Henrietta is a city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Clay County,
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, United States.
It is part of the
Wichita Falls metropolitan statistical area. The population was 3,111 at the
2020 census, a decline of 30 from the
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
tabulation of 3,141.
History
Henrietta is one of the oldest settled towns in north central Texas. It sits at the crossroads of
U.S. Highway 287,
U.S. Highway 82,
State Highway 148, and
Farm to Market Road 1197 in north central Clay County.
Clay and
Montague counties were separated in 1857 from
Cooke County to the east, and Henrietta was named as the county seat. The etymology of the town remains a mystery, though several explanations have been offered. According to an article about the Seiberling family
sing Google Search "Seiberling family in Henrietta, Texas" the town name stems from Henrietta Buckler Seiberling, born in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky and raised in Texas. She married John Frederick (Fred) Seiberling (1888-1962). It was in Texas that he met Henrietta McBrayer Buckler of El Paso, Texas. They were married in Ohio. Fred had been sent to settle unrest along the Mexican border when he was part of the 134th Field Artillery Regiment, 37 Division B. Fred and Henrietta were very involved in starting Alcoholics Anonymous, especially Henrietta, although she was not an alcoholic. Regardless of the origin of its name, Henrietta became the center of gravity for the fledgling county. In 1860, as the only town in the county, it had 109 residents, 10 houses, and a general store. It sat at the far western edge of
Anglo expansion in north-central Texas, but
Native Americans remained a viable threat to current and future settlers. In 1862, Henrietta opened its post office. In the early 1860s, there were continuous attacks from local tribes. By late 1862, Henrietta was abandoned, and white settlers returned east to Cooke and Montague counties. Remaining structures were burned. Anglos continued to attempt resettlement, and in 1865 after the
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
, a group attempting resettlement was massacred. A number of
Quakers
Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestantism, Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally ...
attempted to reoccupy the former townsite, but its members were either killed or fled. In 1870, fifty soldiers and
Kiowa
Kiowa ( ) or Cáuigú () people are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribe and an Indigenous people of the Great Plains of the United States. They migrated southward from western Montana into the Rocky Mountains in Colora ...
Indians fought a battle in the ruins of Henrietta.
After the battle, white settlers returned to Henrietta, this time permanently. In 1874, the post office reopened, and Henrietta quickly became the economic hub of north-central Texas. In 1882, the
Fort Worth and Denver Railway
The Fort Worth and Denver Railway , nicknamed "the Denver Road," was a Class I railroad, class I Rail transport in the United States, American railroad company that operated in the northern part of Texas from 1881 to 1982, and had a profound infl ...
reached Henrietta on its southern side, and in 1887, Henrietta became the westernmost terminus for the
Gainesville, Henrietta, and Western Railway.
In 1895, the
Wichita Falls Railway, one of the properties of
Joseph A. Kemp and
Frank Kell, linked Henrietta with
Wichita Falls; sold in 1911, this segment was operated thereafter by the
Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, known as the Katy. This particular track was abandoned in 1970. MK&T then built in Wichita Falls a station, offices, a roundhouse, and three switching tracks.
After heavy lobbying by businessmen, Henrietta became a logistical supply point for various operations in north-central Texas, including mining in
Foard and
Archer counties. The Southwestern Railway Company in 1910 completed a rail linking Henrietta with
Archer City.
Though it had been settled earlier, Henrietta did not incorporate until 1881. The Clay County courthouse was built in 1884 and is still in use. By 1890, the population had reached 2,100, and the town boasted a 400-seat opera house, five churches, a new jailhouse, and a school. From 1893 to 1895, it had a college—Henrietta Normal College—for the training of teachers. It remained the economic hub of the county at the turn of the 20th century.
The St. Elmo Hotel, established about 1895 in Henrietta, had among its guests
Quanah Parker, who married two of his wives there, and
U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
, when he toured the North Texas area. When the top floors of the hotel burned, the facility closed and never reopened. A portion of the lower floor now houses an antiques store.
The growth of Henrietta waned in the 20th century as Wichita Falls grew rapidly into the most prosperous economic center in the area. The Southwestern Railway line was abandoned in 1920, and the
Gainesville, Henrietta, and Western Railway line closed in 1969. By 1990, the population remained under 3,000. In 2000, it topped 3,000 for the first time since the 1970 census. In many ways, Henrietta is a "bedroom community" for Wichita Falls but is still the largest city in Clay County.
The play ''Texas'' presented during summers at the
Palo Duro Canyon near
Amarillo is loosely based on the history of Henrietta.
The 1995 film, ''
The Stars Fell on Henrietta,'' produced by
Clint Eastwood
Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...
and David Valdez, and starring
Robert Duvall,
Brian Dennehy and
Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton (born August 4, 1955) is an American actor, filmmaker, singer and songwriter. He received international attention after writing, directing and starring in the independent film, independent Drama (film and television), drama f ...
, depicts the Texas oil rush of the 1930s and is set in Henrietta.
Geography
Henrietta is located near the center of Clay County southeast of
Wichita Falls, northwest of
Bowie, and northwest of
Fort Worth
Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, Henrietta has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.96%, is water.
Climate
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 3,111 people, 1,287 households, and 817 families residing in the city.
Education
The city is served by the
Henrietta Independent School District. South of town between Henrietta and
Jacksboro, students attend
Midway Independent School District.
Transportation
*
U.S. Highway 287 west to
Wichita Falls; east-southeast to
Fort Worth
Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
*
U.S. Highway 82 west to
Lubbock; east to
Nocona
*
State Highway 148 south to
Jacksboro; north to
Petrolia
*
Farm to Market Road 1197 north to
Hurnville
*
Farm to Market Road 2847 southwest to
FM 2606, Lake Arrowhead, and
Halsell
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Henrietta has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Notable people
*
Charline Arthur (1929–1987), boogie woogie and blues musician
*
Finis Alonzo Crutchfield Jr. (1916–1986), United Methodist Church bishop, born in Henrietta
Emily Yoffe, "A Faithful Secret - Death From Aids Brought Bishop`s Life To Light." Texas Monthly. December 2, 1987. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
/ref>
* Frank N. Ikard, congressman from Texas's 13th congressional district from 1951 to 1961, born in Henrietta in 1914
See also
* Abilene Trail
References
External links
City of Henrietta official website
''The Clay County Leader''
local newspaper
See historic photos of Henrietta
from the Clay County Historical Society, hosted by th
Portal to Texas History
{{authority control
Cities in Texas
Cities in Clay County, Texas
County seats in Texas
Wichita Falls metropolitan area
1857 establishments in Texas
Populated places established in 1857