While writing about the time capsule buried at the Muleshoe Heritage Center, I discovered that Bailey County has a historian and two groups of people besides the Muleshoe Heritage Foundation board who work to preserve Bailey County history. Who knew?
I didn’t, and I suspect the majority of people in Muleshoe don’t know, either. So, let me tell you about them.
Basil Nash was elected county judge in 2022; Rebecca Beall became his assistant in the spring of 2023. Basil wanted to do some courthouse updates, and because the courthouse is listed as historic property, he was told permission would have to be granted from the Texas Historical Commission. To get that permission, the county would have to have a county historic commission and a certified local government committee to apply for grants that would be beneficial to the county and to do other things that would preserve the history of the county. Someone was needed to pull all that together, so Basil appointed Rebecca to that position, which she was happy to take because she enjoys history. And she has been busy working to do just that, making sure everything is in order.
A Bailey County Historic Commission had been formed back in 2011, but the group was never too active for whatever reason. So, the first thing Rebecca needed to do was come up with an active historic commission. She asked Tom Watson, Marilyn Black, Dani Heathington, Richard Wills, Ruth Hall, Gary Hooten, and JimElla Clemmons to sit on the commission, and they all said yes. Then she needed a certified local government committee, and Chuck Smith, Jeff Coffman, Rosita Gonzales, Gilrobert Rennels, Nick Bamert, Dani Heathington, Virginia Bowers, and John Gulley all agreed to serve on the committee. The commission comes up with projects, and the committee finds the funding for the projects. The commission meets quarterly; the committee meets every other month; and both meet at the courthouse.
So, what are some of the projects these people have accomplished? A Texas Historical Monument was placed near the Wildlife Refuge in the fall of 2025 in honor of the Pastores de Muleshoe, sheepherders who were active in the area back in the 1800s. The commission was made aware of this site thanks to a history group at Texas Tech University.
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Beall
The site is on private property and had been overlooked for years, but evidence of its use by the sheepherders and their families is still there when you realize what you are looking at. This picture is taken at a distance from the caves they lived in, but look past the barbed wire fence, and you can see the rock fences they erected to keep the sheep close by.
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Beall
An archway entrance marker at the Baileyboro Cemetery will be erected on August 15th. Right now the cemetery is listed in records as simply an unmarked cemetery, so it needs to be correctly recognized. Both the Muleshoe Memorial Park Cemetery and the Bailey County Cemetery will benefit from a grant being worked on now to provide irrigation and upkeep machinery to keep both locations in good condition.
A Youth Heritage Day was held on June 20th with activities for kids. Community members brought and shared Native American artifacts. Ira Sisk had fun demonstrating roping.
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Beall
The Preservation Office helped with the Bula Time Capsule exhumation which I wrote about earlier, and put together the Muleshoe time capsule for the America 250 Celebration buried at the Heritage Center this July 4th, which I also wrote about.
Rebecca is especially proud of getting the Bailey County Courthouse on the National Registry of Historical Places which is granted by the U.S. Department of the Interior. A plaque will be mounted on the front of the building as well as inside.
History abounds in Bailey County, and it would be a shame for it to be lost. Recognition and documentation doesn’t just happen; it takes time and work by people who care about the area’s legacy. Rebecca said anyone interested in being involved in making that happen can volunteer to serve on the commission or the committee. Anyone who owns or knows of historic properties that would be appropriate to be on the Texas Historical Commission could share that information with Rebecca, and the process could begin to see if that history can be saved.
Have you something that needs recognition? Know of something that has been forgotten or overlooked? Give Rebecca a call.
Thanks to Rebecca Beall for her help with this story and her willingness to serve as the Bailey County Historic Preservation Officer.
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