Robert E. Howard - Cross Plains, TX
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member QuarrellaDeVil
N 32° 07.286 W 099° 10.321
14S E 483774 N 3553908
Robert E. Howard's home is at 625 W TX 36, Cross Plains, TX, and it is now open as a museum. He lived here as a boy and did some of his writing here until his death in 1936.
Waymark Code: WM14H3Z
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 07/08/2021
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member lumbricus
Views: 1

In 2021, the Texas Historical Commission unveiled a historical marker here, and it provides some background about the author:

Adventure and fantasy writer (and creator Of Conan) Robert Ervin Howard (1906-1936) moved in 1919 to this homesite with his parents, Dr. Isaac and Hester (Ervin) Howard. Robert E. Howard wrote hundreds of stories, spanning several genres, and more than 700 poems in his bedroom at this site.

Robert began writing at an early age, when he was about eight or nine years old. Robert's mother enjoyed reciting poetry to him and encouraged his writing. He started working to get his stories published when he was fifteen. At the age of eighteen, Robert sold his first story, "Spear and Fang," to pulp magazine Weird Tales for its July 1925 issue. Shortly after the Howards arrived in Cross Plains, so did an oil boom. Robert observed the negative effects an oil boom can have on the townspeople, which contributed to his philosophies and many of his stories. Often his stories told about the corruption of civilization and the rise from and plummet into barbarism, with one moral man against a multitude of immortal adversaries. In his last few years, Robert left clues of his suicidal mood through his poetry, as well as making plans in the event of his demise. He had become primary caretaker for his mother, who had contracted tuberculosis. Just three days after his mother slipped into a coma, Robert committed suicide on June 11, 1936. His mother died the next day, and on June 14 there was a double funeral.

An internationally-known author and father of the sword and sorcery sub-genre, Howard's stories have influenced several generations. His works have been translated into 23 languages. Decades after his death, Robert E. Howard and his characters are still being studied, published, filmed, role-played, and enjoyed.

The home is owned and operated by Project Pride (see website, below), and tours may be arranged by contacting them through Facebook, by e-mail, or using one of the two phone numbers at the front door (see gallery). Allow yourself at least an hour, maybe two if you are/were a fan of Howard's works, and your guide will tell you all about how his father was a prominent area physician, and how his mother encouraged him to read and write at a fairly early age. Many of the Howards's belongings were packed up and donated elsewhere after the author's death, but there are a few originals, some memorabilia -- a postcard from H.P. Lovecraft is prominent in the dining room -- and there are ongoing efforts to return whatever of Howard's they can find. Also noteworthy is the bedroom where Howard slept and worked. The typewriter isn't original, but you're encouraged to pose in front of it and maybe you'll make it onto Project Pride's Facebook page among their visitors gallery. Admission is free, donations are accepted, and they have a nice little gift shop.

Name of Famous Person: Robert E. Howard

Physical Address: 625 W TX 36, Cross Plains, TX 76443

What is this person famous for?:
Robert E. Howard was an adventure/fantasy writer who is probably best known as the creator of Conan the Barbarian. Superheroine Red Sonja is based on two of Howard's characters.


Website verifying legitimacy of site: [Web Link]

Additional Website verifying Site legitimacy: [Web Link]

Personal Experience:
After making arrangements to visit in the early afternoon, I had a nice drive down from DFW, having lunch at Bubba's Smokehouse BBQ here in Cross Plains before coming on over. As it turns out, parking in back is roughly where Howard shot himself, and you'll enter the house through the back door. The tour guide was wonderful, able to answer all of my questions (which weren't really of a fanboy nature, and even she admitted that she wasn't thoroughly knowledgeable of the man's works), and I spent about two hours here. The highlights for me were the postcard that H.P. Lovecraft has sent to Howard, and then being able to sit in his room and pose for a photograph or two. I did pick up a nice t-shirt featuring Howard in that famous photo with his hat, and I have many people asking me about it when I'm wearing it.


Other information about area:
Besides the house, the most notable Howard-related event in Cross Plains is Howard Days, a four-day celebration held here every year in June. The house is open to the public for a few hours on each day of the event, and there are all kinds of related activities across town. That will be your best for getting the "deep cuts" types of tours.

The Cross Plains Public Library at 149 N Main St holds the collection of Robert E. Howard's manuscripts, some of which are put on display during Howard Days, and the library does make copies upon request. Check out the mural on the side of the building, which has a nod to Conan the Barbarian.

Howard was one of several boys who helped bring radio broadcasts to Cross Plains in 1922, connecting wires from the Higginbotham Store to the Cozy Drug Store. The store is still with us at 100 N Main St.

You'll have to drive a little farther to pay your respects to the author. He and his parents are buried together at the Greenleaf Cemetery in Brownwood about thirty-five miles away.



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