The First Courthouse in the Texas Panhandle
The Stone Courthouse
The first courthouse in the Texas Panhandle was built in Mobeetie in 1880. Irish stone masons quarried the stone from the Emanuel Dubbs homestead nine miles east of Mobeetie. In 1888 the building was condemned because of structural flaws: metal pins were not used to hold the stone together. The stone courthouse was replaced by a wooden courthouse that served the county until 1926. In 1908 the wooden courthouse was moved to Wheeler, 12 miles southeast when the county seat was moved to the new town of Wheeler.
The Wooden Courthouse
A wooden Courthouse was built in 1888-89 to replace the limestone courthouse that had been torn down because of structural flaws. Standing on the porch are from left to right: Mark Huselby, Newt Bowers, J. M. (Dick) Grisby, John Crowley, unidentified man, and C. C. Cook. The courthouse was moved to Wheeler in 1908 when Wheeler became the county seat. The building was purchased by Sheriff Riley Price in 1923 and torn down so the lumber could be used in other structures.
The First Post Office in the Texas Panhandle
In 1878, George A. Montgomery got up a petition to get a post office and got it signed up all right and sent it to the government- "I, as postmaster of Sweetwater. But they could not grant the post office in the name of Sweetwater because there was already a Sweetwater in Nolan County. So we had to decide on another name, so I called a meeting of the people of the town. There was Henry Fleming, Joe Mason, Mark Huselby, W. H. Weed, W. L. R. Dickson, Tom O'Loughlin, Newt Locke, and others. We could not decide on a name, for some of them wanted one name and some another. Then W. L. R. Dickson suggested that we send to the fort and get one of the Indian scouts to come down to the town and give us an Indian name. So two Indians came with Billy Dixon as interpreter. They said "Mobeetie" was sweet water in Indian. So that is how the town was named. I sent in this name and got the first post office in the Panhandle. I was postmaster for about 8 years."
- George A. Montgomery, Postmaster
The First School in the Texas Panhandle
The rock school was built in 1882 in Mobeetie. Ambitious citizens were able to raise funds to build the structure to replace a picket room with a dirt floor and no windows. The rock was used later as the foundation of a frame house that has since burned. The school at Mobeetie was used for everything; the people of the community held their Sunday School in the building and all the Sunday Schools were held together.
Saloons in Mobeetie
Pink Pussy Cat Paradise
Cattlemans Exchange
O’Loughlin’s Saloon
(Owner. - Flemming)
Lady Gay
​Giltedge
(for blacks only – was 2 ½ miles NW of Mobeetie)
Ring Town Saloone
Buffalo Chip
(Owner. - J. J. Long)
Mint
Cabinet
(Owner. - Berry)
White Elephant
(Owner–a Buffalo hide shipping Co.)