(On front of stele:) QUANAH/PARKER/LAST CHIEF/OF THE COMANCHES/SON OF/CHIEF PETA NOKONI/AND/CYNTHIA ANN PARKER - NADUAH/QUANAH PARKER, MAN OF VISION, FOUGHT/AGAINST ALL ODDS TO SAVE THE COMANCHE/WAY OF LIFE. THEN HE FOUGHT TO SURVIVE/AND PROSPER IN A WHITE MAN'S WORLD./HIS MOTHER, A WHITE WOMAN CAPTURED BY/INDIANS AT AGE NINE, WAS RAISED A/COMMANCHE. WHEN QUANAH WAS A YOUNG/BOY, CYNTHIA ANN WAS RECAPTURED AGAINST/HER WILL BY TEXAS RANGERS ON THE PEASE/RIVER IN 1860. HE NEVER SAW HER AGAIN./AS A WARRIOR, QUANAH SHOWED GREAT/BRAVERY, LEADING INDIAN FORCES ESPECIALLY/IN THE BATTLE OF ADOBE WALLS. HE WAS/NEVER ROUTED AND NEVER CAPTURED. FACING/THE ENCROACHING CIVILIZATION OF THE/WHITE MAN, HE CHOSE TO LAY DOWN HIS/SHIELD AND ARMS IN THE SPRING OF 1875/AT FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA. AS HE APPROACHED/THE FORT, HE DISMOUNTED AND TURNED/HIS HORSE LOOSE, SAYING, "THERE GOES/THE SPIRIT OF THE COMANCHE." HOWEVER/QUANAH WAS NEVER DEFEATED. ACKNOWLEDGED AS A LEADER BY THE COMANCHES/AND WHITES ALIKE, HE BECAME A TRIBAL/JUDGE, CATTLEMAN, SPOKESMAN TO/WASHINGTON AND FRIEND OF PRESIDENT/THEODORE ROOSEVELT. THE TOWN OF/QUANAH WAS NAMED FOR HIM IN 1890./ON A VISIT TO QUANAH, HE PRONOUNCED/HIS BLESSING ON THE TOWN HE CALLED/"MY TOWN". HIS EPITAPH READS, "RESTING/HERE UNTIL DAYS BREAKS AND SHADOWS/FALL AND DARKNESS DISAPPEARS IS/QUANAH PAKER, LAST CHIEF OF THE/COMANCHES."/(CIRCA 1845 - 1911)
(Bronze plaque on front of stele:) DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF/THE LAST GREAT COMANCHE/CHIEF, QUANAH PARKER. HE/PRONOUNCED THIS BLESSING ON/"HIS" TOWN QUANAH, TEXAS./"MAY THE GREAT SPIRIT SMILE/ON YOUR LITTLE TOWN, MAY THE/RAIN FALL IN SEASON, AND IN/THE WARMTH OF THE SUNSHINE/AFTER THE RAIN. MAY THE/EARTH YIELD BOUNTIFULLY. MAY/PEACE AND CONTENTMENT BE/WITH YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN/FOREVER." unsigned Founder's mark appears.
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Summary:
Commemorative stele of polished and buffed red granite with life-size etching of Comanche Chief Quanah Parker in the center. He stands in full Indian regalia with a moon and bald eagle in flight as a backdrop to his head. The stele includes a brief biography of the Indian leader and text of the blessing he gave the town in 1890. The stele is set on a concrete walkway with an adjacent walkway of 104 granite blocks inscribed with the names of sponsors.
