Checking in in Childress County

Railroad into Childress

In the southeast corner of the Texas Panhandle is Childress County. This was the site of our last visit before hitting the highway home. It, like many of the other counties, has a history of land use by Native Americans, visitation by European explorers, and early colonization by ranchers. In fact at one time almost the entire county was occupied by four large ranches. Cattle from these were driven along the Palo Duro - Dodge City trail to Dodge City, Kansas.



The Diamond Trail, Mill Iron, OX, and Shoe Nail ranches were eventually crossed by the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway. Because of the coal fields located in the area, the Texas Legislature of 1873 allowed the rail company a right-of-way that led to the growth of communities and the

Childress County Courthouse

death of the open range. As with other rail lines, this one brought in more settlers as well as new job opportunities. Childress County was created in 1876, growing in population until it could be organized in 1887. Both the town and county of Childress were named for George Campbell Childress, one of the authors of the Texas Declaration of Independence. There were two communities in the running for the county seat: Henry, and [Old] Childress, located three miles apart on the former OX Ranch. Both sites had positive aspects; Childress had existing businesses, but Henry had the better topography for the construction of the railroad depot. A compromise was reached when Henry was renamed Childress and the businesses were moved to that location. The Dwight Hotel was built by the railroad, as were the section house, and the depot. More businesses and banks followed, as did the initiation of the county public school system and several churches. Along with the courthouse, fire destroyed all the records, leaving the landowners to re-record their deeds. By 1901, Childress had attracted farmers and homesteaders, because of the railroad associated businesses. At one time Walter P. Chrysler, founder of the Chrysler Motor Corporation, worked as a general foreman of the railroad shops. After a fire destroyed the first Childress County courthouse, a new stone building was used until 1939. The present courthouse was designed by the firm of Townes and Funk in the Moderne architectural style. The construction was actually a Work Progress Administration project using local stone.

The hardships caused by the Great Depression were somewhat lessoned

Wind turbines

by the railroad running from Childress into Pampa, the seat of Gray County. This helped until the railroad began closing its shops in Childress; this along with modern farm machinery, and improved highways slowed the growth of the town. Although Lanchart Industries, Royal Park Fashions, and Fiberglass Corporation of America helped take up the slack, Childress remained an agribusiness center. Cotton gins, and grain elevators, along with oil wells, and wind turbines still keep the town, and county running.

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