233 of 254 Collingsworth County Courthouse, Wellington, Texas. County Population: 3,057
Collingsworth County, Texas
"Collingsworth County, on the eastern edge of the Texas Panhandle, is bordered on the east by Oklahoma, on the north by Wheeler County, on the west by Donley County, and on the south by Childress and Hall counties. The county is named for James Collinsworth, the first chief justice of the Republic of Texas, whose name was misspelled in the legislation that established the county. Collingsworth County occupies 894 square miles of rolling prairie and riverbreaks located to the east of the Texas High Plains. The elevation ranges from 1,800 to 2,600 feet above sea level.
"In 1876 the Texas legislature formed Collingsworth County of land previously assigned to Bexar and Young counties. Immigration and economic development led to the county's political organization in 1890, when the growing population felt the need for local political control. In August of that year a petition of organization was circulated, and in September an election was held to choose county officers and a county seat. The site of a proposed town, Wellington, was elected over its competitors as the county seat. In 1891 the new city was platted, and the construction of a courthouse began.
"During the 1920s a dispute arose between Texas and Oklahoma over the actual location of the eastern boundary of the Texas Panhandle. After resurveying, and after a United States Supreme Court decision, the line was moved 3,800 feet to the east. Thus Lipscomb, Hemphill, Wheeler, Collingsworth, and Childress counties of Texas all grew slightly."
Donald R. Abbe, "COLLINGSWORTH COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online
"In 1876 the Texas legislature formed Collingsworth County of land previously assigned to Bexar and Young counties. Immigration and economic development led to the county's political organization in 1890, when the growing population felt the need for local political control. In August of that year a petition of organization was circulated, and in September an election was held to choose county officers and a county seat. The site of a proposed town, Wellington, was elected over its competitors as the county seat. In 1891 the new city was platted, and the construction of a courthouse began.
"During the 1920s a dispute arose between Texas and Oklahoma over the actual location of the eastern boundary of the Texas Panhandle. After resurveying, and after a United States Supreme Court decision, the line was moved 3,800 feet to the east. Thus Lipscomb, Hemphill, Wheeler, Collingsworth, and Childress counties of Texas all grew slightly."
Donald R. Abbe, "COLLINGSWORTH COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online
I visited Collingsworth County and photographed the courthouse in Wellington on Tuesday, July 14, 2015.
The Collingsworth County courthouse occupies a traditional square, with the building centered in the middle of the property
Collingsworth County Courthouse 1893
Image courtesy of courthousehistory.com
|
Demolished in 1931. Image courtesy of courthousehistory.com
|
Collingsworth County Courthouse 1931
Image courtesy of courthousehistory.com
|
Photo courtesy of TXDOT
|
The west facade is the front of the courthouse
The east facade. Oddly, the single doorway is obscured by the porch structure. The building stone is located on the north end of this porch
|
|
The southeast corner of the courthouse
The southwest corner of the square
The west facade of the courthouse, on West Avenue
The north facade of the courthouse
The Ozark Trail ran through Wellington
The north door of the courthouse
The east doors of the courthouse
View from the east doors, of East Avenue
The south door of the courthouse
The District Courtroom on the third floor is no longer used. It's too big, I was told
The Ritz Theatre on East Avenue is open for business
Wellington was at the end of a railroad branch line that connected with the main line in Childress. It was abandoned many years ago
The FW&D (Burlington Route) station is all that remains of the railroad
Traveling south from Wellington towards Childress on US Highway 83