TexasEscapes.com HOME Welcome to Texas Escapes
A magazine written by Texas
Custom Search
New   |   Texas Towns   |   Ghost Towns   |   Counties   |   Trips   |   Features   |   Columns   |   Architecture   |   Images   |   Archives   |   Site Map

Briscoe County TX
Briscoe County

Counties
Texas Counties


Texas Towns
A - Z

Amarillo Hotels


QUITAQUE, TEXAS

Briscoe County, Texas Panhandle

34°21'59"N 101°3'19"W (34.366412, -101.055286)

TX Hwy 86 and FM 1065
16 miles E of Silverton, the county seat
12 miles W of Turkey
92 miles SE of Amarillo
ZIP code 79255
Area code 806
Population: 389 Est. (2019)
411 (2010) 432 (2000) 513 (1990)

Book Area Hotel › Amarillo Hotels

Quitaque peak seen from the Flomot valley, Texas Panhandle
Quitaque peak seen from the Flomot valley
Photo courtesy Eric Blackwell November 2006

History in a Pecan Shell

Comanchero trader José Piedad Tafoya is said to be the first settler in the area. He operated a trading post from 1865 to 1867, his main customers the Comanches. In 1877 the Lazy F Ranch was formed when George Baker arrived with a herd of cattle.

Charles Goodnight bought the ranch in 1880 and renamed it Quitaque, which someone had convinced him meant "end of the trail." Others say that the real meaning is horse manure - the same story is told of Waxahachie. A third translation supposedly means "whatever one steals."

A post office was established in 1882 and eight years later the town had forty residents. When Briscoe County was organized the townsite was platted.

A school was opened in 1894 and moved to Quitaque in 1902.

In 1907 the Twilla Hotel, a local landmark, opened.

By 1914 the town had seventy-five citizens and the the Fort Worth and Denver South Plains Railway came through town in 1928.

By 1940 the town had a population of 763.

Quitaque Canyon Trail
Photo courtesy David Higgins, 2005

Quitaque, Texas Area Attractions

  • Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway

  • The Texas State Bison Herd by Linda Kirkpatrick
    Their story began many, many years ago and when you know it your heart will fill with the same pride that you get at you watch Old Glory waving in the breeze.

  • Quitaque Canyon Trail

    Chamber of Commerce: 808-455-1456

  • Texas railroad tunnel on Rails to Trails trail near Quitaque Texas
    A Railroad Tunnel near Quitaque, Texas.
    The highlight of the "Rails to Trails" trail about 8-10 miles south of Quitaque.

    Photo courtesy Eric Blackwell (left) November 2006


    Texas railroad tunnel on Rails to Trails trail near Quitaque Texas
    Light at the end of the tunnel
    "You can see the ranger's truck tracks through the guano - looks almost like someone has driven through a recent deep snow. The ranger seems to make at least one trip each day along the full length of the trail, which is reassuring for us old bike riders."
    - Eric Blackwell, November 08, 2006

    Quitaque Tx - Midway Drive-In Theater
    Midway Drive-In Theater
    Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, July 2009


    Quitaque Tx - Midway Drive-In Theater
    Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, July 2009


    Quitaque Tx - Midway Drive-In Theater ticket booth
    Midway Drive-In Theater ticket booth
    Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, July 2009


    Quitaque Tx - Midway Drive-In Theater screen
    Midway Drive-In Theater screen
    Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, July 2009
    More Texas Theatres | Texas Drive-in Theatres


    TX Briscoe County 1920s Map
    Briscoe County 1920s map
    From Texas state map #10749
    Courtesy Texas General Land Office

    Take a road trip

    Texas Panhandle

    Quitaque, Texas Nearby Towns:
    Silverton the county seat
    Gasoline
    Turkey
    Amarillo

    Book Hotel Here:
    Amarillo Hotels | More Hotels
    Texas Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories, landmarks and recent or vintage photos, please contact us.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Texas Escapes Online Magazine »   Archive Issues » Home »
    TEXAS TOWNS & COUNTIES TEXAS LANDMARKS & IMAGES TEXAS HISTORY & CULTURE TEXAS OUTDOORS MORE
    Texas Counties
    Texas Towns A-Z
    Texas Ghost Towns

    TEXAS REGIONS:
    Central Texas North
    Central Texas South
    Texas Gulf Coast
    Texas Panhandle
    Texas Hill Country
    East Texas
    South Texas
    West Texas

    Courthouses
    Jails
    Churches
    Schoolhouses
    Bridges
    Theaters
    Depots
    Rooms with a Past
    Monuments
    Statues

    Gas Stations
    Post Offices
    Museums
    Water Towers
    Grain Elevators
    Cotton Gins
    Lodges
    Stores
    Banks

    Vintage Photos
    Historic Trees
    Cemeteries
    Old Neon
    Ghost Signs
    Signs
    Murals
    Gargoyles
    Pitted Dates
    Cornerstones
    Then & Now

    Columns: History/Opinion
    Texas History
    Small Town Sagas
    Black History
    WWII
    Texas Centennial
    Ghosts
    People
    Animals
    Food
    Music
    Art

    Books
    Cotton
    Texas Railroads

    Texas Trips
    Texas Drives
    Texas State Parks
    Texas Rivers
    Texas Lakes
    Texas Forts
    Texas Trails
    Texas Maps
    USA
    MEXICO
    HOTELS

    Site Map
    About Us
    Privacy Statement
    Disclaimer
    Contributors
    Staff
    Contact Us

     
    Website Content Copyright Texas Escapes LLC. All Rights Reserved