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White Deer Land Museum 116 S. Cuyler Pampa, TX 79065 |
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The Purviances came to Pampa in 1910 Members of the Purviance (wine-maker) family left France during the Huguenot persecution in the 16th century. They
migrated to Germany and then to Ireland before John Purviance (b. 1760) came to North America. As a patriot from either Pennsylvania or North Carolina, he was a soldier in the Colonial Army that fought for
American independence. Alexander C. Purviance, son of John, received government lands in Illinois as pay for his service in the War of 1812. Because of the poor spelling of his commander, the title to the land was
made to Alexander C. "Purvines." Alexander assumed the misspelled name because he did not want to jeopardize his title to the land. William Graham Purvines, son of Alexander, married Emily Cartwright Eaton,
granddaughter of Peter Cartwright, noted Methodist circuit rider and presiding elder. About 1900 their son, Carroll Purvines, and his wife Kate came to Panhandle, Texas, via Osage Indian Territory. The sixth child of
William and Emily Purvines was Walter Purviance, born in 1879 at Pleasant Plains, Sagamon County, Illinois. While searching old records, Walter discovered that his family name had been misspelled and used the correct
spelling. He graduated from Kankakee, Illinois in the early 1900s and began his medical career at Granite City, Illinois. He married Grace Murphee. Their son, John Graham Purviance, was born in Granite City on September
17, 1908. Hoping to find a cure for tuberculosis, Walter began research on the tubercle bacillus. He contracted the disease and, in an effort to regain his health, he and his family came to Panhandle where Carroll and
Kate Purvines were living on a ranch 17 miles north of town. Walter and Grace lived in a four-room house that Carroll and Kate had vacated when they built a new house. Walter quickly regained his health and he and his
family moved to Pampa in 1910. For a time Dr. Purviance was associated with M.T. Talley in the real estate business. Later he became a teller in a Pampa bank. Then he bought an interest in the Pampa Drug owned by C.T.
Hunkspillar. He built a two story white stucco house at 802 West Francis. The street on the east side of the house was named for Dr. Purviance. About 1912 Mrs. Purviance's sister, Maud (Mrs. Scott) Hall came to live
with the Purviances. She taught sixth grade in the Pampa schools for many years. In 1915 Dr. Purviance was elected mayor of Pampa and served in that office for two years. |
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When World War I was raging in Europe, Dr. Purviance volunteered in the medical corps and was commissioned a first lieutenant on August 15, 1917. He was assigned to Active Duty
at Base Hospital, Camp McArthur in Waco, Texas. From there he went to Ft. Riley, Kansas, and then to Camp Merret, New Jersey. On June 1, 1918, he embarked for France, arriving first in Liverpool, England before going to
LaHarve, France. He was commissioned a captain on March 5, 1919. He was in the battles of Chateau Thierry and St. Mihiel and the Meuse Argonne offensive. His field hospital was in the midst of the fighting until
Armistice Day. He spent a year in the army of occupation before being discharged at Camp Dix, New Jersey on May 30, 1919. After his return to Pampa Dr. Purviance resumed his practice of medicine. His first office was
with Dr. Archie Cole in the back of the Pampa Drug. Later he had offices in the Rose Building. In 1921 Dr. and Mrs. Purviance adopted a little girl, Janice.
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