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Mar 18, 2016 ... TAHOKA - It's 24 feet tall, colorful and, supporters say, a great tribute to a legendary Comanche chief. Tahoka Lake Pasture is the Quanah ... News Sports Entertainment Lifestyle Opinion Advertise Obituaries eNewspaper Legals Quanah Parker arrow sees new home in Tahoka Lake Pasture TAHOKA - It's 24 feet tall, colorful and, supporters say, a great tribute to a legendary Comanche chief. Tahoka Lake Pasture is the Quanah Parker Trail's newest home of a commemorative arrow. "These sculptures are not only gigantic, they are beautiful - they are the perfect way to honor Quanah Parker," said Barbara Brannon, executive director of the Texas Plains Trail Region. "...We're really proud to have the Tahoka Lake Pasture as the latest addition to our Quanah Parker Trail." Located east of Tahoka and south of Wilson in rural Lynn County, the Tahoka Lake Pasture is home to roaming cattle and plentiful vegetation. Later in the springtime, look for its namesake purple and yellow Tahoka daisies, among other wildflowers. The lake itself nearly dried up a few years ago, but rebounded dramatically with last year's heavy rains. Arrow creator Charles Smith devotes a full two days to each of them. The Lynn Countian starts with 4-inch pipe, then builds the fletchings for the top of the arrow. The next steps are welding, sand-blasting and powder-coating to make the paint stick. Smith's day job is in farming and cotton ginning; arrow art is more of a hobby. "It's neat to be a part of something like that," he said. The tip of the arrow marks the ground's surface. Beneath that is a 3-foot metal base you won't see again after installation. That project was Friday morning. Supporters carefully placed the arrow in a pre-dug hole, surrounded it with concrete mix and made adjustments, then stepped back to the admire the pasture's new addition.
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Mar 20, 2020 ... Today, conservation efforts exist to preserve the Tahoka Lake pasture and the history around the lake. Texas Tech University conducts ... News Sports Entertainment Lifestyle Opinion Advertise Obituaries eNewspaper Legals Caprock Chronicles: Tahoka Lake through the years The Caprock Chronicles are edited each week by Jack Becker a Librarian at TTU Libraries. He can be reached at jack.becker@ttu.edu. Today’s article is by Austin Allison, a cataloger at the Southwest Collection/Special Collection Library at Texas Tech. His essay is about the history of one of the Caprocks unique physical features. Lynn County and the lakes within its boundaries comprise one of the seminal locations on the Llano Estacado. Located in the northeastern quadrant of the county, Tahoka Lake and the springs surrounding it was a common watering hole for different populations throughout recorded history. Part of the lake’s attraction was that it was a freshwater lake, usually full year-round in an area of alkali lakes and playas that annually dried-up in the summer. Although the exact origin of Tahoka Lake’s name is unclear, the last native inhabitants of the South Plains, the Comanche Indians, often visited the lake and may offer a clue about the name’s origin. Baldwin Parker, son of Quanah Parker, recalled hearing elders speaking about the lake and its fresh, drinkable water, and Col. Martin Crimmings, a cavalryman who was in the area in the 1870s, produced research detailing Great Plains place names that corroborated this. The Comanche word “tohoko” reportedly means “fresh water.” During the second half of the 19th century, a new phase of the lake’s history began. The advent of the Red River War, more than 100 miles to the north, saw an increased effort by the United States military to force Comanche Indians onto the reservation at Fort Sill. Although Tahoka Lake was not the site of any major actions of the campaigns, some minor skirmishes did occur at or around the lake.