Woody Guthrie
Pampa, Gray County, Texas
Marker Inscription
American folk musician Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie (1912-1967) moved to Pampa from his native Oklahoma at age 17. Here he learned to play the guitar and joined with other musicians to perform for area events. Guthrie briefly attended Pampa High School and, from 1930 until 1935, worked as a soda jerk at this site, home of the former Harris Drug Store. He also spent much time reading books in the Pampa city library, preparing him for his most productive years as a poet-lyricist and folk balladeer during the 1940s and early 1950s. He left Pampa for California in 1937 and in 1940 went to New York City, where he was recognized for his writings and performances. He died there in 1967. (2002)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Woody Guthrie, the folk balladeer who would give voice to Depression-era America, spent his formative years in the Panhandle town of Pampa after moving from Oklahoma at seventeen. Working the soda fountain at the Harris Drug Store on this site and devouring books at the city library, he learned guitar and played local events before leaving for California in 1937 and, later, New York. Those Pampa years primed the poet-lyricist whose songs of hard times and the open road became American touchstones.
Why it matters
Pampa shaped one of the nation's greatest folk voices, whose Dust Bowl ballads chronicled the migration and struggle of ordinary Americans.
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Related people
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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