Dugout of W. M. Dye
Armstrong County, Armstrong County, Texas
Marker Inscription
William Miles Dye was born in Kentucky in 1864 and moved to Texas with his parents in 1870. He settled in this area in 1891, one year after the organization of Armstrong County. By hauling rock from Palo Duro Canyon, Dye helped in the construction of the first county jail in Claude (13 mi. N). Still visible (10 yds. N) is the lower portion of the dugout he built for his family. Dugouts often were constructed in areas, such as the Texas Panhandle, where building materials were in short supply. (1983)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
William Miles Dye, born in Kentucky in 1864, came to Texas as a boy and put down roots in newly organized Armstrong County in 1891. He hauled rock from Palo Duro Canyon to help build the county's first jail and raised his family in a dugout, the lower portion of which is still visible. Such earthen dwellings were a practical necessity on the treeless Texas Panhandle, where lumber and stone were scarce.
Why it matters
The humble dugout embodies the resourcefulness of frontier families who built homes from the land itself while settling one of Texas's last agricultural frontiers.
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Related people
- · William Miles Dye
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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