Additional information
by Paul H. Carlson (Author)
In Empire Builder in the Texas Panhandle, author Paul H. Carlson tells the story of Chicago-based William Henry Bush and his role in shaping development of the Texas Panhandle from the 1880s to the 1930s. In 1881, Bush secured interest in the sprawling Frying Pan Ranch -- a ranch that covered two counties and bordered what would later become Amarillo. The ranch's unlikely new owner from the north was a clothing wholesaler, real estate developer, philanthropist, and fledgling cattleman. As an outsider, he brought his business savvy and vision of civic growth to bear on one of America's last frontiers. In an age of unrestricted capitalism and flamboyant displays of wealth, Bush's style was quiet and unassuming. A major real estate owner in the burned-over district of post-1871 Chicago, Bush cast his eye elsewhere for opportunity and found it in the Texas Panhandle. There, he risked his future and fortune on a region that had been left largely untouched by commerce. By the late 1880s, Bush had taken greater control over operations at the Frying Pan Ranch, assuming a major role as a business and civic leader in the region. His philanthropic efforts focused on the vitalization of Amarillo--helping to create a community that would come to dominate the Panhandle by the 1930s.
Back Jacket
In 1881, a Chicago-based businessman secured interest in a sprawling ranch in the heart of Texas' great Panhandle. The celebrated Frying Pan Ranch spread across two counties and bordered what later became Amarillo, a raw frontier settlement. The land's unlikely new owner from the North, William Henry Bush - clothing wholesaler, real estate developer, philanthropist, and fledgling cattleman - represented a new figure at the beginning of the boom era in the Western cattle industry. An outsider, he brought his business savvy and vision of civic growth to bear on America's last frontier. In an age of unrestricted capitalism and flamboyant displays of wealth by big industry's leaders, Bush operated quietly and unassumingly. A major real estate owner in the burned-over district of post-1871 Chicago, Bush cast his eye on opportunity in the Texas Panhandle, risking his future and his fortune on a region that had been left largely untouched by commerce. By the late 1880s, he had taken greater control over the operations at the Frying Pan Ranch and had assumed a role as an important business and civic leader in the region, pioneering in agricultural and economic diversification. Bush's philanthropic efforts focused on the vitalization of Amarillo - helping to create a community that would come to dominate the Panhandle by the 1930s.
Author Biography
PAUL H. CARLSON is a professor of history at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. He is the author of six books, including The Plains Indians and The Buffalo Soldier Tragedy of 1877, both published by Texas A&M University Press.
