title: Historic plaque - Nolan County
creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
date: 2005-08-07
language: English
description: Photograph of a historic plaque in Sweetwater, Texas. It reads:
 "Nomadic Indians crossed this region before Anglo-American pioneers arrived
 here in the 1870s. The first settlers were buffalo hunters such as I. S.
 (Tuck) Focht, who later became a rancher and businessman, and cattlemen such
 as Confederate veteran John R. Lewis. Created in 1876, Nolan County was one of
 54 counties carved from Bexar Territory. It was named for Philip Nolan (1771 -
 1801), an Irish-born adventurer who came to Texas to capture wild horses and
 was killed in a skirmish with Spanish soldiers. Sweetwater, a small settlement
 that had grown up around a general store, was awarded the country's first post
 office in March 1879. It was also named the county seat when Nolan County was
 organized in January 1881. Sweetwater moved 2 miles northwest to its present
 location on the Texas & Pacific Rail Line in April 1881. It became an
 important rail center when the Kansas City, Mexico & Orient and later the
 Santa Fe Railroad also routed their track through the town. The economy of
 Nolan County is based on cattle and sheep ranching; cotton and feed grain
 crops; and gypsum, lime, and petroleum production. The population of the
 county increased from 640 in 1880 to 16,220 in the 1970 census. (1975)"
subject: Architecture - Monuments
subject: Architecture - Landmarks - Historic Markers
subject: Places - United States - Texas - Nolan County
subject: Nolan, Philip
subject: Business, Economics and Finance - Transportation - Railroads
subject: Agriculture - Ranching
coverage: United States - Texas - Nolan County - Sweetwater
coverage: Into Modern Times, 1939-Present
coverage: 2005-08-07
coverage: north=32.4725756608101; east=-100.40798283832049;
type: Photograph
format: 1 photograph : digital, col.
format: Image
identifier: local-cont-no: dscn1349
identifier: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth5293/
identifier: ark: ark:/67531/metapth5293