238 of 254 Motley County Courthouse, Matador, Texas. County Population: 1,210
Motley County, Texas
"Motley County, in the Rolling Plains region of Northwest Texas, is bounded on the east by Cottle County, on the south by Dickens County, on the west by Floyd County, and on the north by Briscoe and Hall counties. This sparsely settled county comprises 959 square miles of rough and broken terrain drained by the North Pease, Middle Pease, and South Pease rivers and their tributaries. Elevations range between 1,928 and 3,034 feet above sea level. The county lies just below the Caprock.
"In 1876 the Texas legislature formed Motley County from lands formerly assigned to the Bexar District and attached the area to Crosby County for judicial purposes. The county is named for Junius William Mottley, who died in the battle of San Jacinto (a spelling error was made when the county was named.)
"In 1878, Henry H. Campbell began buying cattle from Collinson and others for his Matador Land and Cattle Company. Campbell was the first owner of the famed Matador Ranch, which came to control much of the land in the area.Settlers began to move to the county in greater numbers in the early 1890s; an incomplete 1891 tax roll listed 317 taxpayers. That same year the county was organized, with Matador as county seat. Since the General Land Office required a county seat to have twenty businesses, Matador Ranch employees had opened temporary stores stocked with ranch supplies.
"Farming in the county particularly expanded after 1914, when the Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railroad completed laying tracks through the county."
John Leffler, "MOTLEY COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online
"In 1876 the Texas legislature formed Motley County from lands formerly assigned to the Bexar District and attached the area to Crosby County for judicial purposes. The county is named for Junius William Mottley, who died in the battle of San Jacinto (a spelling error was made when the county was named.)
"In 1878, Henry H. Campbell began buying cattle from Collinson and others for his Matador Land and Cattle Company. Campbell was the first owner of the famed Matador Ranch, which came to control much of the land in the area.Settlers began to move to the county in greater numbers in the early 1890s; an incomplete 1891 tax roll listed 317 taxpayers. That same year the county was organized, with Matador as county seat. Since the General Land Office required a county seat to have twenty businesses, Matador Ranch employees had opened temporary stores stocked with ranch supplies.
"Farming in the county particularly expanded after 1914, when the Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railroad completed laying tracks through the county."
John Leffler, "MOTLEY COUNTY," Handbook of Texas Online
I visited Motley County and photographed the courthouse in Matador on Wednesday, July 15, 2015.
Motley County Courthouse 1904
Photo, circa 1939, courtesy of TXDOT
Built by J.A. White of Vernon TX, this courthouse burned in 1944
Motley County Courthouse (Project) 1938
What might have been. Noted Texas courthouse architects Voelcker & Dixon designed this courthouse but the county couldn't obtain funding
Motley County Courthouse 1948
The current courthouse, designed by Wyatt Hedrick, occupies the high ground on the north side of downtown Matador
The courthouse faces south, on Dundee Avenue
The front doors
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The District courtroom on the second floor
The northeast corner of the courthouse
The north facade, with a pair of public toilets in the foreground
The northwest corner of the courthouse
The west facade
Matador City Hall is on the south side of Dundee Avenue, across from the courthouse
The Hotel Matador, on Main Street
North of the courthouse square is the old county jail and an arrow. See below for an explaination
Bob's Oil Well in Matador TX was a very big deal in its day. Google it and find out why
