A Clarendon pioneer was honored with a Texas Historical Marker in Amarillo recently to commemorate his last impact on the history of the Texas Panhandle.
The late Mathew “Bones” Hooks was honored on Juneteenth with the unveiling of the marker in the Amarillo park that bears his name.
Hooks was born in Robertson County in 1857 and started working as a cowboy at the age of seven. He developed a skill at taming wild horses. He moved to Clarendon in 1886 and was instrumental in leading the organization of St. Stephen’s Baptist Church here in 1894 to minister to local African Americans. It was the first black church in the Panhandle.
Hooks began a personal tradition of giving white flowers to people that started with a funeral for a cowboy friend. He later expanded his signature white flower gifts to living people for their achievements or good deeds. It is estimated that he gave about 500 white flowers during his lifetime.
In 1900, Hooks and his wife, Anna, moved to Amarillo and worked for the Santa Fe railroad. There he helped establish the North Heights community for Amarillo’s black residents, led efforts to develop a park there (today’s Bones Hooks Park), a black school, and black community center. He also developed a social club for boys and fought for equal access to medical care for black citizens in Amarillo.
Hooks died in 1951, but his legacy lives on. During the celebration on June 19, those in attendance were presented with white flowers by Keith Grays, courtesy of In This Moment Events Center.
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