CHAPS - Coleman Museum & Gallery at Heritage Hall

04/17/2026

Ralph Terry - Coleman Library Dedication

04/17/2026

The CHAPS Board is delighted to congratulate Historian Ralph Terry on the launch and dedication of his archive room at the Coleman Public Library. Appreciation is extended to the Library Board, EDC, Sue Dossey, the library staff, and Ashley Miller for facilitating this exceptional resource. Coleman's gift of this archive room ensures a legacy that will be shared and cherished by generations to come, fostering a new wave of Coleman Historians.
strong and we are just getting started!
Coleman Public Library

04/16/2026

🌵Coleman County Museum Presents🌵
The Legacy of the Nance Saddle Shop

Long before paved roads and modern storefronts, the heartbeat of early Coleman County could be heard in the steady rhythm of hammers, leather tools, and craftsmanship that defined daily life on the frontier. Among those who helped shape this rugged and determined community was the Nance Saddle Shop — a cornerstone of both necessity and pride in 19th-century Coleman.

In the late 1800s, when ranching was not just an occupation but a way of life, a well-made saddle was essential. The Nance Saddle Shop served cowboys, ranchers, and travelers alike, producing durable, hand-tooled saddles and tack that could withstand the harsh demands of West Texas terrain. Each piece was crafted with precision, reflecting both function and artistry — a true testament to frontier ingenuity.

One of the most memorable parts of the shop was its “fitting model” — an old gray horse that patiently stood as saddles were shaped and tested. This trusted model played a quiet but important role in the process, helping ensure each saddle was properly balanced and ready for the long rides ahead. For many in the community, the sight of that steady gray horse became just as familiar as the craftsmen themselves.

By the early 20th century, the business had grown alongside the town. In 1929, J. H. Nance and Son was located at 105 South Commercial Avenue and was owned by James H. and Bennett A. Nance. Their shop had expanded well beyond saddles, serving as both manufacturer and dealer of saddles, harness, collars, bridles, and a complete line of leather goods. They also offered shoe repairing, cowboy boots, automobile tops and seat covers, and awnings — adapting to the changing needs of a community transitioning from horseback to motor travel. Their telephone number? Simply **3** — a small detail that speaks volumes about just how early and established this business was in Coleman. *(Coleman City Directory, 1929 – Hudspeth)*

Additional insight into the family behind the business comes from "The J. H. Nance Family" by Freda Hindman McGuckin, published in *A History of Coleman County and Its People (1985)*. James Howard Nance was born February 28, 1864, in Nacogdoches County, Texas, with family roots tracing back to Tennessee. He arrived in Coleman on January 13, 1900, bringing with him the skill of saddle making that would define his life’s work.

J. H.’s story is also one of family and perseverance. His first wife, Emma, passed away in 1899, leaving him with their young son, Bennett A. Nance, who would later carry on the family trade. Bennett married Emma Alderson Gray, and together they raised two children, continuing the Nance legacy in Coleman. Over the years, J. H. remarried and remained deeply connected to both his craft and his community.

His saddle shop, located on the east side of Commercial Avenue in the first block, became a recognizable landmark. Adding to its character was the life-size white horse — a replica inspired by a horse owned by earlier businessman W. P. Rasco, who came to Coleman around 1877. This figure served as both advertisement and attraction, delighting children who visited town on Saturdays and climbed aboard for a moment of frontier imagination.

Beyond the shop, J. H. maintained a small farm just north of town, across the railroad tracks off Colorado Street. There, he kept horses and lived in a large home with a wide, welcoming front porch — a reflection of both his success and his hospitality.

J. H. Nance passed away on June 20, 1937, and was laid to rest in Coleman. His son Bennett continued the business, upholding a reputation as one of the finest saddle makers in West Texas. In just the first three years after taking over, Bennett produced two hundred saddles — a testament to both demand and craftsmanship. He remained dedicated to the trade until his passing on October 7, 1964, also in Coleman.

But the shop was more than a place of business. It was a gathering point — where stories were exchanged, cattle drives were planned, and neighbors connected. In an era before telephones were common and travel was slow, places like the Nance Saddle Shop helped weave the social fabric of the community.

The craftsmanship of saddle makers like the Nance family represents a blend of necessity and legacy. Their work supported the booming cattle industry that helped define Coleman County’s early economy. Every stitch told a story — of long rides, hard work, and the enduring spirit of the people who called this land home.

Today, while the sounds of the old shop may have faded, its legacy lives on in the history of Coleman County. The Nance Saddle Shop — along with its iconic horses, both real and replicated — reminds us of a time when skill, resilience, and community built the foundation for the generations that followed.

EDITED:
Prickly Pear - Coleman, TX opened in the same building as the Nance Saddle Shop. Owner, Annette Carrell, says it still had the old cistern in the floor when she bought it. "If you look closly at the very top you can still see RECulp and a date at the top in the tin." Carrel remarked.

❤️ Stop by the museum to see the Old Gray Horse and learn more about the people and places that shaped our county — and help us continue preserving these stories for the future.
❓Do you have personal or family stories? We want you to share in the comments below❗
strong and we're just getting started!

Written by Hillary Martin Kilpatrick
Coleman County Museum | CHAPS
history from https://www.txgenwebcounties.org/coleman/colemancounty/family-history/nance,j-h-family.html

04/15/2026

🌵Coleman Museum Presents🌵
Texas Rangers Headquarters in Santa Anna

The history of Coleman County is deeply connected to the broader story of Texas, including the legacy of the Texas Rangers. ⭐

Standing guard half way up the Santa Anna “Mountain”, a former Texas Rangers headquarters once served as an important outpost during the late 19th century. At a time when the frontier was still taking shape, the Rangers provided a steady presence in maintaining order and protecting communities across this region.
Originally organized in 1823 under Stephen F. Austin, the Texas Rangers played a significant role in the development of Texas.

As settlements expanded into Central Texas, locations like Santa Anna became strategically important. From here, Rangers could respond to the needs of a growing population while covering large stretches of rural territory.

Though much has changed since those early days, the presence of a Rangers headquarters in Santa Anna reflects the importance of Coleman County in the evolving story of Texas. It stands as a reminder of the challenges faced by early communities and the systems put in place to support them.

Today, the site of this former headquarters is home to the Texas Ranger Motel (owned by Vicki and Todd Virden) welcoming weary travelers on U.S. Highway 67/84.

At the Coleman Museum, we are committed to preserving and sharing these local connections to Texas history. Each story helps us better understand the people, places, and events that shaped our county.

❓Do you have memories of the Texas Ranger Motel? Family stays, stories, or photos? We invite you to share them in the comments or with the museum—your history helps keep Coleman County’s story alive.❗

Written by HHillary Martin KilpatrickColeman County Museum | CHAPS

04/15/2026

We are so excited about this event at the Coleman Public Library. Thank you Ralph Terry for all you've done for our county!

Exciting news!

In celebration of Coleman's 150th anniversary, the Coleman Public Library, along with the Advisory Board, the City of Coleman, Mayor Tommy Sloan, and Council members, will dedicate the "Ralph Terry Collection of Coleman County Photography and History."

This unique collection includes photos, negatives, films, and newspapers. The City of Coleman and the Library Advisory Board are committed to preserving and safeguarding these valuable historic documents for future generations.

Please join us on April 16th, 2026, from 6:00 to 7:00 PM (with the dedication at 6:30 PM) for this historic moment for the City of Coleman.

04/14/2026

🌵Coleman County Museum Presents🌵
Colonel Robert Morris Coleman - A man who chose Texas. He helped create Texas… and he had fought to defend it.

There are names we say every day… towns we call home… counties we’re proud of… but how often do we stop and remember the man behind the name?

In 1858, when Coleman County was officially created, it was named in honor of a man whose life was anything but ordinary—Robert Morris Coleman.

Born in Kentucky around 1799, Coleman was shaped by the raw, untamed frontier. He grew up during the War of 1812 era, learning early what it meant to survive. He became known as a skilled horseman, a sharp marksman, and a man who understood both the land and the people who lived on it. Life on the frontier demanded grit—and he had plenty of it.

By 1831, Coleman brought his family to Texas, settling in what is now Bastrop County. Like so many early Texans, he came seeking opportunity—but what he found was revolution.

When the Texas Revolution began, Coleman didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward, taking command of the Mina Volunteers as a captain in the Texas Army. He fought in early and critical battles, including Gonzales and Concepción—moments that helped shape the future of Texas.

He wasn’t just living in Texas…
He was helping give birth to it.

In 1836, Coleman was elected to the General Convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos, where Texas declared its independence. He resigned his military post to attend—because he understood that building a nation required more than fighting for it. It required vision. Leadership. Commitment.
And there, he helped draft and signed both the Texas Declaration of Independence and the first Constitution of Texas.

He later rejoined the fight, serving under Sam Houston as a Colonel and aide-de-camp, fighting at the decisive Battle of San Jacinto—the victory that secured Texas independence.

His story should end there, with honor and recognition. But history is not always kind.

In 1837, just a year after independence, Coleman died tragically—drowning near the mouth of the Brazos River. What followed for his family was even more heartbreaking. His widow and children returned home, only to face unimaginable hardship. In 1839, their homestead was attacked. His wife and eldest son were killed defending the family. The home was burned. One child was taken captive. Others survived only by hiding beneath the floor.

It is a story of courage—but also of sacrifice.

And yet, nearly twenty years later, the Texas Legislature chose to remember.
At the suggestion of Texas historian John Henry Brown, this county was named “Coleman”—not for wealth, not for power, but for service. For sacrifice. For a man who gave everything to the birth of Texas.

So the next time you say “All Roads Lead To Coleman” remember…
It’s more than a place on a map.
It’s a legacy.

Written by Hillary Kilpatrick
Coleman County Museum | CHAPS
History by Ralph Terry texasgenwebcounties.org/coleman

04/13/2026

🌵 Coleman County Museum Presents 🌵

THEY WALKED INTO WORK. THE OUTLAWS WERE ALREADY INSIDE.

February 1934. Coleman, Texas.

When Charlie Hemphill unlocked the door to the First Coleman National Bank that morning, he did not step into an ordinary workday. He stepped into a robbery.

A masked man stood waiting inside with a machine gun.

“Stick ’em up.”

Charlie and the other employees were forced across the bank floor at gunpoint, pushed and threatened as they were gathered together. Some believed the men already lying on the ground were dead. No one knew what would happen next.

The robbers were not hurried. They were prepared.

They wanted one thing: the safe. But only one man could open it.

Wade Hemphill.

And he was late that morning, because he had fallen ill the night before. So they waited. Employees were moved back and forth under armed guard, threatened with death if the vault did not open. Minute by minute, the tension stretched until at last, the safe was opened. Through an act of Providence, under pressure, Jake LeMay got the combination correct after one try; because he had watched Wade Hemphill open the safe “a good many times.”

More than $20,000 in cash was taken. The equivalent of nearly half a million dollars today.

But the ordeal did not end there.

The robbers forced the men into their getaway car, some inside, others clinging to the outside fender as they fled Coleman at high speed. Along the road toward Santa Anna, the bandits scattered roofing nails to delay pursuit by law enforcement.

At full speed, Charlie Hemphill was ordered to jump from the moving vehicle. He struck the ground at nearly sixty miles per hour, suffering serious injuries but surviving the fall.

The gang continued south, abandoning their vehicle, securing another, and ultimately disappearing across multiple counties.

In time, some were captured and brought to justice. One member of the gang was later killed by his own associates.

Charlie and Wade Hemphill lived to tell the story.

For those inside the bank, it was not simply an event in history. It was a moment of fear, endurance, and survival.

And for Coleman, it remains a reminder that the outlaw era did not pass quietly by.

It came through the front door.

strong. And we’re just getting started.

Written by Sara LeMoine Knox
History provided By Betsy Allen and Jodi Brown from the Coleman Chronicle & DV.
Coleman County Museum | CHAPS

04/10/2026

Trivia Friday 4/10.

04/10/2026

🌵Coleman County Museum Presents🌵
The Story of John Pearl: Coleman County’s Only Legal Hanging

In the long and storied history of Coleman County, there is one event that stands apart—both somber and unforgettable. It is the story of John Pearl, the only man ever legally executed by hanging in the county.

A CRIME THAT SHOCKED THE REGION
The story begins in December of 1900, just across the county line in Brown County. A German farmer named Ed Tusker suddenly disappeared from his home. His hired hand, John Pearl, told neighbors that Tusker had returned to Germany and even began selling the man’s property, including cotton and equipment.
But suspicion grew quickly.

Neighbors organized a search, and what they found confirmed their worst fears. Tusker’s body was discovered in a nearby water tank, weighed down with a large rock and bearing a fatal gunshot wound to the head. (TXGenWeb Counties)

TRIAL AND CONVICTION
John Pearl was arrested and charged with murder. He was first tried in Brown County, where he was convicted and sentenced to death. However, due to legal issues, he was granted a new trial—this time moved to Coleman County.

Despite a defense that argued insanity, the second trial ended the same way: a conviction for first-degree murder and a sentence of death by hanging. (TXGenWeb Counties)

THE HANGING IN COLEMAN
On October 22, 1901, inside the Coleman County Jail, a gallows had been constructed on the second floor. Unlike public hangings of earlier times, attendance was limited—only a small number of invited witnesses were allowed inside, though large crowds gathered outside, drawn by the gravity of the moment.

John Pearl addressed the crowd at length before his ex*****on. Even in his final moments, he maintained his innocence in the actual killing, though he admitted to helping conceal the crime. (TXGenWeb Counties)
At approximately 2:45 p.m., the trap was sprung.

With that, John Pearl became the first—and last—person ever legally hanged in Coleman County. (Texas Escapes)

A SHERIFF'S BURDEN
The responsibility of carrying out the ex*****on fell to Sheriff Bob Goodfellow. Though he fulfilled his duty, accounts suggest the act weighed heavily on him for the rest of his life—a reminder of the human cost behind justice in that era. (Texas Escapes)

MYSTERY AND MEMORY
Over time, questions have lingered. Family members of John Pearl later claimed that another man confessed to the murder before his death, insisting Pearl was innocent and took the blame out of fear. (TXGenWeb Counties)
Whether truth or family lore, the uncertainty adds another layer to an already haunting story.

Today, reminders of the event still exist. The old jail once showed the beam where the gallows stood, and a simple grave marker in the Coleman Cemetery marks the final resting place of John Pearl.

A PIECE OF COLEMAN'S PAST
The story of John Pearl is not just about crime and punishment—it is a window into a different time. A time when justice was swift, public curiosity was strong, and the weight of a single decision could echo for generations.

It remains one of the most talked-about and remembered events in Coleman County history—a sobering chapter that continues to fascinate, unsettle, and remind us of the complexities of the past.

STORY CAPTURED BY ANOTHER COLEMAN NATIVE
Over the years, the story of John Pearl has continued to capture attention and curiosity, prompting local author, John Langley, to dig into the hanging. He went on to write “Travels of a Hanging Rope” which told John Pearl’s story from the perspective of the rope used in the hanging. This book can be purchased at Coleman’s local bookstore, SweetCrows, A confectionary bookstore.

For all you historical crime buffs, the Museum (in the Roy McCorkle room) has a small exhibit of John Pearl’s hanging including the attendance cards. The museum is open Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm.

Written by Hillary Kilpatrick
Coleman County Museum | CHAPS

You can read the extended history on Ralph Terry's website: https://www.txgenwebcounties.com/coleman/colemancounty/general-history/pearl,john.html #:~:text=John%20Pearl%20was%20the%20only,detailed%20information%20than%20previously%20known.

04/09/2026

🌵 Coleman County Museum Presents 🌵

James Allen - The Coleman County Cowboy

Some men ride for a season.
Some men ride for a lifetime.

And then there are men like James Allen who become part of the story itself.

Born in Santa Anna, in Coleman County, James Allen was raised where work came early and grit came standard. Ranching shaped him. Rodeo tested him. Over time, he proved himself as one of the finest all around hands to ever come out of this country.

His career did not just last. It endured. Nearly 80 years in the arena, competing at the highest levels of rodeo.

- 1971 Steer Roping World Finals Average Champion
- 1968 Texas Circuit Team Roping Champion
- 7 time Senior Steer Roping Champion
- 1994 USTRC Texas Bonus Champion

He was not limited to one event either. James Allen competed in calf roping, team roping, steer wrestling, and steer roping, holding his own across the board.

He placed at some of the toughest rodeos in the country, including San Angelo and Pecos, arenas where reputations are made the hard way.

But what truly set him apart was not just what he won. It was what he built.

Serving six years on the board of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, and later as Roping Director from 1979 to 1992, James Allen helped transform the sport itself. He expanded steer roping events from just a handful to more than 50 across the nation.

He did not just compete in rodeo.
He helped grow it.

And back home in Coleman County, he passed that knowledge on. He raised and mentored the next generation, including his son, Guy Allen, one of the most dominant champions the sport has ever seen. Guy would go on to become one of the greatest steer ropers in history.

That kind of legacy does not happen by accident.
It is built early mornings. Long miles. Hard lessons.

It is built in places like Santa Anna, Coleman County, Texas.

When James Allen was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, it was not just a recognition of championships.

It was recognition of a man who gave his life to the arena, the land, and the people who came after him.

years strong. And we’re just getting started.

Written by Sara LeMoine Knox
History from the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame
Pictures from the Allen Family.

CHAPS | Coleman County Museum

04/08/2026

🌵Coleman County Museum Presents
🌵
Roy McCorkle (1929–2015)
City Manager • Craftsman • Another Keeper of Coleman’s History

Born January 7, 1929, to Ed and Oma McCorkle, Roy McCorkle was a lifelong son of Coleman County and one of its most devoted public servants. The youngest of four children, he grew up in Coleman and attended Coleman schools, where he played football on the legendary undefeated and untied 1946–47 Coleman High School team. A member of the Class of 1947, he carried a deep pride in his hometown throughout his life.

After graduation, McCorkle received several college scholarship offers and briefly attended Howard Payne University. When his father’s illness made it necessary to return home, he chose family and community over opportunity elsewhere—a decision that would shape the rest of his life. He worked for Swift & Company, the Coca-Cola Bottling Company, and later managed the Coleman Steam Laundry for nine years, at one time overseeing operations in both Coleman and Kerrville.

In 1971, McCorkle stepped into public service when he was asked to serve as both City Secretary and City Manager. Over the next 23 years as City Manager—35 years in city operations—he provided steady leadership to the City of Coleman, earning a reputation for dedication, humility, and dependability. An article in the Abilene Reporter-News once noted his ability to “hold down an unstable position” for more than two decades—a testament to his calm and capable guidance.

Upon retirement, McCorkle turned his lifelong hobby of whittling into a remarkable second career preserving Coleman’s history in miniature. Using only a hacksaw, a pocketknife, and blocks of white pine, he painstakingly recreated the city’s architectural landmarks. Among his detailed works are the Coleman County Courthouse, the 1928 Fire Truck, the 1920 Santa Fe Depot, Old Coleman High School, and the 1928 City Hall. Each piece required hundreds of hours to complete and reflects both historical accuracy and deep affection for his hometown.

Through both public service and craftsmanship, Roy McCorkle devoted his life to Coleman—first by helping guide its future, and later by carefully preserving its past, one carving at a time.

We invite you to visit the NEW ROY McCORKLE room at the museum on Saturdays 10 am to 2 pm or by appointment.

years strong and we're just getting started!
Written by Sara LeMoine Knox
Coleman County Museum | CHAPS