Ft. Elliot Info.

Can anyone tell me about the history of Old Mobeetie?
David

What would you like to know? It started with the buffalo hunters in the 1860-70's. They established "Hidetown" on the Sweetwater Creek. By the 1870's the trouble between them and the Indians led the government to build Fort Elliott to protect the buffalo hunters and settlers. Soon more people followed - settlers who provided milk, vegetables, meat and other services to the fort. Saloons opened up, cowboys came down from Kansas (mainly Dodge City and Ellsworth) and the ladies of the evening soon followed. It was a rowdy town. The early citizens first named it Sweetwater, but when filing for a post office found out there was already a Sweetwater, Texas so they went with Mobeetie. Legend has it an Indian scout told them it was the indian word for Sweetwater. Who knows? It was the first city in the Texas Panhandlke. It then became the judicial district for the top 26 counties in Texas. Court was held at Mobeetie and people came from far and wide for "court week". Some of the famous old west characters gracing Mobeetie's streets were Bat Masterson, Billy Dixon (they both came here right after the Battle at the Adobe Walls and the recapture of the German sisters.) Big Nose Kate (Doc Holliday's girl), Mollie Brennan (killed in a fight between Masterson and Cpl King at Fort Elliott), Temple Houston, son of Sam and attorney here, Capt. Arrington with the Texas Rangers, Billy Thompson, brother of famous gunfighter Ben Thompson, Clay Allison - I can't think of them all right now. Anyway, in 1898 a tornado came through and took the town out - leaving only the stone jail which is now a musuem. If you have any specific questions I will be happy to try to answer them for you.