
Wiley And Katie Vincent Occupied The Pioneer Cottage In 1903
Wiley Powell Vincent and his wife, the former Mary Catherine “Katie” Crawford, came from Vernon , Texas , and arrived at Lefors on October 18, 1902, the day the first courthouse of Gray County was dedicated. With them came Eli Vincent and his wife, the former Georgia Crawford, Wiley and Eli were brothers and Katie and Georgia were sisters.

Eloise Lane

Eloise Lane
He lived in a dugout until a house, consisting of a central hall with two rooms on each side, could be built. When the house was finally finished in 1893, Rider sent for his wife and son. He met them at Clarendon and they rode in a hack to their new home.
The Vincent families arrived at Lefors on a beautiful day when the leaves on the big cottonwood trees were just beginning to turn yellow, gold and bronze. They camped near the creek on the Henry B. Lovett ranch.
At the celebration following the dedication of the courthouse, the Vincents met Jesse and Minna Wynne and their daughters, Alice and Beryl. Wiley was asked to come to the Wynne ranch in Carson County to help feed cattle. For several months the Wiley Vincents lived in the N Bar N ranch house southeast of White Deer. At that time cowboys in the area thought that the ranch house was haunted.
The Eli Vincents bought a house at 109 South Cuyler in Pampa . A short time later they sold this house to Jesse Wynne and moved elsewhere. The Eli Vincents had three children: Scott, Lois (Mrs. Charles T. Boone) and Thomas.
In 1903 the Wiley Vincents moved to Pampa . At first they lived in a little house built by Jesse Wynne and then in a small house owned by the Johnson Mercantile Company. Most of the early houses were very small because it was difficult to obtain lumber and any kind of a house was a luxury. Many of the first settlers had to live in dugouts for some time before they could build houses.
Later in 1903, Wiley and Katie moved to the Pioneer Cottage which Wiley had helped to build. The cottage was originally located in the 501 block of East Browning ( Central Baptist Church parking lot).
Once, on the lawn in front of the cottage, Wiley “baby-sat” children of women who were attending a meeting inside the house with Katie. After the meeting was over, Wiley served watermelon to all of those present.
After living in the Pioneer Cottage for several years, the Wiley Vincents moved to a farm which they owned. In 1914 they bought a large white house, which had been built in 1907, from Henry Lippold and moved back to Pampa .
This house, located north of the railroad tracks at 303 East Atchison, faced south, so residents and visitors spent a great deal of time watching the trains from the front porch.
Many relatives and friends visited the Vincent family, which by now included Katie’s father, J.T. Crawford, Sr. Many discussions and friendly arguments took place in the house and on the front porch, and often the sound of laughter could be heard. In the summertime Katie always kept a pitcher of lemonade on the front porch to quench the thirst of any persons present.
Some Pampans remember the lightning rods on the house, a hitching post in front of the house and a huge cholla (walking cane) catcus that displayed beautiful magenta blossoms when it bloomed.
Wiley died in 1922. Katie, who lived to be almost 100 years old, died in 1978. After her death the house at 303 East Atchison was moved two miles west of Pampa just south of Highway 60. The present Social Security Administration office, using the address 125 South Gillespie, was built where the Vincent house formerly stood.
Wiley and Katie Vincent had four children:Clifton Eli, who married Edna Bertha Carr; Jack (R.C.), who married Flora Williams; Joe Tyler, who married Eloise Van Kirk; and Kathryn, who married N. Dudley Steele.
About the time Cliff Vincent and Edna Carr were married on June 24, 1919, her father, Mayor E.S. Carr, bought the Pioneer Cottage and gave it to his daughter and son-in-law as a wedding present.
In 1963 Cliff and Edna Carr Vincent gave the Pioneer Cottage to the Pampa Genealogical and Historical Society.
Some time later the Pioneer Cottage was moved to its present location on the north side of the intersection of Starkweather and Yeager Streets. As one of the few original buildings in Pampa , it is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. A historical marker in front of the cottage was dedicated on December 6, 1970.
Information was primarily obtained from articles written by Kathryn Vincent Steele for Gray County Heritage).
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