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Phillips Chronicles 1926-1990
by Tommy Birch '61
edited by M. van Patten '62

Foreword

The following is a chronological compilation of events affecting Phillips, Texas -- the town, the schools, and the churches that made up the vital interrelated core of the community.  At least one item is listed for each year from 1926 - 1990, the 65-year period that spanned the rise and fall of the “Phillipian Empire”, if it may be labeled as such.

The compiled events portray the general course of the town and schools’ histories starting with the inception of the oil town known as “Phillips Camp” and its early growth just prior to and during the years of the Depression before the first high school was built.  This compilation continues on through World War II and the post war eras of the 1940's as the school thrived and steadily gained both in population and prestige, and a firm and proud Blackhawk tradition was established.  Growth continued through the 1950's when the school enjoyed its golden era and reached its zenith by the end of the decade.   

Until the 1960’s Phillips, Texas was an independent, self-sufficient and self-contained community.  In the name of inexorable progress, things began to change during the 1960's -- the town’s population and the school’s enrollment figures began to decline and continued to do so through the 1970's, almost as symmetrically as it had grown during the 1930’s and ‘40’s.  Attrition was attributable to several factors.  First, houses in Phillips, but not the land beneath them, were sold to employees in 1957 which meant former employees and/or spouses could retire and continue to live in Phillips as smaller families of couples or singles. Second, the burgeoning town of Fritch built its own high school which significantly diminished enrollment at Phillips High School.  Third, automation at Phillips Petroleum Company became the byword, and the town began to feel the effects of frequent employment cutbacks and layoffs at the plants.  Fourth, the highway between Phillips and Borger was modernized and widened to four lanes which meant that Phillips residents began to trade more frequently with stores in Borger.  Several stores and businesses in Phillips either closed or relocated to Borger, Sutphen’s BBQ Pit notwithstanding.  However, Phillips the town and its schools remained a vital and viable force despite the occasional setbacks that foreshadowed the future. 

The unexpected coup de grâce -- the big explosion of January 20, 1980 -- rocked the town literally and figuratively.  The explosion eventually (6 years of resistance, competition for land ownership, legal wrangling, etc.) resulted  in the unpopular eviction notices by the company, the mass exodus of the town’s populace, and the demise of the town and the school.  Phillips Petroleum Company, builder and supporter of the town, ironically was the town’s judge and executioner due to economic pressures, safety considerations of the times, and newer management within the company which had no or few ties with or loyalty to the town. 

Although Phillips -- the town, the schools, and the churches -- is of the past, there are countless fond and precious memories that remain indelibly etched in the minds of former Phillips residents.  These memories cannot be taken away nor can the fierce and proud Blackhawk spirit that still lives!  As we accomodate to a much bigger world, we realize all the more just how privileged and fortunate we were to have been raised and to have lived in the unique town of Phillips, Texas.  The Phillips Heritage Center, located in Stinnett, Texas, stands today as a firm testimony and vivid reminder that such an ideal town and school did exist. An active Phillips High School Alumni Association continues to host an annual Homecoming to allow those memories to be shared and for old friendships to be rekindled.

Author's note: Please contact me at phillipsblackhawks_AT_yahoo.com with corrections and/or additions. Data is based on the information on hand and may be subject to error.

Author Tommy Birch (Class of ‘61)
 

 1926-1937

1926 As a result of the oil boom which started in March, the little town that eventually became Phillips was founded, named after Frank Phillips, the founder of Phillips Petroleum Company (PPC).  The town was a merger of two drilling camps: Phillips Camp, originally called Pantex, and Whittenburg Camp.  The word “camp” was a tag that seemed to stick with the town as late as the 1950's.
By fall the first Phillips school was built in Old Phillips and was opened, a little white frame building consisting of 7 elementary grades and 2 grades of high school.  Ostrom's Grocery Store was the first business to open in Phillips.  Pantex and Bunkhouse were the first residential streets built. The Methodist Church was founded.
The wooden-beamed, one-way, 5/8 mile-long Plemons Bridge was built at a cost of $135,000. 

1927 For the 1927-1928 school year, the junior and senior students of the Phillips Independent School District went to Borger; the freshmen and sophomores remained in the Phillips school.
PPC purchased the Alamo Refinery at Whittenburg Camp, later to be Phillips.  The town got its first doctor and hospital located at north end of Bunkhouse Street.

1928 Phillips discontinued two grades of high school, sending all of its high school students to Stinnett for the fall semester, and to Plemons for the following spring semester.
The first murder occurred in town when a man was shot.
The First Baptist Church of Phillips was founded, and Goodwin Grocery Store opened for business.

1930 The First Baptist Church was built at the end of Pantex Street in Old Phillips.  The building later became the Frank Phillips Men's Club after the new Baptist Church was built across from the park in 1948. 

1931 A deputy sheriff was killed at the Alamo Cafe in Phillips in an effort to disarm a disgruntled Phillips employee.
PPC completed building a 681-mile long pipeline from the Refinery to East St. Louis, Illinois.

1932 A new auditorium and basement was added to the First Baptist Church building.
The first 'black duster', a suffocating black wall of dirt 10,000 feet high, unexpectedly enveloped the town.

1934 After only four months of construction, one hundred new homes were completed at Phillips west of the railroad tracks.  The shotgun-styled houses rented for $6/month for a 3-bedroom home and $8/month for a 4-bedroom home.  New housing plans then began for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd Streets residential area.
The dirt road between Phillips and Borger was paved. 

1936 The Seniors of ‘36 were the first PHS graduates.  Baseball team won top honors.
Residents of Phillips and much of the rest of the Texas Panhandle experienced an earthquake on June 19 that rattled homes and businesses, but fortunately caused no real damage.
Strict moral standards were expected from all school personnel.  In the past teachers were not allowed to be married, but two of the teachers were secretly married during the year, so the rule was relaxed, and married teachers were welcomed on the faculty.  

1937 A 100-house construction project started along and off Phillips Avenue.  The new homes were ready for occupancy by the next year.
A new football stadium was completed. The Phillips Blackhawks won their first game on the new field, 46-0, and went on to win their first regional championship.
The first issue of “Philnews”, the monthly PPC magazine, was published. The local chapter of the Jane Phillips Sorority was organized.

1938-1947

1939 R.E. Vaughn became Phillips ISD superintendent and K. Kendrick became principal.  Chesty Walker was hired as the head football coach.
Two important school traditions were begun: annual yearbooks (cost $2.50 each) and group senior pictures.  The senior trip was  to Carlsbad NM.
The Phillips High School band was invited to march in the parade for Frank Phillips’ 66th birthday party in Bartlesville and was named the outstanding honor band.
The high school Phil-Echoes newsletter was started.
New housing development east of the football fields commenced  including the new fire station at the end of Hiatt. 

1941 The new $20,000 Phillips Elementary School was opened, just in time, as the old red brick grade school had just burned down the previous December along with the equipment to be transferred.
The Blackhawk band placed first in a state contest.
The Phillips-Borger road was upgraded to State Highway 119.  It was reported to be the most heavily traveled highway in West Texas according to the Texas Highway Department.
Harold Hope, a marine of the Class of ‘39, was killed at Pearl Harbor on December 7.  He was the first World War II casualty from Hutchinson County.
The swimming pool was first pictured in the 1941 high school annual. 

1945 Mr. Kendrick became the superintendent of Phillips ISD.  Mr. J.I. Kimmins, who began teaching and coaching at PHS in 1939, became the principal and served for 34 years.  Between 52 and 84 percent of PHS graduates went on to attend college or vocational school each year during his tenure as principal.
Plemons students that graduated from the 8th grade began attending PHS, as Plemons High School closed.
7 former male graduates, who gave their lives for their country in World War II, were honored in the ‘45 annual.

1946 Lee Johnson became the new superintendent of Phillips ISD.
The Hawks Nest concession stand was erected at Blackhawk Stadium by the Student Council.  The little 12' by 8' building was painted with the school colors -- orange and black.  There many a cold, uncomfortable fan enjoyed hot dogs, hot coffee, cokes, candy, and popcorn.
A new teacherage was built north of the high school.

1948-1957

1949 The new high school gym was constructed. Blackhawk Stadium was remodeled with a press box and a visitors bleachers section.  A new wing was added to the elementary school; San Lee Hall and the teachers' apartments were completed.
The boys track team placed 2nd at the state meet. 
The “66" Theater, Phillips’ last picture show, closed down.      

1951 The huge Unit 29 catcracker that dominates the skyline of the Phillips plants was constructed and placed into operation at the Refinery.
Ostrom's closed their doors and Cut-Rate Grocery opened.
A new high school was built at a cost of $1,200,000.  It was reported to be the finest and most modernly equipped educational facility in the Panhandle.      

1953 TV fever spread through Phillips as an Amarillo station flashed its first test patterns over the air. 
The mercury hit a record high of 108+ degrees in June. 
FPMC opened the lake/park area to PPC employees. 
PPC began to take serious steps to modernize the Philblack carbon plant to reduce the noisome clouds of black smoke/dust that daily polluted the area. 
The last “Exes vs. Future Hawks” football game was played in the spring.
The Music Makers band ensemble made its debut. 

1955 The town’s population reached a peak of over 4500 residents. 
The school board reorganized the grades so that junior high (grades 7 and 8) was created for the first time. 
There were 1285 students enrolled in the Phillips schools: 440 in high school and 845 in the elementary/junior high schools.  There were 47 subjects taught at Phillips.
The last recorded “black duster” of this century swept down from the Kansas plains and shrouded the town of Phillips in dust and darkness for two solid days.  Wet towels and hankies were life-savers. 

1957 PPC allowed many of the town’s residents to buy the company houses, but Phillips still owned and leased the land.  The new homeowners did most of the remodeling of their houses themselves.
Phillips was reclassified from Class AA to Class AAA Division.  This did not intimidate the girls volleyball team as they won the state Class AAA championship title for the first time in the school’s history.
The town was shocked and saddened when School Superintendent Lee Johnson died of a heart attack in Enid, Oklahoma, at Tri-State Music Festival in May.  Cody Fondren was named the new superintendent.

 1958-1968

1961 This year graduated the largest (year-in and year-out) class ever at PHS.  The Class of ‘61 had 165 members as freshmen, 157 as sophomores, 137 as juniors, and 118 as seniors, including PHS's first foreign exchange student, a boy from Austria.
The girls volleyball team won the Class AAA state championship title.
Jo Carol Hickox, Student Council member, was the vice-president of the State Council. 

1963 The girls volleyball team was crowned the Class AAA state champions for the 3rd consecutive year.  This was the 5th title in the last 7 years and the last one for the Blackhawks under Coach Freda Shuttlesworth, who resigned as coach after 17 seasons.
The last Sanford-Fritch students graduated from Phillips this year, as Fritch had opened its own high school. This reduced the size of future PHS senior classes by about 20 percent. 

1965 The boys basketball team advanced to the semi-finals before losing at Austin.  The Hawks finished with an outstanding 30-5 record, the only Phillips boys team to reach 30 victories in a season. 
Fred Banes was a repeat state champion in the 880-yard run.
PPC stopped furnishing free water to the community as residential water meters were installed.

1967 Poor officiating at the Phillips-Plano semi-finals playoff football game in all probability cost the Blackhawks ( a 15-to-13 loss) the Class AA state championship.  Plano went on to easily win the state finals.  The Plano head coach later remarked that the referees just gave his team the victory on several bad calls against Phillips, and conceded that Phillips was the better team and deserved the game.
The Blackhawk band twirlers sported a new look from the traditional, long-pants uniform, as they were allowed to wear short skirts for the first time. 
A “live” Blackhawk student mascot was added to the pep squad. 

1969-1981 

1970 The Class of ‘70 dedicated their yearbook theme to the first manned landing on the moon commemorating the historic occasion of July 1969.
The Hawks had an up-and-down football season.  They lost to Panhandle for the first time since 1938.  However, in front of a HC crowd in the most dramatic comeback in Blackhawk history, they marched 98 yards in 11 plays in the last seconds of the game to score on a 10-yard deflected pass as the buzzer sounded to beat undefeated Dalhart! 
History teacher Cecil George retired after 22 years.
The post office in Phillips closed after 32 years of service.

1972 The girls basketball program was reinstated at PHS after a 30-year hiatus.  Girls volleyball was dropped after 1975 because it competed head-on with basketball for the same talent pool at the same time.  

1974 A new $300,000 indoor activity center located between the grade school gym and the swimming pool was built for the Phillips schools and became the site for all future basketball games. 
Gary Treadway became the second Phillips boy to die playing in a football game (see 1958).
Another foursome, who each taught for over 20 years, retired from teaching in the same year: Wilton Lillard, Annelle Smith, Beulah Lindley, and Wilma Weston.

1976 The girls basketball team, known as the Hawkettes, were not to be denied and won the Class AA state basketball championship as they handily defeated Bellville 83 to 69. 

1978 Phillips Pet. Co. sent eviction notices to 159 families living west of the tracks and north of the park to move their houses out of town.
J.I. Kimmins retired after 40 years of service. Joel Lynch was named the new high school principal. 

1980 January 20th, on a cold and snowy Sunday morning, a huge explosion at the Refinery rocked the town and severely damaged the businesses, the schools, the churches, and most of the homes.  1200 broken windows in the Phillips schools had to be replaced.  The explosion forced 317 families to leave by year’s end, a loss in population of about 1600 persons.  This was the beginning of the inevitable end of the town and school. The town's population dwindled to 2150.
The Phillips Park was eradicated by the fall of the year. 
Due to a reclassification, Phillips schools were once again AA.

1982-1990 

1983 The Methodist Church building was razed.
Group senior pictures and annual yearbook pictures began to be made in color. 

1985 A dual news release occurred in August.  First, PPC announced plans for the removal of the remaining 68 homes on Phillips Avenue.  On the heels of that announcement came the unexpected eviction letters from Whittenburg M & M Cattle Company that were sent to the other 415 homeowners in Phillips who lived on First, Second, and Third Streets, Coble Lease, and Sunset Heights. The Whittenburg heirs, after legal changes, unexpectedly sold the 140 acres of leased land on which Phillips houses stood to PPC (instead of to the homeowners who were trying to buy the land).  This transaction left PPC as the sole landlord of Phillips by the year’s end.
Maurine Forbus retired from teaching math at PHS.  Her teaching career at Phillips High spanned 42 years to rank her as the teacher with the longest tenure despite her having skipped a couple of years during the 1940's.

1987 The last senior class, 18 strong, graduated from Phillips High School.  The town of Phillips decided to consolidate with Stinnett and Plemons to form a new PSP school district.  Phillips High School unceremoniously closed its doors, though kindergarten through 5th grade continued to remain open for school the next two years.  Phillips Elementary became known as the South Campus. 

1989 After four years in the courts, the Phillips homeowners’ class action suit to remain in Phillips was finally denied by a federal district judge who ruled that all the remaining 50 homes must be moved out of town by August. Sixty-four years of history quietly and sadly came to an end as PHILLIPS OFFICIALLY CEASED TO EXIST as a town.
PPC bought the Phillips school buildings for two million dollars from the PSP consolidated school district.