Local History

Colorado City Grew Around Cattle Drives and a Railroad

Mitchell County was organized in 1881 when the Texas and Pacific Railway arrived, turning Colorado City into a major cattle shipping point in West Texas.

Mitchell County History & Culture

Mitchell County was created by the Texas legislature in 1876 and organized in 1881. Colorado City became the county seat that same year. The first train on the Texas and Pacific Railway reached town on April 16, 1881. For a time, Colorado City was a leading cattle shipping hub, handling large cattle drives heading east.

Severe droughts in the late 1880s and 1890s hurt the cattle industry. Cotton farming took over in the early 1900s. Then petroleum was discovered in 1920, and an oil boom funded the Mitchell County Courthouse, built in 1924. The county is named after Asa and Eli Mitchell, two brothers who fought in the Texas Revolution.

Source to confirm: Handbook of Texas — Mitchell County

More Mitchell County notes

Property Tax

Mitchell County Has Two Separate Tax Offices

Mitchell County splits property tax work between two offices — the appraisal district sets your value, and the tax assessor-collector handles your bill.

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Property Tax Exemption

Homestead Exemption Can Lower Your School Tax Bill

If you live in your Mitchell County home as your main residence, you may qualify for a homestead exemption that reduces the taxable value for school taxes.

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Property Tax

Nine Different Taxing Units Can Appear on Your Tax Bill

Property owners in Mitchell County may owe taxes to up to nine different local government entities, depending on where their land sits.

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Water Rights

A Groundwater District Covers All of Mitchell County

The Lone Wolf Groundwater Conservation District regulates water wells across all of Mitchell County and requires permits for new wells.

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