Armstrong County
Claude, Armstrong County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Created 1876. Name honors several Texas pioneers named Armstrong. Ranching became the chief industry when huge JA Ranch was established here in 1876. Farming was introduced after the railroad came through, 1887. County was organized in 1890. Present courthouse was built 1912. (1969)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Carved out of the Texas Panhandle in 1876 and named for a family of pioneer Armstrongs, this county was cattle country from the start—the sprawling JA Ranch was founded the very same year. When the railroad arrived in 1887 it opened the plains to farmers, and the county formally organized in 1890, raising its stately courthouse in 1912.
Why it matters
Armstrong County traces the classic Panhandle arc from open-range ranching to railroad-borne farming, the pattern that settled the last American frontier.
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Themes & tags
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