204 of 254 King County Courthouse, Guthrie, Texas. County Population: 286 and a lot of livestock
King County, Texas
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"King County, in the Rolling Prairie region of Northwest Texas, is bordered on the north by Cottle and Foard counties, on the east by Knox County, on the south by Stonewall County, and on the west by Dickens County. The county was named for William Philip King, who died at the Alamo. King County embraces 944 square miles of hilly, broken country with extensive grasslands and dark loam to red soils. Elevations range from 1,500 to 2,000 feet above sea level; Haystack Mountain and Buzzard Peak are the highest points in the county, which is drained by tributaries of the Wichita and Brazos rivers.
"On August 21, 1876, the Texas legislature formed King County from lands previously assigned to Bexar County. By 1880 the United States Census counted forty residents in the county. [A population of only 173 in 1890 was aided in formal organization by petitions signed by itinerants. Names of favorite horses were also added.] In 1891, the county was organized, with the small town of Guthrie designated as the county seat. By 1900 the county had fifty-three farms and ranches, encompassing more than 480,232 acres. The population had grown to 490. King County history centers on the great ranches that were established in the area during the 1880s and 1890s - the Four Sixes, the Pitchfork, the Matador, and the SMS ranches." John Leffler, "KING COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online I visited King County and photographed the courthouses in Guthrie on Friday, May 9, 2014. |
The Four Sixes Ranch, which occupies some 208,000 acres, continues to be the primary economic mainstay of King County
King County Courthouse 1906
A photograph on display in the King County Museum, housed in the 1914 County Courthouse. This appears to be the sandstone courthouse mentioned in the 1962 Texas Historic Landmark plaque.
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King County Courthouse 1914
Photo courtesy of THC
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Photo, circa 1939, courtesy TXDOT
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The two-story 1914 courthouse seen from the south, behind its 1982 replacement, a low, single-story brick box
The historic courthouse, viewed from the southwest
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The front of the historic courthouse faces west, onto US Highway 83
The east side of the historic courthouse
The north side of the historic courthouse
The old district court room on the second floor
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of the historic courthouse has been preserved.
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The court room is on the west side of the building.
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King County Courthouse 1982
South of the historic courthouse is the current courthouse
The 1982 courthouse also faces west
The front façade of the 1982 courthouse
The King County courthouses
Sandstone building north of the courthouses
The Guthrie, Texas "shopping center"
King County landscape