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Quitaque
peak seen from the Flomot valley
Photo
courtesy Eric Blackwell November 2006
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History in
a Pecan Shell
Comanchero trader José Piedad Tafoya is said to be the first settler
in the area. He operated a trading post from 1865 to 1867, his main
customers the Comanches. In 1877 the Lazy F Ranch was formed when
George Baker arrived with a herd of cattle.
Charles
Goodnight bought the ranch in 1880 and renamed it Quitaque, which
someone had convinced him meant "end of the trail." Others say that
the real meaning is horse manure - the same story is told of Waxahachie.
A third translation supposedly means "whatever one steals."
A post office was established in 1882 and eight years later the town
had forty residents. When Briscoe County was organized the townsite
was platted.
A school was opened in 1894 and moved to Quitaque in 1902.
In 1907 the Twilla Hotel, a local landmark, opened.
By 1914 the town had seventy-five citizens and the the Fort Worth
and Denver South Plains Railway came through town in 1928.
By 1940 the town had a population of 763. |
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A
Railroad Tunnel near Quitaque, Texas.
The
highlight of the "Rails to Trails" trail about 8-10 miles south
of Quitaque.
Photo courtesy Eric Blackwell (left) November 2006
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Light
at the end of the tunnel
"You
can see the ranger's truck tracks through the guano - looks almost
like someone has driven through a recent deep snow. The ranger seems
to make at least one trip each day along the full length of the
trail, which is reassuring for us old bike riders." - Eric
Blackwell, November 08, 2006
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