227 of 254 Castro County Courthouse, Dimmitt, Texas. County Population: 8,062
Castro County, Texas
"Castro County is located in the western Panhandle on the Texas High Plains, bordered on the west by Parmer County, on the north by Deaf Smith and Randall Counties, on the east by Swisher County, and on the south by Lamb and Hale counties.
"Dimmitt, the county seat, is near the center of the county, approximately fifty miles southwest of Amarillo. Elevation ranges from 3,500 to 4,000 feet above sea level, and annual precipitation averages 17.72 inches.
"The Texas legislature established Castro County in 1876. The county was named for Henri Castro, the impresario who was consul general to Paris for the Republic of Texas. Between 1890 and 1900 Castro County slowly developed but remained a sparsely populated stock-farming and ranching region. Some settlers arrived in the nineties to claim land for agricultural or commercial uses. On March 4, 1890, the Bedford Town and Land Development Company was formed in Grayson County with H. G. Bedford as president. On May 27, the company, eager to establish a county seat for Castro County, bought a section of land near the center of the county, dug a well, built a water tower, and platted a town. The new town was called Dimmitt because of the close bond between H. G. Bedford and the Rev. W. C. Dimmitt, a partner in the venture.
"By 1891 Castro County's new settlers felt a need for local government. A petition for organization was circulated in August 1891. Castro County was formally organized by an election on December 21, and Dimmitt was designated the county seat."
Donald R. Abbe, "CASTRO COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online
"Dimmitt, the county seat, is near the center of the county, approximately fifty miles southwest of Amarillo. Elevation ranges from 3,500 to 4,000 feet above sea level, and annual precipitation averages 17.72 inches.
"The Texas legislature established Castro County in 1876. The county was named for Henri Castro, the impresario who was consul general to Paris for the Republic of Texas. Between 1890 and 1900 Castro County slowly developed but remained a sparsely populated stock-farming and ranching region. Some settlers arrived in the nineties to claim land for agricultural or commercial uses. On March 4, 1890, the Bedford Town and Land Development Company was formed in Grayson County with H. G. Bedford as president. On May 27, the company, eager to establish a county seat for Castro County, bought a section of land near the center of the county, dug a well, built a water tower, and platted a town. The new town was called Dimmitt because of the close bond between H. G. Bedford and the Rev. W. C. Dimmitt, a partner in the venture.
"By 1891 Castro County's new settlers felt a need for local government. A petition for organization was circulated in August 1891. Castro County was formally organized by an election on December 21, and Dimmitt was designated the county seat."
Donald R. Abbe, "CASTRO COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online
I visited Castro County on Monday, July 13, 2015 and photographed the courthouse in Dimmitt.
Castro County Courthouse 1892
Castro County Courthouse 1906
Castro County Courthouse 1939
The courthouse faces north, on E. Bedford Street
The view, looking north, from the courthouse steps
A "pocket park" directly across from the courthouse entrance
Looking east, on E. Bedford Street (Highway 86)
View from the northeast corner of the square. The arrow, by artist Charles A. Smith, is a marker for the Quanah Parker Trail
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The 1939 courthouse, by Amarillo's Townes & Funk Architects, replaced a 1906 building which replaced the1892 courthouse, which was struck by lightening and burned to the ground. The current building was doubled in size at some point. Compare the first photo above with current views.
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