County of memorial: Texas County
Location of memorial: 2nd St & Main St., Texhoma
Memorial erected: 2001
Memorial Text:
TEXHOMA
TEXAS 1901 ~ 2001 OKLAHOMA
In 1901, when the new Rock Island Railroad tracks reached here, the post office called Loretta, located NW along the Beaver River, was moved to the new tracks and renamed Texhoma for the two states at its location. From only five families living here then, the town had grown to 1000 people by 1908. The large trade territory at that time resulted in a town of many stores, three banks, two schools, three churches, and five wagon yards which took care of the horses and wagons that transported goods to and from the individual farms and ranches of Hansford, Ochiltree and Sherman counties in Texas, and Texas and Cimarron Counties in Oklahoma. Separate towns on Texas and Oklahoma sides were incorporated early, with fierce competition between the two in early days.
After 1910, many small frame downtown buildings were being replaced by brick structures. A brick school on the Oklahoma side was built in 1909, and one on the Texas side by 1913. The first Texhoma class graduated from Texhoma High School in 1913.
Town services grew rapidly. A telephone company was established in 1907; a public water system in 1913; an electric plant in 1921; downtown brick paving in 1928; gas service and a sewer system in 1929.
After the hard years of The Depression-Dust Bowl of the 1930s, and World War II in the 1940s, much additional building took place. New school buildings were added, followed by a medical clinic and fire station, several new churches, a municipal swimming pool and a TV translator.
Gas booms in the 1940s, agricultural irrigation in the 1950s, and finally the swine industry in the 1990s have contributed to the economic stability of the town.
A pride of Texhoma has always been its public school system. The football team won state in 1971; the girls basketball team in 1992; the boys basketball team in 1994; the girls track team in 1996. Many other teams qualified for state tournaments over the years. Through an Act of the Legislature of both states, the two school systems were combined in 1976, but maintain separate school boards with excellent co-operation. The schools have graduated many outstanding students who have made their marks in life. Out town is proud of the many useful citizens we have sent out into the world on this , our 100th Anniversary.