Is it February yet

145

Photo by Bill Kirchner; more photos here.


No Google street view for this one.

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Amarillo Livestock Auction
Established to serve the first permanent industry in the Texas Panhandle--ranching. Now famed for handling more cattle than any other commission auction company in the United States.
The years 1874-1878 saw Indians expelled, buffalo herds exterminated, and ranches established in the region. Longhorns were trailed to Dodge City for shipment. After railroads came, ranchmen rode the cattle trains to care for herds en route to market.
Railroad construction across the Texas Panhandle in 1887 established Amarillo as the largest rural cattle shipping point in the nation (1892-1897).
More efficient handling began in 1904 with the founding by O.H. Nelson, Al Popham, and associates of the Western Stockyards, predecessor of Amarillo Livestock Auction. This livestock commission market opened in 1935 with the sale of 36 cattle and 21 horses by Jack Coulter, Auctioneer, and Virgil Light, Manager. In 1940 Jay Taylor and Eddie Johnson bought the Western Stockyards and constructed the present sales ring, incorporated 1945 as Amarillo Livestock Auction Company. Marketing was revolutionized.
Annual sales exceed 400,000 cattle valued at more than $78,000,000.
(1970)
THC Database

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144

Photo by Bill Kirchner; more photos here.

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Amarillo Helium Plant
This plant, operated by the United States Bureau of Mines, was the first to produce helium from the extensive helium resources in the Texas Panhandle. From 1929 until 1943, it furnished almost all of the world's supply of helium.
Operating around the clock, the plant extracts helium by liquefying the natural gas and separating helium from it at temperatures 300 degrees below zero.
The natural reserves in these fields and in extensions into adjacent states contain more than 95 percent of the world's known supply of helium.
This is also the site of the world renowned research center which provides fundamental data on the production and uses of helium.
Helium is used for a variety of purposes: lighter-than-air craft, low-temperature research, shielded-arc welding; and in national defense, nuclear energy programs and space exploration. (1965)
THC Database

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September 12, 1982 - Only 3 years removed from his time playing at the newly built Shack by the Tracks, Mark Ross earned a September callup with the Houston Astros in 1982. He made his MLB debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers when he entered the game in the 8th inning with his Astros down 6-3. He worked a perfect 8th striking out Ron Roenicke sandwiched between 2 groundouts. He ran into trouble in the 9th inning when pinch-hitter, Greg Brock, double to lead off the inning and was later driven in on a Bill Russell single; the Astros ended up losing the game 7-3. That run was the only run that Ross allowed during his September callup encompassing 6.0 innings of work across 4 relief appearances.

We drove through Hoover on our most recent roadtrip and now the boys and I really want to go to the SEC tourney.

We do get a little taste this week! 4 days until we BTHO Rice!

143

Photo by Marion and Steve; more photos here.
The next few markers are all the same: Amarillo markers spread throughout Amarillo that say the same thing. Apparently, though, there is not much to do there and stealing the markers is something of a pastime? They all appear to be missing. Marion and Steve, who are awesome folks who make it their mission to go see every one of these markers and do research to find missing ones, say there were once at least ten of these markers! This is the only one they found and it was by accident, because it was not in any location the THC said it would be. I'm putting its picture and location here but I don't know if this is really #143.

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Amarillo
County seat, Potter County; founded in 1887. Incorporated 1892.
Named for Arroyo Amarillo, Spanish name of nearby creek.
Transportation, financial, cultural and medical center.
Gateway to: Alibates Flint Quarry National Monument, Lake Meredith, Palo Duro State Park, Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Boys Ranch.
THC Database

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September 12, 1980 - Exactly 2 years to the day before Mark Ross's MLB debut was Bobby Bonner's. He was also a September call-up but for the Baltimore Orioles who were in the midst of chasing the New York Yankees who held a 3 game lead for the AL East division title. With his team down 7-5 in the 9th against the last place Toronto Blue Jays, Bonner was asked to pinch run for Lee May who had singled with one out in the inning. When Gary Roenicke grounded the ball to 2nd baseman, Damaso Garcia, Bonner's speed caused Garcia to rush the throw which resulted in an error. That was the end of the excitement though as Rich Dauer popped out to the catcher and Ken Singleton flew out to right to end the game. Bonner would appear in 3 more games in September as the Orioles finished 1980 with 100 wins but still missed the playoffs as the Yankees maintained their 3 game lead by winning 103 games to take the division title.