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Buck Creek Stage Stand, Site of | Childress County | Childress County Heritage Museum | Goodnight Trail | Hughes of the Mill Iron, Colonel William Edgar | Shoenail Ranch Land, Community of Loco
Site of Buck Creek Stage Stand
Marker Title: Site of Buck Creek Stage Stand
City: Childress
County: Childress
Year Marker Erected: 1936
Marker Location: Johnson property, from Childress, take Highway 82/83 about 17 miles north.
Marker Text: Established in 1882 by Frank Chriss. A stop on the mail route from Wichita Falls to Tascosa. Abandoned in 1886 after the Ft. Worth and Denver Railroad reached this region.
Childress County
Marker Title: Childress County
City: Childress
County: Childress
Year Marker Erected: 1936
Marker Location: Courthouse lawn, corner of Route 268 & Highway 287, Childress.
Marker Text: Formed from Young and Bexar territories. Created August 21, 1876, organized April 11, 1887. Named in honor of George Campbell Childrens 1804-1841. A member of the convention in 1836 Co. Author of the Texas declaration of Independence Childress, the County Seat.
Childress County Heritage Museum
Museum Name: Childress County Heritage Museum
Street Address: 210 3rd Street NW
City: Childress
Zip Code: 79201
Area Code: 940
Phone: 937-2261
County: Childress
Museum Classification: History, Historic Site, Non-Historic Structure
Goodnight Trail
Marker Title: Goodnight Trail
City: Childress
County: Childress
Year Marker Erected: 1964
Marker Location: Fair Park, FM 401-Childress
Marker Text: In hostile Indian years of 1866-71, route of great cattle drives from Texas to U.S. forts in Colorado and New Mexico. Col. Charles Goodnight, trailblazer, drove thousands of cattle to water here. Site later (1886) became Childress. Cattle watering hole is now lake in Fair Park. (1964)
Colonel William Edgar Hughes of the Mill Iron
Marker Title: Colonel William Edgar Hughes of the Mill Iron
County: Childress
Year Marker Erected: 1965
|Marker Location: Courthouse lawn, corner of FM 268 & Highway 287-Childress
Marker Text: Born 1840. Came from Illinois to Texas, 1859. During Civil War rose from private, 1st Texas Artillery, to Colonel in 16th Cavalry. Was in bloody battles of Shiloh, Chickamauga, Nashville, Richmond. After war, when "didn't have 2 pairs of pants", taught school and read law in Weatherford. As lawyer, took many land cases. In 7 years became organizer and president, City Bank of Dallas (now 1st National, Dallas). Later, an officer in Exchange Bank, Dallas; Union Trust Company, St. Louis; Continental Trust Company, Denver. In 1880, bought half interest in Mill Iron Ranch. Purchased small holdings from Pease to Red River-bridle bits, DV's, Diamond D's and others. Range lay in Childress, Cottle, Hall, Motley counties. In 1885 added windmills, wells, to run larger herds-up to 50,000. In early years used dugouts, chuckwagons for headquarters. First small ranchouse was built at windmill 62, near Estelline. Bought out Rocking Chair Ranch, Collingsworth County, 1896. Until 1898, ran only longhorns. Was said to have had the largest men, most practical jokers, longest cattle drivers, biggest horses in Texas. He sold off the Last Mill Iron Herd in 1918-year of his death. (1965)
On Old Shoenail Ranch Land, Community of Loco
Marker Title: On Old Shoenail Ranch Land, Community of Loco
City: Childress
County: Childress
Year Marker Erected: 1970
Marker Location: From Childress, take US 82/83 about 20 miles north to junction of Highway 83/82 and Highway 1034.
Marker Text: Named for weed found here in 1880s by early settlers--the families of Dick Brown, Walter Campbell, and Bobby Payne. The Browns survived the last Indian battle on Buck Creek in 1887. Soil-based local economy moved from mule-power to tractors with lugs, to rubber-tire tractors, to irrigation farming. The Loco Post Office was established in 1892. Town at its height had 4 churches, a high school, a garage, 2 cotton gins, 3 stores, barber shop, blacksmith shop, cafe, and a golf course. Little now remains except the school's storm cellar. The post office closed in 1964.