Topic · Page 3
History & Culture
Local Notes
History & Culture notes
Coryell County · Historic District
Gatesville's Downtown Is a National Historic District
The Gatesville downtown was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in early 2026, covering 87 buildings from the late 1800s through the 1970s.
Coryell County · County Origins
How Coryell County Got Its Name
The county is named for James Coryell, an early Texas frontiersman, and was created by the state legislature in 1854.
Cottle County · County History
Cottle County Was Cattle Country Before It Was Cotton Country
Cottle County was organized in 1892 and built its early economy on large cattle ranches before cotton farming took over in the early 1900s.
Crane County · County History
Crane County went from near-empty to oil boomtown in one decade
Crane County had fewer than 100 residents in 1900, but oil discovered in 1926 brought thousands of workers almost overnight.
Crane County · Historic Sites
Horsehead Crossing on the Pecos River is a historic landmark in Crane County
Horsehead Crossing, on the Pecos River near the county's southern boundary, was a key ford used by cattle drives and travelers heading west in the 1800s.
Crockett County · County History
Ozona Is the Only Town in Crockett County
Crockett County has one incorporated place — Ozona — and the rest of the county is open ranch land.
Crosby County · Local History
Crosby County's Deep History: Comanches, Quakers, and Cowboys
Crosby County has a layered past — from ancient Paleo-Indian camps to a Quaker colony, major cattle ranches, and a railroad that built the county seat.
Culberson County · Local History
Van Horn: how Culberson County's seat got its name
Culberson County was carved out of El Paso County in 1911, and its seat Van Horn traces its name to a Civil War-era Army officer stationed at a desert water source.
Dallam County · Local History
Dalhart Grew from Two Railroads and the XIT Ranch
Dalhart was founded in 1901 where two railroads crossed, and became a major shipping point for the legendary XIT Ranch.
Dallas County · Agricultural History
Cotton Once Drove Dallas County's Economy
Dallas County was a major cotton producer by 1900, but the crop declined every year afterward as the county urbanized.
Dallas County · Historic Preservation
Dallas County Has a Local Historical Commission
The Dallas County Historical Commission (DCHC) advises the county on historic preservation and reviews applications for Texas historical markers.
Dallas County · Demographics
Dallas County Is One of the Most Diverse in Texas
By 2014, Dallas County's population was roughly 39 percent Hispanic, 31.7 percent Anglo, and 23 percent African American.
Dallas County · County History
Dallas County Was Created in 1846
Texas formed Dallas County on March 30, 1846, from parts of Nacogdoches and Robertson counties, and the city of Dallas became county seat after a close vote in 1850.
Dallas County · Historic Courthouse
The Old Red Courthouse Is a Dallas Landmark from 1892
The 1892 Dallas County Courthouse — known as Old Red — was restored and rededicated as a history museum in 2007.
Dallas County · Railroad History
The Railroad Made Dallas County a Commerce Hub
Two major railroads arrived in the early 1870s, transforming Dallas County from a farm settlement into a regional trade center.
Dallas County · Historic Sites
The THC Atlas Lists Historic Sites Across Dallas County
The Texas Historical Commission's online Atlas database catalogs historic markers, cemeteries, and landmark sites across Dallas County.
Dawson County · Agriculture History
Cotton built Dawson County and still shapes its land and economy
Dawson County's identity was built on cotton farming, and the flat High Plains terrain that made that possible still defines the landscape today.
Deaf Smith County · Local History
A WWII prisoner-of-war camp once stood just outside Hereford
During World War II, a large military camp near Hereford held about 5,000 Italian prisoners of war; a restored chapel and state historical marker are the main physical reminders today.
Deaf Smith County · County Origins
Deaf Smith County was cattle country first; the railroad built Hereford
The county is named for a Texas Revolution scout, started as open-range ranch land, and only got its permanent county seat after the railroad arrived in the late 1890s.
Delta County · County History
Why Delta County Is Shaped Like a Triangle
Delta County got its name from its triangular shape — it sits in a wedge of land between the North and South Sulphur rivers in northeast Texas.
Denton County · County Origins
Denton County was created in 1846 and named for a preacher killed in a raid
The Texas legislature carved Denton County out of Fannin County in 1846 and named it for John Bunyan Denton, a preacher-lawyer who died in an 1841 raid.
Denton County · Growth & Development
Denton County's population has grown dramatically since the 1960s
Denton County went from about 47,000 residents in 1960 to over 750,000 by the mid-2010s, driven by suburban expansion from the Dallas-Fort Worth metro.
Denton County · University Town
Denton is home to two major state universities
The University of North Texas (founded 1890) and Texas Woman's University (founded 1901 as Girls Industrial College) both anchor Denton's identity as a college town.
Denton County · Historic Courthouse
Denton's 1896 stone courthouse still stands on the downtown square
The Denton County Courthouse on the downtown square was built in 1896 from stone quarried a few miles north of Denton.
Denton County · Economic History
Railroads in the 1880s turned Denton County into a major wheat producer
When railroads reached Denton County in the 1880s, wheat production surged and the county ranked among the state leaders in wheat output for decades.
Denton County · County Seat History
The county seat moved three times before settling in Denton in the 1850s
Denton County's county seat shifted from Pinckneyville to Alton to a temporary site and finally to Denton, which was founded in 1857 on donated land.
DeWitt County · Cattle History
DeWitt County Was the Starting Point of the First Chisholm Trail Drive
The area near present-day Cuero is where the first commercial cattle drives up the Chisholm Trail began in 1866, shaping this county's identity for generations.
DeWitt County · Historic Courthouse
The 1896 DeWitt County Courthouse Was Fully Restored and Is Worth a Visit
The DeWitt County Courthouse in Cuero was built in 1896 in Romanesque Revival style and underwent a thorough restoration that reopened in 2007.
Dickens County · County Name
Dickens County Is Named for a Man Who Died at the Alamo
The county and its seat are both named for J. Dickens, a soldier who died at the Battle of the Alamo in 1836.
Dickens County · Geography
Dickens County Straddles the Caprock Escarpment
The county has two distinct landscapes — flat High Plains to the northwest above the Caprock, and rolling breaks below it to the southeast.
Dickens County · Ranching History
The Spur Ranch Once Covered Much of Dickens County
The Spur Ranch (Espuela Cattle Company) was one of the largest ranches in Texas and shaped how Dickens County was settled.
Dimmit County · County History
Carrizo Springs Has Been the County Seat Since 1880
Dimmit County was formed in 1858 and Carrizo Springs grew from a small ranching camp into the permanent county seat.
Dimmit County · Agriculture History
Dimmit County Was Part of the Texas Winter Garden Region
Artesian wells discovered in the 1880s turned Dimmit County into a vegetable farming area known as the Texas Winter Garden Region.
Donley County · Town Origins
Clarendon Started as a Dry Methodist Colony on the Open Prairie
Clarendon was founded in 1878 by a Methodist minister who wanted a temperance community on the Texas Panhandle, earning it the nickname 'Saints' Roost.'
Donley County · Historic Courthouse
Donley County's 1891 Courthouse Is Still in Use Today
The Donley County Courthouse in Clarendon was built in 1891, survived a tornado that took off its top floor, and was fully restored in 2003.
Duval County · Culture & Heritage
Duval County Has Deep Tejano Roots
Most people in Duval County are Hispanic. The county's culture comes from Tejano and South Texas ranching traditions.
Duval County · County History
Duval County Was Named for a Victim of the Goliad Massacre
Duval County was created in 1858 and named for Burr H. Duval, a soldier killed during the Texas Revolution.
Eastland County · Oil Boom History
The 1917 Ranger oil strike transformed Eastland County
An oil strike near the town of Ranger in 1917 flooded the county with workers and money, briefly making it one of the most active places in Texas.
Eastland County · Local History
The Eastland County Courthouse and Old Rip
Eastland's courthouse holds the preserved remains of Old Rip, a horned lizard that became a national story in 1928.
Ector County · Natural Landmark
A Meteor Crater Sits About Ten Miles Southwest of Odessa
The Odessa Meteor Crater is a prehistoric impact site in south-central Ector County, designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service.
Ector County · Founding History
A Railroad Built Odessa in the 1880s
Odessa was founded in 1881 when the Texas and Pacific Railway extended across West Texas and workers established a water stop on the South Plains.
Ector County · County History
Ector County Is Named for a Confederate General and Texas Judge
Texas created Ector County in 1887 from Tom Green County land and named it for Mathew D. Ector, a Confederate general who later served as a Texas appeals judge.
Ector County · Cultural Institution
Odessa Has a Museum Dedicated to the U.S. Presidency
The Presidential Museum in Odessa focuses on the office of the U.S. presidency, tracing its roots to a Presidential Room opened in the Ector County Library in 1965.
Ector County · Cultural Landmark
Odessa Has a Replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
A replica of the original Globe Theatre in London sits on the Odessa College campus and hosts seasonal Shakespeare performances.
Ector County · Oil History
Oil Was Discovered in Ector County in 1926 and Changed Everything
The first producing oil well in Ector County came in on December 28, 1926, launching a boom that turned a small cow town into a major city.
Ector County · Indigenous History
Prehistoric Rock Art Exists in Ector County
Blue Mountain pictographs in Ector County are ancient rock paintings left by prehistoric peoples, depicting hunting scenes.
Ector County · Higher Education
The University of Texas Permian Basin Is in Odessa
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB), established in 1973, is a four-year university in Odessa that serves the West Texas region.
Edwards County · Agriculture & Economy
Edwards County's Wool and Mohair Heritage Still Shapes the Economy
Sheep and angora goat ranching built Edwards County and still drives its rural economy today.
Edwards County · Disaster History
The 1927 Tornado That Almost Wiped Out Rocksprings
On April 12, 1927, a massive tornado destroyed most of Rocksprings and killed 74 people — a defining event in the county's history.
El Paso County · County History
El Paso's County Seat Moved Four Times Before Landing in El Paso City
El Paso County was created in 1850. Its county seat bounced between San Elizario and Ysleta before El Paso city took over for good in 1883.
El Paso County · Military History
Fort Bliss Has Shaped El Paso Since 1854
Fort Bliss, established in 1854, is one of the largest military installations in the country and a defining part of El Paso's economy and culture.
El Paso County · Economic History
Four Railroads Arrived in 1881 and Transformed El Paso Overnight
The arrival of four major railroads in 1881 turned El Paso from a small village of 736 people into a regional hub of over 15,000 within two decades.
El Paso County · Archaeological Site
The Rock Art at Hueco Tanks Is Protected Under State and Tribal Stewardship
Hueco Tanks holds thousands of pictographs — ancient painted images — created by multiple cultures over thousands of years, and strict rules protect them.
El Paso County · Texas History
The Salt War of 1877 Was a Violent Border Conflict in El Paso County
The Salt War of San Elizario in 1877 was a months-long violent fight over salt lake rights. It drew in Texas Rangers and led to Fort Bliss being reopened.
El Paso County · Higher Education
UTEP Has Been Part of El Paso Since 1914
The University of Texas at El Paso was founded in 1914 as a mining school. Today it is a major research university and a key part of city life.
El Paso County · Mission History
Ysleta Mission Was Established in 1682 and Is Still Active Today
The Corpus Christi de la Isleta Mission in Ysleta, now part of El Paso, was founded in 1682 and is tied to the Tigua people who have lived there continuously since.
Ellis County · Agricultural History
Cotton farming once made Ellis County a powerhouse in Texas agriculture
When the Houston and Texas Central Railroad arrived in 1872, Ellis County shifted from cattle range to one of Texas's top cotton-producing counties.
Ellis County · County Origin
Ellis County was carved from Navarro County in 1849
Texas created Ellis County on December 20, 1849, probably naming it for Richard Ellis, who led the 1836 convention that declared Texas independence.
Ellis County · Science History
Ellis County was the planned site of a massive cancelled physics project
The Superconducting Super Collider was being built near Waxahachie in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Congress cut funding and cancelled the project in 1993.
Ellis County · Early Settlement
Forreston is considered the oldest Anglo settlement in Ellis County
Forreston, in southern Ellis County, is one of the county's oldest Anglo settlements. Settlers were there before the county was even formally created in 1849.