248 of 254 Hartley County Courthouse, Channing, Texas. County Population: 6,062
Hartley County, Texas
"Hartley County, in the northwestern part of the Panhandle, is bordered on the west by New Mexico, on the north by Dallam County, on the east by Moore County, and on the south by Oldham County. The county seat, Channing, is about fifty miles northwest of Amarillo and about thirty miles south of Dalhart, which straddles the Hartley-Dallam county line. It comprises 1,488 square miles of level to rolling grasslands. The elevation ranges between 3,400 and 4,200 feet above sea level.
"In 1876 the Texas legislature marked off Hartley County from land formerly assigned to Bexar and Young counties. In the late 1870s and 1880s Hartley County changed from raw frontier into the domain of the established rancher. The county quickly became a part of the huge ranching industry that developed in Northwest Texas after the Civil War.
"In 1891 the county was organized with the tiny town of Hartley as county seat. After an election in 1896, the county government was moved to Channing, where it remained despite periodic attempts to move it again; in 1903 a final election confirmed Channing as the county seat.
"Railroads first entered Hartley County in 1888, when the Fort Worth and Denver Railway extended its main line westward from Amarillo through the sites of Channing, Hartley, and Dalhart, to Texline, in Dallam County. The Chicago, Rock Island and Mexico Railway, building southwesterly from Enid, Oklahoma, to Tucumcari, New Mexico, entered the county through Dalhart in 1901."
Handbook of Texas Online, Donald R. Abbe, "Hartley County"
"In 1876 the Texas legislature marked off Hartley County from land formerly assigned to Bexar and Young counties. In the late 1870s and 1880s Hartley County changed from raw frontier into the domain of the established rancher. The county quickly became a part of the huge ranching industry that developed in Northwest Texas after the Civil War.
"In 1891 the county was organized with the tiny town of Hartley as county seat. After an election in 1896, the county government was moved to Channing, where it remained despite periodic attempts to move it again; in 1903 a final election confirmed Channing as the county seat.
"Railroads first entered Hartley County in 1888, when the Fort Worth and Denver Railway extended its main line westward from Amarillo through the sites of Channing, Hartley, and Dalhart, to Texline, in Dallam County. The Chicago, Rock Island and Mexico Railway, building southwesterly from Enid, Oklahoma, to Tucumcari, New Mexico, entered the county through Dalhart in 1901."
Handbook of Texas Online, Donald R. Abbe, "Hartley County"
I visited Hartley County and photographed the courthouse in Channing on May 8, 2016.
The BNSF Railway crosses Hartley County north-south, passing in front of the courthouse in Channing.
Approaching Channing from the north, on US 385.
The railroad and US 385 connect Channing (population 363) with Vega to the south and Dalhart, to the north.
Hartley County Courthouse 1906
The courthouse is located on the west side of the BNSF tracks, which bisect the community.
"In May 1905 the commissioners court approved the construction of a new courthouse [in Channing]. Contracts were awarded to Solan & Wickens, contractors, and O. G. Roquemore, architect. The 2-story, structure was completed in October 1906 at a cost of $10,525. The beaux arts style building features a triumphal arch on the front facade, native sandstone base, and Roman Ionic paired columns. When completed, the top story provided a courtroom and two offices, and there were five offices and a lobby on the first floor. At the time of construction, the building was served by its own water well and lighting system. A vault was added to the county clerk's office in 1927. A second vault and jury dormitories were built in 1935."
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1987.
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1987.
The jail is visible on the left. Image courtesy of courthousehistory.com
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Image courtesy of courthousehistory.com
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The courthouse and jail are located on Main Street, along the west side of the railroad. A grove of mature trees shades and obscures the front of the courthouse.
The front facade of the courthouse faces east.
The courthouse and jail were built in 1906.
The southeast corner of the courthouse.
The shady lawn on the east side of the courthouse and jail.
The front of the courthouse.
The front doors of the courthouse.
View from the courthouse steps of Main Street and the railroad beyond.
The arched entry with pairs of Ionic columns on the Hartley County courthouse.
The building's cornerstone is on the northeast corner. A fragment of volute from one of the Ionic capitals lies on on the ground at right.
O. G. Roquemont was the architect. He also designed the Oldham County courthouse in Vega, Texas, just south of Hartley County.
The north side of the courthouse. A 1935 addition is on the right, or west side of the historic courthouse.
The west side of the courthouse, viewed from Denver Avenue.
The Channing School, circa 1932, is at the west end of W. 9th Street.
The school building dates from the early 1930's. The school includes grades K through 12.
The railroad just passses through town these days. What's left of the historic Main Street buildings is seen on the left. The XIT Ranch headquarters is on the right.
An abandoned store on Main Street.
The XIT Ranch general offices, built in 1898-99. This building served the 3 million acre ranch until 1912.
FM 354 on the east side of Channing. This is in the Canadian River valley.