The Spark WI72
In 1873 the Rev. Dr. J. W. Carhart of Racine designed and operated the first light self-propelled highway vehicle in the United States and probably the first in the world. He named it "the Spark." It was driven by a two-cylinder steam engine, steered by a lever, and had a speed of five miles per hour. When his "infernal machine" first appeared, the hideous noise created by its operation caused the people of Racine to threaten to run Carhart out of town. Carhart seems to have agreed with the general opinion of his invention but added, "It must be remembered that at the time there was no liquid fuel, ball bearings or rubber tires." At the 1908 International Automobile Exposition held in Paris, France, Carhart was addressed as the "Father of Automobiles" and received a cash award and a certificate of honor for his invention.

---

Church of St. John Baptist TX854

Oldest church continuously in use (in earliest Episcopal parish) in the Texas Panhandle. The first services were held by the Rev. Mr. Townsend of Dallas Diocese in the J.B. McClelland Ranch house, Nov. 1877. On site given 1891 by Isaac W. Carhart, building was erected in 1893. A donor, Mrs. Elizabeth Goff of Philadelphia, chose the name. The church was consecrated April 24, 1893, by Bishop A.C. Garrett. First Vicar: the Rev. W.D. Sartwell, 1890-93.

---

First United Methodist Church of Clarendon TX1884

When the Rev. Lewis H. Carhart, a Methodist minister, founded Clarendon, he envisioned it as a religious and educational center. The town was established in 1878 near the junction of Carroll Creek and the Salt Fork of the Red River, six miles north of its present location. Local cowboys nicknamed the settlement "Saint's Roost" because it had no saloons. The first building erected was a combination church and school. Until the turn-of-the-century, there was a Northern Methodist Church in the community. When the railroad arrived in 1887, Clarendon moved to its present site. The Rev. James T. Hosmer, a circuit rider, conducted Methodist services in private homes. In 1888 the Rev. Isaac L. Mills and 15 charter members organized the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. In 1890 the fellowship erected a frame church building on the southeast corner of Kearney and 4th Street. Membership increased significantly after the founding in 1898 of Clarendon Methodist College, forerunner of Clarendon Junior College. To accommodate the growing congregation, this large classical revival structure was built in 1910, during the pastorate of the Rev. O.P. Kiker. The original roof was replaced in 1950.

---

Replica of First Donley County Courthouse TX4245

Soon after founding in 1878 of Clarendon Colony by the Rev. Lewis H. Carhart, workers were brought from Vermont to quarry local stone and erect 2-story structure for hotel, stagecoach stand, and public meeting hall. With organization of Donley County, April 11, 1882, Clarendon was named county seat. The hotel became (and remained for years) the first courthouse -- and third courthouse in entire Panhandle of Texas. It served settlers in an 8,000 square mile area, since eight unorganized counties were for years attached for judicial purposes to Donley County.

---

The Clarendon News TX11922
The Clarendon News

The town of Clarendon began with an effort led by the Rev. Lewis H. Carhart as he strived to create a colony based on Christianity, temperance and education. To promote the settlement, he created The Clarendon News, publishing the first issue in June 1878, the same year the first colonists arrived. The News was the first newspaper in the Panhandle. Since its first printing, it has changed owners and names many times but has always provided local news coverage and community interest pieces. As the community grew, printing methods changed from hand-set type to 21st-century computer innovations. The newspaper's long, continuous run is a tribute to Carhart and the many pioneer journalists who followed him.

---