The Lumberyard Destroyed by Fire

Fire at the Lumberyard. (Photo by Sheree Herd)

A fire that broke out shortly after one o’clock early Friday morning set the Lumberyard ablaze, and firemen were unable to save the structure as it burned to the ground, taking the restaurant with it. The dry wood of the century-old lumber sheds caught quickly, destroying almost everything on the premises. Only the small stage with its big Texas flag still intact remained after firemen had extinguished the blaze.

Unfortunately, the building and lumber sheds were so old that insurance companies either refused outright to insure the place or would insure it only at prohibitive prices, so it was never insured for fire, which makes the loss doubly painful. As of yesterday, the Texas State Fire Marshals continued to investigate the blaze and still had not announced its origin or cause. There has been speculation that the cause was electrical, but nothing has been confirmed.

Here are the local TV news reports of the fire. Both were shown on KTAB-TV and on the Big Country Homepage.

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GLEN TEMPLETON TO PLAY LUMBERYARD BENEFIT FRIDAY

Glen Templeton

The show must go on! By this time almost everyone knows that the Lumberyard burned down last Friday, but many may not realize that Glen Templeton will play in Roscoe Friday night.

Here’s the Lumberyard’s announcement of the event:

Our venue has stood as an example of hometown family fun for the past 11 years and now in destruction, an example of statewide love, encouragement, and comfort!

As a token of our appreciation and eagerness to move forward with more great memories, we are hosting Glen Templeton on Friday, July 23, at 9 PM!

Tickets are available for $15 in advance by calling General Manager Sheree Herd at 1-316-435-2659 or $20 at the time of the event.

Due to clean up regulations and scheduling, a temporary stage will be set up for the performance, as well as a few picnic tables. However, we encourage you to bring a lawn chair. No outside alcohol is allowed in accordance with the TABC laws. Beer and wine will be available for sale at the show.

The Lumberyard would be honored to see everyone come out and support not only a great artist, but witness the unity of this small town community as it helps to rebuild!

Thank you!

The show will take place directly west of the Lumberyard in the open area across Cypress Street.

Everyone in the area is encouraged to attend to show their hopes of seeing the Lumberyard rise like the Phoenix from the ashes of the old to be reborn as a new bird with new feathers.

Glen Templeton is a singer/songwriter from Alabama who is said to sound just like Conway Twitty. In fact, his singing career took off when Conway Twitty’s daughters chose him to portray their father in a touring musical tribute to Twitty. He appeared in that role on the Grand Ole Opry, CMT, and other popular country music venues, and in doing so has shared the stage with Loretta Lynn, George Jones, and others. He now has a dedicated following in Nashville and elsewhere and can be heard on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. He is also touring non-stop.

Popular singles by Templeton include “Let Her Go,” “I Could Be the One,” “Goodbye Time,” “Big City,” “Ball Cap,” and “That’s My Job.”

High Noon Wagyu is also holding a Burger Benefit from 7:00-9:00pm, serving prime Wagyu burgers and chips for a $10 suggested donation to raise money for the Lumberyard fund.

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DONATE TO THE LUMBERYARD FUND THROUGH GOFUNDME.COM

A Gofundme page has been set up online by Richard Kemp for those who wish to donate to the Lumberyard fund. Here is the link: https://gofund.me/aa2fd4bb If you want to donate, you can do it there. An anonymous donor has agreed to match all donations by others up to $50,000, so whatever you donate will be automatically doubled. Do it now.

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF ROSCOE'S DOWNTOWN LUMBERYARD

Roscoe in 1909. Lumber yard bottom left. View is to the south down Cypress.

The lumber yard was built around 1909 and was originally the Higginbotham-Harris Lumber Company. Its original office on Front Street faced the railroad track but was moved to a new building facing Cypress Street in 1911. By 1921, Harris had sold his interest in the operation to Charles Bartlett, the lumber yard’s manager, and the business became known thereafter as the Higginbotham-Bartlett Company.

The lumber shed on the west side next to Cypress was taken down before 1921 and the lumber shed on the north side next to Front Street was built between 1921 and 1927. Everything then remained essentially the same for the rest of the century. When I was growing up in Roscoe in the 1950s and ‘60s, Gene Rayburn was its manager. It had a rival, the Burton-Lingo Lumber Co., which was on Broadway, where the Plowboy Center Lodge is now.

Higginbotham-Bartlett in 1948.

The business was the Higginbotham-Bartlett lumber yard until 1998, when it finally closed down and the brick building became the office for AAA Investments from 1999 to 2004. Then, it became Hagerman’s Grocery, owned and operated by Deborah Hagerman, until 2008.

Cody Thompson bought it from the Hagermans in November 2009 after the election that legalized the sale of alcohol in Nolan County. His plan was to turn the place into a restaurant where customers could buy beer. By the time he opened it in October 2010, he had also decided to bring in country music bands with the help of an old friend in the music business in Fort Worth. The restaurant opened its doors in time for the West Texas Wind Festival and had its official Grand Opening shortly thereafter. And on October 28, the first in a long line of country singers, Tommy Alverson, put on a performance on the stage outside, and the Lumberyard was up and running.

Cody, the City Manager of Roscoe since 2008, convinced his lifelong friend, Nolan Martin, to move to Roscoe to help him run the operation, and both worked and lived on the premises. Cody oversaw the operation and arranged the entertainment while Nolan was the manager and head cook of the restaurant. Unfortunately, Nolan died unexpectedly of a stroke in 2012.

Every year, Cody made improvements of one kind or another. Bands played on the original stage until 2015, when he converted part of the north lumber shed to a music stage with a Green Room on one side, where performers could relax and have some privacy, and a sky box on the other. The first artist to perform on the new larger stage was Merle Haggard, and it was afterwards named the Merle Haggard stage, while the smaller original stage was named the Ray Price stage. Musicians who were likely to draw a large crowd that filled the yard thereafter played on the Merle Haggard stage while the Ray Price stage was used for artists or groups that drew smaller crowds.

The Lumberyard in 2012.

The Lumberyard was recognized as one of the best music venues in west Texas and received statewide recognition as numerous stars and legends of country music gave live performances there. These included Merle Haggard, Charley Pride, Mel Tillis, Tanya Tucker, Ray Price, Travis Tritt, Crystal Gayle, Charlie Daniels, Guy Clark, Johnny Rodriguez, Jo Dee Messina, Johnny Bush, the Bellamy Brothers, Terri Clark, Asleep at the Wheel, Neal McCoy, Gary P. Nunn, Marty Stuart, Robert Earl Keen, Jody Nix, Jake Hooker, Ray Wylie Hubbard, The Mavericks, John Anderson, Jamey Johnson, the Tejas Brothers, Charley Crockett, and others.

The regionally popular Red Dirt singers also loved the crowds they drew at the Lumberyard. These included Stoney LaRue, Josh Abbott, Randy Rogers, Cody Canada, Wade Bowen, Jason Boland, Brandon Jenkins, Pat Green, the Turnpike Troubadours, and others.

But besides the music performances, the Lumberyard was a gathering place for locals to visit and relax after a day’s work with iced tea or a beer or two with friends. It was the town watering hole in that regard and a popular place for birthday parties and similar gatherings. Additionally, there was always a lunch crowd as well as customers ordering food to go.

With 2020 came the pandemic, and the Lumberyard was essentially closed down for the year with no huge crowds or big-time stars appearing. As 2021 rolled around, things began picking up again with popular performances by Charley Crockett, Shiny Ribs, and Jamie Richards with others on the schedule when the fire broke out and the venerable old structure burned to the ground in a few short hours.

No matter how things play out in the future, to say the Lumberyard will be missed is an understatement.

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HOMECOMING MEETING NEXT WEDNESDAY

The Roscoe Homecoming organizers will have a planning meeting next Wednesday, July 28, at 6:30pm. Anyone interested in participating is encouraged to attend.

So, make plans to be there.
We need all the help we can get!

Connie Baize
cubaize1401@gmail.com

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2021 RCHS Cross Country Tentative Schedule

August 21            Jim Ned
August 28           Western Texas College
September 1       Brownwood
September 7       Eula
September 13     Coleman
September 25     Lubbock Invitational
October 4            District (Coleman)
October 25          Regional Meet (Lubbock)
November 5-6    State Meet (Round Rock)

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WEATHER REPORT: TYPICAL JULY WEATHER

July sky.

The last seven days have been normal July weather with mostly sunny skies with summer clouds and afternoon temperatures reaching the mid-90s. It was the second weekend in a row with no rainfall, which has resulted in further drying out from the previous rains and a slight slowing of plant growth.

The high temperature for the week was Sunday’s 96°, although Thursday and Saturday both had highs of 95°. Lows were all within a couple degrees of 70°. Low for the week was Monday’s 67°. Monday also had the lowest high at 89°

The coming week will look a lot like this last one with mostly sunny skies and moderate south winds. Today’s high is expected to reach only 88°, but the rest of the days will be warmer. Tomorrow’s high should reach 92°, Friday’s 95°, and Saturday and Sunday both 97°. Morning lows will also be warmer. Tomorrow’s should be about 71°, but Friday will be a bit warmer at 73°, and Saturday, Sunday, and Monday should all be 74°.

Once again, there is no rain in the forecast.

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† JERRY LYNN ALFORD

Funeral services for Jerry Lynn Alford, 73, of Roscoe were held at 2:00pm Friday, July 16, at First United Methodist Church in Roscoe with Dr. Rick Willis and Rev. Juanelle Jordan officiating. Interment followed at Roscoe Cemetery under the direction of McCoy Funeral Home in Sweetwater.

Jerry began his earthly life on May 28, 1948, in Gorman, Texas. After a successful and fulfilling 73 years, he entered his heavenly home on June 13, 2021.

Jerry spent his early years in Olden, Texas, with his parents Cecil and Sara May Alford and brother Norman Alford. He was valedictorian of his graduating class in Olden. He continued his education at ACC (ACU) in Abilene, graduating with a Business Degree and minor in Bible. He worked for GE Railcar in Ranger before moving to Roscoe in 1983. He became the plant manager of the Roscoe shop until its closing. He owned and operated Central Fasteners in Sweetwater for 27 years.

Upon retirement in 2016, the business was turned over to his son, Jerad Alford. He was a talented man in many ways. He designed a house which he wanted to build himself but opted to remodel and add on to the family house.

Jerry is survived by his wife of 37 years, Susie McFaul Alford, daughter Misti Alford De Loera and husband Armando of Roscoe, son Jerad Alford and wife Candace Foster Alford of Roscoe, son Chris Adams of Kansas, his beautiful grandchildren Amri, Amrin, and Amrik De Loera, and Mason and Kennedy Alford all of Roscoe, brother Norman Alford and wife Vickie of Round Rock.

Preceding him in death were his parents and in-laws, Willard and Emily McFaul.

Pallbearers were Eddie McGlothlin, Marcial Saenz, Kenneth Reed, Scott Etheredge, Jay Suggs, Wayne McFaul, Darrell Aljoe, Ken Foster, Tom Griffith, Larry Pullin, and Billy Joe Jay. Honorary pallbearers were his grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Hendrick Hospice Care, 1651 Pine Street, Abilene, Texas 79601 or the Roscoe Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 546, Roscoe, Texas 79454.

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