Why Stop In Donley County???

There are many reasons to visit Donley County! U.S. Highway 287, the main highway between Dallas and Denver, runs through our county.
Our historic courthouse, the oldest functioning courthouse in the Panhandle, has just completed a $4.2 million restoration, and the courthouse has been dubbed the “Jewel of the Plains.” It was built in 1890 in the Romanesque Revival style. Everyone is welcome to stop and look through this beautiful building!
The county seat of Clarendon, nicknamed by the early cowboys as “Saints’ Roost,” was established as a Christian colony by Rev. Lewis H. Carhart in 1878. It is one of the three original settlements in the Panhandle, and the only one still thriving today. Clarendon is home to many original and active churches.
The county is home to three other communities: Hedley, Giles and Howardwick. Giles was an early cattle-shipping point on the railroad. Howardwick is a fast-growing retirement community bordering Greenbelt Lake, a great fishing and boating lake 5 miles north of Clarendon. The lake also is great for bird and wildlife watching. The Clarendon Country Club boasts a beautiful 18-hole golf course that overlooks Greenbelt Lake.
Clarendon is home to Clarendon College, the oldest institution of higher education in the Panhandle, established in 1898. The college still thrives today as a two-year institution, well known for its ranch and feedlot curriculum.
The Saints’ Roost Museum, originally the Adair Hospital, was built in 1910 by Cornelia Adair, who along with her husband, John Adair, and Charles Goodnight owned and operated the JA Ranch.
Special events include the Saints’ Roost Fourth of July Celebration, which will conduct its 127th year in 2005, and the Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff the fourth weekend in September. Col. Goodnight is credited with inventing the chuckwagon, and authentic wagons come in from all around the area for the two-day celebration and cookoff.
So you can see that there are many reasons to come to Donley County. Please stop and visit sometime!
County Judge Jack Hall