City of Borger

#ThrowbackThursday
"Rock House Near Borger Scene of Thriller Sunday" - April 25th, 1927

Taking part in a sensational whiskey raid and canyon chase that outrivaled the most high-powered movie thriller or adventure story, state rangers Sunday unearthed a situation that filled them with horror and at the same time rung their heartstrings.

The scene of the battle Sunday afternoon was a place known as the "rock house". An old rock building hidden among low vegetation in a canyon about 8 miles east of Borger, forming an ideal picture.

Six rangers, under the leadership of Captain Bill Sterling, surrounded the hut and with high powered riffles, began to close in. Suspecting a whiskey still to which they had been tipped off previously, suddenly a man dashed from the house, broke through the ranger guard, and began to climb to the top of a bluff overhanging the narrow ravine.

Riffles spat almost instantaneously against the side of the hill in an effort to frighten the runner into surrendering. But the man kept on swiftly and cautiously marking his way to the top of the hedge. Then one ranger made a break for the hill and, while his companions continued to shell the hill with bullets be reached a point where he cornered the fleeing man, forcing him to throw up his hands and stop his flight.

But the outstanding event of the story came when the rangers, leading the man back to the hut, discovered a 10-year-old boy jumping up and down with excitement, clapping his hands with glee, and calling for a riffle that he might join in on the chase. Beside the lad was an elderly woman, her face worked to a hideous frow. Tobacco juice ran down her chin as she began to shout oaths at the officers, they said, condemning them for disturbing the secrecy of their distillery and for breaking the tranquility of the sleeping ravine.

In the interior of the hut rangers said, they found a whiskey still of large capacity and two more a short distance away. The equipment was broken up while the man and woman and the youth looked on.

All through the procedure, Captain Sterling noticed the delight exhibited by the small boy whose eyes shone with a peculiar glint, leading the captain to open a conversation with the lad.

Billy Ainsworth was his name, the boy said, at first timid at the thought of confiding with an officer. Then, when he was assured that he would be given every care, the lad broke down in tears and told his pitiful story.

Billy was raised in an orphanage at Amarillo. He could but faintly recall a mother, but his father was unknown to him. His life at the orphanage was as happy as such a place could afford, he said, but all happiness was scuffed out when the moonshiner and his wife came to Amarillo to adopt him less than a month ago.

Living in secrecy in the deserted canyon with the moonshiner and his wife, the lad was taught to make whiskey and his life threatened if he ever dared to disclose the plant.

Day after day, the boy quietly went about the business he was then learning, much against his will, and youthful judgement, bravely bearing the cruelty of the gruff moonshiner and his wife, he said.

The appearance of officers, seizing the distillery and capturing the moonshiner, who, incidentally, the rangers said was later discovered to be a notorious Oklahoma outlaw in hiding because of the many charges facing him, once more brought happiness and sunshine into the little fellow's life, bringing about an unusual climax.

Today, Billy Aimsworth has a temporary home with Captain Sterling and his force of hardy rangers at the Marland Hotel. Someday, he is going to grow up and be a ranger, too, he says, but in the meanwhile, he hopes through the aid of his officer friends to find a home in which he may reach that stage of manhood.

Skip the Carousel

1 2

4 days ago | [YT] | 1

City of Borger

#ThrowbackThursday - How Cofield Park & Community Center came to be:

To tell this story, we have to start with Booker T. Washington School & R.G. Cofield.

Just two years after Borger’s founding, a 1928 scholastic census recorded five African American students in the community. Their education began at Bethel Baptist Church on the west side of town, where Mrs. Tallie Anderson Smith taught six grades in a single space. As the community grew, the school relocated to the north side of Borger. By 1931, Borger ISD established its first formal school for Black students which was a one room frame building at Brain and 11th Streets—named Booker T. Washington School (in honor of the renowned educator).

By 1936, the school served as many as fifty students with just one teacher, reflecting both the need and the limitations of the time. In 1946, R.G. Cofield and his wife, Maye Della “Honey” Cofield arrived with a mission to strengthen educational opportunities for Black children. R.G. became principal of Booker T. Washington School, and Maye Della joined as a teacher.

When the Cofield's arrived, the school had only two teachers. Under R.G.’s leadership, the faculty grew to seven, expanding both curriculum and opportunity. Facilities improved as well, including the construction of a new brick building. In a resourceful move, two surplus barracks from Pampa Air Force Base were repurposed into classrooms and a gymnasium.

The school eventually expanded to serve all twelve grades, and in 1949, Booker T. Washington celebrated its first graduating class, with John L. Miles as its first graduate. Students, known as the Dragons and Dragonettes, excelled not only in the classroom but in athletics, particularly basketball.

Following the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, desegregation began to take shape. In 1956, Borger ISD integrated grades seven through twelve. Booker T. Washington transitioned into an elementary school, with older students attending Sam Houston Junior High and Borger High School. By 1964, the school closed, and many of its teachers moved on to other opportunities.

Though the building is gone, its legacy remains. Booker T. Washington School stands as a powerful chapter in Borger’s history. At the heart of that story is R.G. Cofield, whose leadership helped shape generations of students. In a time of inequality and limited resources, he built something lasting... proof that even in the most challenging circumstances, progress is possible when a community refuses to stand still.

R.G. Cofield wasn’t just an educator; he was a builder of opportunity during a time when access was limited. His work at Booker T. Washington School helped shape generations of students and anchor a sense of community on Borger’s north side. Naming Cofield Park and the Cofield Community Center in that same area serves as a lasting tribute to that influence. Where the school once stood as a place for growth, learning, and connection, those spaces now continue that mission in a new form.

1 week ago | [YT] | 0

City of Borger

#ThrowbackThursday - The Sands Motel & Restaurant

Borger’s Sands Motel sat in a sweet spot along Cedar Street, catching a steady stream of oilfield crews, traveling salesmen, refinery workers, and families crossing the Panhandle. As post–World War II road travel surged, the appetite for convenient roadside lodging rose right alongside it.

The Sands Motel, located on the corner of 10th and Cedar Street, emerged during the mid-20th century motel boom of the early 1960s — a period when streamlined architecture, neon signage, and easy car access were hallmarks of modern convenience. Positioned along one of Borger’s primary travel corridors, the Sands offered something new for its time: parking directly outside your room, air-conditioned comfort, and a place to rest without navigating downtown congestion.

Built by Charles E. and Hazel Whittington, the Sands featured a low slung, two story building arranged in a L shape around a central parking area. Its name “Sands” evoked the West Texas landscape itself, tying the property to the wide open plains that surrounded Borger. The motel offered air conditioning, television, a pool, and a dang good meal.

#100yearsofgrit

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

City of Borger

#ThrowbackThursday "The McIlroy Brothers"

In the early days of the Panhandle oil story, opportunity didn’t come with certainty, it came with risk.

In December 1918, a group of folks had discovered oil near the Masterson Area which sent a ripple of excitement across the Panhandle region. Among those paying attention were the McIlroy brothers. They had no background in oil, no roadmap to follow, just belief in what might be possible. In early 1919, they formed the Dixon Creek Oil Company and set their sights on Hutchinson County.

They secured leases on the Smith Ranch and drilled their first well: The Smith-Capers No. 1. By June of 1922, that well produced only thirty barrels a day—a modest return by any measure. For many, that might have been the end of the story. But not for the McIlroys...

They pressed on, incorporating the company in 1924 to raise additional funding to drill. With support from key investors like Henry and Millard Nobles, they stayed the course. In March 1925, their persistence paid off when the Dixon Creek - Smith No. 1, began producing around 400 barrels a day. By December, a second well on the same lease surged to 3,000 barrels a day. Progress...

Looking to push production even further, Tex McIlroy made a quick decision. He opted to deepen the original Smith No. 1 well, instead of relocating. On January 11, 1926, after drilling just two more feet, the well erupted, producing 10,000 barrels a day!

That single moment didn’t just change the trajectory of a company; it changed the fate of an entire region. The gusher had ignited an oil boom that would transform the Panhandle.

Once Ace Borger got wind of this, he rode on horseback all the way from Oklahoma to lay eyes on the "gusher" himself. He knew that building a city was no longer just a possibility. It was inevitable. He immediately purchased 240 acres from John Frank Weatherly, at $50 an acre for a total of $12,000.

Two months later, on March 8th, 1926 - lots went up for sale in the townsite of "Borger". And we all know what happened next... #100yearsofgrit

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

City of Borger

#ThrowbackThursday
The Post Office

Before it became the Thomas Greenhouse and Seasons Antiques, the building at 120 W. 5th Street was Borger’s post office—but its story starts long before these walls were built.

When Borger was founded in 1926, one of the very first civic institutions established was a U.S. Post Office, operating out of Ace Borger’s townsite office on Main Street.

As Borger grew, so did its post office. It moved to 323 N. Main Street, then again to a temporary site at 508/509 N. Main Street (the old M.E. Moses Building). That third location became part of a darker chapter in Borger’s early history—where, in 1934, town founder Ace Borger was shot and killed inside by Arthur Huey, after a long going dispute.

By the mid-1930s, Borger and the rest of the country... was in a very different place.

The Great Depression had left millions out of work, and in response, the federal government created the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Its goal was simple: put people back to work by building things that communities actually needed, like schools, roads, parks, and public buildings.

That’s where this building comes in.

Constructed in 1936 and opened in 1937, this became Borger’s fourth post office. Unlike the earlier locations, it wasn’t temporary or improvised, it was built to last. A sign that Borger was beginning to move from its rough beginnings into something more stable and established.

Inside these walls, generations sent letters, received news, enlisted for the draft, and stayed connected to the world beyond the Panhandle. The worn wooden floors still carry the marks of their footsteps, paths etched over time by the steady rhythm of a growing community.

Today, Borger’s primary post office sits at 500 S. McGee, serving the community since around 1978. But this building remains a reminder of a time when even in hardship, people were building for the future.

Stay tuned for a "Behind the doors" exclusive on this gem 😉

#100yearsofgrit

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3

1 month ago | [YT] | 0

City of Borger

#throwbackthursday
The Borger Gassers - Borger's Minor League Baseball Team

The West Texas New Mexico Baseball League was a rough and ready operation. It was comprised of towns scattered across Texas and New Mexico—Abilene, Amarillo, Lubbock, Pampa, Clovis, Albuquerque, etc... Mostly oil towns. Railroad towns. Dusty places carved out of determination more than design.

In the late 1930's - Borger joined that world.

Borger wasn’t long removed from its wild reputation when baseball came calling. The team originated in Abilene and later moved to Borger on July 9th, 1939.
(Note: We've found a few sources that indicate Borger started in the league as early as 1937 - but we could not verify with a roster until 1939)

J.M. Huber had a hand in bringing the team to Borger - as such, they created a baseball field at Huber Park, known as "Huber Stadium". Games were played there, and crowds gathered to cheer under the wide Texas sky.

The team quickly earned a reputation across the region. They were tough. Competitive. They faced off against other semi-pro teams from all over, turning each game into a small-town spectacle. Their identity was inseparable from the town itself. They weren’t polished, but they were relentless.

The Gassers played only briefly, like many teams in small markets during that era. The league blamed television and air conditioning on the lack of attendance. The Gassers lasted from 1939 until 1954 (with a brief pause during WW2, from 1943 - 1945). Check out our Facebook for the roasters and see who you can recognize!

Facebook post: www.facebook.com/share/p/1CUyyisgMM/?mibextid=wwXI…

Stats courtesy of www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/l-WTNM

Newspaper article: texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth167754/m1/3…

Skip the Carousel

1 2

1 month ago | [YT] | 2

City of Borger

#ThrowbackThursday - Two-Gun Dick Herwig

Borger wasn’t built quietly. We all know that much... It came roaring into existence in 1926. It was the kind of place where fortunes were made fast… and trouble followed just as quickly. And in the middle of it all stood a man known as “Two-Gun Dick” Herwig, who was known to carry two pearl handle six shooters, and pistol whip you if the mood struck.

Herwig was appointed as the Chief law enforcement officer under Borger’s first mayor, John R. Miller. On the surface, that meant order. Authority. Protection. But in reality, Dick Herwig was something else entirely.

Two-Gun Dick didn’t just patrol the town. He controlled it. Before arriving in Borger, Herwig was already under indictment for murder in Oklahoma. Yet despite that, Mayor Miller placed him in charge of law enforcement. And Herwig didn’t come alone—he brought with him a group of men just as comfortable operating outside the law. They weren’t there to clean up Borger. They were there to run it.

Under Herwig’s control, Borger became less of a city and more of an enterprise. Gambling houses, bootlegging operations, prostitution rings—nothing operated without his knowledge. Or his cut. His version of “law enforcement” meant collecting fees from the very activities he was supposed to shut down.

By 1927, things had gone a little too far. Violence escalated, and corruption tightened its grip. Borger’s reputation spread beyond the Panhandle—not as a success story, but as something closer to a warning. Eventually, two deputy sheriffs were gunned down on Dixon Street (now 10th) by men connected to Herwig's operation. No arrests were made... No justice seemed to follow.

That caught the attention of Governor Dan Moody. And it told the state—and eventually the federal government—that Borger wasn’t just struggling with crime.
It was being run by it.

Governor Moody's response came in force: The Texas Rangers were sent in. No martial law (this time), but they certainly did not come quietly. The Rangers dismantled what Herwig had built, piece by piece (operation by operation).
Raids followed. Arrests were made. The system that had allowed Two-Gun Dick to operate began to collapse under REAL authority. Sensing the inevitable, “Two-Gun” Dick Herwig fled Borger with his "ill-gotten gains". But his escape was anything but wise. First, he didn’t go far—stopping less than ten miles into New Mexico. Then, in a move that bordered on arrogance, he purchased a roadside establishment and taunted Texas authorities with a bold sign out front:
“Eight Miles From Texas Rangers.”

... Bless his heart.

Skip the Carousel

1 2

1 month ago | [YT] | 0

City of Borger

#ThrowbackThursday - The story of Frank Phillips

Frank Freeman Phillips was not born into oil wealth.
He was born in 1873 on a farm in Nebraska, where hard work wasn’t a choice—it was a requirement. He started young, first as a barber in Iowa at the age of 14, eventually owning three barbershops, then became a banker, learning the value of discipline, risk, and people.

But it was oil that called him west.

Alongside his brother, L.E. Phillips, he began drilling in what was then known as Indian Territory—present-day Oklahoma—in the early 1900s. What started as persistence soon grew into something bigger. In 1917, the brothers officially founded Phillips Petroleum Company in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The company began modestly, but under Frank’s leadership, it didn’t stay that way for long.

By the 1920s, Phillips Petroleum had become a major force in the American energy industry—producing crude, refining fuel, and building a reputation for innovation. One of its most famous developments came in 1927, when a new gasoline was tested on U.S. Route 66. The car reached 66 miles per hour, and just like that, Phillips 66 was born—its shield logo becoming an enduring symbol of American mobility and industry.

Then came Borger, Texas...

When oil was discovered in the Texas Panhandle in the mid-1920s, Phillips Petroleum moved quickly into the region. What followed was one of the fastest growing boomtowns in American history—crowded, chaotic, and at times lawless—but full of opportunity.

To support refining operations in the area, Phillips constructed the Alamo Plant. This facility was located near the town of Pantex (later merged into the town of "Phillips") and was vital for processing crude from the burgeoning oil field. It provided thousands of jobs, attracted families, and laid the foundation for a community that could endure long after the initial rush of oil slowed.

Generations of Borger residents would go on to work in this plant, tying their livelihoods—and their family stories—to the legacy of Phillips Petroleum.
But Frank Phillips understood something many industrialists overlooked: A community couldn’t survive on industry alone. It needed education. It needed opportunity.

In 1946, that belief became a reality when the Borger Independent School District applied to the State Board of Education to establish a junior college known as "The Borger Junior College District". Because Phillips Petroleum Company had extensive holdings in the Borger area, the College board requested and received permission to nickname the college "Frank Phillips College". The opening day for admission of students was September 6, 1948.

The College operated in a building built jointly with Borger High School until the College moved to its present location in 1956.

This college provided accessible education and workforce training—particularly for those connected to the energy and industrial sectors. It became a pathway for local residents to build careers, support their families, and remain rooted in the region. Today, Frank Phillips College continues to serve students across the Texas Panhandle (and in many cases, the world), standing as one of the most lasting reflections of Phillips’ commitment to community investment.

Frank Phillips served as president of Phillips Petroleum from 1917 to 1939, later becoming chairman. He guided the company through the Great Depression and into a new era of industrial growth.

But his legacy isn’t just measured by barrels of oil or miles of pipeline. It’s measured in places like Borger. In the many Phillips 66 refineries. In plants like the Alamo that powered generations of work - and grew into one of the largest inland petrochemical refining facilities in the world. In classrooms filled with students building their future.
Frank Freeman Phillips didn’t just build a company. He helped build a community. For that, we are so grateful.

Skip the Carousel

1 2

1 month ago | [YT] | 0

City of Borger

The City of Borger is named the first ever Recipient of the "National Mitigation Hero Award" through the Wildfire Mitigation Awards Program! This is the highest national recognition for outstanding work in wildfire preparedness and mitigation. AND we were the ONLY award recipient from Texas!
The Wildfire Mitigation Awards (WMA) program was established in 2014 by the National Association of State Foresters, National Fire Protection Association, USDA Forest Service, and the International Association of Fire Chiefs - to recognize impactful wildfire mitigation efforts across the United States.
In the Texas Panhandle, Wildfire is something you prepare for LONG before the smoke ever shows up.
Before the Smokehouse Creek fire... Before Windy Deuce... We've had crews out here doing the work most people never see—clearing, planning, mitigating, cutting lines, providing layers of protection to help protect our community when it matters most.
This award feels like national recognition of their grit... the long days, the quiet effort, and the foresight to prepare instead of react.
We are so proud of our Wildfire Mitigation Team, our community of Fire Fighters who are always ready to lend a hand, our Code Enforcement Crews, our Office of Emergency Management - and everyone that helps out in between! This work doesn’t happen in silos. Mitigation is a true team effort.
Behind that effort stands a City Council that has believed in our Mitigation Program from the beginning—and continues to invest in its success, year after year. 💙
For more information about the Wildfire Mitigation Awards, visit: www.stateforesters.org/wildfire-mitigation/

1 month ago | [YT] | 0

City of Borger

#ThrowbackThursday
Florene Miller Watson
Long before her name was etched into the history of Borger, Texas, Florene Miller Watson was a young girl in San Angelo who fell in love with the sky. Born on December 7, 1920, she took her first airplane ride at just eight years old in a World War I barnstormer—a moment that sparked a lifelong passion for flight.
Her father, a watchmaker and jewelry store owner, shared her fascination. When Florene was in college, he bought a Luscombe airplane so the family could learn to fly together. Florene excelled quickly. By age 19, she had completed flight school and made her first solo flight. She earned her instructor’s rating soon after and began teaching men to fly in the War Training Program in Odessa and Lubbock.
Everything changed on her 21st birthday—December 7, 1941—the day Pearl Harbor was attacked. Florene and her younger brother volunteered for Army service soon after. The U.S. Army Air Forces were searching for 50 women with at least 500 hours of flight time—double the requirement for men—to serve as ferry pilots.
Florene qualified.
She became one of the first volunteers in the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) and later served in the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), the pioneering group of women who flew military aircraft during World War II. Florene ferried planes, trained pilots, and even served as a test pilot—roles that demanded precision, courage, and skill.
After the war, Florene continued her life of service as an educator. She lived a long, full life, passing away on February 4, 2014, at the age of 93.
Florene was featured in numerous newspapers, magazines, books and frequently interviewed for television programs in addition to video and audio histories for university archives and aviation museums. She was also featured in the nationally broadcasted TV documentary: "Women of Courage", explaining the role of WASP in WWII. Florene also served as national WASP chaplain for many years.
Florene Miller Watson’s story is one of determination, patriotism, and quiet heroism. She broke barriers in aviation at a time when women were rarely allowed near a cockpit, and she carried that same spirit of strength and service into every chapter of her life. In Borger’s history, she stands as a symbol of courage—proof that even in a small Panhandle town, extraordinary lives take flight.
She received the following honors:
• Distinguished Flying Corps Membership in the Kritser Aviation and Space Museum
• l988 induction into the Ninety-nines International Forest of Friendship
• Amelia Earhart's home for exceptional contributions to aviation
• l995 first woman inductee into the Panhandle Veterans Hall of Fame
• l996 Distinguished Veteran honoree at the Air Force Military Ball in Dallas, TX
• l997 the daughters of the American Revolutions National Medal of Honor
• 2002 designation as an Eagle 4 separate times at the Air Forces annual Gathering of Eagles celebration the National Air Force Associations Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2004 induction into the Galveston Aviation Hall of Fame
• 2004 the renaming of the airport in her hometown of Big Lake, TX the Florene Miller Watson Airport
• 2010 the Congressional Gold Medal ~ the highest award Congress can present to a civilian

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3 4

2 months ago | [YT] | 1