Seeds of History Jack County museum features birthplace of 4-H, WWII Lost Battalion
Most of Jack County’s history is already known by those who grew up there; living and witnessing its changes throughout the years
Among the county's most famous stories is the impact Tom Marks, a jack-of-all trades former county agent, had on the area's farming and agriculture. Marks helped introduce newer, more efficient farming methods to the area through the sons of older farmers in the early 1900s when their fathers refused to listen to his ideas.
The program was popular among the children of Jack County, and Marks took his idea to Washington, D.C., and spoke to like-minded people. Soon after, The Corn Club evolved into The 4-H Club, and the organization focused on teaching children about rural life took, now having about 6 million members and 90,000 clubs.
Jack County from then on would be known as the birthplace of the concept of teaching children about agriculture in a formal setting. But, that wouldn’t be the defining moment of the county, nor would it be the only history for which it is known.
To better tell the history of Jack County, the Jack County Museum opened in 1988 in a house once occupied by Marks. It hosts many treasures covering the entire history of Jack County. Stories told inside include Native American artifacts, the history of pioneers traversing the territory in search of a new beginning, the bravery of a National Guard unit, the skills of a cowgirl and an old-time kitchen.
Jacksboro was once home to a Texas National Guard outfit: the 2nd Battalion, 131st Field Artillery, 36th Infantry Division. The unit consisted of men from mostly North Texas, with firing batteries D, E and F from Wichita Falls, Abilene and Jacksboro. Their history is told in the museum's military room.
Front page newspaper accounts of famous times in history are displayed in the military room of the Jack County Museum in Jacksboro, Texas.
Jackie Worthington, a member of the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, is also honored with a display. The Jack County native won 23 world championship titles during her 13-year rodeo career. Worthington grew up on her parents' ranch in Jack County.
Frances Easter, board president for the Jack County Museum, talks about the exhibit of Hall of Fame cowgirl Jackie Worthington.
Another famous Jack County native with a dedicated display is Ida Lasater Huckabay. She would go on to become a noted local historian and wrote a 600-page book that chronicles the origins and development of Jack County. Her wedding dress from June 1902, when she married Dr. F.G. Huckabay, was donated to the museum.
Other items stored in the museum include a kitchen complete with a wood-burning stove, a couple of kettles and a waffle iron from the 1900s sitting on top, antique items like a wooden baby carriage, a pump organ and an Edison record player. The home's garage also houses saddles used at nearby Loving Ranch, as well as tools, harnesses, an ox yoke, wooden washing machines and barbed wire.
The Marks house isn’t the only old structure on the property, though. An 1887 one-room log cabin and a second-level loft purchased by the Lockhart family in the late 19th century rests behind the house.
The Powell family donated the cabin to the Jack County Museum in 1992.
Inside the cabin is a quilting frame, handmade wooden chair and a spinning wheel.
The loft area of the Powell log cabin on the grounds of the Jack County Museum in Jacksboro. The historic structure was built in 1887 and restored after it was donated to the museum in 1992
