Wichita County, Texas
History

Wichita Falls History Printed in the "The Richwood Gazette", Jan 2, 1890 Ed. Gazette::—I noticed in a late GAZETTE that you spoke of my jettings of travel as being instructive to youthful readers ; and most of them I have hoped to make so. But this may be an exception, so the young folks can skip it, as since I last wrote I have been among the tough element of Texas, which is to be found mainly In the counties adjacent to the Indian Territory, and the least they know of border toughs the better for them, Within seven miles of the Territory is the little village of Wichita Falls. Five years ago there was not a habitation other than canvas tents and covered wagons where the town is located. Now it contains many fine brick business buildings and residences, a National Bank, a weekly newspaper and over two thousand inhabitants. It Is in the banner wheat county of the state, has a good railroad and many enterprising and intelligent citizens native born and others from Ohio, Indiana, New York, Kentucky and elsewhere. The Mayor of the town is a New York State Republican, elected because he had proved to be alive to public improvements and a law and order man. The town is growing rapidly, and the farms in the county are being sold off fast and what is here considered high prices—$5.00 to $15.00 per acre (there "are not ten acres of better land in the state of Ohio.) But while the town is, as compared with two years since, a very quiet town, yet it seems to one not acquainted with the border element to be still very wild and woolly. There are six saloons running night and day and one large gambling place. I went to the latter in company with several government officers on the night of the 23d. inst. There were probably sixty cowboys, fugitives, outlaws, etc., congregated there and many games are in progress. The most fascinating to the majority of players (every one of whom seemed to be armed with a brace of weapons) was Mexican monte which I bad never seen played before. Draw poker, whiskey poker and Hazard seemed to be the other principal games, the latter being the highest game played. A dollar apiece from our party was placed on hazard bets and as It happened luckily, so as to declare 300 per cent, dividend, on which accounting we judiciously withdrew. In the room I was pointed out by the proprietor some old time gamblers whose names and faces were familiar to nearly every western mining camp twenty years ago. One of them was  a faro dealer thirty years ago and a Mississippi river sharp. Today he hasn't five dollars to call his own, and his silvered hair would indicate him to be seventy years old. There were three territory horse thieves, several who had killed one to half dozen men and were known to be dangerous and altogether they were a crowd such as one reads about but very seldom sees, but the roomful was as quiet and orderly as a gathering of deacons. The enterprise of the business people and land owners is remarkable. They have a room rented as large as the Richwood post-office building, right at the depot and a well known advertiser, hired by the year who has the room filled with a remarkable exhibition of the agricultural products of Wichita county. The trains stops here for meals and several times a day a crowd of passengers look over the wonderful display of south-west productions, and listen to Capt. Howard's explanations and advice as to how and when the various fruits and cereals are raised, and to what profit and extent. All this is bringing forth good results and many northerners stop and invest, or read and reflect over the circulars as to Wichita county and come back again to buy before it is too late. I took an evening ride eighteen miles across the country to Henrietta, which is the nearest to the Falls, and a close rival in progress and development. Each year the lawless element is held In better control or join their brethren who have sought refuge in Arizona and other pastures new, and while it is yet too much in the rough to be desirable to live in, I do not think there is any doubt but that some of the best investments in lands that have been made anywhere, have been made in fertile northern Texas. The officers mentioned succeeded in taking three Indian Territory horse thieves into Dallas jail with them. One a young boy of seventeen, one handsome athletic young" fellow of about twenty-five, and an old chap of over sixty whose exploits are said to have covered a criminal history of many years. Christmas passed over quietly, the weather was very pleasant but quite too warm during midday. Dec. 29, 1880. JENKINS. [submitted by JRice]