Borger City Directory, 1929

     This city directory, the first in the history of Borger, contains a most complete list of all the business concerns and institutions, individuals, and organizations, not only in the city of Borger itself, but also in all the oil camps and towns in Hutchinson County. This information, never before gathered together into one volume, is most valuable to all classes of people, business and professional.

     Borger in the space of three short years has gained for itself the well deserved title of “The Wonder City,” because the growth achieved in that short space of time has been nothing short of “wonderful.” It is at once the surprise and wonder of those who visit here for the first time that it has all been accomplished.

     Borger stands out pre-eminently as a community whose citizenry accomplished things. Its record of achievement is second to none in the state, regardless of size. Borger is the most outstanding business and civic center in the Texas Panhandle, although not the largest. In population, Borger ranks second among the 26 counties in the Panhandle.

The world’s largest oil field is in the Panhandle and Borger is the heart of the field. Here are some of the achievements Borger has made in the past three years:

From a Texas Prairie inhabited by jackrabbits, coyotes and cattle to a metropolis of the Panhandle Oil field Area.

An independent, progressive city government with the city commission form of government.

A municipal building costing $50,000.00 and housing the fire and police departments and other city offices and departments.

Municipal property valued in excess of half a million dollars.

A city park, five acres in extent, donated by Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Weatherly, which is being improved by the city.

A modern “white way”, one and three quarters miles long, the longest of any city the size of Borger in Texas.

A modern street lighting system for the residential sections of the city is under way.

Nearly two miles of paved street; with streets in the residential sections being graveled and made all weather thoroughfares.

A complete water and sewer system, serving all sections of the city.

Five modern school buildings, including a modern high school and a junior high costing $350,000.00.

Two thousand students enrolled in the schools, with an average attendance of 1,500; faculty members number 65.

The best-equipped Vitaphone-Movietone theatre in the Panhandle. Borger was the second town to have the “talkies” and is one of three towns having that type of amusement in the 26 counties in the Panhandle.

A municipal golf course, nine holes, with two private courses.

Three well-equipped hospitals, one owned by the county and the others privately owned.

Three service luncheon clubs, Rotary, Lions, and High-Twelve, the latter one of the first in the entire state; a Business and Professional Woman’s Club and numerous social organizations.

A municipal band with several private orchestras.

American Legion home, owned by the post, costing $20,000.

A chamber of commerce with a membership of approximately 350 out of the 550 business firms in town; one of the largest percentages of memberships of any town in Texas, a progressive program for community upbuilding.

Thirteen church organizations; eleven with a pastor and nine church buildings devoted exclusively to religious work; three of the churches furnish the pastor with a manse or parsonage.

Ten fraternal organizations; one meeting in its own home and two others planning a building campaign.

One daily and one weekly newspaper; three job printing shops.

Forty two oil field supply houses serving the county and also several surrounding oil fields.

Motor bus connections with Amarillo, Panhandle, Pampa, Stinnett, Perryton and Spearman, with connections to Enid, Oklahoma City, and other towns; also connections for Wichita Falls, Dallas and intermediate points.

Borger is the center of the carbon black industry of the nation; eight plants in the city and two others in the county; a combined capacity of 52 units, using 265,000,000 cubic feet of residue gas per day; producing several hundred thousand pounds of black daily and employing 1,500 men with an annual payroll of a million dollars.

Two large refineries with a daily capacity of 10,000 barrels each; 23 gasoline plants with 500,000 gallons daily capacity; the center of the casinghead gasoline industry in the world.

More than 1,000 producing oil and gas wells in Hutchinson County, with gas lines radiating to ten states and supplying many towns with natural gas.

An annual payroll of nearly a million dollars a month.

Borger has 22 paydays in each month out of the calendar 30 days; the largest number of paydays of any town in the country.

The Santa Fe railroad with 50 miles of switch tracks in the city and to nearby industries; team and house tracks available for an unlimited number of industrial and warehouse corporations and firms.

Paved roads connecting the county seat; with paved roads connecting two more county seats to be completed this summer—the first system of paved roads in the Panhandle connecting three county seat towns.

Home of the largest public utility concern in the Panhandle, The Panhandle Power and Light Company, serving a score of towns with water, gas or electric power and also the entire oil field area; a handsome fire proof office building just completed.

A home building campaign now under way which will make available the purchase of homes by individuals on reasonable terms.

Two designated highways—No. 117, connecting Amarillo and Panhandle with Stinnett, Spearman, and Perryton; No. 41, the Oil Field Highway or the “Colorado cut off”, which saves 85 miles between Oklahoma City and Denver, Colo., two projected highways into Borger between Saline, Kansas and El Paso and a highway connecting the Oklahoma Panhandle and western Oklahoma through Spearman and Perryton to Amarillo. A population of 20,000 progressive, alive, wide awake citizens.