Ochiltree County History 1922

Latitude:

Longitude:

Ochiltree County Written in 1922

This county, on the northern border of the Panhandle, was organized February 21, 1889. With the nearest railroad forty-five miles distant, its development has been hindered by lack of transportation. but in spite of this situation many thousands of acres are now in cultivation in the staple Panhandle crops and a substantial class of farmer settlers have located in this section since the beginning of the present century. The extension of the Santa Fe across the county has greatly improved conditions. The county in 1890 had a population of 198, in 1900 of 267, in 1910 of 1,602, and in 1920, 2,331. The county seat is at Ochiltree [changed to Perryton in 1919], and other small centers of trade and population are Wawaka [now called Waka] and Grogan. The surface of the county is largely a level plain, with Wolf Creek the only important stream. It is estimated that 95 per cent of the area is tillable, and the statistics of crop production in recent years indicate great possibilities in the near future. The total area of the county is 570,240 acres, and 225,779 acres were reported in farms at the last census. Between 1900 and 1910 the number of farms rose from 71 to 264, and the amount of "improved land" from about 2,600 acres to about 53,000 acres. The live stock enumeration in 1910 comprised 10,717 cattle, about 3,800 horses and mules, 3,711 hogs, and 10,715 poultry ; in 1920, 22,462 cattle, 4,792 horses and mules. In 1909, 10,378 acres were planted in hay and forage crops ; 8,663 acres in wheat ; 7,404 acres in kafir corn and milo maize ; 2,075 acres in corn ; 1,972 acres in oats. About 3,000 orchard fruit trees were enumerated. The valuation of property in 1903 was $606,926 ; in 1913, $1,515,291, and in 1920, $4,176,420. - History of Texas, 1922, by W. Barrett Travis.