Gaines County Museum - Seminole, Texas

10/19/2026

10/16/2026

Fall is definitely in the air and Halloween is on its way with pumpkins, hay bales, treats and imaginative costumes. The museum is ready with our annual preparations for “trick or treaters” with our scenic photo opportunity that features Miss Pumpkin ready to share some seasonal library books with our visitors. The museum invites all children to visit us on Friday, October 30, 2026 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm to receive a special treat, have a photo made with Miss Pumpkin, and walk thru the museum to see other spooky treasures. We remind all adult “treaters” to bring their camera or phone to take a photo of your youngsters. We also encourage costumes…they always tell a great story. Lastly, the Gaines County Library loaned the books in the photo to the museum, and we are certain they have more to share with each of you. Trick or Treat!

10/14/2026

This is our biggest book sale of the year! One week of hundreds of books and movies to choose from! Help us clear these out to make room for something NEW and EXCITING coming the Gaines County Library soon!

10/09/2026

Do you believe that your smartphone is truly listening to your conversations? Recently a visitor to the museum was relating a story about the Wigwam, a local Seminole café that was popular in earlier days of our city. A few days later, another conversation regarding the Wigwam appeared in a Facebook post with an accompanying photo. We are featuring that photo this week, and are hoping that our readers will have knowledge of the history, the owners, location and any other stories about this dining spot. We appreciate the input that Gaines County residents are able to provide regarding the history of our town and county along with the many human interest stories that are shared. Thanks to all that call and stop by the museum to share their knowledge!

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10/02/2026

The marching band deserves our respect and admiration. Every Friday night football game depends on the band to spur the team forward to the goal posts in their very own and musical manner. Band members are required to be multi-taskers…they must march with a superior posture while playing an instrument, counting steps, and watching the drum major all simultaneously. Then there is the memorization of music and marching formations that can change weekly. This Saturday, October 3 there is an opportunity to watch 11 area high school bands compete at Wigwam Stadium beginning at 1:00 pm…Seminole’s own battle of the marching bands. The featured photo is of the 1956 drum major and twirlers. Left to right: Garnell Barrett, Joyce Bishop, Kay Richardson, Phillip Gist, Sammie Pittman, Betty Oswalt, and Ann Morrison. Thanks to this group for their leadership and the foundations, they provided for future band members. GO TRIBE!

Source: 1956 SHS Tepee

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09/25/2026

While reviewing a September 1956 edition of the Seminole Sentinel, we came across an article outlining the newest method to obtain an emergency teaching certificate in the State of Texas via the most recent technology of the day…television. The State Commission on Educational Television and the State Board of Education collaborated to offer interested individuals the opportunity to obtain the proper credentials to teach by viewing 26 telecasts over a period of two semesters. Persons who had a standard bachelor’s degree with a C plus average based on four years of college work, or a B average based on the last two years of college could secure a permit to teach during the 1956-1957 school year by registering for the televised courses with the cooperating college in the Seminole area, that being Texas Technological College (aka Texas Tech). Obviously, this format was the foundation of our current version of online learning. In 1956, television reception in Gaines County was limited to an array of metal rods peeking over rooftops…we did not even begin to qualify for “rabbit ears.” We are curious if any Gaines County citizens registered for this program, and if they were able to view these Saturday programs without UHF interruption. Our experience was that a good ‘ole West Texas sandstorm could disrupt any broadcast by turning the antennae to the vast reception desert that featured only static.

Source: The Seminole Sentinel, September 27, 1956 edition

Cartoon: The Saturday Evening Post