Moore County

Moore County, Texas

Moore County, Texas

The Moore County Courthouse is located in the City of Dumas, the county seat. Photograh by Robert Blaine Camp.

Moore County is located in the north central part of the Panhandle of Texas, bordered by Sherman, Hutchinson, Potter, and Hartley counties. Dumas, the county seat, is located in the center of the county, at 101°55' west longitude and 35°50' north latitude, about forty-eight miles north of Amarillo. The area is named for Commodore Edwin Ward Moore, the commander of the Texas Navy during the Republic of Texas. Moore County occupies 909 square miles of the High Plains. The sandy and loam soils support abundant native grasses as well as various local crops such as wheat, corn, milo, and other grains. In general the terrain consists of nearly level prairies varied by the Canadian River brakes in the southeast and by Grapevine, Plum, South Palo Duro, North Palo Duro, and Big Blue creeks, which flow west to east and drain into the Canadian River. Part of Lake Meredith, a man-made lake on the Canadian River, is in the far southeastern corner of the county. Elevations in the county range from 2,900 to 3,700 feet above sea level. Average rainfall is 18.33 inches per year. The average minimum temperature is 20° F in January, and the average maximum is 93° in July. The growing season averages 185 days per year.

Although early Spanish explorers and later American expeditions crossed the county by way of the Canadian River, the entire region remained the domain of Indians from prehistoric times until the 1870s. Following the Red River War of 1874, the Comanches and Kiowas were permanently removed to Indian Territory. In 1876 the Texas legislature formed Moore County from lands formerly assigned to Bexar County, and soon ranchers began moving into the area. Ranching dominated the local economy from the 1870s to the 1920s, when farming began to develop significantly. During 1877 George W. Littlefield established his famous LIT Ranch in southwestern Moore and eastern Hartley counties. Soon others followed. The LX Ranch, with headquarters in Potter County, had substantial Moore County acreage, as did the LS Ranch, which was headquartered in eastern Oldham County. Lesser stock-raising operations developed in the unclaimed ranges between these larger ranches. During the 1880s the local ranching economy stabilized, and the few stock raisers and farmers who lived in the county saw the need for a local government. The founding of the town of Dumas by Louis Dumas and the Panhandle Townsite Company in 1890 encouraged county organization. As a result, Moore County was organized with Dumas as the county seat following an election held on July 5, 1892. By 1900 there were fifty-seven ranches and farms in the county, encompassing about 115,500 acres, and the United States agricultural census reported 6,885 cattle and 300 sheep. Only 1,708 acres were classified as "improved," and only forty-two were devoted to corn, at that time the county's most important crop. The county population grew from 15 to 209 between 1890 and 1900.

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Donald R. Abbe | © TSHA

Handbook of Texas Logo

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

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Moore County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

2915 ft – 3825 ft

Size

Land area does not include water surface area, whereas total area does

  • Land Area: 899.7 mi²
  • Total Area: 909.6 mi²

Temperature

January mean minimum: 22.1°F
July mean maximum: 91.6°F

Rainfall, 2019

18.4 inches

Population Count, 2019

20,940

Civilian Labor Count, 2019

10,124

Unemployment, 2019

4.6%

Property Values, 2019

$2,701,995,431 USD

Per-Capita Income, 2019

$41,275 USD

Retail Sales, 2019

$466,720,815 USD

Wages, 2019

$142,817,410 USD

Moore County

Highlighted:
  • Moore County
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Place Type Population (Year/Source) Currently Exists
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Town 3,050 (2021) Yes
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Town 14,290 (2021) Yes
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Town 1,851 (2021) Yes
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Town 2 (2009) Yes
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Town 1,702 (2021) Yes
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