Whiteflat is a ghost town in Motley 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 The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The population was estimated to be 3 at the 2000 census.

History

Originally a line camp on the

Matador Ranch A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activity ...

, this section of Motley County was called "Whiteflat" after the white

needlegrass The term needlegrass may refer to any of several genera of grasses, including: *'' Achnatherum'' *''Aristida'' (three-awns) *'' Hesperostipa'' *''Nassella'' *''Stipa'' *''Triraphis'' See also * Spear grass (disambiguation) * Wiregrass (disambigua ...

which covered the flat

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

. 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 ...

was established at Whiteflat in 1890 and a one-room school opened the same year. This small schoolhouse was replaced in 1908 by a four-room structure. In 1922, a two-story brick building (see photo) was erected for the Whiteflat School, which also served as the community-gathering place. Whiteflat declined during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

and the

Dust Bowl The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s. The phenomenon was caused by a combination of both natural factors (severe drought) an ...

of the 1930s. The school closed in 1946 and was consolidated with the

Motley County Independent School District Motley County Independent School District is a public school district based in Matador, Texas (USA). The district serves all of Motley County with the exception of a small portion in the north, which is served by the Turkey-Quitaque Independent ...

Matador A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activit ...

, to the south. The churches disbanded in the 1960s and the post office closed in 1966 upon the death of the last postmistress, Ida Morriss. The remaining retail business, a combined grocery store and service station, closed in 1968.Whiteflat, Historical marker, Texas Historical Commission, Motley County, Texas In 2000, the population was estimated to be three.

Geography

Whiteflat is located on an elevated flat spot between the

Middle Pease River The Pease River is a river in Texas, United States. It is a tributary of the Red River of the South, Red River that runs in an easterly direction through West Texas . It was discovered and mapped for the first time in 1856 by Jacob De Cordova, Ja ...

and Tom Ball Creek. It is located in the physiographic region known as the "Rolling Plains" about east of the

Caprock Escarpment The Caprock Escarpment is a term used in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico to describe the geographical transition point between the level High Plains of the Llano Estacado and the surrounding rolling terrain. In Texas, the escarpment stretch ...

of the

Llano Estacado The Llano Estacado (), sometimes translated into English as the Staked Plains, is a region in the Southwestern United States that encompasses parts of eastern New Mexico and northwestern Texas. One of the largest mesas or tablelands on the North A ...

Education

Whiteflat is served by the

Matador, Texas Matador is a town in and the county seat of Motley County, Texas, United States. Its population was 607 at the 2010 census. In 1891, it was established by and named for the Matador Ranch. It is located east of Lubbock, Texas. History Th ...

. The Motley County Independent School District has one school, Motley County School that serves students in grades

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called Pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

though twelve. The district serves all of Motley County with the exception of a small portion in the north, which is served by the

Turkey-Quitaque Independent School District Turkey-Quitaque Independent School District is a public school district based in Turkey, Texas (USA). Located mostly in Hall County, the district extends into portions of Briscoe, Floyd, and Motley Counties, and serves the communities of Turk ...

References

External links

* * * {{authority control Cities in Texas Motley County, Texas