Field Guides
Seymour, Texas
(Baylor COUNTY)
Serene ranching country with spectacular Seymour Narrows and hunting traditions.
Highlights
Baylor County is where your hamburger comes from. It is cattle country through and through. There are over 200 farms and ranches in the county and less than 4,000 people. Almost 90% of agricultural revenue comes from livestock sales, and almost all of that sales figure is from cattle. At last count, approximately 11,000 mature cows and over 56,000 calves were on hand. So, humans are badly outnumbered. Although some cotton is produced, the largest crop is wheat.
The Waggoner Ranch, one of Texas’ great mini-empires and now regarded as Texas’ “largest ranch under one fence,” stretches into Baylor County. On the Waggoner, as elsewhere, if there are cattle, there are also quarter horses. All to say, one of the highlights of Baylor County is the iconic wide-open spaces, cattle, and horses that mark Texas worldwide.
As old as the cattle industry is in Texas, Baylor County is known to the world for something much, much older. Dinosaurs were once so abundant that the area became a significant fossil field. So much so that the county seat of Seymour has a small dinosaur species that bears its name, the Seymouria.
Baylor County Courthouse
Baylor County has had two courthouses. One was designed by architect James E. Flanders and built in 1884 in the Italianate style. It was later replaced by the current courthouse in 1968. The first courthouse was built only after citizens petitioned for its construction, an unusual request to spend their own money. It made sense, however, given that: (1) the Court was being held in a store and (2) the judge was murdered during a session in said store. In any event, the “new” courthouse (it is just short of 60 years old) is unassuming and unremarkable.
Things To See And Do
Visitors other than the passing-through type come to Seymour and Baylor County for two reasons. To hunt and fish live animals and to hunt and understand the bones of very dead animals.
For the former, the area is a prime white-tail deer area as well as turkey, quail, and waterfowl in the winter season. Given that most of the county’s land is a productive agricultural resource, private leases are the primary means of hunting access. Baylor County boasts three lakes (Kemp, Diversion, and Millers Creek Reservoir), with Lake Kemp being of substantial size. Striped and white bass are the primary targets but channel and blue catfish can also be had.
Ranger Creek Range appears to have everything handled for you, including a shooting range.
The central resource for actual or budding paleontologists is the Whiteside Museum in Seymour. The area is one of several to feature fossils from the Dimetrodon, which predated the dinosaurs. It looks like a dinosaur to Texas Ten but was a predatory mammal. However classified, Texas Ten would rather see it at the Whiteside or in Jurassic Park versus real life.
Seymour has another unique downtown attraction: a movie theater for or part of City Hall! The community gathers on the second and fourth weekends every month for Hollywood entertainment. Also downtown is one of Texas’ better murals, a depiction on the post office wall of early life in Baylor County by iconic western artist Tom Lea.
There is nothing Texas Ten loves more than a drive through open country Texas. One of the best drives is on FM 1919 because there are no power lines to interfere with what is genuinely a big sky. On a crisp spring day or cool autumn night, you can see why the few folks who live in Baylor County count themselves the lucky inhabitants of God’s Country.
Food, Drinks, and Music (Eat Local!)
“Good Eats. Good Friends. Cold Beer” is the motto for Long Branch Roadhouse. It is a family-friendly atmosphere with occasional singer-songwriter nights and live entertainment. You can be sure the steak is fresh and a quality cut because the inventory could not be closer.
Another option is the Rusty Spur Steakhouse and Saloon. The Spur might party a little harder than the Long Branch, but judge for yourself on “Whiskey Wednesday.”
The Big Empty Beer & BBQ earns plaudits for its name. The concept is timeless and perfect for this part of the country.
Great burgers and chicken-fried steak are the staple at Copeland’s Cafe. Hamburger buns toasted just right on the griddle are one of life’s great pleasures. Copeland’s takes the time to do it right.
Fame came to Seymour in the form of the Rock Inn Cafe, a little slice of time travel that Texas Monthly named one of the best small-town cafes in Texas.
A sweet way to start the day or for lunch is at the Blessings Tea Room.
For Tex-Mex, it is Mi Familia.
Where To Drop A Dime (Shop Local!)
To be honest, if you are not shopping for ranch supplies, Seymour will not hold your attention. There are several vintage stores worth perusing if collecting is your thing. If you pick one, try One 17 Mercantile for a great selection and the possibility of dessert.
Special Places to Lay Your Head (Stay Local!)
There are a variety of short-term rental options, but the pick of the litter is HH Creek Inn, which has renovated rooms and darling tiny home cabins. Those other options are:
For the Professional Traveller (Campgrounds and RV Parks)
Special Events
The Seymour Rodeo is held in early to mid-July each year.
Fore! (Golf Courses)
The Salt Fork River Golf Course is a municipal nine-holer with a two-tee set-up. It is active and well-maintained.
Getting to Baylor County
Baylor County is dangerously close to Oklahoma, being one county south right before the panhandle begins. An hour southwest of Wichita Falls, Seymour is at the intersection of SH 277 (east/west) and SH 183 (north/south). More generally, Seymour is about three hours due north of the state’s geographic center in Brady, TX. The closest interstate is I-20 almost 90 miles to the south at Baird (take SH 283/183 north from Baird).
Commercial flights mean Wichita Falls Airport and American Airlines are your only options. Seymour does have a small municipal airport.
History
Seymour, Texas, now Baylor County’s seat, was once home to Comanche, Tonkawa, and Wichita natives. The Wichita tribe built permanent settlements and lodges along what is now known as Lewis Creek, while the Comanche and Tonkawa tribes were nomadic hunters who followed the buffalo. In 1853, when the area was first surveyed, the presence of native villages and encampments posed a challenge for white settlers attempting to move into the region. The first Anglo settler, Col. C.C. Mills, arrived in the 1860s in Seymour, the county seat. According to legend, he was forced out by Indian raids soon after his arrival.
It wasn’t until 1874 that the U.S. Army forced the remaining natives to leave during the Red River War and relocated them to permanent reservations. This allowed Mills and J.W. Stevens to return to the area in 1875 and settle near Seymour.
The area was officially established in 1879 and named after Henry W. Baylor, a surgeon in one of the Texas Rangers’ regiments during the Mexican War. By 1880, the county had 55 farms, 708 people, and over 13,000 cattle.
Early settlers had to endure droughts and severe winters, but in 1888, a bumper wheat crop led to a settlement boom. By 1890, new ranches and farms increased the population to over 2,500. In the same year, the residents raised $50,000 to connect Seymour to Witchita Falls through the Witicha Valley Railway, which was located fifty-two miles to the east. By 1892, Seymour had a First National Bank, a dentist, two physicians, three hotels, and various storefronts and businesses. By the turn of the century, ranching became the dominant economic source, while cotton became a beneficial cash crop along with wheat, oats, and corn. The cotton industry hit a high before World War I, but droughts ended this boom. The population decreased, and although the cotton industry made a brief revival, The Great Depression and WWII marked the end of this expansion.
Petroleum exploration in the late 1930s brought a much-needed promise of economic recovery. This lasted until 2001, when production began to decline steadily. Today, ranching and farming contribute to a widely diverse agricultural economy in Baylor County. The Fort Worth and Denver Railway (Burlington Northern) serves the area and directly links it to nationwide markets.
Based on the 2020 Census, the population of Baylor County is 3,465. Historically, this county was predominantly Democratic until 1952. However, in the last seven years, Republicans have outnumbered Democrats in most presidential elections and have won every gubernatorial race since 1986. Around 23.3% of the population have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher; the median income is $52,716. About 80% of the population is white, 12% are Hispanic, 1.6% are black, and the remaining population is of two or more races.
It’s interesting to note that Baylor County has produced some notable residents, including Charles Edward Toberman, who is known as the “Father of Hollywood” for his significant contributions to the development of landmarks such as The Hollywood Bowl, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, and the Roosevelt Hotel, among others. Additionally, Baylor County was home to American Quarter Horse trainer James Lewis “Pine” Johnson, Cowgirl Hall of Famer Thena Mae Farr, and American painter and sculptor Melvin Warren.
Primary Sources: