The Story Reimagined
Photographs by Charles A. Fuhs from the Museum Permanent Collection
January 25 - December 20, 2025Wichita Falls, Texas, sits at the crossroads of the rugged past and the evolving present, embodying the spirit of resilience and transformation. When reimagined for a contemporary audience, its history reveals a dynamic tale of adaptation and reinvention that mirrors today's world's diverse challenges and opportunities.
The railroad's arrival in the late 1800s sparked the town's first major transformation. Wichita Falls quickly became a center for cattle ranching and oil exploration, industries that would drive the region's economy for decades. This period, marked by grit and ambition, gave birth to the pioneer spirit that still resonates today. Entrepreneurs and visionaries turned this once-sleepy settlement into a booming city, building roads, businesses, and housing for families and creating a unique, vibrant community.
The oil boom of the early 20th century brought both prosperity and challenge. While wealth flowed into the city, so did the complexities of rapid urbanization—crowded streets and environmental strains. As we reflect on this era through a contemporary lens, we see how it parallels modern urban growth challenges, reminding us that the need for sustainability comes with progress.
Yet, it's not just industry that defines Wichita Falls—it's the people and their everyday lives, from the resilience of its early settlers who survived devastating tornadoes to the local sports stars, musicians, and also children and youth who have made the city a hub. Wichita Falls thrives on a spirit of community. The city's dedication to progress and education has grown exponentially in recent years, with institutions like the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU Texas helping to foster dialogue that connects the past to the present.
About Charles A. Fuhs
Charles A. Fuhs was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, to parents who emigrated from Germany in the mid-1800s. Due to an acute bronchial disorder, Charles was unable to find work in the industrial city of Portsmouth and set out for Texas upon graduation, where he began a career as a traveling photographer.
While he traveled widely, the boomtown spirit of Wichita Falls caught his attention most often. Fuhs captured the growth of the city and surrounding communities in time‐lapse sequence, ranging from the forest of oil derricks in Burkburnett to a transforming downtown full of parades. He photographed businesses and baptisms, boarding houses and back alleys. While these events helped document the events of the time, the soul of Fuhs’ photographs were in the faces of so many he captured. The rich and poor were equally treated and respected.
In 1922 Charles gave up his photography business at age 45 to work in and later own Polk Street, Huff Street and Sunshine grocery stores, along with owning rental property. Fuhs passed away in 1963 from Alzheimer’s disease. His two children, Charles Jr. and JoAnn, donated 770 glass plate negatives along with prints and camera equipment to the Wichita Falls Museum and Art Center in 1980 and MSU in 2002. The C.A. Fuhs Collection, now reunited, currently resides at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU Texas as a admired view in to both Wichita Falls and North Texas history.