Wildorado ( ) is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Oldham County,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, United States. According to the

Handbook of Texas The ''Handbook of Texas'' is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). History The original ''Handbook'' was the brainchild of TSHA President Wal ...

, the community had an estimated population of 180 in 2000.

Geography

Wildorado is located along FM 809 south of and Main Street north of

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...

, east of

Vega Vega is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Lyra. It has the Bayer designation α Lyrae, which is Latinised to Alpha Lyrae and abbreviated Alpha Lyr or α Lyr. This star is relatively close at only from the Sun, an ...

, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Oldham County. The nearest large city is

Amarillo Amarillo ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat, seat of Potter County, Texas, Potter County. It is the List of cities in Texas by population, 14th-most populous city in Texas and th ...

, located approximately 20 miles east of Wildorado. Wildorado's elevation is 3,921 feet (1,195 m).

History

Named for nearby Wildorado Creek, the community was founded in 1900 as a

railway town A railway town, or railroad town, is a settlement that originated or was greatly developed because of a railway station or junction at its site. North America During the construction of the First transcontinental railroad in the 1860s, temporar ...

along the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railroad. It was first settled by Eugene Binford and John R. Goodman, who ranched in the area before 1900. A post office was established in 1904. In 1908, the railroad was completed and a town site was laid out. Goodman organized the Wildorado State Bank and built the Wildorado Hotel. A newspaper, the ''Wildorado Progress'', began publication in 1909. By 1915, Wildorado had an estimated population of 100. During the 1920s and 1930s, the community endured droughts and dust storms. In 1936, Wildorado had a population of 57 with seven businesses. That figure increased to around 125 residents in the late 1940s. The gradual evolution of the Ozark Trail (

Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

) into

encouraged growth. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, when travel became a popular past time, Wildorado responded with services along its portion of Route 66 and the population rose to over 200 by the late 1950s. The formation of the Wildorado Water Supply Corporation in 1976-77 ensured a rural water supply and irrigation wells. During the latter half of the twentieth century, the population hovered around 180. Although Wildorado is unincorporated, it has a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

, with the ZIP code of 79098.Zip Code Lookup
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Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 201 people, 63 households, and 41 families residing in the CDP.

Education

Public education is provided by the Wildorado Independent School District. Troy Duck is the district's superintendent. The district has a single campus that serves students in grades prekindergarten through 12th. Wildorado ISD is rated an Exemplary District by the Texas Education Agency. Wildorado Elementary accepts transfers and provides transportation by bus for accepted students. Students in grades 9-12 attend one of the nearby neighboring districts. The new high school that is in operation will expand a grade each year until they run through the 12th grade. The first graduating class will be in 2021.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Oldham County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas Populated places established in 1900 1900 establishments in Texas