On the road again: US 287, northbound in Wilbarger County. Or perhaps, Hardeman County. They look a lot alike.
Following a stormy night in Wichita Falls, I awoke to the sound of thunder. A light rain was falling as I made my way to the only Starbucks between Fort Worth and Amarillo for my morning wakeup call. Mission accomplished, I made a second stop in downtown to photograph the courthouse from a distance. I was able to get a few photos before the rain started up again.
View of the courthouse from the southeast
Leaving Wichita Falls, I continued north and west on US 287 to Vernon, seat of Wilbarger county, Texas. The rain had stopped but the low, threatening clouds remained as I arrived at the courthouse square in downtown Vernon. This is a classic courthouse, dating from 1928, and designed by the firm of Voelcker and Dixon of nearby Wichita Falls.
The stately Wilbarger County courthouse, viewed from the northwest
During my visit to downtown Vernon I learned that the birthplace of one of my favorite musicians, Roy Orbison, was nearby. Alas, it's only an empty lot!
Moving along, I left the clouds behind as I cruised along US 287 to Quanah, seat of Hardeman County. This is the last county along the Red River border with Oklahoma. Being in the east with Bowie County, there are 11 Texas counties along the south bank of the Red River. However, in all my courthouse road trips, I have yet to see the Red River. Sigh.
In between storms I stopped for a rest at this new "rest stop"
Very nice architecture
There were several of these warning signs on the grounds
And then this sign on the restroom door...
Okay, this was an unusual combination: rattlesnakes and tornado shelters! It did bring back a memory from my childhood, however. Long, long ago, when I was a child, we lived in a house in the country, south of Abilene. In the backyard was an ancient storm cellar; dug into the rocky ground and reached by a wooden door that led to a earthen room below ground. Here, I was told by my parents, we would go when a tornado threatened. Then, and only then, would we retreat to this shelter. Otherwise, we children were warned to stay away from the storm shelter; it was home to rattlesnakes! Good to know Hardeman County offers the same dilemma...tornado or rattlesnake? Which will you choose?
The Hardeman County courthouse, 1908
Quanah has an impressive collection of historic buildings
You'll see in the photo above that storm clouds were once again appearing on the horizon. Quanah was the end of my northwestward drive and, just in time, I turned south along Texas Highway 6, the very road that runs both ways through College Station, and headed for Crowell, seat of Foard County.
The north façade of the Foard County courthouse
Foard County had all of 1,336 citizens in the 2010 census. It's not overly crowded. The 1910 courthouse, like more than a few in Texas, is missing its original dome, thanks to a nasty 1942 tornado. Said tornado also destroyed the porticoes on each side of the building. Lacking the funds to repair the building, the county decided to do without them. And do without them they have, for going on 73 years.
The Foard County courthouse cats
It was now lunch time, so I stopped by what may very well be the only restaurant in Foard County, the Crowell Dairy Bar. Joining the old timers for a delicious cheeseburger and fries, I enjoyed listening to their reactions to all of the rain that had fallen in Foard County this spring. They were, to a person, delighted with the first substantial rainfall in many years in this part of Texas. After lunch I headed southeast towards Baylor County, the 224th Texas county in my courthouse odyssey. The storm clouds were building in the early afternoon, but I pushed on.
Taking the back roads from Crowell to Seymour
Seymour, the seat of Baylor County, is blessed with a 1967 era "modern" courthouse. You know what I mean; a low, banal building that screams boring. Or, public library. (which is also housed in this building)
The Baylor County courthouse, with freestanding decorative arches. Oh my!
Seymour also featured this unusual look: a roofless building on the square with a window separating the outside from the inside that is now outside.
Done with the five new counties on this road trip, I drove south to Throckmorton to see the newly completed restoration of the Throckmorton County courthouse. It's a beauty. Well done!
Throckmorton County courthouse,1890
While in Throckmorton I also checked on one of my many commercial ventures in Texas. Magneto service, anyone?
From Throckmorton I intended to drive to Abilene, via Albany. Unfortunately, the road to Albany was closed and I was directed to a detour via Breckenridge. From there I headed south, to Cisco, where I encountered a severe storm, with hail and the first tornado of my Texas courthouse project. I sat out the hail storm under the canopy of a Sonic Drive-in in Cisco. For some reason, all of the spaces at the Sonic were occupied during the storm! I wasn't even aware of the tornado that touched down in the vicinity until I reached Abilene. Just as well; I didn't have to chose between the tornado and the rattlesnakes!
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