Shamrock, Texas, celebrates St. Patrick’s Day

Postmark Pursuit by Linn’s Staff

Shamrock, a city of roughly 1,700 residents located in the eastern part of the Texas panhandle 291 miles northwest of Dallas, is offering a postmark honoring St. Patrick’s Day as part of its annual festival celebrating the Irish holiday.

Shamrock was the largest town in Wheeler County in the late 19th century when resident George Nickel’s home housed the first post office in 1890.

At that time, the mail was carried once a week to and from Mobeetie, Texas, a 30-mile journey. Postmaster Nickel named the town Shamrock, following the advice of his Irish-American mother who had once told him the green clover would always bring him good luck.

Each year Shamrock holds a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, the brainchild of local bandmaster Glenn Truax in 1937. By capitalizing on the town’s Irish name, Truax hoped to draw thousands of visitors, and with the help of the Shamrock Booster Club, the first St. Patrick’s Day festival was held in 1938.

Although the event continued to grow during the next few years, it was canceled during World War II, only to be revived in 1950.

In 2013 the Texas Legislature passed a bill designating Shamrock’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration as the official St. Patrick’s Day celebration for the state of Texas.

Today, along with food and gift vendors, the festival includes a parade, classic car show, dance, Miss Irish Rose pageant, and the ever-popular Donegal beard contest.

To obtain the postmark, address your request to:

ST. PATRICK’S DAY Station, Postmaster, 210 N. Madden St., Shamrock, TX 79079, March 17. 

Connect with Linn’s Stamp News: 

    Sign up for our newsletter