Haley Memorial Library and History Center

Haley Memorial Library and History Center Research historical documents, photographs and rare books. We exhibit fine western art. No charge. The purpose of the Nita Stewart Haley Memorial Library and J. J.
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Evetts Haley History Center is to preserve our western heritage. The Library houses more than 25,000 books, manuscripts and other printed material documenting western history. The collections and programs of the Library and the History Center concentrate on the common threads between the cowboy, the range cattle industry, military and railroads. Each industry depended on the other in order to expa

nd. The settlement of the West could not have occurred without these elements co existing and growing together. Our mission is to provide a first-class, actively used research facility for aspiring and professional historians and writers. To this end, librarians and archivists on staff continually catalog, preserve and organize the collection in order to facilitate any researcher's task. Many eminent historians, novelists and writers have written books, screen plays and articles based on material found only within the Haley Library collections. "The information, first-hand, of what happened is not available anywhere else'" notes historian Dudley Cramer whose recent book on the notorious Pecos and Lincoln County War derived from research at the Haley Library. Historian Robert Utley also relied up research at the Haley Library for his highly acclaimed book on Billy the Kid. Patrick Dearen's several books on the forbidding Pecos River area of West Texas depended on original historical records found exclusively at the Library. Prolific western novelist Elmer Kelton credits the Haley Library materials for inspiring many of his books. The bulk of the Library's primary historical sources, however, remain to be utilized by historians and writers who will disseminate this rich western history to students and the general public. Evetts Haley interviewed almost 700 Southwestern pioneers personally. These resources provide an exceptionally fertile, meaningful historical insight. Who knows how many fascinating histories, dynamic biographies and screenplays lie within these hundreds of interviews. With added financial resources, the Haley Library plans to stimulate increased research on the archival materials by publicizing Library holdings through electronic media, creating award programs for writers and expanding the Library's capability for publishing. Established in 1976, this remarkable institution has endured the test of time. Offered in the collections are printed and manuscript materials on western exploration, frontier military history, early railroads, the development of ranching and farming, mining, politics, frontier social history and material on regional and local Texas histories. The Library is a "no charge" facility. Research and use of the Library is always free.

From the Permanent Collections at the Haley Memorial Library & History CenterBefore modern equipment, moving a home was ...
05/07/2026

From the Permanent Collections at the Haley Memorial Library & History Center

Before modern equipment, moving a home was no small task.

Photographs like this capture a time when entire structures were relocated the hard way—lifted from their foundations and slowly pulled across open land by teams of horses. It took planning, manpower, and patience to move something as heavy and important as a family home.

Out on the Plains, rebuilding wasn’t always the best option. Materials were limited, time was valuable, and the land itself often dictated where a structure needed to be. So instead, they moved the house.

Moments like this remind us that the story of the West isn’t just about building—it’s about adapting.

From the Permanent Collections at the Haley Memorial Library & History CenterBefore the day’s work began—and long after ...
04/30/2026

From the Permanent Collections at the Haley Memorial Library & History Center

Before the day’s work began—and long after it ended—the chuckwagon was the center of camp.

Invented by Charles Goodnight in 1866, this mobile kitchen became an essential part of life on the trail. In the years following the Civil War, demand for beef surged as the West reopened. Goodnight, along with his business partner Oliver Loving, began driving cattle across the Southwest—making the chuckwagon a necessity, not a luxury.

More than just a place to cook, it carried everything needed to sustain a crew across long, dry distances: coffee, beans, biscuits, salted meats, dried fruit—and most importantly, water.

This photograph, from the Haley’s Chuckwagon Album, captures a quiet moment in that routine. Cowboys gather near their bedrolls for a meal, while a herd stretches across the landscape behind them—work paused, but never far from mind.

Though the great cattle drives have faded, the tradition hasn’t disappeared entirely. Some ranches still carry on the role of the chuckwagon cook today.

Curious how the chuckwagon lives on? Watch here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ou6CzdzrH4

From the Permanent Collections at the Haley Memorial Library & History CenterA collapsing structure, half-buried in drif...
04/23/2026

From the Permanent Collections at the Haley Memorial Library & History Center

A collapsing structure, half-buried in drifting sand—this was not an isolated scene. It was the reality of the Dust Bowl.

While the devastation peaked in the 1930s, its roots reach back further. During World War I, demand for American wheat surged, and millions of acres of native prairie were plowed under to meet it. Those grasses had once anchored the soil with deep roots—but once removed, the land was left exposed.

When drought and relentless winds arrived, the results were catastrophic.

Topsoil lifted into the air with ease. Sandstorms swept across the Plains. Crops failed. Livestock starved. Families were forced to abandon homes that had been in their care for generations.

J. Evetts Haley and his family experienced these hardships firsthand. This photograph—taken by Haley and a companion across the Texas Panhandle and into Midland—captures just one moment in a much larger story.

At its peak, the Dust Bowl displaced over 2.5 million people and affected more than 150,000 square miles of land. It remains one of the most severe environmental and economic disasters in American history.

Images like this serve as a reminder: the land remembers how it is treated.

To learn more:
https://drought.unl.edu/dustbowl/

From the Permanent Collections at the Haley Memorial Library & History CenterThis striking 1910 painting by Maynard Dixo...
04/16/2026

From the Permanent Collections at the Haley Memorial Library & History Center

This striking 1910 painting by Maynard Dixon was presented to Texas photographer Erwin E. Smith as a personal gift from the artist—a connection between two men who each captured the spirit of the American West in their own way.

Born in 1875, Dixon became one of the most recognized painters of the western United States. His work reflects a landscape in transition—wide open spaces, working cowboys, and a way of life that was already beginning to change. Though a California native, Dixon found lasting inspiration in Arizona, where the desert’s vastness and quiet strength shaped much of his artistic vision.

That same dedication to documenting the West is what ties his work so closely to Erwin E. Smith, whose photography preserved the realities of ranch life across Texas.

Today, Dixon’s work can be found in museums and galleries across the country, including his studio in Tucson, Arizona, and his legacy continues through the 2007 documentary “Maynard Dixon: Art and Spirit.”

Pieces like this remind us that preserving history isn’t just about storing it—it’s about keeping these stories alive.

Some histories disappear quietly.Not because they weren’t important…but because no one saved them.Across Texas, there ar...
04/09/2026

Some histories disappear quietly.

Not because they weren’t important…
but because no one saved them.

Across Texas, there are ranch houses, barns, and back rooms filled with photographs, letters, ledgers, and records — pieces of a way of life that built the West. A way of life that is changing faster than ever before.

What happens to those stories… matters.

Because when they’re preserved, they don’t just belong to one family anymore.
They become part of a shared cultural memory — something future generations can learn from, understand, and carry forward.

That’s the work of the Haley Memorial Library and History Center.

Preserving ranching history isn’t just about the past.
It’s about making sure it still has a future.

And work like this doesn’t happen on its own.

It takes time. Care. Space. Resources.
It takes people who believe these stories are worth saving.

If you’ve ever benefited from the history, research, or preservation work of the Library — or simply believe this way of life should not be forgotten — we invite you to be part of it.

👉 Consider becoming a member.
https://haleylibrary.com/donate-to-the-haley-memorial-library/

👉 And if your family may have records or photographs of historical interest, we’d be glad to visit with you.

Because once these stories are gone… they’re gone.

Most people think storing something is the same as preserving it.It’s not.Storage is putting something away — in a box, ...
04/02/2026

Most people think storing something is the same as preserving it.

It’s not.

Storage is putting something away — in a box, a drawer, a barn, or a back room.
Preservation is making sure it survives.

Paper fades. Ink breaks down. Photographs curl and disappear.
Time doesn’t stop just because something is tucked out of sight.

At the Haley Memorial Library and History Center, preservation means protecting the history of ranching families with intention — proper handling, organized collections, and an environment designed to keep these materials safe for the long term.

That’s exactly why the new Holt Research Center matters.

It allows these collections to move beyond simple storage… and into true preservation.

Because the stories of the West deserve more than a box on a shelf.

If you have questions about a collection — or think your family may have records of historical interest — we’re always glad to visit with you.

Not everything important in history was famous.Some of it never made a headline.Never made a book.Never even made it pas...
03/26/2026

Not everything important in history was famous.

Some of it never made a headline.
Never made a book.
Never even made it past the front gate of a ranch.

It lived in everyday work —
in long days, hard seasons, and lessons passed from one generation to the next.

That’s the history J. Evetts Haley spent his life chasing.

Not just well-known names, but the voices of ranchers, families, and cowboys who simply did the work — and in doing so, shaped the West as we know it.

At the Haley Memorial Library and History Center, that kind of history still matters.

Because the story of the land was never just written by a few.

It was lived by many.

If you think your family may have records, photographs, or stories worth preserving — or if you have questions about a collection — we’re always glad to visit with you.

What looks like a pile of old papers… often isn’t.In ranch houses, barns, and back rooms across Texas, there are boxes f...
03/19/2026

What looks like a pile of old papers… often isn’t.

In ranch houses, barns, and back rooms across Texas, there are boxes filled with letters, photographs, ledgers, brand records, and journals. To many, they feel like clutter — pieces of the past with no clear place in the present.

But to history, they are irreplaceable.

Men like J. Evetts Haley understood this. In his travels, he sought out not just well-known figures like Charles Goodnight, but the working ranchers and cowboys whose names never made headlines — men who simply did the work, day after day, generation after generation.

Their stories weren’t written in history books.
They were tucked into trunks, drawers, and boxes.

At the Haley Memorial Library and History Center, those “junk piles” become something else entirely — a record of how ranching families lived, worked, and built the West.

Before something is thrown away, it’s worth asking:

Is this history?

Because once it’s gone, it can’t be recovered.

If you have questions about a collection — or think your family may have records of historical interest — we welcome the conversation.

https://haleylibrary.com

Behind the Scenes at the ArchiveHistory isn’t just displayed — it’s carefully protected.As we move our collections into ...
03/11/2026

Behind the Scenes at the Archive

History isn’t just displayed — it’s carefully protected.

As we move our collections into the new Holt Research Center, every document, map, ledger, photograph, and manuscript is being handled, organized, and preserved with intention.

This is slow, careful work — but it ensures that the stories of ranching families and the American West will remain accessible for generations to come.

Thank you for your patience during this transition. Important work is happening behind the scenes.

The future of preservation at the Haley Memorial Library and History Center is taking shape. We're excited to share it with you.

Few men chased history the way J. Evetts Haley did.Haley traveled thousands of miles across Texas and the Southwest, int...
03/05/2026

Few men chased history the way J. Evetts Haley did.

Haley traveled thousands of miles across Texas and the Southwest, interviewing ranchers, cowmen, pioneers, and families whose stories might otherwise have been lost. He believed history lived in people — not just in books — and he worked tirelessly to preserve it before it faded away.

Today, the Library that bears his name continues that mission: gathering, protecting, and sharing the authentic stories of ranching and Western heritage.

Because once a story is gone… it’s gone.

We're still moving in to the new building housing the archives, but there's much to be seen at the library. Come by and see us.

1805 W. Indiana Avenue, Midland, Texas 79701

The Haley Memorial Library and History Center and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas invite you to our Annual Observ...
02/25/2026

The Haley Memorial Library and History Center and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas invite you to our Annual Observance of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence by the founders of the Republic of Texas on March 2, 1836.

📍 Where: Haley Memorial Library
1805 W. Indiana Ave., Midland, Texas
🕜 When: 1:30 PM
📅 Monday, March 2, 2026

This special afternoon will include:

⭐ Announcement of the DRT Student Essay Award winners (selected from 75 submitted essays!)
⭐ A traditional flag ceremony
⭐ A heartfelt “Toast to Texas” with a glass of Texas spring water
⭐ Firing of ceremonial replicas of the historic “Twin Sisters of Cincinnati” cannons

Come celebrate Texas history, honor the founders of the Republic, and support the next generation of young historians.

For more information, contact Library Director J.P. Pat McDaniel at 432-682-5785.

We hope you’ll join us as we remember the spirit and independence that built Texas! 🤠

Address

1805 W Indiana Avenue
Midland, TX
79701

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+14326825785

Website

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