240 of 254 Wheeler County Courthouse, Wheeler, Texas. County Population: 5,410
Wheeler County, Texas
"Wheeler County is on the eastern edge of the Panhandle of Texas, along the Oklahoma border. Wheeler County occupies 914 square miles of rolling prairies and rough river breaks in the area east of the High Plains; elevations range from 2,000 to 2,800 feet above sea level.
"In the spring of 1874 Buffalo hunters established a crude outpost, called Hidetown or Sweetwater, on Sweetwater Creek, in the northwestern part of what is now Wheeler County.
"As the Indian threat diminished in 1875 and 1876, settlers began to congregate around Fort Elliott and Hidetown, and in 1876 the Texas state legislature established Wheeler County from lands formerly assigned to the Bexar and Young districts. The county was named for Royal T. Wheeler, the second chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court. On April 12, 1879, Wheeler County became the first organized county in the Panhandle, with fourteen other unorganized counties attached to it. The small camp of Sweetwater was chosen to be the county seat; the settlement was renamed Mobeetie in 1880, when a post office was established there.
"The county seat was moved in 1907 from Mobeetie to Wheeler, which was located closer to the center of the county.
"The development of the oil and gas industry in the area during the 1920s, combined with the growth of farming, caused Wheeler County's population to more than double during the decade, and by 1930 there were 15,555 people living there. Shamrock emerged as the only successful railroad town, and it soon developed into the county's largest and most successful town, far outstripping Mobeetie and Wheeler."
Handbook of Texas Online, Donald R. Abbe and John Leffler, "Wheeler County"
I visited Wheeler County and photographed the courthouse in Wheeler on May 6, 2016.
"In the spring of 1874 Buffalo hunters established a crude outpost, called Hidetown or Sweetwater, on Sweetwater Creek, in the northwestern part of what is now Wheeler County.
"As the Indian threat diminished in 1875 and 1876, settlers began to congregate around Fort Elliott and Hidetown, and in 1876 the Texas state legislature established Wheeler County from lands formerly assigned to the Bexar and Young districts. The county was named for Royal T. Wheeler, the second chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court. On April 12, 1879, Wheeler County became the first organized county in the Panhandle, with fourteen other unorganized counties attached to it. The small camp of Sweetwater was chosen to be the county seat; the settlement was renamed Mobeetie in 1880, when a post office was established there.
"The county seat was moved in 1907 from Mobeetie to Wheeler, which was located closer to the center of the county.
"The development of the oil and gas industry in the area during the 1920s, combined with the growth of farming, caused Wheeler County's population to more than double during the decade, and by 1930 there were 15,555 people living there. Shamrock emerged as the only successful railroad town, and it soon developed into the county's largest and most successful town, far outstripping Mobeetie and Wheeler."
Handbook of Texas Online, Donald R. Abbe and John Leffler, "Wheeler County"
I visited Wheeler County and photographed the courthouse in Wheeler on May 6, 2016.
On the southeast corner of the courthouse square
Wheeler County Courthouse 1925
The west facade
The courthouse is centered in a city block with the primary axis running east-west
The east facade
The courthouse was fully restored in 2004
"All new electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems were installed. A fully accessible elevator in a new location allowed for full restoration of the historic balcony, spatial dimensions, and original furnishings in the district courtroom. A new accessible entry and parking was added. Exterior work included repairs to the steel windows, removal of non-historic aluminum entry doors, restoration of wood doors, and installation of a below grade water proofing to protect the building's new ground floor offices and foundation." Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation
The building stone is on the north end of the east facade
The east porch
The east porch soffit
The northeast corner of the building
The north facade. An accessible entrance leads to the basement level
The northwest corner of the building
The southwest corner of the building with gazebo
The south doors
The south facade
The east doors from the first floor interior
The Wheeler County seal in mosaic tiles on the first floor
The 31st District courtroom on the second floor
The courtroom balcony is on the north end of the room
The 1909 Wheeler County Jail occupies the southeast corner of the courthouse square
View south on US 83 (Alan L. Bean Blvd) on the east side of the courthouse square
