249 of 254 Moore County Courthouse, Dumas, Texas. County Population: 21,904
Moore County, Texas
"Moore County is located in the north central part of the Panhandle of Texas, bordered by Sherman, Hutchinson, Potter, and Hartley counties. Moore County occupies 909 square miles of the High Plains. Elevations in the county range from 2,900 to 3,700 feet above sea level.
"In 1876 the Texas legislature formed Moore County from lands formerly assigned to Bexar County, and soon ranchers began moving into the area. The county is named for Commodore Edwin Ward Moore, the commander of the Texas Navy during the Republic of Texas. The founding of the town of Dumas by Louis Dumas and the Panhandle Townsite Company in 1890 encouraged county organization. As a result, Moore County was organized with Dumas as the county seat following an election held on July 5, 1892. The county population grew from 15 to 209 between 1890 and 1900.
"In the mid-1920s discovery of the Panhandle field changed the complexion of Moore County entirely. Gas reserves were located in Moore County as early as 1921, and large-scale commercial oil and gas production began in 1927. The Apache Refining Company built a plant north of Dumas at a site which became Sunray. Between 1927 and 1932 Skelly, Phillips, and Shamrock all built refineries. Since the 1930s the production of oil and, more importantly, of natural gas has dominated the local economy. Refining, generation of electricity, and even smelting operations developed during the 1930s and 1940s to take advantage of cheap and abundant fuels."
Handbook of Texas Online, Donald R. Abbe, "Moore County"
I visited Moore County and photographed the courthouse in Dumas on May 8, 2016.
"In 1876 the Texas legislature formed Moore County from lands formerly assigned to Bexar County, and soon ranchers began moving into the area. The county is named for Commodore Edwin Ward Moore, the commander of the Texas Navy during the Republic of Texas. The founding of the town of Dumas by Louis Dumas and the Panhandle Townsite Company in 1890 encouraged county organization. As a result, Moore County was organized with Dumas as the county seat following an election held on July 5, 1892. The county population grew from 15 to 209 between 1890 and 1900.
"In the mid-1920s discovery of the Panhandle field changed the complexion of Moore County entirely. Gas reserves were located in Moore County as early as 1921, and large-scale commercial oil and gas production began in 1927. The Apache Refining Company built a plant north of Dumas at a site which became Sunray. Between 1927 and 1932 Skelly, Phillips, and Shamrock all built refineries. Since the 1930s the production of oil and, more importantly, of natural gas has dominated the local economy. Refining, generation of electricity, and even smelting operations developed during the 1930s and 1940s to take advantage of cheap and abundant fuels."
Handbook of Texas Online, Donald R. Abbe, "Moore County"
I visited Moore County and photographed the courthouse in Dumas on May 8, 2016.
Moore County Courthouse 1931
The northwest corner of the courthouse, circa 1939. Photography courtesy of TXDOT
The courthouse square in Dumas. The courthouse faces west, on US 287, Dumas Ave. The east half of the square is filled with the Moore County Sheriff's Office and Jail.
The west facade of the courthouse, on Dumas Ave.
Dumas Ave., US 287, is a very business street, with many trucks. The Google Earth view of the square (above) confirms the truck traffic.
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Architects Berry & Hatch designed the building.
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