True Stories of Amazing People and Places in Texas

Briscoe County, Texas from 1800's to 1950 as pictured in archived government photographs, vintage postcards, old school yearbooks and newspapers. Click on photos to view larger.

Very nice old picture of the Rock Creek store and gas station in Briscoe County showing very tall gas pumps from the 1920s

In 1912 an un-named photographer captured this huge iconic image of a large herd of cattle near Quitaque Texas with a lone cowboy hurrying in the background to get ahead of his herd

This highly detailed photo of downtown Silverton in 1908 shows 53 residents so clearly their faces are recognizable. Local stores can be seen in the background and don't miss the wooden bridge . . . View this huge photo

In 1915 Citizens, Officials, and Workers turned out with their horses and wagons to begin work on the A.R. & E.P. Railroad . . . Zoom in

Meet the 17 students in the Silverton High School Class of 1915. Photo contributed by Cris Gill. His great uncle, Hollie Francis is pictured in the last row middle.

1948 Quitaque High School Seniors

Names of students are shown below their photos. Local business sponsors from 1948 are listed below the photo . . . see full size

Interior shot of City Drug Store shows clerks and customers and a variety of merchandise including cigars and office supplies . . . zoom in

In the 1920s Farmer W. J. Carter was planting his field near Gasoline Texas in Briscoe County with a horse drawn planter when his daughter Ethel brought him a drink of water in a pan . . . See it full size

A lone cowboy tends to a pack of eight ranch hounds. Big, strong, fast and courageous, the hounds used by frontier hunters and ranchers belonged to a canine group called gazehounds, or sight hounds, which hunt primarily by sight and speed rather than smell and endurance, as scent hounds do. Three major breeds of gazehounds accompanied their owners to the American West in the 1800s . . . Read more see full size

Deputy U.S. Marshal John Deskin Rhea posed with his wolves under a tree in Antelope Flat sometime in the 1910s. John Deskin Rhea was a US Deputy Marshal, farmer and rancher in Briscoe County Texas. Born on March 19, 1848, Rhea ... View photo and read more

Sometime in the 1910s eight cowboys from the Palo Duro Ranch near Silverton were photographed branding whiteface cattle. Note the cowboy in the forefront is wearing lace-up boots ... see for yourself

This amazing photo of a cattle drive near Silverton Texas in 1910 appears to have been taken from horseback or from a camera mounted to the saddle of a very steady horse . . . look closer

Resources:

West Texas History & Memories

Early Life in Texas County by County

Books about Texas People and Places

Amazing People from Texas County by County