Estacado, Texas
Encyclopedia
Estacado is a ghost town
in Crosby and Lubbock counties in the U.S. state
of Texas
. Located along Farm to Market Road 1527, it was established in 1879 as a Religious Society of Friends
(Quaker) colony by Paris Cox and originally named Maryetta after his wife. In 1886, it became the first government seat of Crosby County. In 1936, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
number 4779 was designated to commemorate the founding of Estacado.
family near Asheboro, North Carolina
. During the Civil War, Cox was given a legal exemption from military service, based on the Quaker precept of pacifism
.
As treasurer of the North Carolina fellowship of Quakers, Cox was instrumental in helping the Religious Society of Friends, known as Quakers, find a favorable location for both farming and freedom from religious persecution. Their first move from North Carolina was to Indiana. Cox married Mary C. Ferguson during the sojourn in Westfield, Indiana
.
After some investigation, Cox purchased several thousand acres in Texas in 1877 and 1878, at twenty-five cents an acre. He first saw the Llano Estacado
in 1878 when guided by buffalo hunters. There he met local rancher Henry Clay Smith. Cox arranged for Smith to plant experimental crops on some acreage and send the results to Cox in Indiana.
. The other families were ill-prepared for the harsh winter months, and only had tents for living quarters. With the spring thaw, the original colonists deserted the area. Only the Cox family remained.
Determined to succeed, Cox stayed and eventually brought in a successful crop. Dr. William Hunt, who would become Postmaster in 1884, visited the area and later wrote:
The colony began to be repopulated by new families in 1881.
In 1886, Crosby County was organized, and Estacado became the county seat. In 1888, $10,000 in bonds was issued to erect a courthouse.
The town flourished for some years, and by 1890 the population was reported at 200.
and John Hopkins University educated Rev. Jesse Moore as president of the college. Mrs. Moore, who also had a degree from John Hopkins University, taught music, voice and violin classes. E.C. and Elva Lewis, graduates of William Penn University
, were additional instructors at the college. The twenty-by-sixty-foot frame building held 100 students at its peak. Eighteen students graduated from the college before a dwindling community population caused it to close in 1893.
Estacado store owners R. L. Stringfellow and H. E. Hume founded the Crosby County town of Emma in 1890. The new settlements began to attract Estacado residents who had been discouraged by harsh environmental conditions. On October 14, 1891, a county-wide election was held on where the county seat should be located. Estacado lost to Emma by only six votes. The Estacado courthouse building was moved to Emma, and much of the population along with it.
Estacado continued to suffer. The Quakers moved elsewhere. In the early part of the 20th Century, the population again saw an increase, but never again saw as many residents as it had in 1890.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in Crosby and Lubbock counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Located along Farm to Market Road 1527, it was established in 1879 as a Religious Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
(Quaker) colony by Paris Cox and originally named Maryetta after his wife. In 1886, it became the first government seat of Crosby County. In 1936, Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the state of Texas....
number 4779 was designated to commemorate the founding of Estacado.
Paris Cox
Paris Cox (1846–1888) was born one of six children in a devout Religious Society of FriendsReligious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
family near Asheboro, North Carolina
Asheboro, North Carolina
Asheboro is a city in Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 21,672 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County, and is the home of the state-owned North Carolina Zoo.-Geography:...
. During the Civil War, Cox was given a legal exemption from military service, based on the Quaker precept of pacifism
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
.
As treasurer of the North Carolina fellowship of Quakers, Cox was instrumental in helping the Religious Society of Friends, known as Quakers, find a favorable location for both farming and freedom from religious persecution. Their first move from North Carolina was to Indiana. Cox married Mary C. Ferguson during the sojourn in Westfield, Indiana
Westfield, Indiana
Westfield is a city in Hamilton County, Indiana, United States. In the year 2010 United States Census, the population was 30,068. Westfield is in the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area.- History :...
.
After some investigation, Cox purchased several thousand acres in Texas in 1877 and 1878, at twenty-five cents an acre. He first saw the Llano Estacado
Llano Estacado
Llano Estacado , commonly known as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas, including the South Plains and parts of the Texas Panhandle...
in 1878 when guided by buffalo hunters. There he met local rancher Henry Clay Smith. Cox arranged for Smith to plant experimental crops on some acreage and send the results to Cox in Indiana.
Establishment
During the winter of 1879, the first white agricultural settlers began to move into the Texas south plains. The first families were named Cox, Stubbs, Spray and Hayworth. Paris Cox first named the area Maryetta (or Marietta) after his wife. Cox had the only real home when he built a sod houseSod house
The sod house or "soddy" was a corollary to the log cabin during frontier settlement of Canada and the United States. The prairie lacked standard building materials such as wood or stone; however, sod from thickly-rooted prairie grass was abundant...
. The other families were ill-prepared for the harsh winter months, and only had tents for living quarters. With the spring thaw, the original colonists deserted the area. Only the Cox family remained.
Determined to succeed, Cox stayed and eventually brought in a successful crop. Dr. William Hunt, who would become Postmaster in 1884, visited the area and later wrote:
The colony began to be repopulated by new families in 1881.
In 1886, Crosby County was organized, and Estacado became the county seat. In 1888, $10,000 in bonds was issued to erect a courthouse.
The town flourished for some years, and by 1890 the population was reported at 200.
Post office
A post office was established in 1881, with George W. Singer as postmaster. The town name was changed from Maryetta to Estacaddo. In 1884, the spelling was changed to Estacado. The last Estacado postmaster was John A. Eaves, when, on September 24, 1918, the post office was discontinued and mail service routed to Petersburg.Education
The Quakers established Crosby County's first education system in 1882, when Emma Hunt taught six students in a sod dugout. Two years later, the classes moved to the Quaker meeting house and the students were given patent desks. The year 1886 saw two teachers earning $45 a month to instruct thirty-two students. In 1889, the Quakers established the Central Plains Academy, with the Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and John Hopkins University educated Rev. Jesse Moore as president of the college. Mrs. Moore, who also had a degree from John Hopkins University, taught music, voice and violin classes. E.C. and Elva Lewis, graduates of William Penn University
William Penn University
William Penn University is a private, liberal arts university in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. It was founded by members of the Religious Society of Friends in 1873 as Penn College...
, were additional instructors at the college. The twenty-by-sixty-foot frame building held 100 students at its peak. Eighteen students graduated from the college before a dwindling community population caused it to close in 1893.
New county seat and decline
Paris Cox died of throat cancer in 1888, and was buried at Estacado Cemetery.Estacado store owners R. L. Stringfellow and H. E. Hume founded the Crosby County town of Emma in 1890. The new settlements began to attract Estacado residents who had been discouraged by harsh environmental conditions. On October 14, 1891, a county-wide election was held on where the county seat should be located. Estacado lost to Emma by only six votes. The Estacado courthouse building was moved to Emma, and much of the population along with it.
Estacado continued to suffer. The Quakers moved elsewhere. In the early part of the 20th Century, the population again saw an increase, but never again saw as many residents as it had in 1890.
See also
- Blanco CanyonBlanco CanyonBlanco Canyon is a canyon located in the U.S. state of Texas. Eroded by the White River into the Caprock Escarpment on the east side of the Llano Estacado, the canyon runs for in a southeasterly direction, gradually widening from its beginning in southwestern Floyd County to across at its mouth...
- Caprock EscarpmentCaprock EscarpmentThe Caprock Escarpment is a term used in Texas and Eastern New Mexico to describe the geographical transition point between the level elevated plains of the Llano Estacado and the surrounding rolling terrain. In Texas, the escarpment stretches around 320 km south-southwest from the northeast...
- Llano EstacadoLlano EstacadoLlano Estacado , commonly known as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas, including the South Plains and parts of the Texas Panhandle...
- Mount BlancoMount BlancoMount Blanco is a small white hill — an erosional remnant — located on the eastern border of the Llano Estacado within Blanco Canyon in Crosby County, Texas...
- West TexasWest TexasWest Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
- White River (Texas)White River (Texas)The White River is an intermittent stream in the South Plains of Texas and a tributary of the Brazos River of the United States. It rises west of Floydada in southwestern Floyd County at the confluence of Callahan and Runningwater Draws. From there, it runs southeast for to its mouth on the...
- Yellow House CanyonYellow House CanyonYellow House Canyon is a canyon that is about long, heading in Lubbock, Texas, at the junction of Blackwater Draw and Yellow House Draw, and trending generally southeastward to the edge of the Llano Estacado about east of Slaton, Texas; it forms one of three major canyons along the east side of...