Discover Crosby County: History, Landscapes and Water

Crosby County combines the history of the South Plains with distinctive landscapes and the White River. Those planning a trip with cultural discoveries, regional history and time by the water will find a range of options for planning their days. When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home, it can therefore be decisive whether museums and historic sites or landscapes and fishing are to be the main focus.

History in Museums and Historic Buildings

A key point of contact for regional history is the Crosby County Pioneer Memorial Museum. It displays tools and artworks from Indigenous peoples, a Brush automobile from the early 20th century and a diorama of Blanco Canyon. The museum also preserves more than 45,000 artefacts relating to the history of life on the South Plains, including evidence of Comanche warriors and settlers. In 1958, it was established in a replica of the Hank Smith House. The original house stood in Blanco Canyon and was considered the first permanent house on the Llano.

The Crosby County Courthouse also contributes to the area's historic character. The neoclassical building was completed at the end of 1914 and is listed as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. The Ralls Historical Museum is housed in a historic former bank building. Its 16 themed rooms cover agricultural equipment, military memorabilia, a barbershop and a funeral home, among other subjects. Together, these sites offer different perspectives on the past: architecture, everyday life, agriculture and the history of settlement.

White River, Reservoir and Blanco Canyon

White River Reservoir is located 25 miles south of Crosbyton on the White River, a tributary of the Salt Fork of the Brazos River. The reservoir offers excellent largemouth bass fishing. This creates a clear contrast with the museums and historic sites when planning a trip: one day can be shaped by exhibitions and regional remembrance, while another focuses on water and landscapes.

Silver Falls is located on the White River. The stone structures there were built in 1935 by the National Youth Administration as part of the New Deal programmes under President Roosevelt. Blanco Canyon, in turn, is a scenic landscape associated with travel, early settlement and military history. Those wishing to get to know the characteristic landscapes of the South Plains can deliberately combine these themes with the region's historic exhibitions.

Places with a History of Their Own

In the Mount Blanco Community, pioneer Henry Clay Smith built a two-storey stone house near the mesa in 1877. It was the first permanent homestead in the South Plains region. The Mount Blanco Post Office opened in September 1879; Elizabeth Boyle was the postmistress. Lorenzo was founded when the Crosbyton-South Plains Railway ran its first train there on 10 April 1911. Today, Lorenzo is a centre of cotton farming; as early as 1914, the surrounding area was being encouraged for cotton cultivation. The town of Lorenzo thus adds another perspective on railways, agriculture and regional development to the trip.

Lorenzo Cemetery preserves the community's history. The first marked grave dates from 1918 and belongs to W. A. Greenhill. The Prairie Ladies Multi-Cultural Center focuses on exhibitions about women from the region and transportation. Emma became a ghost town after its residents moved to other communities; today, Emma Cemetery is the only remaining link to the people who once lived there.

Choose the Right Focus for Your Accommodation

In Crosby County, you can choose your holiday apartment or holiday home according to your preferred travel style.

More Destinations at the Same Level

Crane County, Gillespie County, Hopkins, Collin, Hamilton County, Navarro County, Willacy County

For the higher-level travel overview: Texas.