The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 50, July 1946 - April, 1947 Page: 44
582 p. : ill. (some col.), maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Slectra, A Zexas Oil raowt
ABBY WHEELIS COOPER
ELECTRA is located in the western part of Wichita County,
two miles east of the Wilbarger County line and about ten
miles each from Red River on the north and Beaver Creek on
the south. Twice platted and subdivided into town lots and
three times sold, the town has had three names: Beaver, Wag-
goner, and Electra. The first settlement followed the building
of the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad through this area in
1885. The first post office was secured in 1889 by C. L. Myers,
who was the first postmaster. It was named Beaver, as was
the first school. :Railway transportation was secured by "flag-
ging the trains." The town consisted of only a few residences,
a hotel, wagon yard, school, post office, and a general store.
It was a trading post for Chief Quanah Parker and his Co-
manche Indian comrades from the Comanche Reservation across
Red River in the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).
Daniel Waggoner and son, W. T. Waggoner, cattle barons,
had moved their herds westward from Wise County in 1878 and
later established headquarters on Red River, north of the pres-
ent location of Electra. Their holdings almost completely sur-
rounded the town and included a greater part of the original
town site. Harrold, Wilbarger County, six miles west of Elec-
tra, a thriving metropolis while it was the terminal of the
Denver railroad through 1886 and for some years thereafter,
had been the shipping place for Waggoner and other cattlemen
in this area; but as the fertile land in the vicinity was developed
into an agricultural district, frequent clashes occurred between
cattlemen and the farmers because the herds, driven in for
shipment, tore down fences and trampled the crops. Accord-
ingly Waggoner secured coSperation with the railroad in build-
ing a switch track and loading pens at Beaver in 1900. When
the first depot was built, it was designated as Waggoner. Freight
and express bills were marked to Waggoner while the mail was
still postmarked "Beaver." The citizens in 1902 decided by
petition to have the town renamed Electra in honor of Miss
Electra Waggoner, daughter of W. T. Waggoner.
In 1905 Waggoner sold the tract of land embracing the Elec-
tra town site to Sol Williams, Fort Worth, real estate dealer
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 50, July 1946 - April, 1947, periodical, 1947; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101117/m1/60/?rotate=90: accessed April 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.