TX BIOS:  J. W. Minter
   Selected and converted.American Memory, Library of Congress.
   
   Washington, 1994.
   
   Preceding element provides place and date of transcription only.
   
   This transcription intended to be 99.95% accurate.
   
   For more information about this text and this American Memory
   collection, refer to accompanying matter.
   
   U.S. Work Projects Administration, Federal Writers' Project (Folklore
   Project, Life Histories, 1936-39); Manuscript Division, Library of
   Congress.Copyright status not determined.
   
   0001
   
   Mrs. C. May Cabea P.W.
   
   Amarillo, Texas Dup PANHANDLE PIONEERS
   
   Interview with: Mr. J. W. Minter
   
   1015 Jackson Street
   
   Amarillo, Texas
   
   Mr. and Mrs. Minter came to the Panhandle and Amarillo 33 years ago,
   Mr. Minter having an older brother here who extolled the virtues of
   the plains country. Mr. Minter, who worked for H. B. Sanborn for seven
   years prior to his death, had occasion to know the real man that was
   the "Father of Amarillo" better than most people. He recalls Mr.
   Sanborn as a man of independent thought and action doing as he deemed
   best and fit, letting the chips fall where they would.
   
   Mr. Sanborn drove a "coach and four", an unusual sight in the little
   cow town, but the cowboys accepted the innovation in the land of
   "horesbackers" as a privilege of the great builder. If that style of
   turnout suited him, who were they to challenge his taste? Four
   bob-tailed, shining-coated bays drew the "tally-ho" coach through the
   dusty streets of Amarillo. Once Mr. Sanborn drove the coach with its
   "spanking" team to Fort Worth to the fair, or stock show.
   
   The old Sanborn home, which once occupied the block where the
   Municipal Auditorium now stands, was moved to the corner of 14th and
   Madison, at 1311 Madison Street, where it is to day just as it was
   when the Sanborn's lived in it, except for a coat of white paint. In
   those earlier days, the house was painted yellow, Mr. Sanborn's
   favorite color. In front of the old building, on the west of the 500
   block on Buchanan Street, ran a cement walk, the first paying in
   Amarillo. On the north and west sides of the block was a park in which
   were several deer.
   
   Upon the block now known as Sanborn Park, the Sanborns planned to
   build a new home, but Mrs. Sanborn later gave that site to the city
   for a park.
   
   Mr. Sanborn, who was always interested in any project that looked
   toward the up-building of Amarillo, offered the land for a campus when
   a state teachers college was agitated for West Texas, if the state
   would locate it in Amarillo.
   
   Mr. Minter is authority for the statement that Mr. Sanborn gave the
   block upon which 00022the present courthouse is located.
   
   After Mr. Sanborn died, Mr. Minter continued working for Mrs. Sanborn
   until her death several years later.
   
   About 2 years after Mr. Minter came to Amarillo, Dr. G. J. Nunn
   established his school at 701 Jackson. Miss Zula Orr, who came from
   Stephenville to teach in the Nunn school, became Mrs. Nunn.
   
   The Lowry-Phillips School was established on thepresent site of the
   Children's Home about 1910 or 1912 by two men, Lowry and Phillips.
   Lowry later took over the school alone.
   
   After Mr. Minter came to Amarillo the rangers were here frequently to
   quell disturbances contingent upon the local prohibition efforts. A
   Mr. Edge who ran a saloon was not the source of the name of Edgefield,
   according to Mr. Minter. Mr. Edge was on the opposite side of the
   liquor question from Mr. Nunn, who owned the land upon which the
   Edgefield addition to Amarillo was established. The real reason for
   the name of the addition was the fact that it was on the edge of the
   town and county.

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