A Trip to Turkey, Texas and Caprock Canyons State Park
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Published 2024-04-24
Walking around Turkey is like stepping back into the 1920s, with most of the town's most prominent buildings dating to around 1928, including the Hotel Turkey, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Turkey features a monument to Bob Wills and a museum, but there are nods to him throughout the town. You can't walk 50 feet without seeing a reference to him. The town even hosts a Bob Wills Day on the last Saturday in April.
The Phillips 66 station opened in July 1928, making it the first one in Texas. The station, while no longer open, has been restored to what it would have looked like in its prime.
After leaving Turkey, we made a quick visit to Caprock Canyons State Park in search of bison and to see where the West Texas Plains end. Along the way we ran into prairie dogs and some amazing views.
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All Comments (21)
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"Back then buildings, even something as simple as a gas station, had character. And that's severely lacking today." So true!
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Very cool. Parts of Texas are so flat you can watch a dog run away for three days… Thanks for sharing!
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“….It don’t matter whose in Austin , Bob Wills is still the king….” . —Awesome video , once again. Thank you.
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How fun you did a documentary on Turkey Texas. My dad and grandma were both born in Turkey TX. My great grandparents moved there in the late 1800’s, they were one of the first settlers and both great grandparents are buried there. Thank you for doing this. My dad has passed, but it was fun seeing the Main streeet.
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Back in 1997, I camped in Caprock Canyon. As I set up my tent, I was surrounded by a circle of turkeys. So they are definitely prevalent there. Thanks for all the great videos.
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I love your style and dry humor. You capture the small history that built this big country
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There are a few very significant dates in this town. 1) the news paper called the Turkey Gobbler opened the year my Dad was Born. The Midway Drive In started operating 1955 the year I was Born. And the High School Closed the Year I Graduated 1973. Very Interesting
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My dad was raised in Esteline, Texas. Not too far East from Turkey. He said it was a big deal to travel to Turkey on a Saturday. His dad would get drunk, his mom would shop, and he and his brothers would go to that theatre and watch westerns all day. Some silent a few were talkies. My grandfather would drive to Turkey and my grandmother would drive back to Esteline because George was too drunk. My dad said that during the winter, the only thing slowing the arctic wind from Canada was a barbed wire fence...and it was blown down half of the time. It does get cold out on the flat lands of Texas.
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Ooh, you're in my backyard now! And as a Fort Worth native & son of 2 of them, 1 of those being a music teacher, I've heard my share of Bob Wills, especially in my childhood. And as a Boy Scout years ago, we visited & camped near Caprock several times; we saw plenty of prairie dogs back then, but it seems you had better luck than we ever did with the bison. Nice!
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Steve, too bad you missed the Bob Wills museum it's definitely worth the time. When visiting Turkey in the early 2000s we stopped at the museum just as the lone lady running it was going to lunch and she said to just go inside and have a look-see, just be sure to close the door when we leave as she'll be gone for about an hour. NOW THAT'S TRUST as most of the items such as his fiddles, clothes, cigars and everything Bob Wills was out in the open and not in glass cases. I'm too young to have seen Bob Wills, but I'm a big fan of his music. I have probably every 78 rpm record of his music and a large Victrola to play them on as they sound more authentic that way.
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I knew one of the Texas Playboys. He died a long time ago. I had never heard of them until I met this man. It was a little before my time.
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You are a great story teller
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hey steve..englishman kevin here...got to say i love your brilliantly paced videos...ps ive noticed what americans call small towns we call villages...our villages and your small towns are unique in their own beauty. i find the history and the scenery of your mid west and south west so fascinating..albeit not keen on rattle snakes..as an englishman..other than that id love to stroll along those terrains...keep up the good vids mate
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I didn't know Bob Wills worked at a Barber Shop before he got his start Thanks.
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My dad was a native Texan, born in Ft. Stockton. He lived in several different parts of west Texas and eastern New Mexico. The one constant through his life was his love of Bob Wills’ music. San Antonio Rose was his favorite song. Before he shipped out to Europe in WWII, he would play that song over and over. George Strait was greatly influenced by Bob Wills. George has done several great songs of his own following Western swing.
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Hey Steve, another great adventure 👍🏼thank you for taking us along . What a cool town and park ….I grew up on rock n roll but turned to western and folk in my late teens. And Bob Wills was right there😎 take care
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Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys are among our favorites and we have a large collection of their body of work. Big Buff and prairie pups. What a swell trip.
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Thank you for this video, very interested in Turkey being Bob Wills home town. One of my favorite singers for early country music👍👍
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People look up to your videos, do not stop uploading. You’re awesome Steve
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I spent a night in Turkey, TX last year, on my way to Caprock Canyons State Park. In the Hotel Turkey, of course. Loved the unique experience, highly recommended. Too bad all the Western Texas settlements seem to be slowly dying out. Regards from Germany.
