Oldham County

Duane's take

The way the marker tells it, here's the story of Oldham County, and I'm just the voice passing it along. Way out in the Texas Panhandle, there's a stretch of land that was carved from two enormous territories, Young and Bexar, back when this part of the state was still more idea than civilization. The legislature made it official on August 21, 1876, drawing lines around what would become Oldham County.

But drawing lines and actually organizing a county are two different animals out here. It took until January 12, 1881, before Oldham County was truly up and running. Now, the county carries the name of a man who never set foot in the Panhandle as far as anyone knows.

Williamson Simpson Oldham, born in 1813, died in 1868. He was an Arkansas lawyer and jurist, and he made his mark as a member of the Confederate Senate from Texas. Whatever you make of that history, his name is the one they chose, and it's been on the map ever since.

When the county got itself organized in 1881, the seat was a place called Tascosa. Now there's a name that sounds like it has stories buried in every syllable. But things change out on the plains, and by 1915 the county seat had moved to Vega, where it sits to this day.

Two county seats, two territories, one man's name stretching across a whole lot of West Texas sky. That's Oldham County.

What the marker says

Formed from Young and Bexar territories. Created August 21, 1876. Organized January 12, 1881. Named in honor of Williamson Simpson Oldham 1813-1868; Arkansas lawyer and jurist; member of the Confederate Senate from Texas. County seat, Tascosa, 1881; Vega, since 1915