Discover Motley County

Motley County brings together ranch history, historic buildings, and the landscape surrounding Roaring Springs. Families traveling here who are looking for more than just a place to spend the night will find various starting points for planning a trip: stories from the era of cattle ranching, reminders of early settlements, and a natural environment whose formation can be traced deep beneath the High Plains.

Ranch History and Historic Sites

One prominent testament to the county's history is the Motley County Jail. The two-story building was constructed in 1891. The cells were located on the upper floor, while the jailer's living quarters were in the basement. Today, the building continues to stand as a symbol of Motley County's frontier heritage. The Matador Ranch also offers a connection to the region's history: it began in 1879 as a ranch on open range. In 1882, Scottish investors founded the Matador Land & Cattle Company, Ltd. The ranch operates in Motley County and offers guided white-tailed deer hunting packages.

Further historical traces can be found in Tee Pee City and Whiteflat. From 1875 to 1880, Tee Pee City was a camp for early buffalo hunters. From 1879 to 1881, the place served at times as the headquarters of the Texas Rangers under Captain G. W. Arrington. In Whiteflat, a one-room schoolhouse built by volunteers opened in 1890. Whiteflat began to decline during the Depression and Dust Bowl years of the 1930s. Places like these make the county's development tangible, without every location telling the same story.

Architecture, Events, and Excursion Destinations

The Traweek House adds to the historic picture with its architecture. The two-story, stuccoed masonry building combines design elements of the Italian Renaissance, Prairie Style, and Classical Revival. In 1964, the building received an official historical marker; it is also a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. For visitors interested in architectural history and regional identity, it provides another thematic gateway to Motley County.

Roaring Springs hosts the annual Motley-Dickens Counties Old Settlers Reunion. Roaring Springs also participates in the Texas Highway 70 Association, which promotes visits to communities along the Route 70 corridor. If you would like to include Matador in your travel plans, you can explore the information about this place in more detail as a complement.

Roaring Springs and the Historic Transportation Landscape

The Roaring Springs are located three miles south of the town of Roaring Springs and one mile west of State Highway 70. Their water is supplied by precipitation on the High Plains, which seeps through Ogallala sand and Dockum sandstone. In the 1940s, a swimming pool and a public recreational campground were established at the Roaring Springs. Those wishing to combine natural history with the development of regional recreational opportunities can make the Roaring Springs a thematic focus of their travel plans.

The former transportation network is also part of the county's history. The Motley County Railroad was a pioneering transportation route for livestock and agricultural goods. It used an eight-mile stretch through unfenced ranch country and connected near Roaring Springs with the tracks of the Quanah, Acme & Pacific. Roaring Springs is located on State Highway 70 and Farm Road 684, eight miles south of Matador. This orientation can help you decide, when choosing a vacation rental, whether historic sites, ranch themes, or Roaring Springs should be the focus of your trip. Additional destinations for further orientation include Real County, Cameron, Moore, Clay, Lubbock, Fayette, and Shelby County.

For the broader travel overview: Texas.