Caprock escarpment, an exposed edge of foundation-rock, covers about 1/4 of the area of Crosby Co. on the south and east boundaries. The eastern portion of this area is known as Blanco Canyon. In the northeastern sections of the canyon and breaks area, headwaters of the Brazos, White River or Salt Fork of the Brazos cuts through the breaks.
In this area known as Mt. Blanco, the first permanent settlers took up residence on the Texas Plains.
This source of clear water plus the trail route surveyed by U.S. Cavalry in 1872 led to development and settlement of the Texas plains desert.
In 1876 just a little over a year after Indians were driven onto Oklahoma reservations, H.C. (Hank Smith, Judge John Schimerhorn and three other men, one of them of Mexican descent, made a prospecting expedition through Blanco Canyon. They set up camp in a wide valley close to the mouth of the canyon. On either side near the Caprock were scattered caliche hills, one mesa on the east being of outstanding portions and beauty. This mesa, in later years, was to become known as Mt. Blanco. The adventurers spent several weeks prospecting for a building site for a "great ranch" as conceived by Charles A. Tasker, a young cattlemen from Philadelphia, and an Irishman, Lord Jamison.
Returning to Ft. Griffin, members of the expedition made their report and recommended the spot near where they had camped as a likely spot for the first building to be erected and the area surroundings as a desirable location for the ranch. Work was immediately begun to build and stock the ranch. summer of 1877, H.C. Smith drove the first domestick stock, five to six hundred head of cattle into Blanco Canyon.
Tasker's extravagant ways soon led into financial difficulties and Smith took over the ranch and incompleted house to cover part of the $11,000 debt Tasker had accumulated.
Fall 1877, Smith moved his family to Mt. Blanco and completed construction of the Rock House which was to become a landmark of significant historical interest. Nearest neighbors to the Smiths were 50 miles away in Dickens Co.
In 1878 the nearest post office was at Ft. Griffin (Albany), a distance of 175 miles Months often passed without mail deliveries in 1879 Smith circulated a pet87 ition to secure postal service for West Texas. The petition was granted and the office was called Mt. Blanco.
The Smiths' home, a way-station in the westward movement and the only permanent structure for miles around, was chosen as logical location for the office which was first installed in the center room, first floor of the Rock House; later it was moved into the commissary which was within the rock wall surrounding Smith's home.
Mrs. Smith (Elizabeth Boyle) was appointed first Postmistress Sept. 13, 1879. She held the office until 1916.
| Mac H. Shankin | cattleman |
| George W. Shanklin | cowboy |
| George Palmer | cowboy |
| George W. Casway | cattleman |
| William Andrews | cowboy |
| Nat W. McCuestion | cattleman |
| Lew P. Krouse | carpenter |
The Smiths were not counted in the 1880 census, which is an indication that persons could easily be missed in this sparsely populated area.
| Joseph Self, | laborer on a stock farm |
| Margaret Self | Housewife |
| Alice Self | |
| Jeffrey Self | |
| Jessie M. Poe | stock raiser; |
| Fannie G. Poe | housewife |
| Albert A. Poe | |
| Daniel M. Poe | |
| James J. Hammack | shoemaker |
| Amanda F. Hammack | housewife |
| Orelanna Hammack | at public school |
| Martin C. Potter | farmer |
| Demerris P. Potter | housewife |
| Allen A. Potter | |
| Barbara E. Potter | |
| Nellie M. Potter | |
| Fannie Potter | |
| John F. Sutton | stock raiser |
| Barbara E. Sutton | housewife |
| Martin W. Sutton | |
| Charlie W. Sutton | |
| Charles W. Poe | farmer |
| Laura A. Poe | housewife |
| Octava B. Poe | |
| John W. Poe | |
| William Bromley | farm laborer |
| Petunia E. Bromley | housewife |
| Anna E. Bromley | |
| John M. Smith | laborer on farm |
| Claude M. Tilford | stock raiser |
| John T. Viley | bookkeeper |
| James Brooks | laborer, stock ranch |
| James C. Dalton | laborer, stock ranch |
| William A. Sloan | laborer, stock ranch |
Before Mt. Blanco school was built, two older children of Hank Smiths' were boarded at Estacado so they could attend classes. Before the Estacado school was organized, Mrs. Smith tutored her children in their own home. The site of Mt. Blanco school, which was the center of the community, was changed three times. In an oral history interview with Charlie McDermett in 1971, he stated he attended Mt. Blanco school the first year his family was on the Plains. he was seven years old at the time, 1891. Charlie recalled "The first year or two the school was located on the west side of the cross ( Catfish Draw, a branch of White River); later the school was moved east near the white hills" (about two miles from the Rock House).
"In the summer it (the crossing) was pretty sloppy, in the winter when it froze over, it wasn't so bad."
Charlie recalled that the school building would probably measure 20x 24 feet square and that children of four families attended the nine months school term during the first years. These were the McDermetts, Smiths, Potters and Poes.
Charlie stated, "The school was right there by the Hank Smith place. (Another source located the first site about 1/43 mile west of the Rock House.) We felt just as much at home (at the Smiths) as in our own house, at the Potters or Poes either. Two Quaker girls from Estacado taught school there one taught one year, the other the next."
It is believed School district #2, as described in Vol. 1 p. 12, of Courty Clerk Records was Mt. Blanco. The districts were not named at this early date. Boundaries were defined June 14, 1877. Feb. 13, 1913 the district was recreated, vol. II, p. 502. The one-room building was moved from its location in Blanco Canyon to a new location about eight miles east, north-east of the Rock House. This location was about two miles east, above the Caprock edge of the East Plains. At this location one of the larger communities in Crosby Co. developed. In 1916, a new two-room building was built. summer 1923, a one-room addition was erected and the school became a three-room affair, filled to capacity with children.
The building doubled as church meeting house and community entertainment center. Church of Christ and Missionary Baptist both met there a while.
The school district voted to consolidate with Crosbyton schools Sept. 27, 1949. This measure took its toll on the once prosperous village.
May 5, 1965, membership of Missionary Baptist Church, which had stood solidly as the center of the community since Jan. 13, 1918, voted to disband. This was the death toll for the little village. The stout-hearted citizens who strived for years against insurmountable odds to keep the community alive finally succumbed in the name of progress.
Still a spark of patronage survived. As the school was torn down, a small frame community house was built on a retained 1/2 acre of land when remained of the site was sold to Joe Appling, Mt. Blanco Community Club meets regularly in the building.
The first two community sites of Mt. Blanco is in private-range land owned by R. I. Bennett, and the second, owned by the J.S. Birdwell estates (1977).
The last site on the East Plains consists of about five acres sold to Joe Appling. His home now stands on the site where the old school building stood. Remainder of the site stands abandoned. There are a few old buildings standing vacant, weathered and grayed by time and elements.
C.F. Flemins and Doyl Thornhill purchased 17 acres of land from S.G.. Appling for a cotton gin plant site. Spring 1957, after completion of the plant, they began their first ginning season. In 1977, Flemins was sole independent owner. The gin was the only remaining business in operation at the Mt. Blanco village site in 1977.
Fall 1924, T.R. Elder bough 2 1/2 acres of land from S.G. Appling for the purpose of building a general store. The store was built on a lot beside the Baptist Church.
Frank McCauley, father-in-law of T.R. Elder, helped him run the store. 1946, Rudoph McCurdy bought the store and operated it two years. Eugene Hardin bought it from him, ran it approximately two years. Then Quil Pierce (known affectionately by everyone as "Grandpa Pierce" bought the store and operated it until his death in 1955 or 56. At that time S.G. Appling re-purchased the 2 1/2 acres
Note: In 1882, H.C. Smith purchased 320 acres of Eastland Co. School lands for $1 an acre-- same cost as the state was selling free public school lands. One-tenth of the cost was required to be cash, remainder due in ten equal installments, due annually at 10% interest. It is presumed that this is the same land the Rock House was built on.
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