The Towns of Childress County, Texas — Childress City, Henry, and the Railroad's Deciding Vote

Childress County, Texas was organized on April 11, 1887, and named for George Campbell Childress, the author of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Its early town history is unusual: the county actually grew out of two competing townsites, Childress City and Henry, platted about four miles apart on land that had previously been part of the OX Ranch.

A real rivalry developed between the two sites over which would become county seat. Voters initially chose Childress City in an April 1887 election, but the decision did not hold — the Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad, which had crossed into the county that same month, pressured the county into reversing course to accommodate its own preferred route and stop locations. Childress City ultimately prevailed as the county seat.

Growth followed the railroad closely. Childress was formally incorporated in 1890, and by the 1890 census the county counted 1,175 residents, with the county seat itself accounting for 621 of them — more than half the county's population concentrated in the town the railroad had effectively chosen.

Records in This Section

2 records across 2 categories

County History 1

• Childress County TX History

Early Street Names 1

• Early Childress, TX Street Names