones mark the last progress of early settlers on their way "out West"? Could they be men that experienced early hair loss brought on by angry indigenous plains Indians? Could they be cowboys killed during a stampede on a cattle drive, or perhaps cattle rustlers that received the sentence imposed by the cowboy version of "justice" at the time? The questions are endless, the range of possible answers are also.

I’ve attempted several times to sort out the answers to this puzzle. Here’s what I do know:

This burial site is NOT LISTED anywhere in the archives of the TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION.

LLANO cemetery was not aware of its existence. The Amarillo Public Library research department failed to find any mention of this site.

St Francis church and cemetery, only a few miles away, was founded when the Southern Kansas Railway was built from the community of Panhandle to Amarillo in 1908, St. Francis began as a station on the new line.

Borger, TX was chartered in 1926 after oil was discovered in the vicinity. By this time the Panhandle & Santa Fe Railway had completed the spur line to Borger, a post office had opened, and a school district was established.

Fritch, TX. was named for H. C. (Fred) Fritch of Chicago, a vice president of the Rock Island Railroad, who arranged for the purchase of the right-of-way in 1924. After the line was opened, Fritch established a depot at his town site and in 1933 he laid out the streets parallel with the railroad, which ran from northwest to southeast then on to Amarillo.

Potter/Randall County Appraisal District lists South West Public Service Co of Colorado as the current owners for tax purposes. When I contacted South West Public Service Co to ask permission to access the site for research purposes, I was referred to their attorney who stated that he could neither confirm nor deny ownership of the property but, if they were the current owners, they would not grant access to the property citing possible liability issues. When asked if I could sign a “hold harmless” agreement, he replied that there would be no financial benefit for the company by allowing me to do so. He then terminated the call by hanging up.

Because of the marker types and condition, I believe this burial site to pre-date the above events and would like to access the site to clear the overgrowth and debris, do measurements of the site, take photographs and do tracings of the headstones so that I can apply to the Texas Historical Commission for a designation of this site as a Historic Texas Cemetery under the RIP Guardian Program.

Section 711.041 of the Texas Health and Safety Code notes anyone who wants to visit a cemetery that has no public ingress or egress has the right to do so during reasonable hours and for purposes associated with cemetery visits. The owner of the lands surrounding the cemetery, however, may designate the preferred routes. Be sure to contact the landowner first to arrange your visit.

For more information on Historic Texas Cemeteries, see… (visit link)

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Qrivy'f ebcr jvyy fubj lbh jurer.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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