Guthrie, Texas
Encyclopedia
Guthrie is a Census Designated Place in King County in the U.S. state
of Texas
. It lies at the junction of U.S. Routes 82
and 83
ninety-six miles east of Lubbock
, and serves as the principal headquarters of the Four Sixes Ranch. It is the seat of King County, and as of the 2010 Census the population was 160.
purchased several hundred acres in what later became King County. Named after Louisville Land and Cattle stockholder W.H. Guthrie, the community's townsite was platted in 1891 by A.C. Thackitt, who had built Guthrie's first residence. When King County was organized that same year, Louisville Land and Cattle proposed the platting of a company townsite, to be named Ashville, to serve as the county's seat. Thackitt strongly opposed this proposition and led a charge to bring the seat to Guthrie instead. Thackitt's hotly contested campaign ultimately proved successful, and he not only succeeded in making Guthrie the county seat but was also elected to serve as King County's first county judge. Late in 1891, the Guthrie post office opened to the public.
The next year, Thackitt and a man by the name of Charlie Bradford brought in lumber from the neighboring community of Seymour
and constructed Guthrie's first school; a small, one-room building. A larger school followed in 1895, though the lone teacher continued to depend upon schools in Seymour and Benjamin
for curriculum. Proprietor John Gibson began to keep a stock of school books at his Guthrie general store in 1897, decreasing the school's dependence upon other districts.
In 1904, Guthrie claimed 101 residents and though hurt by the effects of the Great Depression
and the Dust Bowl
, remained stable through to the mid-twentieth century, with the 1950 Census reporting the same number of 101 residents as 46 years before. In 1959, schools in nearby Dumont
were consolidated with Guthrie's schools and by 1963 the population had more than doubled to 210.
The mid to late 1960s brought an end to Guthrie's growth, however; the population had fallen to 125 by 1970. It increased to 140 in 1980 and 160 in 1990, a figure it maintained through to the 2010 Census. Being a company town, very few homes in Guthrie are privately owned; most residents live in housing provided by the 6666 (Four Sixes) or Pitchfork ranches, or the school district.
graduated from Guthrie School
in 1986, and while the setting of his early writings was often the town of Claude
in Armstrong County
, Cullin has admitted in interviews that his novels Whompyjawed
and Branches
are really based on Guthrie.
Guthrie is also mentioned in passing in Jack Kerouac
's On the Road
as one of the places through which he drove.
, which consistently ranks as a Recognized school district by the Texas Education Agency
.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. It lies at the junction of U.S. Routes 82
U.S. Route 82
U.S. Route 82 is an east–west United States highway in the southern United States. What started as a 1932 addition to the system across central Mississippi and southern Arkansas eventually became a 1,609 mile route extending from the White Sands of New Mexico to Georgia's Atlantic coast.The...
and 83
U.S. Route 83
U.S. Route 83 is one of the longest north–south U.S. Highways in the United States, at . Only four other north–south routes are longer: U.S. Routes 1, 41, 59 and 87. The highway's northern terminus is north of Westhope, North Dakota, at the Canadian border, where it continues as...
ninety-six miles east of Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
, and serves as the principal headquarters of the Four Sixes Ranch. It is the seat of King County, and as of the 2010 Census the population was 160.
Geography
Guthrie is located at 33°37′14"N 100°19′22"W (33.621341, -100.8322).History
Guthrie's history begins in 1883, when the Louisville Land and Cattle Company in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
purchased several hundred acres in what later became King County. Named after Louisville Land and Cattle stockholder W.H. Guthrie, the community's townsite was platted in 1891 by A.C. Thackitt, who had built Guthrie's first residence. When King County was organized that same year, Louisville Land and Cattle proposed the platting of a company townsite, to be named Ashville, to serve as the county's seat. Thackitt strongly opposed this proposition and led a charge to bring the seat to Guthrie instead. Thackitt's hotly contested campaign ultimately proved successful, and he not only succeeded in making Guthrie the county seat but was also elected to serve as King County's first county judge. Late in 1891, the Guthrie post office opened to the public.
The next year, Thackitt and a man by the name of Charlie Bradford brought in lumber from the neighboring community of Seymour
Seymour, Texas
Seymour is a city in and the county seat of Baylor County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,740 as of the 2010 Census.-Geography:Seymour is located at ....
and constructed Guthrie's first school; a small, one-room building. A larger school followed in 1895, though the lone teacher continued to depend upon schools in Seymour and Benjamin
Benjamin, Texas
Benjamin is a city in Knox County, Texas, United States. It is the county seat of Knox County. The population was 258 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Benjamin is located at . It is situated at the junction of U.S...
for curriculum. Proprietor John Gibson began to keep a stock of school books at his Guthrie general store in 1897, decreasing the school's dependence upon other districts.
In 1904, Guthrie claimed 101 residents and though hurt by the effects of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and the Dust Bowl
Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl, or the Dirty Thirties, was a period of severe dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to American and Canadian prairie lands from 1930 to 1936...
, remained stable through to the mid-twentieth century, with the 1950 Census reporting the same number of 101 residents as 46 years before. In 1959, schools in nearby Dumont
Dumont, Texas
Dumont is an unincorporated community in King County, Texas, United States. It lies in the far northwestern corner of the county, near the Dickens County line...
were consolidated with Guthrie's schools and by 1963 the population had more than doubled to 210.
The mid to late 1960s brought an end to Guthrie's growth, however; the population had fallen to 125 by 1970. It increased to 140 in 1980 and 160 in 1990, a figure it maintained through to the 2010 Census. Being a company town, very few homes in Guthrie are privately owned; most residents live in housing provided by the 6666 (Four Sixes) or Pitchfork ranches, or the school district.
In literature
Author Mitch CullinMitch Cullin
Mitch Cullin is an American writer of Scotch-Irish and Cherokee descent. He is the author of seven novels, and one short story collection. He currently resides in Arcadia, California and Tokyo, Japan with his partner and frequent collaborator Peter I. Chang...
graduated from Guthrie School
Guthrie Common School District
Guthrie Common School District is a public school district based in the community of Guthrie, Texas .The district has one building that houses the school , as well as the GCSD administration offices and the King County Library.In 2009, the school district was rated "exemplary" by the Texas...
in 1986, and while the setting of his early writings was often the town of Claude
Claude, Texas
Claude is a city in Armstrong County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,313 at the 2000 census. Located east of Amarillo, Claude is the county seat of Armstrong County in the south Texas Panhandle...
in Armstrong County
Armstrong County, Texas
Armstrong County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas, and was formed in 1876 from Bexar County. It is part of the Amarillo metropolitan area. As of 2000, the population is 2,148. Its county seat is Claude. Armstrong is named for one of several Texas pioneer families named Armstrong...
, Cullin has admitted in interviews that his novels Whompyjawed
Whompyjawed
Whompyjawed is the debut novel by American author Mitch Cullin. It is the first installment of the writer's Texas Trilogy that also includes the dark novel-in-verse Branches and the surrealistic novel Tideland....
and Branches
Branches (book)
Branches is a novel-in-verse by American author Mitch Cullin, with illustrations by the Japanese artist Ryuzo Kikushima. It is the second installment of the writer's Texas Trilogy that also includes the coming-of-age football novel Whompyjawed and the surrealistic novel Tideland.In a 2000 interview...
are really based on Guthrie.
Guthrie is also mentioned in passing in Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
's On the Road
On the Road
On the Road is a novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, written in April 1951, and published by Viking Press in 1957. It is a largely autobiographical work that was based on the spontaneous road trips of Kerouac and his friends across mid-century America. It is often considered a defining work of...
as one of the places through which he drove.
Education
Guthrie is served by the Guthrie Common School DistrictGuthrie Common School District
Guthrie Common School District is a public school district based in the community of Guthrie, Texas .The district has one building that houses the school , as well as the GCSD administration offices and the King County Library.In 2009, the school district was rated "exemplary" by the Texas...
, which consistently ranks as a Recognized school district by the Texas Education Agency
Texas Education Agency
The Texas Education Agency is a branch of the state government of Texas in the United States responsible for public education. The agency is headquartered in the William B...
.