Montague

Montague, the county seat of Montague County, is on State highways 59 and 175, near the center of the county. It was established in 1858 on 160 acres of land donated by the state and named for Daniel Montague. A post office opened in 1860. In 1874 the Montague Frontier News began weekly publication. By 1880 the community provided the only flour and grist mills for county farmers. That year an estimated 400 residents supported five businesses, three churches, and a school. Between 1880 and 1900 the tracks of the Fort Worth and Denver Railway were built through Bowie to the south of Montague, and the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad reached Nocona to the north. In 1886 W. A. Morris and C. C. White attempted to save the county seat from isolation by construction of an independent rail line named the Weatherford and Great Northwestern, connecting Bowie with Montague. Approximately eight miles of tracks were laid before funds ran out.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.