Hagerman Remembered

By Peggy Redshaw and Jerry Lincecum, 

with Photos by John Ramsey

History Day at Hagerman, held July 29 at the Wildlife Center, drew an audience of more than fifty, but only a handful were former residents of the town  that Lake Texoma swallowed up in 1944.  Denison Dam was completed in Dec. 1943, and the coffer dam that had held back the waters of Red River during construction was breached in Jan.  Three months later, the town of Hagerman was under about a hundred feet of water.  It had already been reduced to a skeleton, as numerous houses and other buildings were relocated.  Nowadays, when the lake waters recede (as they did last summer), one can see the remains of a few foundations on the bottom of Big Mineral.

Former residents of Hagerman, Texas

Those present for the discussion listened carefully to Jean Shires Hughes, whose family lived in the MKT section house in Hagerman.  They had been among the last to leave, since the railroad wanted Hughes to remain there as long as possible.  Jean recounted in remarkable detail a typical morning she spent as a child making her way through Hagerman, greeted by residents and merchants who were happy to have her stop by and visit.

Jean Shires Hughes points out  features of the town of Hagerman in the History Exhibit at the Refuge.

The family of Bob Stephens was also late in moving out of Hagerman, and he recalled that they drove through some rising water on the road as they departed.

Claud Crook spoke of entering first grade at Hagerman School in the fall of 1943 and then, after the rising of the muddy waters, having to transfer to Pottsboro in January.  Melvin Brown remembered the German POWs who worked to clear brush from the area in 1943.  Joel Bassett has stories from his grandfather, who constructed the POW camp near the spillway, as well as documents he has researched on the project.

Melba (Lewter) Yankovich recalled the presence of US Army troops from Camp Howze, whose job was blowing up the bridges on county roads that were soon to be under the lake.  In fact, the lake filled so quickly that not all the bridges were demolished as planned.

          The Friends of Hagerman, who organized the History Day program, consider it very successful.  Plans are underway for follow-up interviews with some of the former residents of Hagerman.  We hope to share more of their stories in future blog posts.

Note:  Links to additional articles about Hagerman, Texas can be found on the Refuge page of the Friends website.

Refuge to Host History Day at Hagerman

By Kelby Archer

1944 was one of the keystone years of the 20^th century.  With June 6 came the landings of Allied forces at Normandy, which signaled the beginning of the end of World War 2.  However, 1944 also saw an event which happened locally that forever altered Texoma – the dedication of the Denison Dam and the filling of Lake Texoma.

Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge and the Friends of Hagerman would like to bring together local residents who have personal stories of the “before and after” of this big local event, as well as anyone who would like to hear the stories.  Of particular interest are memories from people who lived in the Hagerman area.  History Day will be held at the Refuge on Sunday, July 29, from 2 - 4pm.  Dr. Jerry Lincecum and Dr. Peggy Redshaw of Austin College will be leading the workshop based on principles they have developed for the Telling Our Stories series at Austin College.

The event is totally free of charge and all are welcome!  Participants are encouraged to bring vintage photos, clippings, letters, and other items from the era that can be copied and added to a Hagerman Archive.  Material can be copied from 1 – 5pm on July 29.

For more information, email friendsofhagerman@gmail.com or call the Refuge at 903-786-2826.  Hagerman NWR is located at 6465 Refuge Road, four miles west of State Highway 289 in Sherman, Texas.  

Explore Texas in 1835 with Dr. Gideon Lincecum

The Second Saturday program at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge for the month of August will be something a little different: a Chautauqua-style lecture in which Dr. Jerry Lincecum role-plays his ancestor, Dr. Gideon Lincecum. Gideon Lincecum was an American pioneer, historian, physician and prominent naturalist in Texas. Gideon will be introduced by Dr. Peggy Redshaw. The free program will be held in the meeting room of the new Visitor Center at the Refuge, which is located at 6465 Refuge Road, Sherman, 75092, at 10 am on August 13. Second Saturday nature programs are open to the public.

Jerry Lincecum, a sixth-generation Texan, is an Emeritus Professor of English at Austin College. He has a BA from Texas A&M and the MA and Ph.D. from Duke University. Jerry, who is shown in courtesy photo above, is a great-great-great grandson of Gideon.

Peggy Redshaw, a native of central Illinois, is Professor of Biology at Austin College. She holds a BS from Quincy College and a Ph.D. from Illinois State University.

Along with their colleague, the late Dr. Edward Hake Phillips, Jerry and Peggy have published several scholarly books and papers drawn from the Gideon Lincecum Papers, including “Adventures of a Frontier Naturalist” (1994), “Science on the Texas Frontier” (1997), and “Gideon Lincecum’s Sword: Civil War Letters from the Texas Home Front” (2001).

Coffee will be served in the Friends Building from 9 - 10 am on August. 13, and Second Saturday for Youth will begin in the Friends Classroom at 10 am. Please note that reservations are closed for this month's youth program, as it is full.

For directions or more information about Hagerman NWR, please see the official Refuge website or Friendsofhagerman.com