McCamey in Upton County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
T.P. Tavern
Photographed By James Hulse, July 2, 2022
1. T.P. Tavern Marker
Inscription.
T.P. Tavern. . McCamey residents and visitors remember this site of a well-known nightclub. Co-owners Tom Bargesser and Perry Fitzsimmons used their first initials to name the T.P. Tavern in 1927. The first location near Shell Pipeline road served large crowds during an oil exploration boom. In 1934, the business moved here, accommodating more space and a wooden dance floor. Jim Sloan took over management in 1938, adding distinctive teepee insignia to the building. As part of the west Texas roadhouse circuit, the tavern hosted regional musicians and many who gained national fame, including Ernest Tubb, Lawrence Welk and Bob Wills. Rattlesnake derbies and boxing matches were also popular before the building burned in 1976.
McCamey residents and visitors remember this site of a well-known nightclub. Co-owners Tom Bargesser and Perry Fitzsimmons used their first initials to name the T.P. Tavern in 1927. The first location near Shell Pipeline road served large crowds during an oil exploration boom. In 1934, the business moved here, accommodating more space and a wooden dance floor. Jim Sloan took over management in 1938, adding distinctive teepee insignia to the building. As part of the west Texas roadhouse circuit, the tavern hosted regional musicians and many who gained national fame, including Ernest Tubb, Lawrence Welk and Bob Wills. Rattlesnake derbies and boxing matches were also popular before the building burned in 1976.
Erected 2008 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 14304.)
Location. 31° 8.681′ N, 102° 11.839′ W. Marker is in McCamey, Texas, in Upton County. Marker is at the intersection of U.S. 67 and East 5th Street, on the left when traveling west on U.S. 67. The marker is located along the highway at a small pullout. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mc Camey TX 79752, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are
McCamey, on U.S. Highway 67 five miles east of the Pecos River in southwestern Upton County, developed almost overnight as a result of the discovery of oil nearby. In September 1925 wildcatter George B. McCamey brought in Baker No. 1. A Corpus Christi real estate firm, Burleson and Johns, with Lon McKinney, a man named Brooks, Taylor Emerson, and A. W. Carruthers, organized the original townsite company the day after the well came in. The town grew from a siding established on the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway to supply the new field. George Port, land agent for the railroad, named the town. By 1926 seven major oil companies had leases in the surrounding area. Source: Texas State Historical Association - The Handbook of Texas
(Submitted on July 4, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Photographed By James Hulse, July 2, 2022
2. The view of the T.P. Tavern Marker from the street
Credits. This page was last revised on July 4, 2022. It was originally submitted on July 4, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 114 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 4, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
