Clay Renick is a native of Borger in Hutchinson County. He served in the US Navy after graduating high school in 1972 and later attended Texas Tech University after serving his country, graduating with degrees in graphic design and photography. He owned and operated a design studio in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex for over 20 years before returning to his Panhandle home in 2008. In 2012, he became the director of the Hutchinson County Historical Museum, where he still worked at the time of publication of this book.