James T. Patman
Clarendon, Donley County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Outstanding peace officer. Sheriff of Donley County, Nov. 1905 to Jan. 1, 1916 - era when large ranches were being subdivided into farms. Born in Sulphur Springs. Was a Methodist. Married Allie Graves. Had a son and daughter. Died in Clarendon. Recorded, 1968
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
James T. Patman served as sheriff of Donley County from 1905 to 1916, a time when the great Panhandle ranches were being broken up and sold off as farmland. Born in Sulphur Springs and a Methodist, he married Allie Graves, raised a son and a daughter, and died in Clarendon. He was remembered as an outstanding peace officer of that transitional frontier era.
Why it matters
His career marks the moment the open-range West gave way to fenced farms, when a county sheriff kept order over a changing frontier.
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Related people
- · James T. Patman
- · Allie Graves
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Clarendon Cemetery
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On this bold promontory lies the first cemetery of Donley County, resting place of the earliest settlers of Old Clarendon in the Texas Panhandle. Founded as a colony in the late 1870s, Clarendon was among the first Anglo settlements on the high plains, where pioneers faced hardship, isolation, and loss. In 1938 the State of Texas dedicated this granite monument to those first dead and the survivors who built on after them.
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