Great Texpectations. Texas Plains Trail Region Annual Report. A New Decade Begins. preservation education development

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1 Great Texpectations A New Decade Begins Annual Report preservation education development Texas Plains Trail Region Texas Plains Trail Region Annual Report

2 Texas Plains Trail Region Board of Directors Executive Committee President Debbie Wegman Vice President Paula Sue Hatfield Treasurer Kathleen Beach Secretary Carol Campbell Terms expiring August 2014 Ada Low Lester Mobeetie Virginia Scott Lipscomb Debbie Wegman Big Spring Terms expiring August 2015 Linda Germany White Deer Lynn Hopkins Borger Rita Isbell Paducah Sally Murrell Tulia Kristine Olsen Dalhart Danyel Parkhurst Boys Ranch Terms expiring August 2016 Carol Campbell Matador Paula Sue Hatfield Snyder Kay Henard Claude Holle Humphries Lubbock Tamera Julian Canadian Debbye ValVerde Big Spring Terms expiring August 2017 Jim Brokenbek Amarillo Frankie Jackson Wheeler Ramon Johnston Lubbock Emeritus Directors Phil Barefield Briscoe County Lana Payne Barnett Swisher County Deborah Bigness Lubbock County Judy Burlin Donley County Anne Christian Armstrong County Linda Drake Oldham County Bobbye Hill Wheeler County Viola Moore Carson County Marie Neff Garza County Marisue Potts Motley County Virginia Scott Lipscomb County Sammie Simpson Cochran County Verna Anne Wheeler Crosby County Paula Goff Gray County Janet Parnell Hemphill County Paula Edwards Deaf Smith County Wendi Fuller Mitchell County Gina Gillespie Hansford County Carolyn Hardy Floyd County Texas Main Street cities in our region Amarillo Colorado City Canyon Levelland Childress Plainview Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program participants in our region Donley County Potter County Gray County Roberts County Hardeman County Wheeler County Contents Executive Summary 3 An Anniversary Year Our 52 Counties 4 From Our Board President 4 About the Texas Plains Trail Region 5 The Year in Review 6 Key Accomplishments 8 Preservation Highlights 13 Fundraising 13 Financial Report 14 Our Next 52 Weeks 15 Texas Plains Trail Books 15 Partner Decal Program 16 Contact Us 16 The Texas Heritage Trails are an award-winning heritage tourism initiative of the Texas Historical Commission. Many thanks to Texas Heritage Trails state coordinator Teresa Caldwell (right) and the other staff of the Texas Historical Commission for their dedication to this endeavor and their support of our region. 2 Texas Plains Trail Region Annual Report

3 e x e c u t i v e s u m m a r y An Anniversary Year Ten years ago, in September 2003, a determined delegation from the Texas Plains and Panhandle made a midnight ride to Austin. Following months of intense planning and strategizing, the founding members of our organization wanted nothing to impede the timely consideration of their grant application to the Texas Historical Commission, to become the sixth Heritage Trail Region in the statewide program authorized in Well, it might not have been midnight, exactly. But Lana and Dub Barnett, Judy Burlin, and Patsy Hooten drove seven hours from Tulia to the state capital to handdeliver the documents that would establish the Texas Plains Trail Region. Their exploit has become symbolic of the can-do perspective, creativity and initiative, and dedication of our region s intrepid volunteers. Over those ten years from 2003 to 2012, we raised more than half a million dollars in local funds and in-kind contributions to supplement the THC s annual grants. We helped promote and sustain more than 200 heritage tourism partners within our 52 counties. We distributed more than $35,000 in local grant funds ourselves to dozens of those partners. We envisioned and carried out such innovative projects as the 52-County Stamp Cancel Tour, the Winning Hand Deck of Cards, the Museum and Visitor Guide, and the Quanah Parker Trail. We helped ensure that visitors to 50,000 square miles of Texas would encounter and experience the authentic stories of our amazing land and that they would spread the word to others, and come back often. As we ve kicked off our second decade in September 2013, it remains our goal to bring travelers to stay longer and spend more. The annual value of our marketing program can be estimated at $50,000 to each of the 278 communities large and small that make up our region. We realize that heritage tourism is a key contributor to economic development in the cities and towns, the urban and rural areas, of Texas playing a vital role in generating a $67 billion impact on the state s economy in In fiscal year 2014 we ve raised more than $35,000 in direct support within our region, from county contributions and Roundup sponsorships. In a rapidly changing economy and state and federal legislative climate, we ve aggressively pursued plans to generate other revenue streams to supplement our annual $75,000 grant from the THC. And we made grants to heritage partners totaling $1,400 all raised from personal donations, separate from our organizational fund-raising. Perhaps the most significant measure of our impact, however, is the number of volunteer hours and in-kind contributions from our 18-member board of directors: an amazing 5,811 hours with a value of $126,682; a whopping 35,979 miles with a value of $19,788; and $18,846 in out-of-pocket dollars last year, for a total of $168,578. What a powerful testament to an enduring program as we push forward! Barbara Brannon, Executive Director Texas Plains Trail Region Annual Report

4 Our 52 Counties Within the Texas Plains Trail Region, you could travel a different county every week of the year! (Boldface indicates FY14 participating counties) Armstrong Bailey Borden Briscoe Carson Castro Childress Cochran Collingsworth Cottle Crosby Dallam Dawson Deaf Smith Dickens Donley Floyd Foard Gaines Garza Gray Hale Hall Hansford Hardeman Hartley Hemphill Hockley Howard Hutchinson Kent King Knox Lamb Lipscomb Lubbock Lynn Mitchell Moore Motley Ochiltree Oldham Parmer Potter Randall Roberts Scurry Sherman Swisher Terry Wheeler Yoakum From Our Board President It has been my honor and privilege to serve as TPTR board president during the beginning of our second decade. Our board comprises many dedicated individuals from all parts of the region who serve in various capacities in their communities, but all have a passion for our mission and strive to make the Texas Plains Trail Region the best in the state. Our board members and our executive director travel many miles and attend many events representing TPTR and work with many entities throughout the region to promote TPTR and our partners. Our partnership with the Texas Historical Commission continues to be an important part of our organization, and their resources are invaluable to our success. It has been fun to be involved in the growth of the Texas Plains Trail Region over the years that I have served on the board, and I look forward to watching the continued growth and expansion of this program. Debbie Wegman Big Spring, Howard County Debbie Wegman welcomes participants to TPTR s June 2014 board meeting in Big Spring, with Mayor Larry McClellan at the historic Hotel Settles 4 Texas Plains Trail Region Annual Report Quanah Parker Trail Arrow Dedication, Snyder, October 2014

5 About the Texas Plains Trail Region Enjoy the rugged beauty and shimmering sunsets of the Texas Plains. Miles and miles of shortgrass prairie gives way suddenly and unexpectedly to spectacular canyon vistas as you cross this 52-county region. The normally pleasant weather can change in an instant and quickly change back again. One of the last parts of the continental United States to be permanently settled, the Texas Plains have been occupied for millennia. More than 12,000 years ago, the Clovis people, the earliest known residents of North America, roamed this land hunting the ancient bison and the Columbian mammoth. In time, the Apache and Comanche nations came, followed by Spanish explorers, cowboys on the free range, and finally, homesteaders seeking opportunity in a new place. The stories of the land and the people are the history of the Texas Plains and the true stories of the West. The Texas Heritage Trails Program (THTP) is the Texas Historical Commission s (THC) award-winning heritage tourism initiative. This economic development initiative encourages communities, heritage regions, and the state to partner and promote Texas historic and provides a wealth of travel information, as one of the ten regional sites at Visitors may plan their adventure by destination city, site, date, or even theme of travel to make the best of every moment. cultural resources. These successful local preservation efforts, combined with statewide marketing of heritage regions as tourism destinations, increase visitation to cultural and historic sites and bring more dollars to Texas communities. This in turn supports the THC s mission to protect and preserve the state s historic and prehistoric resources for the use, education economic benefit, and enjoyment of present and future generations. The THTP is based around 10 scenic driving trails created in 1968 by Gov. John Connally and the Texas Highway Department (now the Texas Department of Transportation) as a marketing tool. The trails were established in conjunction with the HemisFair, an international exposition that commemorated the 250th anniversary of the founding of San Antonio. In 1997, the state legislature charged the THC to create a statewide heritage tourism program. The THC responded with a program based on local, regional, and state partnerships, centered on the 10 driving trails. These trails serve as the nucleus of 10 heritage regions, and include heritage tourism attractions and communities both on and off the trail. The program began with the establishment of the Texas Forts Trail Region in Other heritage regions made a formal application to the program, demonstrating knowledge of area attractions and broad support from organizations and local government. The suite of heritage regions was completed in 2005 with the additions of the Texas Pecos and Hill Country Trail Regions. The THTP received national recognition with the Preserve America Presidential Award in This award was given for exemplary accomplishment in the preservation and sustainable use of America s heritage assets, which has enhanced community life while honoring the nation s history. The following year, the program was awarded a Preserve America grant for developing the Heritage Tourism Guidebook and for providing heritage tourism training across the state. Texas Plains Trail Region Annual Report

6 a n e w d e c a d e b e g i n s The Year in Review, Our staff and volunteer board work hard year-round to preserve history, educate visitors and residents, and spread the word about the rich heritage of the Texas Plains and Panhandle. As 2013 drew to a close, so did our tenth anniversary celebration, with Texas Plains Trail Day in several communities. The events listed below are highlights of our executive director and board travel, representing but a fraction of the myriad museum events, fairs, festivals, history conferences, and other interesting events in our region. SEPTEMBER 4 Canyon Women in Business presentation 5 8 Lubbock 25th Annual National Cowboy Celebration & Symposium Abilene LLC e-commerce work session 12 Quitaque Caprock Area Tourism Seminar presentation Goodnight Molly Goodnight Day; TPTR Day in Armstrong County 14 Dalhart Block Party; TPTR Day in Dalhart 19 Lubbock TPTR Board Training, National Ranching Heritage Center 20 Wheeler, Shamrock, Mobeetie QPT Arrow Dedications Pampa Woody Guthrie Center Folk Jam 20 Memphis QPT Arrow Dedication Panhandle Carson County Museum Day; QPT Arrow Dedication 26 Oct. 20 Dallas State Fair of Texas (Plains Trail booth days Sept. 25 Oct. 1) 28 Clarendon QPT Arrow Dedication, Saints Roost Museum OCTOBER 4 Jayton QPT Arrow installation Palo Duro Canyon Gatlin Brothers concert 5 Snyder QPT Arrow Dedication; White Buffalo Days Abilene Comanche Moon Social, Quanah Parker: The Road Man by Andy Wilkinson 8 Lubbock Lubbock Women s Club presentation 20 Lipscomb Texas Treasure Business Awards 21 Perryton Site visit, Museum of the Plains Amarillo Wildcat Bluff visit; Amarillo CVC visit; Texas Treasure Business Award 24, 25, 26 Lubbock TPTR Board Meeting; brochure workshop; LHUCA Quilts History events 29 Miami QPT Arrow installation NOVEMBER 1, 2 Amarillo QPT Arrow Dedication, Wildcat Bluff 4 Shamrock PTMC meeting, U-Drop Inn; tour of Shamrock 5 8 Bastrop Texas Downtown Association annual Downtown Revitalization Conference 15 Miami QPT Arrow Dedication 19 Lubbock ED annual review DECEMBER 3 5 Austin Texas Heritage Trails statewide meeting; LLC meeting 12 Matador Site visits; City Council presentation 17 Amarillo Site visit, Kwahadi Museum; Michael Martin Murphey concert 18 Amarillo Preservation Texas Rehabilitation Tax Credit workshop 19 Panhandle TPTR Board Meeting and Holiday Celebration JANUARY 1 Copper Breaks State Park First Day Hike Happy Meeting with Hamblen family on Rim to Rim book project 8 Lubbock Lubbock Heritage Society 23 Lubbock Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Spring Kickoff 25 Amarillo Jack Sisemore Traveland Museum visit; Kwahadi Museum Winter Dances 27 Lubbock Lubbock Southwest Rotary presentation; OLLI: Traveling the Texas Plains Trail presentation 29 Lubbock Meeting with Sen. Duncan staff FEBRUARY 3 Cache, OK Marguerite Parker funeral 5 6 Snyder Chamber of Commerce visit; downtown visit Brownwood Texas Forts Trail Roundup 7 Canyon Legislative Forum, WTAMU, with Sen. Seliger, Rep. Price, Rep. Smithee 12 Lubbock Lubbock Heritage Society 13 Roaring Springs Presentation at Roaring Springs Lions Club; visit to springs 14 Brownfield, Seminole Visits to chambers, museums, county judge 20 Shamrock Board meeting; site visits Hale Center Hale County Chamber Meet & Greet, Hale County Farm & Ranch Museum MARCH 2 4 Dallas Leadership Texas session #1 6 Canyon Roundup site visit 8 Lubbock West Texas WWII Museums meeting; presentation on TPTR 3 Dimmitt Dimmitt Rotary Club presentation 6 Texas Plains Trail Region Annual Report

7 17 Spur Grand reopening of Dickens County Museum; local site visits 20 Nazareth Ogallala Commons Partners Reception 22 Lubbock Debut Folk Music Hootenanny, Cactus Theater Austin TTIA Unity Dinner; Texas Highways staff meeting regarding State Fair APRIL 2 5 Lubbock Texas Assn. of Museums/NM Assn. of Museums meeting 3 4 Odessa WTHA Annual Conference, Odessa 9 Plainview Plainview DAR Chapter presentation Sanford Research trip/b&b feature 17 Paducah TPTR Board Meeting/museum tour 18 Palo Duro Canyon Research trip/what s New in the Canyon; Geocaching Workshop 25 Hockley County QPT Arrow marker installation 26 Big Spring Bankhead Highway program by author Dan L. Smith MAY 2 11 Statewide National Travel & Tourism Week 3 6 Laredo Leadership Texas session #2: Multicultural/Binational Texas 7 Amarillo/Canyon Tourism Week Event/ Roundup Announcement 8 Lubbock Lubbock Business Expo (booth partner with West Texas TravelHost) 9 Amarillo Texas Travel Rally Day, Travel Information Center 10 Levelland High Plains Wine & Music Festival 15 Amarillo Amarillo Business Connection (booth partner with PTMC) 21 Amarillo Panhandle PBS Roundup strategy meeting 24 Gail QPT Arrow installation 30 Big Spring Rotary Club presentation; TPTR executive committee meeting Forsan, Big Spring Community visits 30 Roaring Springs QPT Arrow installation Wayside QPT Arrow installation JUNE 3 Lubbock/Crosbyton Quanah Parker Trail motor coach tour (with Holle Humprhies and Tai Kreidler) 7 Lubbock to Claude Lubbock Heritage Society motor coach tour to Charles Goodnight Center/Armstrong County Museum 10 Roaring Springs QPT Arrow marker installation Austin Texas Heritage Trails statewide meeting/llc conference call 17 Lubbock Pizza with President, Lubbock Chamber 101 event 18 San Angelo TAM/Texas Heritage Trails Interpretive Writing Workshop Big Spring Hotel Settles visit/tptr Board Meeting 21 Gail Dorward Drugstore Historical Marker dedication JULY 1 Clarendon PTMC Tourism Gathering, Bar H Dude Ranch 15 Post Rotary Club presentation 18 Littlefield Littlefield Lands Duggan House Museum Wine Tasting Fundraiser 19 Littlefield Littlefield Celebration Childress QPT Arrow installation Canyon Roundup site preparation visit; Texas Shakespeare performance; book proofing meeting with author Vicki Hamblen 30 Aug. 1 Canyon 6th Annual Roundup AUGUST 2 Brownfield Taste of Terry County 5 Vega QPT Arrow installation 7 Pampa, McLean QPT Arrow installation 29 Dimmitt QPT Arrow installation Amarillo Tourism Week at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, with poster prints of a new painting by artist Jack Sorenson View slide shows of many of our events, and download photos for use in your community Texas Plains Trail Region Annual Report

8 a n e w d e c a d e b e g i n s Key Accomplishments Our annual report is drawn from a Scope of Work contract the strategic goals our board sets during the previous year and evaluated by anecdote and experience as well as relevant metrics. Products and Services for Partners We undertake a wide variety of activities and programs to assist regional partners and communities in preserving and interpreting historic resources, through grant funding, education and training, promotion, and projects. We work on behalf of our partners to promote heritage tourism sites and activities throughout the region, throughout the year. County marketing package. TPTR raised $23, in contributions (41% of potential) from 23 counties (44% participation) in FY14, a substantial increase over FY13. $22,039 in county contributions to marketing program 8 Texas Plains Trail Region Annual Report Community minigrants. Under the leadership of board member Jim Brokenbek, TPTR provided a total of $1,400 in grants to fund region projects to the following projects: Armstrong County Museum, to support programming for annual museum banquet; Hutchinson County Museum, for printing souvenir program for commemoration of First Battle of Adobe Walls; Saints Roost Museum, for replacing computer equipment. To sustain this fund, we solicited memorial donations, and also under the leadership of board member Paula Sue Hatfield, collected recyclables that raised $ in FY14. Community presentations, workshops, and speaking engagements. One of our most effective ways to educate our region about the Texas Heritage Trails program and boost preservation, heritage tourism, and economic development in general is through presentations to partners and civic groups. Under leadership of Dr. Holle Humphries and several other board members participating on the Quanah Parker Trail steering committee, frequent Quanah Parker Trail arrow installations and dedications during FY14 provided excellent opportunities for speaking and networking, and for distribution of educational materials. In addition, Barbara Brannon made presentations and talks to 12 community and civic groups during FY14, primarily on the economic impact of heritage tourism Texas Travel Rally Day, May 9, 2014 (board members are encouraged to adapt and use these PowerPoints and handouts in their own presentations). Barbara also made brief comments at Texas Plains Trail Day events throughout the region and participated in Leadership Texas Community events. In addition to official TPTR events, Barbara Brannon attended nearly 100 partner and community events within the region throughout FY14, often in conjunction with broader site or community visits including music events, seminars, lectures, gallery openings, presentations, and guided hikes at our region s parks. Board members further extend our reach, serving as ambassadors throughout our 52 counties and beyond. Awards. We encourage our partners to pursue recognitions and designations in the fields of preservation, tourism, and community service and help them celebrate when they win. In FY14, Cleo Lamonte Montie Goodin of Armstrong County received the prestigious Clara Driscoll Award from Preservation Texas, in the same year the Ted Lokey Oil Company building of Amarillo was recognized with one of the organization s Historic Rehabilitation Awards. The Potter County Courthouse restoration project Amarillo Business Connection, in partnership with PTMC

9 was recognized by the Texas Downtown Association with a 2013 President s Award for Best Restoration. In 2013, eight County Historical Commissions in our region received the Distinguished Service Award from the Texas Historical Commission: Carson, Castro, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Swisher, and Wheeler. Partnerships. Key partner organizations include West Texas Trip, Texas Midwest Community Network, GoTexan, Panhandle Tourism Marketing Council, Preservation Texas, Caprock Partners, Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation, Partners in Palo Duro, Lubbock Heritage Society, Preservation Texas, and many cities, counties, chambers of commerce, economic development corporations, visitor bureaus, county historical commissions, Main Street programs, and civic organizations. Our Tourism & Preservation Roundup has become one of the most eagerly anticipated, most energizing gatherings in our region. Following year-long planning, a successful 6th annual conference was held July 30 Aug. 1 in Canyon, with keynoter Chet Garner, TV s The Daytripper. (continued on p. 10) Scenes from Roundup 2014, clockwise from top left: Roundup poster; Texas Plains Trail display by Lind and Mike Germany at Vendor Fair; Daytripper Chet Garner at Texas musical drama; capacity crowd at Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum; encore at Texas drama; Vicki Hamblen and family with a presentation on The Rim to Rim Road ; Chet Garner regales crowd with Your Town/Your Stories. Photographs by Barbara Brannon, Jim Brokenbek, and Canyon News. Texas Plains Trail Region Annual Report

10 (continued from p. 9) Conference attendance was approximately 155, and some 60 stayed for dinner and the Texas musical drama; 18 exhibitors participated in the Vendor Fair. Approximately $20,000 in cash and in-kind sponsorships was raised, with several hundred dollars more in donated prizes. Our 2015 conference will be held in Lubbock watch for details! Marketing Activities on Behalf of Partners Media publicity. Owing to a wealth of appealing content, TPTR was able to generate significant media exposure throughout FY14. According to clippings from Google Alerts, local papers, and the THC clipping service, TPTR generated hundreds of inches of print media coverage. In addition, we partnered with High Plains Public Radio for sponsorship of Chet Garner s Roundup appearance, for an in-kind publicity and advertising value of $6,700. Quilt history with Marcia Kaylakie, in partnership with the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts Database development. We maintain robust databases of media contacts, friends, partners, and sites, as well as an inventory of tourism literature distributed on behalf of partners. Tales from the Trail e-newsletter. Our monthly newsletter, with some 2,000 subscribers, serves travelers, partners, and news media alike. Dorward Drug Store Day, Gail (Borden County) Social media and blasts. We promoted our events and those of partners not only through newspapers and radio but via Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and , using selective paid promotions and incrementally building Facebook likes from 3,250 to some 6,700, generating thousands of page views and boosting engagement. During FY14 we created and shared thousands of Facebook posts, reaching thousands of viewers. Barbara s TrailBlazer Blog appears occasionally, with mini-essays and photos from around the region. Publicity images. We continue to build our library of images from around the region (photographing more than 80 TPTR events and sites during FY14). Curated highresolution photos are posted as Flickr slide shows, available to partners for free download and use subject to a Creative Commons license. Downtown Plainview Literature distribution. TPTR distributes printed materials for heritage tourism partners at regular events and sites primarily at the popular Palo Duro Canyon State Park Visitor Center, which we restock every 4 weeks (every 2 to 3 weeks during summer tourist season). An estimated 7,000 pieces of literature and 1,000 copies of TravelHost magazines and visitor guides were distributed during FY14. TPTR also fulfills individual requests for our travel guides, generated from THC leads (state, nation, worldwide) and other sources; we fulfilled more than 30 such requests, as well as numerous referrals and requests for images and partner information, during FY14. Our newly designed regional and Quanah Parker Trail rack cards were accepted for distribution statewide at the 12 Texas Travel Information Centers. In addition, we participated in distributing literature for dozens of our partners throughout the State Fair of Texas, an event that reaches more than 3 million visitors. Trade and travel exhibits. TPTR staffed booths and displayed region and partner information at major events, which also provide excellent networking and professional development opportunities. Amarillo Business Connection Lubbock Business Expo National Cowboy Symposium & Celebration State Fair of Texas TPTR Tourism & Preservation Roundup TTIA Travel Fair West Texas Historical Association 10 Texas Plains Trail Region Annual Report

11 Print advertising and direct mail. During FY14, we continued our Great Texpectations tourism campaign with ads in four issues of West Texas TravelHost magazine and the Texas event program. We also adapted this ad as a full-color flyer for inclusion in direct mailings and other collateral uses. Two direct mail campaigns went to select partners, mayors, county judges, and other recipients. 6,731 Facebook likes Digital advertising via GriffinWink. TPTR enhanced its traditional media efforts with a targeted Facebook ad strategy in spring/summer 2014 to build followers and engagement, doubling its number of likes and widely promoting Roundup. Promotional video. TPTR makes a 15-minute regional travelogue available on DVD; in 2014 we continued work on an updated 3-minute digital video with an expanded, documentary version, to debut in FY15. THC campaigns. TPTR cooperated with THC social media campaigns throughout the year, supplying text and images; we also shared social media for special emphases such as Tourism Week. Products and Services for Travelers We work to encourage direct participation in heritage experiences and cultural tourism by the traveling public including residents who are tourists in their own hometowns. Quanah Parker Trail motor coach tour with Texas Tech OLLI, July 2014 Quanah Parker Trail. The QPT steering committee is closing in on its initial goal of installing one arrow per TPTR county, with some 80 arrows currently in place; has installed dozens of granite markers; and has begun work on its educational and promotional phase. Webmaster Hanaba Welch has continued to update the informational website and map, and in FY14 we produced an attractive rack card for distribution by communities upon request. In June 2014, QPT stepon guides collaborated with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Texas Tech to offer a sold-out motor coach tour of several arrow sites. Visitor Guide. Any heritage tourism partner within the region may participate in this cooperative Visitor Guide with TPTR/West Texas TravelHost via paid advertising; TPTR assists with distribution at no additional cost. Combined Heritage Trails guide. Staff and board contributed assistance to the THC in updating a printed guide to replace the depleted suite of printed Trails guides. Website. We continued to enhance text, image, and calendar content on our revamped TexasPlainsTrail.com (the region s site with city, site, theme, and event information), contributing to a 24/7 tool for visitors to plan heritage travel region- and statewide. TPTR Anniversary. Wrapping up our 10th Anniversary year that launched in January 2013, TPTR worked with counties to designate Texas Plains Trail Region Days throughout the region. We recognized the October anniversary date of our founding, with Texas Plains Trail Day in our new headquarters city of Lubbock, and continued our celebration through Dec. 31, Specialty items. During FY14 we added to our selection of Our website Calendar of Events is discoverable worldwide. Quanah Parker Trail arrow installation at Roaring Springs with a little help (continued on p. 12) Texas Plains Trail Region Annual Report

12 (continued from p. 11) imprinted items, making available logo trailer hitches, car sunshades, travel journals, luggage tags, key chains, name tags, and apparel as ways to spread our visibility wherever travelers go. Winning Hand deck of playing cards with county attractions. We began updating county information this distinctive promotion, with new cards available early in FY15. Texas Plains Trail Books. Our new series of reprint and new editions launched in August 2013 with E. Hamblen s Panhandle classic The Rim To Rim Road. Books are now available online and at area museum stores and bookstores. Sustainability We create revenue streams and solicit funds to carry out our long-term work, which we manage responsibly and sustainably. While our operations are funded in part by a $75,000 annual transportation enhancement grant administered by the Texas Historical Commission, our work largely depends on county partner funding, which supports a comprehensive marketing program for our entire region. We also rely on grants and donations, and sales of tourism and education goods and services. Dinner organized by the Texas Travel Industry Association, and concentrated on messaging and contacts in advance of the 84th Legislative Session in Internships. TPTR was fortunate to have Texas Tech student Emily Pellegrini to work on a variety of media and information projects during spring Board development, training, and strategic planning. Three new board members and incoming president Paula Sue Hatfield attended September 2013 board training with executive director Barbara Brannon. The board held six meetings during FY14, at Lubbock, Panhandle, Shamrock, Paducah, Big Spring, and Canyon, each followed by tours, presentations, and community networking opportunities. Nominating committee chair Debbie Wegman oversaw the process of soliciting and screening board applicants and presenting new board and officer candidates. Strategic planning was held during the June board meeting. June TPTR board meeting at Hotel Settles, Big Spring Grant seeking/grant making. While TPTR itself did not apply for grants during FY14, we continue to support grants to others and to research future opportunities. Sustainability initiative. After careful consideration, TPTR agreed in 2012 to join seven other Heritage Trails Regions as Heritage Trails LLC, a for-profit endeavor to generate revenues via activities related to our mission. TPTR treasurer Kathleen Beach serves as TPTR s representative on the LLC board. Legislative relationships and advocacy. Realizing the importance of strong advocacy with lawmakers to the survival and success of our heritage tourism and preservation efforts, we seek to maintain visibility for our organization and issues during and between Texas legislative sessions. We thanked our legislators throughout the year and invited them to attend the March 2014 Unity Liaison with Texas Historical Commission programs and other Texas Heritage Trails. TPTR board and staff participate in regular statewide meetings and conference calls that bring them up to speed on preservation opportunities and allow them to share news from our region. We also receive regular news bulletins and reports from, and submit news and reports of our own to, our statewide organization. Professional development and community leadership. Via industry bulletins, seminars, and meetings, and volunteerism in related endeavors, TPTR staff and board continually build their knowledge in areas of tourism, preservation, economic development, fundraising, regional history, information technology, and marketing for the benefit of our own sustainability, and that of our partners. 12 Texas Plains Trail Region Annual Report

13 p r o j e c t s a n d p r o m o t i o n s Preservation Highlights The Texas Plains Trail Region congratulates several preservation and local-history projects that made headlines in FY14. In February, Amarillo s Texas Air and Space Museum welcomed to its hangar a seventy-year-old DC-3 listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2013 the restored Potter County Courthouse received a President s Award for Best Restoration from the Texas Downtown Association. At Lubbock s Buddy Holly Center, the restored and relocated home of Crickets drummer J. I. Allison was opened for tours in September Two new museums, the Comanchero Canyons Museum in Quitaque and the Milburn-Price Cultural Center in Vega, opened to the public. Plainview s Granada Theater, one of many historic film houses in our region, scheduled a Labor Day weekend full of musical events to raise funds for ongoing restoration. Clockwise from top: a carreta at the new Comanchero Canyons Museum in Quitaque; inside the new Milburn-Price Cultural Center in Vega; historic DC-3 en route to Amarillo; restored marquee signage, Mulkey Theatre, Clarendon. f u n d r a i s i n g The 52 Club 52 cards in a deck, 52 weeks in a year, 52 counties in the Texas Plains Trail Region. All of our counties have education and preservation projects in need of a little boost and our 52 Club is one way we help provide it. Your gift of only $52 a year or any multiple of 52 helps museums mount exhibitions, county historical commissions develop programs, or communities get through an emergency need. Consider making your annual $52 Club donation (or any other gift to TPTR) in memory of a friend from the Texas Plains Trail Region. Make checks payable to Texas Plains Trail Region, or donate via PayPal. Your gift is tax-deductible according to IRS regulations. Contact info@texasplainstrail.com, , to make your pledge; or mail your check to P. O. Box 88, Lubbock, TX We can also accept donations via major credit card. Texas Plains Trail Region Annual Report

14 s e p t e m b e r a u g u s t Financial Report INCOME September 1, 2013 August 31, 2014 Texas Historical Commission Heritage Trails Grant $75, County Marketing Program $23, Tourism & Preservation Roundup $14, Local Fundraising Projects $ Resale Items (books, logo items, apparel) $ Quanah Parker Trail Monuments (designated) $3, Miscellaneous Revenue $ Accrued Interest $13.45 TOTAL INCOME $118, Checking & Savings Balances from Previous Year $56, TOTAL $174, EXPENSES September 1, 2013 August 31, 2014 Salaries, Benefits, and Payroll Expenses (staff and interns) $51, Office Operation, Insurance, Dues, Subscriptions, Fees, and Equipment $4, Postage, Shipping, and Supplies $5, Marketing, Advertising, Promotions for Partners $25, Regional and Professional Development Travel; Board Mtg. Expense $17, Texas Heritage Trails LLC Investment $0.00 Tourism & Preservation Roundup $9, Professional Development Workshops $0.00 TPTR Grants Funded $1, Quanah Parker Trail Monuments $0.00 TOTAL EXPENSES $116, in checking & savings as of 8/31/2014 NET BALANCE $58, Texas Plains Trail Region Annual Report

15 l o o k i n g f o r w a r d t o... Our Next 52 Weeks of Promotion & Education It was not until 2009 that I was introduced to the legacy of the THC Heritage Trails. In 1968, Governor Connally made a bold move to divide Texas into ten regions that would highlight the diversity and vastness of this great state. In the Texas Plains Trail Region, largest of the ten, the task of promoting 50,000 square miles of diverse cultures, landscapes, and attractions, myriad wildflowers and trees, and a heritage that bespeaks ancestors from all over is not an easy one. However, the Texas Plains Trail board of directors, composed of dedicated, conscientious volunteers, embraces this task with enthusiasm and professionalism. We will continue to utilize the varied marketing resources, trade shows, and partnerships to make this region the best it can be. I am, therefore, honored and excited to serve as president of the Texas Plains Trail board of directors for the year. Paula Hatfield mugs for the camera during a backstage tour of the historic La Rita Performing Arts Theatre, Dalhart Happy Trails, Paula Sue Hatfield Snyder, Scurry County, Texas The Rim to Rim Road Will Hamblen and the Crossing of Palo Duro Canyon E. Hamblen, with a new introduction by Vicki Hamblen now on sale William Henry Hamblen was a man with a dream. He was a pioneer with a purpose, a trail blazer, a man of action and persistence. With no formal training in road building, at a time when resources and funds were slim, he left a monument to his dream: an automobile road across America s second largest canyon that connected remote communities, boosted trade, and opened the way for the Texas state highway to come. His daughter-in-law, Eutha Hamblen, told his story in 1971 as Rim to Rim, long out of print now. Today yet another Hamblen descendant, Vicki Hamblen, has brought this important chapter of Texas history back, amplified with never-before-published photographs, an index, and a new historical introduction. A new generation will appreciate the adventures and acquaintances of this Panhandle pioneer as they traverse Texas State Highway 207 across Palo Duro Canyon, widely known as one of the most scenic drives in the Lone Star State. about the author Vicki Hamblen, granddaughter of the late Eutha Hamblen, is a graduate of Happy High School and McMurry College (now University) and now serves on the staff of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at West Texas A&M University. She lives in Happy, Texas. History / Texas Panhandle ISBN (trade paperback) 120 pages; 40 photos and charts; index September 2014 $16.95 Texas Plains Trail Books Texas Plains Trail Region Annual Report

16 2014 Partner Decal Program Please display our Heritage Partner decal proudly in a prominent location that will identify you to your visitors and supporters! We have the same style of 3.5x3.5-inch decal in three mounting formats to suit your needs: 1. Cling vinyl (reversed to mount on inside of window), easily removable from glass 2. Adhesive vinyl, reversed (to mount on inside of window), removable from glass by peeling 3. Adhesive vinyl, right-reading (to be affixed to wall, bulletin board, or sign, removable by peeling If you have not received a decal in the mail or from one of our board members, please request the type you would like via to info@texasplainstrail.com. Include your name and mailing address, and we ll send you one right away! We also encourage you to include the Texas Plains Trail Region logo in your printed promotional literature. Logos are downloadable from barbarabrannon/sets/ / TEXAS PLAINS TRAIL REGION P. O. Box 88 Lubbock TX VOICE FAX info@texasplainstrail.com TexasPlainsTrail.com Big region. Big history. Big fun. 16 Texas Plains Trail Region Annual Report