C. M. Armstrong Building

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the C. M. Armstrong Building in Gaines County.

Now settle in, because this is a story about a man who seemed to show up exactly when a town needed somebody to show up. Clifton Martin Armstrong, born in 1888, died in 1951, was what you might call instrumental in the early growth of northern Gaines County. That word, instrumental, is doing a lot of work, and it earns its keep.

Armstrong was in the middle of several significant land deals in the area, including the sale of town lots when Seagraves itself was founded, back in 1917. A town comes into being, and there's Armstrong, already in the mix. He went on to serve as mayor for twelve years.

Twelve. That is not a man passing through. And he didn't do any of it alone.

His wife Carobel, daughter of pioneer Texas rancher Colonel D. H. Snyder, stood right alongside him in community activities.

Between the two of them, they had deep roots and long reach. Then comes 1926, and Armstrong builds this very structure to house his Seagraves Motor Co. A solid building, planted on the block like it intended to stay.

Good thing, too. Because in 1928, fire came through and destroyed other buildings right there on that block. When the smoke cleared, a bank and the post office both needed somewhere to land.

They found it here, temporarily, in Armstrong's building. The town had needed a man like Armstrong, and when trouble came, his building needed the town right back. That's the kind of story a good marker knows how to tell.

What the marker says

Clifton Martin Armstrong (1888-1951) was instrumental in the early growth of northern Gaines County. He was involved in several significant area land deals, including the sale of town lots when Seagraves was founded in 1917. He served as mayor for twelve years and, with his wife Carobel, daughter of pioneer Texas rancher Col. D. H. Snyder, was active in community activities. In 1926 Armstrong built this structure to house his Seagraves Motor Co. After a fire destroyed other buildings on the block in 1928, a bank and the post office were temporarily located here. (1981)