247 of 254 Oldham County Courthouse, Vega, Texas. County Population: 2,052
Oldham County, Texas
"Oldham County is in the northwestern corner of the Panhandle, bordered on the west by New Mexico, on the north by Hartley County, on the east by Potter County, and on the south by Deaf Smith County. Oldham County comprises 1,485 square miles of relatively level grassland, broken by the Canadian River and its numerous intermittent tributaries; elevations range from 3,200 to 4,200 feet above sea level. Oldham County's history has revolved around the Canadian River, which runs in an east–west direction across the northern part of the county.
"In 1876 the Texas legislature established Oldham County from the huge original Bexar County, and the county was organized in 1880, with Tascosa as the county seat. The county was named for Williamson Simpson Oldham, pioneer Texas lawyer and Confederate senator. Sixteen unorganized Panhandle counties were attached to Oldham County for administrative purposes.
"Crop farmers began to move into the area after 1904, when the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway laid tracks through the southern part of the county for a line connecting Amarillo to Tucumcari, New Mexico. As the county developed Tascosa slowly lost population and influence to Vega, [on the railroad]. By 1915, when a special election moved the county seat to Vega, only fifteen people lived in Tascosa."
Handbook of Texas Online, Donald R. Abbe and John Leffler, "Oldham County"
I visited Oldham County and photographed the courthouses in Vega and Tascosa on May 8, 2016.
"In 1876 the Texas legislature established Oldham County from the huge original Bexar County, and the county was organized in 1880, with Tascosa as the county seat. The county was named for Williamson Simpson Oldham, pioneer Texas lawyer and Confederate senator. Sixteen unorganized Panhandle counties were attached to Oldham County for administrative purposes.
"Crop farmers began to move into the area after 1904, when the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway laid tracks through the southern part of the county for a line connecting Amarillo to Tucumcari, New Mexico. As the county developed Tascosa slowly lost population and influence to Vega, [on the railroad]. By 1915, when a special election moved the county seat to Vega, only fifteen people lived in Tascosa."
Handbook of Texas Online, Donald R. Abbe and John Leffler, "Oldham County"
I visited Oldham County and photographed the courthouses in Vega and Tascosa on May 8, 2016.
Boot Hill Cemetery, overlooking the former community of Tascosa
Oldham County Courthouse, Tascosa (now Boy's Ranch) 1884
The 1884 Oldham County courthouse is now a museum on the ground's of Boys Ranch.
Oldham County Courthouse, Vega 1915
Photograph courtesy of courthousehistory.com
Image courtesy of courthousehistory.com
The courthouse square in Vega. S. Main Street is on the left, or west side of the square. The Sheriff's Office and Jail is on the south side of the square.
O. G. Roquemore was the architect of the original classical revival courthouse. In 1967 the roof was removed and an addition added on the north side (left in this photo).
The courthouse faces west, on S. Main Street.
The view from the courthouse steps. In 1931, a fire destroyed six buildings on this side of the courthouse square, which explains the empty lots.
The original front facade now ends abruptly above the column capitals.
View from the southwest corner of the square. The Sheriff's Office attaches itself to the historic building on the right in this photo.
Additions on the south side of the original courthouse house the Sheriff's Office. This is the view from Coke Street.
The southeast corner of the courthouse.
The east side of the courthouse square is well shaded by mature trees.
Commercial buildings line the north side of the square, on E. Main Street.
The east facade of the courthouse.
Looking east from the courthouse towards N. 9th Street.
Looking west, from the east doors of the courthouse, through the building.
The northeast corner of the courthouse. The 1967 addition is on this side of the historic building.
The east side of the square, viewed from the north.
Dumpsters as art.
The north side of the courthouse. This is an addition.
Another view of the addition. This wing is entered at ground level.
The historic courthouse is on the right. On the left is the 1967 addition.
A gazebo on the front lawn of the courthouse.
Wind turbines and power lines on US 385, north of Vega, Texas.