
Origin Of The “White Deer” Name
A small plaque at the White Deer Land Museum relates the legend from which the museum received its name.

Eloise Lane

Eloise Lane
In the days when Apaches, Comanches, Kiowa, and Kiowa-Apaches roamed this area, an Indian saw an albino deer drinking at a creek which became known to the Indians as “the creek of the white deer.”
Most of the 26 mile long creek, which flows northward to the Canadian River, is in eastern Hutchinson County.
Early Spanish explorers referred to the creek in their language: “El Rito del Venado Blanco.” (The Spanish name was anglicized by the early American traders and explorers and became “White Deer Creek”, its present name.)
In 1886, the insolvent Francklyn Land and Cattle Company was reorganized and called White Deer Lands because of the creek near which the company buildings were located.
Soon the company moved its headquarters to an experimental farm near the present town of White Deer which became known by the name of the company.
In 1892, the company moved its headquarters to the present city of Pampa and sometime thereafter changed its name to White Deer Land Company.
After the White Deer Land Company was liquidated in 1957, M.K. Brown bought its remaining assets which included the office building at 116 South Cuyler. Subsequently Brown donated the building, which had been built in 1916, to Gray County. Brown’s request was that the building should be used as a museum to preserve the history of this area.
On December 6, 1970, the White Deer Land Museum was dedicated for this purpose.
aper articles originally published in The Pampa Daily News of Pampa, Texas. The author is Eloise Lane, long time resident of Pampa. The first article was originally published September 7, 1988.
All articles are about the history of Pampa, Texas, Gray County, and the White Deer Land Museum.
Eloise Lane is the foremost keeper of Gray County history. She was a retired Pampa school teacher who wrote a monthly column for the Pampa News for 10 years. She called it “Museum Mementos”, and each story is kept in the archives of the White Deer Land Museum.
Eloise’s grandfather came to Texas before the turn of the century with the railroad, and later became Pampa’s first postmaster. The town then had 24 residents. Her father came here when Pampa was called Glasgow.
Eloise graduated from Pampa High School in 1932 and received a Bachelor of Music degree from Mary Hardin-Baylor University in Belton. Her first teaching job was in McLean, Texas. She taught there and one or two other small schools before coming back to Pampa to teach in 1944. Eloise retired, after a 41 year teaching career, in 1980.
Eloise was asked to write a pamphlet about Pampa’s first post office, and that began her writing hobby and close relationship with the White Deer Land Museum. She is the person called on in Gray County to answer all historical questions. She answers research mail for the museum and area residents. Eloise works tirelessly each month compiling documents and retrieving information to add to the accuracy of the county’s history.
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.
Closed Accordian Default Hidden
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
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