Seagraves: Hotel History and Local History

Seagraves can be understood through specific historical milestones and named places. The history of the Simpson Hotel and the C. M. Armstrong Building leads to different moments in the town’s past; the Seagraves-Loop Museum and Art Center displays items used by early settlers. Cedar Lake lies 17 miles southwest of Seagraves and attracts tourists. For your trip planning, this puts the focus on the town’s history, complemented by a separate destination to the southwest.

Seagraves: Development and Orientation

Blythe, the former name of Seagraves, became a livestock shipping center in 1917 when the railroad was extended to Lubbock. The year connects the town’s former name with a specific economic role. It provides a clear point in time from which to place the later stories of its buildings and local history.

For geographic orientation, Seagraves lies at the intersection of U.S. Highway 62/285 and State Highway 83. This information offers two different perspectives: 1917 anchors the town’s development in time, while the intersection locates Seagraves by its named roads. This lets you distinguish the destination’s history from its location as you choose the places that interest you for your stay.

Fire History and Hotel Names

The Simpson Hotel was one of the few buildings to survive the Seagraves fire of 1928. In 1992, it received a medal from the Texas Historical Commission. In 2020, under new ownership, the Simpson Hotel was renamed Hotel Texan. These details mark different moments: surviving the fire, receiving the award, and the later name change.

Another story connected with 1928 concerns the C. M. Armstrong Building. It was built in 1926 to house Seagraves Motor Co. After the 1928 fire destroyed other buildings on the block, the C. M. Armstrong Building temporarily housed a bank and the post office. Thus, two different aspects of the same year sit side by side: the Simpson Hotel’s survival of the fire, and the Armstrong Building’s temporary use after other buildings on the block were destroyed.

Museum and Historical Traces

The Seagraves-Loop Museum and Art Center is located at 201 Main Street in Seagraves. It displays items used by early settlers. The museum adds another perspective on local history to the stories of the buildings. Its address provides a specific point of reference within Seagraves, while the exhibits focus on items from the time of the early settlers.

Cedar Lake lies 17 miles southwest of Seagraves and attracts tourists. As a separate point of interest outside town, the lake complements Seagraves’ historical sites with a tourist destination to the southwest.

Planning Your Trip

The Cedar Lake/Lagunas Sabinas historical marker is on private land near Seagraves. It points to a former campsite and burial ground of Indigenous people. If you are considering visiting the marker, confirm access beforehand, as it is on private land.

Seagraves Gaines Walking Park is in a quiet central location. Compared with Cedar Lake, which lies 17 miles to the southwest, this description offers a different scale for your planning: a quiet central location in town versus a destination farther to the southwest. This lets you weigh Seagraves’ historical sites and additional regional points of interest according to your interests.

For the broader travel overview: Gaines County.