LUBBOCK — The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum has long stood as a landmark in the small town of Canyon. The museum, nearly as old as the city itself, is home to the largest collection of historical materials in Texas.
It’s now at risk of closing its doors for good, putting the future of more than 2 million historical artifacts in jeopardy.
Last month, West Texas A&M University, which owns the museum building, informed the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society that the university could no longer provide long-term funding to maintain the building.
University President Walter V. Wendler later said the school formally asked the society to develop a plan to relocate its vast collection, blaming decades of mounting operational costs, a decline in state funding and a laundry list of fire code violations found by the Texas State Fire Marshal.
With the museum closed since March for safety reasons, Wendler requested a written plan from the society by Feb. 1 to outline how artifacts will be transferred to a new location.
The news devastated the Panhandle region. Social media was quickly flooded with people recalling visits to the museum with family or as part of a school group. Others questioned whether they were told the real reasons for closing an important piece of Panhandle history.
It all came to a head Tuesday at the City of Canyon Commission meeting. Residents filled the room, with many holding “Save our museum” signs. Some people left voluntarily so outgoing state Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, and his team could enter the room without causing a fire code violation. City officials, Wendler and Smithee spoke about how to resolve the issue between the university and the historical society.
“I wouldn’t say this marriage is over, but it has been somewhat on the rocks lately,” Smithee said. “We got to get the commitment on both sides to make this happen. It breaks my heart, everybody else’s hearts, to drive by there and see that sign out in front of the door.”
During the meeting, Canyon Mayor Gary Hinders emphasized that he wants to keep the museum in the city, and for the university and historical society to work it out together. Hinders said the museum is a major driver of tourism and revenue for the city of just over 15,000 people.
While the city does not have a formal partnership with either the museum or the society, Canyon offers local tax funds to support it, primarily through advertising. The museum also received funding from the state Legislature, but Wendler said that has declined by 65% since 1984.
City officials discussed a number of possible solutions Tuesday — from exploring state, federal and private funding to designating the museum as a convention or visitor center to use more local tax money, which would require a public election.
“We’ve come to a dead end with the A&M system and funds there. I think there’s been nothing forthcoming there,” Hinders said. “But bottom line is, I think to get there, it’s going to take both what we can get from some of those state funds that we can get help with, then it’s also going to take private money.”
Regardless of which avenue the city takes, the museum is going to have a hefty price tag. Smithee estimated it could cost between $20 million and $40 million to reopen the museum where it is now, and $250 million to fund a new building. Smithee said the higher amount was a nonstarter for the Legislature, adding that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told him he didn’t think they could justify spending that much money even if the Alamo in San Antonio was falling down.
While the next legislative session won’t begin until January 2027, Smithee said the committees that work on the Texas House and Senate budgets will begin meeting this summer to set the next budget. He said they needed to start early on a plan to request a one-time appropriation in the range of $20 million to $40 million.
“I’m not running again, so somebody else is going to have to get this money a year from now,” Smithee reminded the commission. “But I do think I can help in laying the groundwork to get it done.”
Wendler told the commission that he hasn’t given up on finding a solution. However, he said the state fire marshal requested the building be vacated as it’s believed to be “dangerous.”
According to Wendler, it costs about $100,000 a month to operate the building, including modest maintenance. However, the university system does not have a funding stream because it’s not considered an “education and general building.” In a 1932 lease agreement, West Texas A&M assumed responsibility for maintaining the building, which some in the audience said the university system was violating.
Wendler insisted the society and the university are not divided on the issue and said everyone is equally frustrated by the complexities. He said the other two museums on Texas college campuses — the Stone Fort Museum at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches and the National Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech University in Lubbock — have experienced the same challenges, but they are “miniscule” compared with the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum.
“This is the most robust history museum in the state of Texas,” Wendler said. “I think the burden of what it costs to upgrade the building and address the fire and safety concerns are remarkable and beyond most people’s imagination.”
The commission opened the floor for audience comments and questions. Many of the speakers insisted the museum belongs in Canyon because of the history it holds from the nearby Palo Duro Canyon, and because area residents donated family artifacts that had been passed down by generations. Others feared the collection would move to Amarillo or Lubbock, saying neither city “deserved” the museum.
Mary Bearden, a former president for the historical society, told the commission she felt encouraged by the ideas presented at the meeting.
“I was worried the parties would not be able to find middle ground,” Bearden said. “So I hope, based on what we hear today and what the Legislature, A&M and the society can do, that we can keep the Panhandle-Plains Museum,” she said.
Disclosure: Texas Tech University and West Texas A&M University have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Great Job Texas Tribune, Jayme Lozano Carver & the Team @ KSAT San Antonio for sharing this story.
