
The Story of Henry and Jenny Ledrick
(In 1886, the Lard, Ledrick and Walstad families were among the first anglos to settle in Roberts County, Texas. The Lards and Ledricks settled on Chicken Creek.

Eloise Lane

Eloise Lane
The Walstads lived first on Wolf Creek and the flats in Ochiltree County before coming to Roberts County. Museum Mementos ~t 196 tells of the family of William Thomas and Katherine Lard.) Henry Ledrick, born in 1842 in France, became a post-trader in Kansas. He married Amanda Jane “Jenny~ Lard, a daughter of W. T. and Katherine Lard. Henry and Jenny Ledrick were the parents of Henry Lee, Jr. and Paul Claude before they came to Texas. Henry lost all of his property in Kansas as the result of Indian raids. Later the government compensated him for his losses. Henry and Jenny settled on about 13,000 acres in mid-Roberts County.
The Ledricks came to Chicken Creek as the ranchers in the area were trying to recover from “the big die-up,” the severely harsh winter of 1885-86 when many cattle and other creatures froze to death. The Bar CC Ranch that counted 10,000 head of cattle in the fall had only 700 in the spring. The “big blizzard” came on the nights of January seventh and eighth in 1886 while temperatures dropped to twenty-two degrees below zero and the wind was blowing sixty-five miles an hour.
The Southern Kansas Railroad that was constructing the Kiowa Extension of the Santa Fe from Kiowa, Kansas to Panhandle City, Texas~ had paused on the north side of the Canadian River while a bridge was built across the river. The towns of Miami and Pampa were not yet founded, so Henry had to go to Canadian for supplies. On return trips it was possible to see that the entire valley of Chicken Creek was covered with Indian tepees. The Indians were not unfriendly, and Henry was skillful in dealing with them. Like most of the early pioneers, the Ledricks lived at first in a dugout.
After several years they built a house of lumber made from logs of native cottonwood trees. The lumber was made at a sawmill on neighboring Indian Creek. The Ledrick ranch house became a stopover for families in covered wagons heading for the West and California. A child of one of the traveling families died and was buried on the ranch in a grave that was well tended for many years. “Aunt Jenny” often acted as a midwife and traveled across the Canadian River on horseback to attend to Olive (King) Dixon, wife of Billy Dixon,~
The railroad station that received its third name as Pampa in 1892 was at first known mainly as a shipping point for cattle. Doubtless cattle from the Ledrick ranch were among the many that came over what is now Cuyler Street on their way to the stockyards. Following the death of Henry Ledrick in 1905, his sons, Lee and Claude, took charge of the ranch.
Jenny Ledrick died in Pampa in 1918. Lee Ledrick married Carrie Walstad, and their children were Cassie Balthrope, Vera Shriver, H. L. Ledrick and Paul (Mickey) Ledrick. Claude Ledrick married Fannie May White whose family were pioneers in northern Roberts County. They had no children.
Over 200 Articles, written by Eloise Lane, were published in the Pampa News. These articles may be accessed by clicking on each section below. A list of articles will be revealed that are linked to a page containing the text of the article.
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Articles 1-20
- Origin Of The "White Deer" Name
- The Log House On White Deer Creek
- Obtaining The Land
- The Lands Organized
- Cattle Brands Tell Story
- Ghosts And All
- Southern Kansas Railroad
- Fire Guard Dam
- When The Railroad Came
- The Sutton RR Station
- Post Office At Pampa
- The Bell Family
- J.C. Short
- Pampa 1892-1902
- Pampa Laid Out In 1902
- Crystal Palace Founded
- Gray County Organization
- Organization - Continued
- Gray County - Lefors
- McLean - The Largest Town
Articles 21-40
- Gouge Eye
- The "Mother Road"
- German Family Reunion
- Desks From Hopkins
- Grandview School Begins
- The Oil Money
- History Wall Painted
- Boydston Or Boydstun?
- Ontario???
- Laketon - Early Farming
- Laketon - Continued
- First Couple To Marry
- Hoover
- Water Well Drilling
- Kingsmills Visit Pampa
- George Tyng Left
- Tragedy In Utah
- T.D. Hobart - Manager
- M.K. Brown Arrives
- Rider Livery Stable
Articles 41-60
- The Pioneer Cottage
- Pampa's First Doctor
- Doctor Makes House Calls
- A Red Cross Nurse
- Pampa's First School
- Hobart Went To London
- Cemetery Began In 1904
- First Business District
- C.P. Buckler Arrives
- Five Barrett Brothers
- Influence Of The Santa Fe
- Trains Still Roll
- John V. Thomass - Teacher
- Cattle-loading Center
- Rolla J. Sailor & Arrowheads
- A.H. Doucette Arrives
- Lands Are Advertised
- The Holland Hotel
- Wheat Left Pampa
- First National Bank Begins
Articles 61-80
- Pampa News Begins
- First Denominational Church
- 2nd Office Of WD Lands
- J.N. Duncan Arrives
- Nels Walberg Sells…
- Dormer Simms
- Fourth Of July Celebrations
- Pampa's First Cars
- Pampa In 1907-08
- J.S. Wynne Family Arrives
- Gray Count State Bank
- Baptist Church Organized (Under Construction)
- Joe & Lizzie Bowers
- Threatened By Prairie Fire
- Library Began In 1907
- J.R. Henry
- Sir Gordan & Lady Cunard
- Three Vicars Brothers
- Dodd Grain And Produce
- December 29, 1991
Articles 81-100
- D.C. Davis Family
- Long Christmas Celebration
- First Christian Church
- Facts About Pampa
- Buster Brown
- The Last Hanging
- Bones Hooks
- The "Red Brick" Is No More
- The Purviances Family
- The Dr. E. von Brunow Park
- Boards Of First Headquarters
- Mary Jane Purvis
- Cook - Adams Addition
- Nativity Scenes
- Clyde Carruth
- The Mine Tragedies
- Additions To Pampa
- Third Family In Pampa
- Frank Dittmeyer
- Bricklayer Indian Jim
Articles 101-120
- A.A. Tiemann
- First Movies And Lights
- Pampa Incorporated
- Mark And Sara Fletcher
- Annie Baker Daniels
- Pampa's Business District
- Birthday Tea Of 1919
- Former Pampa Minister
- John Mack Patton
- The First Brass Band
- Early Graduating Class
- "How We Met"
- F.P. Greever Is Assassinated
- George Tyng's Father
- L.H. & Lula Greene
- John & Lena McKamy
- Robert & Mary Yeager
- "Dear Old PHS"
- Supt. Believed In People
- William A. & Ruth Green
Articles 121-140
- Jason A and Alice Poole
- Wayside School
- Pampa Football Begins
- The Pampa School Building
- Rev. C. E. Lancaster
- Panhandle Lumber Co.
- Will Wilks & Mora Hughey
- An Unusual Valentine
- Charles A. Tignor
- O. A. Barrett
- Poppies In Flanders Fields
- Barnard & Williams Families
- 4th of July Celebrations
- Cuyler Street Underpass
- The King Family
- Kretmeier and Baer Families
- Stephen B. Oates
- Phebe Worley
- Organization of Gray County
- First Courthouse
Articles 141-160
- Pampa Laid Out in 1902
- Pampa in 1902
- W. R. Kaufman
- The Pampa Country Club
- Living In Pampa in 1902
- Pampa Buildings of 1902
- May Foreman Carr
- Scaffers - Early Residents
- Nita Luna
- Former Sub Debs Reminisce
- PHS In 1932
- PHS Appreciated
- The Forth Worth and Denver
- From Pampa to Childress
- The Origination Of "Taps"
- The Warners
- J. C. Studer
- Floyd, John and Otto
- Our American Flag
- Stories and Memories
Articles 161-180
- Museum in Pampa?
- The Franklin Farm
- The Franklin Family
- Beryl Wayne Vicars
- Historian Made Cookies
- The Pioneer Cottage
- The Orginial Swastika
- Library Clerk
- Women's Clothing Store
- Jon and Pat McConal
- Whitey Walker Gang
- How Rudolph Began
- Gwendolen Avenue
- Jerry Kerbow
- Two Paintings
- Second Part - Paintings
- Bones Hooks
- Original Nativity Figures
- Why "V" Instead of "U"
- Pampa Incorporated