Perico, Texas: A Ghost Town Railway Stop in the Panhandle Plains

Perico is an unincorporated community and ghost town in western Dallam County, Texas. It lies along U.S. Highway 87, about 11 miles southeast of Texline and 25 miles northwest of Dalhart. Today only a few abandoned structures remain, including remnants of its school complex.

Early History

The community began in 1888 as a shipping point on the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway, serving the Farwell Park line camp of the XIT Ranch. At that time it was known as Farwell.

In 1905, the name was changed to Perico at the request of George Findlay. The word “perico” is Spanish for a small parrot.

A post office opened in November 1907, establishing Perico as a recognized rural community.

Education and Community Life

The first school in Perico was a small two-room concrete building. In 1924, it was replaced with a larger complex that included an auditorium, a gymnasium, and a teacherage (housing for teachers). This made the school a central gathering place for the community, reflecting the optimism of local settlers at the time.

Perico also supported several businesses during its peak years, including:

• T. W. Timmerman’s general store

• Blotz-Henneman grain elevator

• Foxworth-Galbraith lumber company

These businesses served area farmers and ranchers who relied on the railway and later highways for trade.

Decline

Perico’s decline began in the mid-20th century. Trade gradually shifted to nearby towns such as Dalhart and Texline, while improved highways made it easier to bypass the community.

• By 1947, Perico’s population was about 30.

• In the 1960s, it reached around 40 residents, the largest figure recorded.

• The post office closed by 1970, and the school was abandoned.

• By the mid-1980s, only two residents and a single operating business, the grain elevator, remained.

Present Day

Perico is classified as a ghost town. Only fragments of its past are visible, most notably the abandoned school gymnasium and other deteriorating structures. Its story is representative of many small Panhandle communities that grew briefly with the arrival of the railroad but declined as transportation and trade patterns changed.