Life in Armstrong County Texas 1850 - 1950

Armstrong County, Texas from 1800's to 1950 as pictured in archived government photographs, vintage postcards, old school yearbooks family albums and newspapers in Claude, Washburn, Fairview, Goodnight, Maiden, Paloduro and Wayside. Click on photos to view larger.

A horse waits patiently with his buggy for his owner to return in Claude Texas in 1920 in this unsent post card. Someone had written 'Sarah, Elizabeth Campbell, Claude Texas

Photo of a man and woman posing in front. of a house in Claude Texas in 1920s.  Written on the back of this un-sent post card someone wrote in script 'Mrs. Robert Campbell Claude Texas'

In 1910 a group of men played Croquet in Claude Texas with the First National Bank of Claude in the background

In 1900 the proprietor and two of his staff posed for this rare photo of the Goodnight Mercantile Company and Post Office in Goodnight Texas

Lone Star School in early 1900s located midway between Claude and Panhandle Texas

Five JA Ranch cowboys including a little boy on horseback posed with a calf they were working in Armstrong County Texas in 1915

Twelve cowboys from the JA ranch eating dinner at the chuckwagon in 1904

Great photo of the JA Ranch headquarters taken from a hill by famous photographer Erwin E. Smith in 1907

Cowboys packing up their bedding on the JA Ranch in 1904

In 1910 a farmer near Claude Texas stopped his 4-mule team and posed for this photo of the kaffir corn harvest

The dirt streets are empty in front of the H. M. Kight & Bros store except for one horse-drawn buggy  in this photo of the north side of the square in Claude Texas in 1910

West Side of Square in Claude Texas in 1911 when the streets were dirt and the main means of transportation was horses and horse drawn buggies.

The dirt street in front of the H.M. Kight & Bro dry goods store in downtown Claude Texas was crowded with horse drawn wagons in 1914

Farm Scene Near Claude Texas in 1909

Two horse team pulls harrow in this scene from Armstrong County in 1909

After a rare rain in Claude Texas in 1910, Armstrong County pioneers posed as if they were fishing the muddy street on the West side of the courthouse square for this postcard. . . Look closer

First Class of the Goodnight College 1898

Students: John McDonald, Herbert Jones, Joe Kesterson, D. Vaugher, Roy Vineyard, John Mackelhaney, Charley McClaren, Bess and Clyde Norvell, Ella and Minnie Dyer, Bill and Maggie Burns, Georgie Caperton, Relan and Annie Vaughn, Flora Hunter, Lou Goodnight . . .

Earl Payne and Bill Hill are identified in this old photo. Can you identify others?

In 1901 the girls in the Goodnight College girl's dorm appeared on the balcony and at the fence for this large old photograph. Note the ladders that served as fire escapes for the third floor.

Wayside School, Wayside Texas in 1914

Three teachers and 22 students posed in front of their school in Wayside Texas in 1914 in this huge detailed photo

Charles Goodnight leads the way on foot and mounted Kiowa follow behind him as they prepare to recreate a buffalo hunt on the Goodnight Ranch in 1916. This momentary show of what was once the common life of the plains read more and see it full size

Mary Ann Dyer "Molly" Goodnight married Charles in 1870. Molly died in 1926. Charles Goodnight died three years later in 1929

PLPerson Land Motorcade Claude Texas 1909

On January 15, 1909, the P. L. Person Land Company organized a motorcade in Claude Texas to attract new settlers to Armstrong County, one of the least populated counties in Texas even today.