The Red River Plunge of Bonnie and Clyde
Wellington vicinity, Collingsworth County, Texas
Marker Inscription
On June 10, 1933, Mr. & Mrs. Sam Pritchard and family saw from their home on the bluff (west) the plunge of an auto into Red River. Rescuing the victims, unrecognized as Bonnie Parker and Clyde and Buck Barrow, they sent for help. Upon their arrival, the local sheriff and police chief were disarmed by Bonnie Parker. Buck Barrow shot Pritchard's daughter while crippling the family car to halt pursuit. Kidnapping the officers, the gangsters fled. Bonnie & Clyde were fated to meet death in 1934. In this quiet region, the escapade is now legend. (1975)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
On June 10, 1933, the Pritchard family watched from their bluff as a car plunged into the Red River below. They rescued the injured occupants — not knowing they were the outlaws Bonnie Parker, Clyde Barrow, and Buck Barrow — and sent for help. When the sheriff and police chief arrived, the gang disarmed them, shot the Pritchards' daughter, kidnapped the officers, and fled; the pair would be killed less than a year later.
Why it matters
The episode ties a quiet stretch of Texas to the Depression-era outlaw saga that gripped the nation and became enduring American legend.
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Related people
- · Bonnie Parker
- · Clyde Barrow
- · Buck Barrow
Related events
- · Red River auto plunge
Themes & tags
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