Sunday, April 3, 2011

 

No walking today, Sunday is the day of rest. This being Baptist Sunday, we attended worship services at the First Baptist Church of Burkburnett, Texas. Very large church with many people in attendance. There may be more Baptist Sundays than Presbyterian Sundays on this phase of our walk. Driving from Hot Springs to here, we saw dozens of Baptist Church signs and not one Presbyterian Church signs. Carol and I may want to be totally immersed by the time we get back to Hot Springs.

We are staying at the KOA Kampgrounds in Burkburnett, Texas which is just south of the Red River on Interstate 44 and about 15 miles north of Wichita Falls, Texas.

In 1906, Samuel Burk Burnett sold over 16,000 acres of his land to a group of investors who were seeking to expand the Wichita Falls and Northeastern RR. The town was named Burkburnett by President Theodore Roosevelt who visited the area on a wolf hunt.

In 1912, oil was discovered west of Burkburnett and thousands of people flocked to the area. The 1940 movie,"Boom Town" staring Clark Gable, Spencer Tracyand Claudette Colbert chronicled Burkburnett's history. A story written by James E. Grant, "A Lady Comes to Burkburnett", provided inspiration for the film.

The attached photo of an oil well is just a few feet from the RV park property.

Tomorrow, back on the road. Stay tuned ...