Historical marker at Bones Hooks Park honors iconic cowboy, community founder, leader
Mathew "Bones" Hooks, a celebrated civic leader and one of the first African Americans to settle in the city of Amarillo, was honored on Juneteenth at his namesake city park with a historical marker commemorating his impact and importance to the local community at a ceremony in Bones Hooks Park.
The event was hosted by the Potter County Historical Commission (PCHC) and the North Heights Advisory Association (NHAA).
Hooks is considered one of the most famous cowboys in Amarillo, Panhandle and national history. He was pivotal to establishing the North Heights community, where he established a general store. Hooks also started the Dogie Club in 1932 as a mentorship program to Black male youths in response to the segregation of the Maverick Club. With the Dogie Club, Hooks mentored boys in camping, sports, planting trees, and being good citizens. One of Hooks's signature acts was bringing white flowers to the funerals of Panhandle pioneers and other dignitaries.
Many years after he died in 1951, Hooks was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2021, and he was a charter member of the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society.
Lance Garza, the marker chair for the PCHC, spoke about the journey to get the historical marker approved.
“This has been about three years in the making. We originally applied for the marker through the Texas Historical Commission and was rejected, but within the same year, we reapplied for a regular historical marker,” Garza said. “We spent a lot of time working on and researching this.”
He said over 10 pages of research, all with citations, were submitted, with most coming from the Amarillo Globe-News archives. To get a historical marker, there must be vast evidence and works citing the achievement placed on it.
“Back in the day, they were one of the few publications that reported quite a bit on his civic duties and the development of North Heights,” he said. “There was such an incredible amount of work he did for the community.”
Garza said that finally reaching this point gives him great satisfaction.
“I am immensely proud to see this long overdue marker standing in the very community that he founded,” he said. “I would love to see more recognition of Bones Hooks and others in the Black community, as well as other contributors from other communities around the city. This is a small first step, and knowledge of history is powerful. It imbues a sense of pride in knowing who came before you and who did the work.”
Also at the ceremony, Mattie Sue McClendon was honored for her community service. Her son Ray Nash accepted the award on her behalf.
“For her to be associated with something as important as this is special,” he said. “There are a lot of people that pay their dues, and they become unsung heroes. Mom is an unsung hero, as are many people in the community. My mom even being mentioned as part of this ceremony is just awesome.”
Melodie Graves, NHAA President, spoke about the impact of Hooks and the importance of this recognition for a pioneer of the North Heights community.
"Bones Hooks was a significant figure in the Amarillo community,” Graves said. “This marker is a tribute to his enduring legacy. This event not only commemorates Juneteenth, a pivotal moment in American history, but also celebrates the rich cultural heritage of our local community. Bones Hooks is the founder of the North Heights community, and today we got to pay tribute to him.”
Graves said Hooks was esse,ntial in creating,g change in his community and a pioneer as a Black cowboy.
“It was important to be able to see people that look like myself and others in professions that typically did not have Black representation,” she said. “He provided the visualization and realization for young kids to know that they can do anything if they put their heart and mind to it.”
Graves said Hooks's long-overdue recognition resulted from the NHAA and the PCHC working diligently to make it happen. When asked how she felt Hooks would feel about the state of North Heights if he were alive today, Graves said he would be disappointed with the state of his community.
“I think he would be upset that we have not progressed further than we have as a community,” she said. “I think he would be angry about the lack of unity and infrastructure in a community he fought to establish. We live in forgotten territory that is often overlooked and not included. We live on some of the richest land in the city, but when you do not have the proper infrastructure or housing, the community starts to erode.”
With this celebration of Hooks's legacy, Graves believes it is important that he is recognized and honored with more work to be done.
“It is an amazing feeling to know that he fought to improve the Black community and make it better,” Graves said. “We should be inspired to continue fighting to be better as a community, as he did. This is the spark that we need to continue to push for equality in the city in the community that he advocated for."
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: 'Bones' Hooks honored with historical marker at namesake park
