Like last month, when I discovered Bacon, Texas in an early morning Googlefest, this morning I discovered Turkey, Texas.
Seems that waaaay back in the 1890s, the town’s first settlers found flocks of wild turkeys roosting in that particular panhandle area. So, obviously, they decided to call their new settlement Turkey Roost. A few years later in 1893, they were granted a post office and the town shortened their name to Turkey.
Turkey is pretty proud of its most famous hometown hero, Bob Wills. Wills was a barber in Turkey and decided he’d form himself a country band. Wills formed The Texas Playboys and ultimately gave birth to Western Swing.
In Turkey you’ll find the Bob Wills Museum, Bob Wills monument, Bob Wills Park and the annual Bob Wills Day Festival, which draws tens of thousands of folks to the town the last Saturday of every April.
The museum (former Turkey school) shares building space with city government offices. A very cordial Justice of the Peace opened up the museum for my sister and I on a visit several years ago. Based on the clothing, Bob Wills was a small guy…about like a modern day TV weatherman.
Don, you never cease to make me laugh.