Plemons, Texas: The Former County Seat That Faded Into History

Plemons was a small settlement in Hutchinson County, Texas, that briefly served as the county seat before declining into a ghost town.

Founding and Early Growth

The community developed around a crossing on the Canadian River in the late 1890s. In 1898, James A. Whittenburg built a dugout near the site, and by 1901 Barney Plemons, son of Judge William Buford Plemons, filed land in the area. When Hutchinson County was formally organized that year, the settlement was named Plemons in his honor.

The town was chosen as the first county seat of Hutchinson County in 1901. A post office was established on May 29, 1901, and a small courthouse was erected soon after. In its early years, Plemons had a population of about fifteen families and supported basic institutions, including a school and other county offices.

Billy Dixon and Local Leadership

Among its early residents was William “Billy” Dixon, a former buffalo hunter known for his role in the Second Battle of Adobe Walls in 1874. Dixon moved to Plemons in 1902 and served as Hutchinson County sheriff until 1906. He and his wife also operated a boarding house in the town, making him one of the most prominent figures in its short history.

Railroad Bypass and Decline

Plemons’ fortunes began to change in 1926 when the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway built a line through Stinnett, bypassing Plemons entirely. That same year, a county election relocated the county seat from Plemons to Stinnett. Soon after, officials and county records were moved from Plemons, marking the beginning of the town’s decline.

Although the Hutchinson County oil boom in the late 1920s briefly gave Plemons a small surge of activity, it could not compete with rail-linked towns. Businesses and residents gradually left, and by mid-century only a handful of people remained. The post office closed in 1952, further sealing its fate as a ghost town.

Present Status

Today, very little remains of Plemons. Most of the original buildings have been lost, and the site is largely open land. The most enduring remnant is the Plemons Cemetery, which holds about 66 known graves. The cemetery is fenced and maintained and has been recognized as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, preserving the memory of the once-important county seat. Historical markers at the site also tell its story to visitors.